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Golden Shields ( Katy1008 & CrimsonMaster )

Tom always enjoyed Evie's soft hands upon his body. Once her hand reached his shoulder, Tom placed his own over hers. " I'm sorry. " Tom started as he looked over and up at Evie. " I just got to thinking about Professor Gateman and Mary Nichols........I've got one of those feelings that Gateman could be right......Deep down I hope he's wrong.......But the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I think about it. " Tom said, he then pointed at a picture on the computer screen. " That feeling is telling me he's my counterpart from 1888..........Chief Inspector Donald Swanson.......He was in overall command of the Ripper murders. " Tom gave a sad sigh as he spoke. As it stood now, the MCU would not get involved with the Nichols murder. If this was a copycat killer who was following what Jack did back in 1888. Tom would have no choice but to get involved. The press once they found out would call for action from the MCU. In the back of his mind Tom did wonder if this ripper got away, how would history see him? Back in 1888, the press wasn't kind to many of the men leading the ripper murders. These days the press was even worse. McBride would have a field day if Tom and his MCU team failed. As much as McBride hounded them for being little more then hired gunmen. He'd rip them apart on tv for failing to protect the people of Los Angeles. Tom listened as Evie spoke her thoughts. He then switched off the computer screen, rose up and wrapped his arms around her waist. Tom leaned down and placed a soft kiss onto Evie's lips. He held the kiss for a good 45 seconds before patting Evie on the ass. Tom pulled back giving her a smile. " Let's go to bed. " The couple slowly walked down the stairs. Tom kept his arm around Evie's waist as they walked on to the bedroom. After stripping down to his shorts, Tom joined Evie in the bed. They fell asleep hold each other.

A few quiet days had passed since the Nichols murder. Tom knew from his research that Mary Ann Nichols was murdered on the 31st of August 1888. The second victim, Annie Chapman was found dead on the 8th of September. A week had passed between the first two original murders. During the days that passed, Tom kept a close ear on what Homicide was doing on the Nichols murder. They had no real leads, nor did they have any suspects. No prints had been found which would lead the police to a suspect. There was also no witnesses to the crime. So far the press hadn't picked up on the fact that Mary Nichols of 2013 shared a name with Mary Ann Nichols of 1888. Finally a week had passed by. Tom, Evie & Alyssa left the boat about 7:10 on a Tuesday morning. They dropped Alyssa off at the academy, then headed for the Central Station. While driving a call came over the police radio about the body of a woman being found in an alleyway. The first patrol car on scene then radioed back. They needed more units to help close off the area. They also needed the crime scene techs there asap. Tom turned the car around and headed straight for the crime scene. By the time Tom & Evie arrived, five black n whites were already there. The body of a white female was laying on the ground, blood circled the corpse, some of which was dry by now. It was easy to see she was a young woman. It was also easy to see that someone had butchered her. As bad as Mary Nichols body had been, this one was worse off. Her throat was cut from left to right, and she had been disemboweled, with her intestines thrown out of her abdomen over each of her shoulders. Tom asked one of the uniformed officers on scene what they had on the dead girl? He showed Tom the ID they removed from her handbag which was in an evidence bag. On it the name Ann Chapman, age 25 appeared. Tom thanked the officer who left. " We've got another madman on our hands. " Tom said softly to Evie who stood next to him. One woman with a similar name to an 1888 murder case could be written off as just chance, but two woman wasn't by chance. It was clearly the mark of a psycho stalking the streets of Los Angeles like was London in 1888 all over again.
 
As Evie climbed out of the car, she pulled a pair of blue surgical gloves from a box which Tom kept in the pocket in the side of the door. Walking over the rough ground of the alleyway, stepping over broken palettes and discarded bottles, Evie and Tom headed over to where the body was still laid out. They both came to stand over the victim... Both looking down...silent. Somewhere further up the alleyway, the sounds of someone being sick could clearly be heard. Evie exhaled loudly and then crouched down. The woman's left arm was placed across the left breast. The legs were drawn up, the feet resting on the ground, and the knees turned outwards. The cut to the neck was deep. The cut to the abdomen deeper still. She heard the name Ann Chapman and looked up.

"Ann Chapman? ... Annie Chapman?" The uniform looked down at her. "Do you know her Detective?" Evie shook her head. "Just the name." Her gaze met Tom's.

"She's younger than the original Annie Chapman, but other than that... Same injuries. Similar location. Same date. Time of death appears in the ball park. How much do you want to bet her uterus is missing?" Evie asked not really expecting Tom to answer.

"What? How do you know....?" The uniform officer looked confused. Evie stood up to hear Tom tell her they had a madman to find. "I think we need to go and see the Professor... Maybe he's our first suspect."
 
