From Hell
Mason 2 How did he find out about the unfortunate and her child?
Sir Charles Well, he has that kind of cleverness you’ll sometimes find in the middle classes. A cheap sort of intelligence, but effective nevertheless.
Mason 2 Thank God that’s not something you’re burdened by.
Sir Charles Yes thank God.
Mason Recite the solemn oath.
Dr. Ferral Never to reveal our secrets, under no less a penalty than, my throat be cut across, my tongue be torn out by it’s root, and that I be buried in sand a cable’s length from shore.
Mason 2 You don’t think Gull has confided in him, do you? The old fellow isn’t as far gone as all that, is he?
Kidney No. He’s not that foolish.
Mason Let the brother receive the light.
Man 1 I keep on hearing. . .
Woman No time to scream. . .
Man 2 Another beautiful murder.
Man 3 Fear me. Jack the Ripper.
Abberline They’re rubbish. You know that?
Godley Yes, I agree. They’re rubbish. But why you persist in believing that red-head jezebel, I’ll never know. Has it never occurred to you that she’s the sort of woman who likes to make up stories. Particularly about men. She is, after all, a whore. She’s a woman who pre. . . A rose by any other name? Is that it? Frederick, my dear chum, no one is more delighted than I am that you’ve decided to resume your interest in the fairer sex, but please remember, a woman like that can make a man feel whatever the hell she wants him to feel.
Abberline Sergeant Godley.
Godley Yes, sir?
Abberline Arrest the Nichol Street gang.
Godley Right away, Inspector.
Police Officer I tried to stop them, Inspector.
Man This arrived in this afternoon’s post. ‘I send you half the kidney I took from one woman preserved for you, the other piece I fried and ate. It was very nice.’ We demand that something be done, and done tonight.
Godley From Hell. Well, at least they got the address right.
Kate It can’t be. Are you sure he was the same?
Mary I know him, Kate. I posed for him twice meself. I stood there naked as a babe, watching him paint me for hours.
Kate And he was with Ann for what, over a year?
Mary Nearly two.
Liz Oh, here you are. Hello girls.
Mary Where you been? I told you to wait for me.
Liz I can’t stay in a pub and not have a drink. It’s cruel. But look who I bumped into. Remember Ada? She’s from France.
Ada Bruxelles.
Liz Bruxelles.
Ada Yes.
Liz Oh, she is pretty, isn’t she?
Kate Not in public, love, not in public.
Mary Would you be a dear, Ada, and give us a minute alone? We need to speak with Liz.
Liz No, Ada, you stay where you are. Come on, Mary, get the drinks in.
Kate Mary.
Abberline You don’t have to worry about Nichols Street for at least a week. I can keep ’em that long.
Mary Well, that’s something anyway. Thank you. What about baby Alice? Are you sure she’s all right?
Abberline Yeah. She’s all right. We’ll get her out after this is all over.
Mary We’ll get her?
Abberline Listen, I want you and your friends off the streets until I can sort this thing out.
Mary Off the streets for how long?
Abberline A few days at least.
Mary Well. You’d better throw us in jail then ‘cos we have no money for food and no money for a doss.
Abberline All right then, you take this. Buy some food, get a room, stay there. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going. I don’t want to know. In three days, come to the Ten Bells, I’ll leave a message with the Barkeep. What? It’s not enough?
Mary I wish I could show you the little village where I was born. It’s so lovely there. It’s by the sea, where you said you saw me. I used to think it too small to spend a life in but, now I’m not so sure.
Abberline Don’t. Don’t.
Mary What? Do you think I’m paying you back? I didn’t mean it as business. I’m still a woman. They haven’t taken that away from me, not yet anyways.
Police Officer Enough of that. Now, lad, at least take. . . Sorry, sir.
Liz There, me lady. One more turn. And curtsey. And we’re done. Ah, don’t be modest girl. They don’t care what we do. I paid for your supper, remember. Stop shaking your head at me, you slag.
Mary Leave her alone!
Liz She is my business, she’s not yours!
Mary Liz, just be quiet for one bloody night.
Liz No, I fucking won’t keep my voice down.
Kate Don’t go out tonight, it’s not safe.
Liz I’ll just get something to sustain myself. I’ll be right back.
Kate Liz don’t be so fucking stupid.
Mary Do without for a night.
Liz No. I want a fucking drink.
Mary Liz.
Official Here we are. Service records. Grenadier Guards. Lieutenant Benjamin Kidney. There. Just as I suspected.
Abberline Before eh joined Special Branch, Ben Kidney served in the Grenadier Guards. Part of his duties included assisting a field surgeon.
Godley Well, let me tell you something, Inspector, of which I am absolutely certain. Assisting an expert is a different thing, a very, very different thing from doing it oneself.
Abberline Think about it. Someone’s got to clean up after the Prince. And who’s job is it to take care of the widow’s messes?
Godley You’ve turned into Othello, do you know that? Everything is a suspicion. And like that tragic Moor, all your suspicions will end up in your own demise. Heaven’s sake, man. These women aren’t just being silenced. They’re being murdered most brutally. Why would Ben Kidney do that?
Abberline To scare people. To keep their mind off the real point.
Godley Which is?
Abberline Think what’s at stake for Special Branch. Prince Edward married Ann Crook, a commoner and a Catholic. Married her in a Catholic church, they had a baby, a legitimate baby, who is in fact, heir to the throne of England. All these women were there. All these women were eyewitnesses to an event, that could rip the Empire to pieces.
Kate Once she starts drinking, she’ll go all night, you know that.
Mary She knows how dangerous it is.
Kate She don’t believe you about the Prince. She thinks you’re feeding that copper candies to keep him interested.
Liz Hello, sir.
Ripper Is anything wrong, my dear?
Liz No, sir, for a moment I thought you were someone else.
Ripper Oh. Thirst?
Liz Always parched, sir.
Ripper Perhaps there is somewhere nearby that we might go, while ,y coachman keeps watch.
Liz Oh yeah. Yeah. This way. Follow me. ‘Ere, it’s this way. Follow me. I dropped my grapes. No!
Netley The fuck are you looking at? Shut up! Shut up! I hear someone coming, sir. Sir!
Man All right, George.
Godley It’s one of them, isn’t it? Throat’s cut the same way.
Abberline Yeah. He didn’t finish.
Godley She’s no less dead for that.
Abberline He won’t be satisfied by this.
Godley Wilkins. Fetch the ambulance. Go on, run along.
Ripper Excuse me, miss.
Belt You could be dead, right now. But then there would be too many bloody questions. Ignore the old man’s blathering. Find a scapegoat, or next time we won’t care who asks: ‘Whatever happened to Inspector Abberline.’
Netley We should hurry up, sir. It’s clearing up.
Ripper Do you have a piece of chalk, Netley?
