The Ripper's Daughter

by B Anders

  Colby managed to get herself upright on her knees using a tree as support. She glanced at Edwin and Jessie. They were walking slowly, heads bent together deep in conversation. The resemblance between the two was uncanny. They shared the same pale eyes and skin differentiated only by his dark blond head against her fair. His features an older, masculine reflection of hers. Any casual observer would think they were tourists, a father and daughter visiting Boston for the day to take in the sights. But, Colby could see the white knuckle grip Edwin had on Jessie's arm.

  "Well, light finally dawns over Marblehead," Edwin deadpanned with a smile.

  His eyes narrowed and focused on Colby. Eyes so much like Jessie’s it sent chills down Colby’s spine. Colby wondered if she was the only one not to notice, the only one who never saw. Did Marty see the resemblance? Did he hate Jessie because he was never sure who her father really was?

  "How many clues did you and Marty need? That's rhetorical, by the way. It's apparent you needed more than all of them. Marty was much better at it than you. He only needed the crucial few. You, however, would never have figured it out if Jessie wasn't helping you. You played a cheater’s game, Colby.”

  “I wasn't helping," Jessie interrupted. "I was trying to keep her occupied until you came for me. I was …"

  Edwin pulled her close and grabbed her throat to hiss, "Don't you even try to fuckin’ lie to me, Jessie! You think I'm a dumb cunt like your mother? Huh? Married all those years to a man she never loved. You think I don't know you were elbow deep in this slobbering idiot's pussy no more than two hours ago? What? Speak up, Jessie. I can't hear you!"

  Jessie's mouth flapped to form the words but no sound could get out through the strangle hold.

  "I could snap your neck right now, Jessie. The EMT's would think you simply choked on a piece of candy. Right here in the middle of a million people, I could kill you and nobody would even notice or care.”

  Colby cleared her throat to speak, her voice weak and slurred. "I can fuckin' see you're trying to kill her. You not gonna have enough time to kill us both without anybody noticing because I’m going to shout my head off right about ..."

  "You keep a lid on it, if you know what’s best." Edwin glared at the woman he had momentarily forgotten. "Unless you want her dead in your arms in ninety seconds."

  "Don't kill her," was all Colby could muster before collapsing back against the tree.

  Jessie instinctively gasped for air when Edwin released his hold on her throat but Edwin was not finished. Kissing her on her forehead, he kept a firm grip on Jessie’s arm keeping her in place beside him.

  "Colby, you claim to love Jessie, am I correct? Love her so much you left her to rot in a hellhole of an asylum. Although, I must admit I too am guilty of such neglect. I was deceived into thinking she would be kept safe and away from harm until such time we could be reunited. I was a fool to believe that witch. Do you know what atrocities they committed against Jessie there? Did she not tell you? It makes my blood boil to say both her doctor and lawyer were more than eager to take part in the foul abuse."

  Edwin thought for a moment. A peaceful smile graced his lips. He clarified his previous statement with a blush of embarrassment.

  "Initially, the psychiatrist's interest was purely financial. She was paid by the lawyer to make Jessie’s life unbearable. Swartz believed Jessie needed a firm hand to discipline her for her failures during Marty's death. But, once the doctor saw the beauty of suffering she craved it more than me. Late at night, she'd call to tell of some new wonderful idea she wanted to try out on Jessie. The woman has a real gift, I'll tell you, but unfortunately all good things come to an end. I will have to kill her eventually for Jessie. Always for Jessie. It’s probably my parental instinct. Did Marty ever tell you, I was the one who took Jane to the hospital? He left Jane alone at home, disappeared off on one of his drunken binges. She was heavily pregnant and she fell. It was a miracle she managed to get to a phone. I was in the delivery room to welcome our Jessie into the world. They cut poor Jane wide open for the caesarean. Her gut sliced to save the baby. She was premature and oh so small. They said she would never survive but I knew better. My Jessie was a fighter from the very start.”

  He smirked, "Unlike Swartz. She just lay there like a sack of potatoes after I broke her legs and pushed her down the basement stairs. She was a stupid, crude woman. She thought she was cleverer than me. Christine at least had a sense of style. She merely wanted to possess me. She said she was in love with me, but it was never that. She just wanted to control me, to destroy the beauty in my life. The refuge of the uninspired is control over true artists."

  "And, you're some kind of artist?" Colby questioned with a sneer.

  The pale eyes squinted and he bared his perfect teeth, "I am an artistic genius. You would not understand, Colby. Imagine the irony of a human form transfigured into exquisite horror by unbearable pain suffered in plain sight of the victim's fellow man. Yet help never arrives. My art isn't about man's inhumanity to man. It’s about our collective indifference as a society. Indifference from whatever cause, not from a lack of knowledge, but from carelessness, from absorption in other pursuits, from a contempt bred of self-satisfaction.”

  Colby shook her head to disagree. "You're no artist. You're just a fuckin' sicko who couldn't cut it as a butcher so you drive a hearse."