Tom nodded when Evie said about see Professor Gateman. After seeing this crime scene, Tom wanted to speak with him again. Professor Gateman was on the short list of suspects. Hell, he was the only one on that list. Tom however felt that Professor Gateman wouldn't be there long. The Professor had come seeking to help the police after all. It could have been a way to cover his tracks, but Tom didn't feel that Gateman was a murderer. They'd go see Gateman after Tom made a phone call. Tom pulled his cell phone from his coat and quickly dialed Chief Beck. The conversation lasted only a few minutes. Tom explained to Chief Beck about the two dead girls and their connection to the 1888 murders. This news was certainly not what Chief Beck wanted to hear. He didn't waste anytime yanking the two murders from Homicide and turning them over to Tom and his team. After hanging up with the Chief, Tom told Evie that this case was now an MCU case. They started walking back to where Tom's car was parked. Tom asked Evie to call James & Kim. He wanted them down here to take command of the crime scene. Tom also wanted James & Kim to check on Ann Chapman's background.

Tom & Evie got in his car and left the crime scene. They headed for the UCLA campus. After a stop at the main office, Tom & Evie found Professor Gateman in his office. The Professor had been hard at work on some papers when a knock came at his door. Gateman said come which Tom & Evie did. Professor Gateman was surprised to see the detectives again. He rose to his feet when Tom asked if they could speak with him? Gateman replied of course and offered the detectives a cup of tea. Tom turned down the offer of tea. He told Professor Gateman about the second murder. " I was expecting that. " Professor Gateman said while shaking his head. " It's been eight days since the last murder......He's following how the ripper worked......But his timetable is off. " Gateman said which puzzled Tom. Gateman then added that the original ripper struck at the end of August and into September with his first two victims. He then pointed out that they were in the middle of August right now. This ripper wasn't using the original ripper's time table. Gateman speculated that this new ripper could be slipping quickly into insanity. He said this would explain why the timetable was off. Professor Gateman showed Tom & Evie all the work he had done on the Whitechapel murders. " Leftenant Reed.......Do you know that there were two murders in New York that fit the murders in Whitechapel? " Tom looked at Evie before shaking his head. Professor Gateman showed Tom & Evie the case of Carrie Brown who was murdered on 24th of April, 1891 in New York City. She had been mutilated with a knife in the same manner as the victims in London. A second victim was murdered in New York, but the police were close by and arrested Severin Klosowski with the bloody knife still in his hand. Gateman pointed out how the long thin blade was the same type of knife used during the Whitechapel murders. Klosowski was German born and worked as a sailor. Gateman showed Tom & Evie papers which indicated that Klosowski was in London during the time Jack the Ripper was killing those woman.

Tom was impressed with the work Professor Gateman had done. It was obvious that he put a lot of time into this. Professor Gateman would have made a fine detective and perhaps in his own way, he was. " Professor.......I have to ask........Where were you earily this morning when Ann Chapman was murdered? " Tom watched Professor Gateman closely after the question was asked. Gateman shook his head, but he had expected this to happen. He did know a lot about the ripper murders. " I was at my apartment which is four blocks away from this campus.........I had just risen and was in the shower around 5:30 am.........And no one was with me.........I live alone.........But my landlady saw me leave my apartment at 6 am..........I was on my way here. " Tom was satisfied so far. They would check with Professor Gateman's landlady just to cover all the bases. Tom looked at Evie and wondered if she had any questions for Professor Gateman?
 
Gateman's office was exactly what you would expect for a professor's office. UCLA was a modern campus for all the university had been there for decades. Inside the professor's office however was like going back in time a little. Walls covered in shelves, floor to ceiling, multicoloured leather and paper back books lined up, most of them neatly with a few out of place here and there lying on top of others. The desk was a large solid wood one set to one side of the room covered with piles of scripts which either needed marking or had recently been marked. There was a space in the middle of the desk where the professor could work.

Like Tom, Evie turned down the offer for tea. She listened to what he had to say and listened to his potentially limited alibi. Evie was well aware that there were serial killers who inserted themselves into investigations, who were arrogant enough to think they could be that close to the police and not get caught. Did she think the professor was a killer? An interested amateur albeit skilled investigator... researcher or the man responsible.

"Surely a man who kills women with the degree of violence shown here is well passed slipping into insanity. The fact that he is certainly being consistent with the London Jack if not to the day doesn't seem to me to be the determining factor in assessing his sanity." Gateman gave a slight nod. "Perhaps that is true."

"So you think someone called Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes are next. Two killed and found on the same day? Isn't there a view that the Ripper either wasn't responsible for Stride or was interrupted because there was no mutilations?"
 
It was true that some felt Elizabeth Stride may not have been murdered by the ripper. However, many felt that the ripper was disturbed by someone coming into the area where Stride was slain. It's believed that Stride was murdered shortly before 1 am. At that time, Louis Diemschutz drove his pony & two-wheeled cart into the area. Gateman said he believed that with Diemschitz coming into the yard. The ripper was scared off, but not enough to end his rein of terror for the night. Just a few blocks away, Catherine Eddowes was murdered between 1:35 and 1:45 am. Gateman added that at 1:45 am, PC Edward Watkins came into Mitre Square and found Eddowes. " The body was badly mutilated......Much worse then any of the others.......Eddowes mutilation may have been the result of the ripper being disturbed when he killed Elizabeth Stride. " As Tom listened to Professor Gateman he felt that this man knew his stuff. Tom had read over pages and pages on the computer, but Gateman really had his shit together. Gateman reached into his desk and pulled a book he wrote some years ago on the Whitechapel murders. He handed the book over to Tom saying they could keep the book as reference material. " From this point on it's hard to say what this LA Ripper will do.........If he does kill someone named of Elizabeth Stride.........He may not kill again that night.........But he may just to keep on the right track.........With each murder I believe this person will slip further into his insanity.........It's quite possible that the killings could come quicker then the original ripper's did.......He may not wait for 22 days to pass before killing again. " Tom listened closely and looked at Evie. He had many dealings with these types of killers in the past. Tom agreed that this person may speed up the timetable. It was possible the killer could strike that very night, or even a few days from now.

