From Hell
Abberline And a dozen plump children, I imagine.
Mary Do you think that’s funny? An unfortunate like me being a decent mother?
Abberline No. No, I didn’t mean that. I didn’t mean that at all. You’ll be a wonderful mother someday, Mary. Honest, I can see it. I see you in a little cottage, by the sea, surrounded by children. I can see it, Mary, clear as day. I really do have visions, you know.
Mary Are you serious?
Abberline Sergeant Godley calls ’em my intuitions. As a matter of fact, I have one about you in this case.
Mary You have visions about me? What might those be?
Abberline I want you to think carefully. Besides McQueen, besides these awful murders, has anything else happened to you, or perhaps one of your friends that’s a bit out of the ordinary?
Godley Ben Kidney? That’s Special Branch she’s describing, you know. What would Ben Kidney and Special Branch be doing in Whitechapel? Wait a minute. She’s Irish-born isn’t she? There’s your answer. A secret Irish rebel. That’s why they would be after her, right?
Abberline They were after Ann Crook. Who was having an affair with a wealthy gentleman. A man she bore a child. . . a child that’s now missing, along with it’s grandparents.
Godley Great. Drive on please, driver. You do not fuck with Special Branch. They fuck with you. I don’t know what you’re thinking, and I don’t care to know.
Abberline Inspector Adderley, Mr Kidney wants to see me.
Desk Officer Mr Kidney’s gone, sir. Didn’t say where. Could be for the night.
Abberline No, he said he’d be back before eleven and I should wait. Thanks.
Desk Officer Where are you going, sir?
Abberline He said I should wait in his office.
Desk Officer And what floor is Mr Kidney’s office on?
Abberline I don’t know what floor, you bloody idiot, because I haven’t been to his fucking office yet, have I? He told me to have the desk man let me up, but I’m more than happy to stand here like a knob, because you disobeyed Ben Kidney’s order.
Desk Officer It’s the second floor on the right.
Abberline Thanks.
Godley Free Ireland! Free Ireland!
Officer 1 Get inside, sir.
Belt Just some gunpowder, sir, that’s all. Little more than a firework.
Kidney Anyone go in or out?
Desk Officer Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir. There’s an Inspector Adderley in your office.
Officer 2 No, there’s nothing missing here.
Officer 3 The Webster dossier seems to be complete.
Belt The bastards have been in here, sir, I can smell ’em.
Abberline No.
Mary Yes.
Abberline No. Not together. Too suspicious. You wait for me, and if she’s in there, you can go and visit her on your own.
Mary I’m going with you right now, or I’m going to the newspapers. I mean it.
Doctor There’s a number of mental disorders for which it is necessary to remove the front part of the brain. Her records indicate that she was violent, threatening to do harm to herself and others.
Abberline Does she have any relations?
Doctor No, she’s a ward of the state.
Mary That’s a lie.
Abberline Listen to me. You’re under arrest, you’re here to assist my investigation. Kep your mouth shut! Is that clear?
Mary Sorry, sir.
Abberline Good. What else do you know about her?
Doctor All we know is, that she was an unfortunate, who lived in the Whitechapel district.
Abberline I’d like to ask her a few questions.
Doctor You won’t get any sense out of her.
Abberline I’m used to that. Hello, Ann. I brought Mary Kelly. Do you remember Mary Kelly?
Mary Ann, you know me, I’m your best friend in all the world.
Ann Go away. Go away. Go away.
Mary Ann, I’m gonna find baby Alice. I’m gonna take care of her.
Ann Alice is laughing to me. Laughing to me. Laughing to me all day long.
Mary All right, it’s all right, darling.
Abberline What about her father? Have you seen Alice’s father, Ann?
Ann He’s a prince. A prince. A prince. A prince. And I’m a queen. I’m a queen. I’m a queen.
Abberline How do you know he was a painter?
Mary He hired us to pose as artist’s models.
Abberline And what exactly does that entail, artist’s models?
Mary We stood very still, so he could paint us. What’s the matter? You think I was born a whore? Oh, I’m sorry, I’m an unfortunate, not a whore. England doesn’t have whores, just a great mass of very unlucky women.
Abberline So, Ann Crook, and the painter became lovers. Is that it?
Mary He married her, in a lovely Catholic church. Saint Saviour’s. I was a witness, as a matter of fact.
Abberline He married her in a Catholic church?
Mary What do you think they’ve done to baby Alice? Special Branch dumped her in Bishopsgate?
Abberline Yeah, as an unknown.
Mary Why?
Abberline When I find out, I’ll tell you.
Mary Take me to her. You have to.
Abberline No, not yet. I need to know more first. Look, I promise that I’ll help you with baby Alice, but not yet. You’ve gotta trust me, Mary, at least a little bit.
Mary I do. I do trust you.
Abberline Good.
Mary Do you have little ones, Insepctor?
Abberline No. No. A year ago. . . no, two years. I’m sorry, more than two years, my wife, erm, passed away, giving birth to what I’m told was a son.
Mary I’m sorry.
Abberline Thanks. I want to show you some paintings on the way out, yeah?
Mary You’re gonn take me into the gallery?
Abberline Why not? Come on.
Mary Did you see the look on her face?
Abberline I think she stopped breathing.
Mary She’s a fright. Look at those cold eyes. I feel like someone’s walking over my grave.
Abberline There’s one more painting I want you to see. You know him, don’t you?
Priest Those whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder. I pronounce that they be man and wife. (Speaks in Latin). Amen.
Abberline Sir William Gull, please.
Maid Sir William isn’t receiving visitors.
Abberline Sir William? It’s Inspector Abberline. I need to speak with you, sir.
Dr. Ferral Sir William is ill. He can’t receive any visitors. I said! You can’t go in.
Sir William It’s all right, Dr. Ferral, I don’t mind company. Have Anna bring us some tea, would you please? Ah well, I wish I could tell you, Inspector, that your story was fantastical. Unhappily, I cannot. I know for a fact that the Prince has a taste in unfortunate women. And I suppose it’s more than possible that, he concocted this elaborate deception, to have some privacy while he indulged in his secret life. But I know one reason I have for stating, that, Prince Edward being Jack the Ripper is just incomprehensible.
Abberline What’s that, sir?
Sir William If you repeat what I am about to tell you, both our lives are in jeopardy. Indeed, I hope for your sake that what I am about to say will steer you clear of the very real danger you’re in.
Abberline I think I’m well past the point of safe return, sir.
Sir William Prince Edward has syphilis. Not a pleasant state secret, but a, a vital one.
Abberline Well, that proves it. I couldn’t understand why the Price was killing Ann Crook’s friends, especially so savagely, but, he’s not merely killing them, he’s punishing them. He wants revenge. Don’t you see, sir?
Sir William Er, no, Inspector, I don’t see. I’m afraid your wild speculations about the Prince’s mental state, clever though they may be, cannot overcome the physical impossibility of his committing these crimes. The disease is far enough along that, the Prince’s hands tremble uncontrollably. He’s very weak, and the killings of Jack the Ripper require sure hands, and considerable vigour. And have you forgotten the most telling fact? Whatever else the Prince may be, he knows little or nothing of human anatomy.
Mason . . .to the centre of the lodge and force him to kneel for the benefit of prayer. Vouchsafe Thy name, almighty Father of the universe to this, our present convention. Who is this?
Dr. Ferral A poor candidate in a state of darkness. He comes of his own free will, perfectly prepared, humbly soliciting to be admitted into the mysteries and privileges.
Mason IN all cases of danger and distress, in whom do you put your trust?
Dr. Ferral In God.