  "You're trying to bait me, Colby. That’s not very nice of you." Edwin chuckled with a smile. "Since you were so good as to amuse Jessie for me, I'll play along. Let's test your humanity versus your indifference. I'm taking Jessie back to Marty’s house and I will spend the next twelve hours teaching her a lesson she will have to die to forget. You have two choices."

  "Fuck you," Colby muttered as she struggled to get to her feet with little success.

  "You have an hour to catch up and try to save the day. I must insist this be an independent rescue, not that anyone will ever believe you. But I'll know if you contact your few friends on the force. If you do that the game is off and Jessie dies.” Edwin nodded pleased with his train of thought. "No, this is between you and me. So, come and save your lover and die trying or stay here until we leave, then go to the hospital and get yourself admitted. You really do need some medical attention, what with the blackouts and all. Stay a few days. Relax. When you're discharged, quit the force. Take a medical retirement. After all, you earned it."

  Colby glanced at him. Edwin seemed so sane so calm standing there speaking with her. Jessie, on the other hand, looked positively lost.

  "Are you listening? Is everything all right, Colby?" Edwin was speaking slowly to her sounding concerned.

  Colby shook her head, "Sorry, what?"

  "Let me make this clear to you. If you forget about Jessie and me and take yourself to the hospital, I'll see to it that you get well rewarded. Marty's will states you’ll get the house if Jessie precedes him in death. I'm the executor so I think probate will accept my recommendation the house be liquidated with the proceeds going to you after Jessie mysteriously disappears from custody. It'll take a few years but your disability pension will fund your lifestyle until then. Even in this horrible real-estate market Marty's house will do well. I advised him to buy it—prime location."

  "What will happen to Jessie?"

  "Do you really want to know, Colby? Jessie and I will take a long trip out of the country, maybe to South America. We talked about it a lot in the past, but there was the business and my other obligations and I admit I wasn’t very attentive to her needs. Strange, how it takes a separation to make you realize the important things in your life.”

  “So you won’t hurt her?”

  “I never said that, Colby. I was brought up to believe that if you spared the rod, you spoil the child. It all depends on how well she learns her lessons. Classical operant conditioning worked so well with her in the past. I hope for her sake you haven't ruined her. I hate having to start again from scratch."

  "So, my choices are, try a rescue and die or le
t you do what you want with Jessie and live pretty comfortably with a big payout."

  "Right," Edwin smiled broadly. "Sounds like a no brainer, even for a halfwit moron like you."

  "Fuck you!" Colby lunged at Edwin but fell short of the mark.

  "That's the spirit, Colby. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I do hope you come for the rescue. I'm going to love watching the windlass disembowel Jessie right in front of you while I slowly garrote you with piano wire. Yes, that would be a nice touch. It'll be a wonderful end to a magical adventure."

  Edwin laughed as he pulled Jessie away with him.

  After several failed attempts, Colby managed finally to stand up on her own, but Edwin and Jessie were already far across the street. They would be on Huntington and gone before she even managed to walk to the curb.

  "Should have shot the bastard when you had the chance," Marty was behind her.

  "You're not much help, you know that," Colby whispered as she leaned heavily against the tree panting.

  "Really?" Marty chuckled. “I’m not the one who’s too weak to pull out her gun. I guess you wouldn't be interested in how to get into the cellar without that friggin' lunatic figuring out you're there."

  Colby stared at him and noticed his pale eyes seemed to twinkle. “Am I really going to hell when this is over?"

  "Sorry, can't help you with that. Every exit is an entry somewhere else. Maybe saving Jessie from Edwin will get you good time credit with the Big Guy."

  Colby tried to take a few wobbling steps forward. "Tell me how to get into the house without Edwin knowing I'm there."

  "Coal chute around back."

  "Figures, you still have one of those."

  "You never know when the oil embargo will return, better safe than sorry. For all you know coal might become all the rage again."

  Colby rolled her eyes and stumbled for the crosswalk, "Right and men's long sleeved white shirts will be the surprise hit during fashion week in Paris this year."

  "You know, I never figured you for a hater," Marty said as he looked both ways before motioning her to cross.

  Once Colby staggered across to the other side, she glanced back to make sure her broken body wasn't strewn in the middle of the road. It belittled her better judgment to rely on the eyes of a dead man.

  "You good to drive? Go easy on the car will you."

  "I must be having some bizarre dream. I would never imagine you'd let me drive your goddamned baby," Colby shot back. She was feeling a little steadier with each step. "I'm gonna fuckin' blow Edwin Dobb’s brains out on his good shoes, you know."

  "Let's see if we can get you to the car before you go all Rambo on me."

  "Fuck you," Colby muttered. "You friggin' useless …”

  Colby looked up to where Marty was standing moments ago only to be answered by silence.

