Scarecrow of 1889
Chapter 55: Nothing new, but old

Chapter 55: Nothing new, but old

"I knew it!" Sergeant Gruger was quick to jump on the train of suspicion. "You will now come to the inspector’s office and confess what you’ve been up to!"

"That won’t be necessary, Gruger," Inspector Woodbead interjected, making his way towards them. "Miss Reinhart, you should be careful with your words, especially in such dire times. Is there a reason you were the one to discover the body?"

"Actually, that was me, Inspector Woodbead," Addison chimed in, only to shrink back under the inspector’s stern gaze.

"We were here chasing a lead on the case we’re working on, a case assigned by the commissioner himself. The guards Sergeant Gruger placed to protect me left my side to chase the lead, even after I told them not to. If this continues, I should perhaps raise my concerns with the commissioner about my work being hindered," Jane stated firmly.

"It’s obvious the man they were chasing was none other than Sylvester Crowley!" Sergeant Gruger declared. "Do you have any proof you didn’t meet him? Apart from your assistant, who listens to you."

Jane couldn’t believe how blatantly the man was blaming her. She was only doing her job. Maybe if she found Ricardo again, she’d ask the scarecrow to scare this dumb man, she mused.

"We can provide proof," came a voice from the crowd. Turning to see where the female voice came from, Jane spotted Mrs. Reynolds and her niece Aurora Edgar. They walked forward, and Mrs. Reynolds said, "I wanted to talk to Jane when I saw her, but she was running. There was no one else with her except this man standing next to her."

"That’s true," Aurora nodded in agreement. She asked, "Would you like us to write it down as proof?"

"That won’t be necessary, Mrs. Reynolds," Inspector Woodbead assured them. He then turned to Sergeant Gruger and said, "The sergeant has been concerned about the women’s safety. He didn’t mean to offend, Miss Reinhart."

Sergeant Gruger clenched his jaw before finally speaking through gritted teeth, "I was worried about everyone. Also because Miss Reinhart is the only one who is close to the killer. Or was."

"I think Sergeant Gruger should take his men back since they seem to have proven useless," Jane remarked calmly. "I don’t think the commissioner would be happy hearing how the case was almost closed, but your men prevented it. As for my safety, I have a good aim when it comes to shooting people. I’m sure you can agree on that, Sergeant Gruger?"

Jane noticed how the sergeant looked like he was about to explode, but he tried to keep a lid on his temper after her words.

"Lady Jane, how about we walk back to your carriage? It seems you’re not needed here, especially with the... crowd," Mrs. Reynolds suggested. Jane sent Addison a look, as if telling him to look around and keep an ear in her absence if they got to learn more. Once they were away, the older woman inquired, "Are you alright? The sergeant is a knucklehead to go at you like that."

"I’m fine, thank you, Mrs. Reynolds. Did you come here to get something?" Jane asked, glancing over her shoulder as if hoping to catch someone.

"Ah, yes. Aurora wanted to get me this fancy vase but wanted to make sure I liked it. She loves art," Mrs. Reynolds explained. "My coachman has it in the carriage. It’s a rather lovely vase. It seems horror has struck Riddleford once again with death. You should be careful, as I hear you like to go alone a lot."

Jane gave a slight smile, appreciating the concern. "I’ll be cautious. Thank you for your help today."

"Anytime, dear. Just take care of yourself," Mrs. Reynolds said, patting Jane’s back gently and continuing to walk. Jane was grateful for the support of Mrs. Reynolds and her niece. She offered to walk them to their carriage when Mrs. Reynolds asked, "Do you have your carriage waiting for you?"

"I do. It’s on the other side," Jane replied. "Not too hard to get there."

"Maybe I can walk you there, Miss Jane," Aurora offered enthusiastically, clearly eager to hear more about the case the detective was working on. "I’m sure Aunty won’t mind."

"Well, I do worry after seeing the dead woman’s body lying there like that..." Mrs. Reynolds expressed her concern.

"I will be with Miss Jane, and she knows how to catch a criminal. I think she doesn’t mind dropping me off, as our house comes on the way. Also, if I am going to be like her one day, I will have to learn to be independent," Aurora insisted. After a brief discussion, Mrs. Reynolds left in her carriage.

As they began to walk, the young woman asked, "Don’t those images scare you? Back in the alley?"

"Some of them do. Some you learn to digest," Jane answered.

"You are truly brave, Miss Jane," Aurora praised, then frowned, "Dead people like that..."

"If you are going to be a detective, these are some things you will need to be ready for," Jane advised, her eyes scanning the surroundings, searching for a face she couldn’t find.

"I do realise that now..." Aurora murmured. She then asked, "If I may ask, and I hope it isn’t too rude, do you think he will come to meet you?"

Of course, the question was on everyone’s mind, Jane thought to herself. She responded with a lie, "I don’t think he will. He must have travelled to another country."

"But then the murders that are happening here?" Aurora questioned further. "You think it is someone else?"

"It is a possibility." Jane didn’t discuss in depth, as she didn’t want to explain how and why.

The young woman nodded. On their way, they came across the inspector and the sergeant, who were deep in conversation. Aurora said empathetically, "I’m sorry that you have to go through such scrutiny just because you were close to him."

Jane smiled and replied, "It’s not a big deal, nothing I haven’t experienced before."

After dropping Aurora off at the Reynolds Mansion, Jane returned to her office and met Addison. With the guards not following them, Addison asked, "Did you see the body, milady? The lips were dark, and the blood—"

"Dried," Jane completed the sentence. "The woman was murdered yesterday, or maybe the day before. The body was only disposed of today."

"It looks like the killer found it hard to dispose of the body, unlike the actual scarecrow... but to reveal it in broad daylight is something else," Addison’s voice trailed off. "I stood there and looked around, but couldn’t spot any suspicious person. Gruger is hell-bent on blaming Ricardo."

Though the news about the victims’ bodies found during Ricardo’s time in the asylum had spread to the public, it made little to no difference. Everyone just wanted him executed.

Jane informed, "I will get a cup of coffee and head home."

"Okay," Addison nodded.

When Jane arrived near the cafe, she noticed Gruger’s men trailing her again. Paying them no heed, she stepped inside, ordered a coffee, and took a seat at a table in the corner of the room behind a woman. While she waited for her order, she pondered whether she should look back at the past escaped killers who had been inspired by their killings.

"Here is your coffee, milady," the server said, placing the cup on the table and leaving.

The next action was for her to step outside the house in the night and bait the copycat killer, Jane thought to herself.

"You should drink your coffee whilst it’s still hot, hermosa," said a woman’s voice from behind her.