  *****

  Chapter 15

  After parking near Gate of Heaven, Colby stopped to check to make sure some hapless pedestrian wasn't embedded in the front grill of the Charger. Colby remembered very little of the ride from the South End. She recalled the loud squeal of tires and the blare of horns and abuse following a couple of red lights she inadvertently ran. But, other than that, the entire ride was a comforting blur.

  She was plotting the best path to approach the house when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

  "Don't you want to know where the coal chute is?"

  Glancing to her left, she saw Marty was back. She gave a little nod.

  "Where do you go when you're not haunting me?" Colby asked as she took a right to take her down the street behind the house.

  "You don't want to know the answer to that, Colby. God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. You'd give up the booze, the women, join a covenant, and devote the rest of your life to prayer and good deeds. And I wouldn't get your little black soul credited to me when you finally meet your maker,” Marty replied grimly before tossing his head back in a fit of mad laughter.

  Colby groaned and went toward the house directly behind Marty's.

  "Don't go straight in. Didn’t you learn anything doing stakeouts with me? You want to head in from the blind spot. There's no window on the first or second floor over the coal chute on Ferguson's side."

  Colby stopped, "Okay, which one is Ferguson's?"

  "Left side. You remember Old man Ferguson, Colby. Always farting after eating all the Boston baked beans and brown bread at the 4th of July cookouts. Amazingly, he's not in hell with me. There's no justice in living or dying, Colby. No justice you don't make for yourself. 'Hell is yourself and the only redemption is when a person puts himself aside to feel deeply for another person'. Tennessee Williams. You remember that, Girl."

  Marty’s words hit home with Colby. Pulling out her service revolver, she headed for Old Man Ferguson's back yard from the house behind. There was a low chain link fence separating the properties. Colby checked to make sure Edwin wasn't watching from one of the windows. All the curtains were drawn. It was the most reassurance she'd get.

  There was no fence to worry about between the two adjacent yards, just nice green grass. Colby stayed low as she looked for the coal chute.

  "I can't believe you never noticed this before," Marty huffed as he headed over to four loose red bricks in the foundation. "Pull these out. Go feet first. It'll take you right into the basement. An asshole like Edwin would most likely be hurting my little girl in the cellar."

  Colby nodded before trying to pry one of the bricks free. She had to use both hands. The first brick slid out with a little bit of maneuvering, after which the rest came loose much more easily. Colby looked inside. It was dark but she was able to gather the chute was missing and she'd need to lower herself to the floor. She tucked her gun back into the holster. Looking back up for encouragement was a disappointment. Marty was gone.

  Colby went in both feet first. She managed to touch the floor before needing to let go of the brick ledge. The coal room was set off from the basement by two walls with a door in the center of one. Colby thought back but could not remember where in the cellar the coal room door opened into. She put her ear to the wood. Nothing.

  Having no other plan but to shoot Edwin on sight, Colby pulled her gun and went for the door. The knob squeaked making Colby pause.

  She turned it slower hoping to still the noise long enough to open the door a crack. The rest of the basement was dark. A soft sobbing sound was coming from the direction of the pool table on the far side of the brick wall.

  Colby crept out of the coal room. The light in the cellar was dim and her vision was still blurry from the seizure. Sweat spilled into her eyes making each step a blinding experience. She heard the snap before she felt the metal teeth of the steel trap dig deep into her leg. Colby dropped like a ton of bricks as much from the pain as to conceal her weapon.

  "Colby!" Edwin's voice filled the room from the stairwell. "I must admit, I didn't think you'd be here so soon. Actually, I didn't think you'd come at all and through the coal room. Bravo, I didn’t even think you noticed it before. Jessie must have told you. She never knew when to keep that cock sucking mouth of hers shut."

  Colby counted the footsteps. The cellar was about thirty feet total. When he stopped, she guessed he was still about ten feet away. He was still too far for her to get a clean shot with her unreliable vision. The pain wasn’t helping. Her hands were shaking so hard they were almost useless. She was slowly going into shock. She waited with her back to him.

  "I never considered you good enough as an opponent. That was my mistake. I thought you'd drink yourself to death long before you could interfere with my plans. And, you did interfere. You ruined Jessie. Things are never going to be the same between Jessie and me. You came between us. I knew you were bad news the first time I laid eyes on you. You kept coming around, sniffing after Jessie like some dog on heat. And what was worse, she liked you. I told Jane to keep you away from her, she was sixteen, seventeen tops. Much too young to be hanging out wit
h trash the likes of you. So Jane decided that music would tame the beast. You should have continued with those piano lessons, you were good at it, but Marty just kept on … well, you were always Marty’s brat. I take comfort in the fact that he finally cottoned on that you were only coming over to drink his beer and fuck his daughter.”

  Colby stayed silent, biting her tongue.

  "No crude comeback? That's so unlike you," Edwin murmured. "Usually, you’ll suggest some perverted sexual act I could commit against myself."

  Edwin walked around her and disappeared into the space beyond the coal room wall.

  A muffled cry rang out before it was abruptly cut short.

  Colby remained motionless.