The press had already gotten word that the MCU was taking over the investigation on the Chapman murder. This puzzled many in the press since her murder didn't fit the normal high profile cases which the MCU was famous for. Back at the crime scene James was fielding questions from the press as to why they were involved. Kim was working hard on Chapman's background. She found out that Chapman worked at a strip club called " The Body Shop." Nichols had also worked as a stripper at a club called " The Boom Boom Room." The two clubs were just a few blocks from each other. In another part of town in between where the last crime scene was and where Tom & Evie were now. A man stood looking out a window. He suddenly turned to look at his tv when the newscaster said that the MCU was involved with the murder of one stripper and possibly a second stripper. The man walked over to a closet, reached in and pulled out a black Victorian style men's overcoat. It featured a cowl hanging over the shoulders of the likes Sherlock Holmes was famous for. He placed the coat on then moved over to a table. After sitting down he took a quill pen in hand and started to write a letter which would be addressed to Tom.
 
Tom and Evie said goodbye to the Professor and walked out of his office and back to their car. They were talking though what Gateman had said to them and what the implications were.

“Three weeks from Chapman to Stride and Eddowes. If this guy follows the original ripper we have some time to try and find their 21st century 2013 equivalent. If he brings forward his next attack to who knows when…? Maybe we should start looking at the Mary Jane Kelly one as well… get a head of that one in case we’re already too far behind Strade and Eddowes.” Before Evie could continue, her phone went. She pulled it out of her jacket pocket. It was James. He filled her in on the fact that the press knew the Chapman murder was now an MCU case but couldn’t understand why.

“Well once one of them puts the names together, they’ll understand it I imagine.” Evie said, before James then told her why Kim had found out.

“Tell James that we’re heading for the ME’s office and then we’ll meet them back at the office.” Tom said to her as they approached the car. Evie nodded and then passed the message onto James before ending the call. They climbed in and he drove them through the City to the Coroner’s office on Mission Road. Evie never got used to the Coroner’s office… or at least not to what happened there. Her first autopsy was part of her training in the Academy and between then and now, she had lost count of the umber of autopsies she had attended or come to shortly after their completion. It was the smell that was the worst. They apparently was to make sure that you breathed through your mouth – not your nose – but Evie never really thought that made a lot of difference. She always felt that she could ‘taste the smell’ as stupid as it sounded.

The Coroner confirmed what they already knew, what they suspected and what Gateman had said. She confirmed that Chapman had been strangled to death and then cut afterwards. She confirmed that her uterus was missing. Once they had that information, they headed back to the office. Phonebooks awaited, although Evie wondered whether they could cross check the names from the phone book with what Kim had found… only look at those who had arrest records for prostitution or who were known to work in strip joints.
 
The fact that the press had already gotten word about the MCU taking over the case didn't surprise Tom. He was pretty sure that some member of the press paid a uniform for the info. There had been a dozen of so uniformed officer at the Chapman crime scene. Each of them would have heard that the MCU was taking over. The information could have come from someone in Homicide. They had just lost another case to the MCU. Webb wasn't beyond making an extra buck. All of that was water under the bridge now. The press knew that Tom and his team were working this case. Evie hit the nail on the head when she said they'd understand once someone put the names together. It was only a matter of time before that happened. Tom thought about Evie's idea about looking ahead to Mary Jane Kelly. It was a sound idea. If they could jump ahead, perhaps they could set a trap for their modern day ripper? This would mean putting Evie or Kim in the path of a madman. Danger was nothing new to either of them. It was part of their jobs. It was Tom's job however to pick which of his female team mates would go face to face with the ripper.

At the ME's office, Doctor Maggie Ames filled the detectives in on just how both victims were murdered. Maggie who was around Evie's height & weight was a black woman. She'd been working at the ME's office for the last 8 years. Maggie was one of the top Medical Examiners & Pathologists in the city. She often worked on the MCU cases. Over the years Maggie became close with Tom, Jack and the other members of the Taylor family. Maggie confirmed that this ripper was following a path set down by the original ripper. She also agreed with Professor Gateman that this person may speed up his timetable. Maggie felt that the killer was already insane and could easily slip further into their madness. Tom & Evie thanked Maggie for her help before leaving. They headed back to the office where James & Kim were waiting. For the next hours all four members looked through phone books. This turned out to be a dead end. Jame brought up that in this day and age many people live off the grid. Most everyone has a cell phone and are not listed in the phone books. But the books needed checked to over all the bases. Tom then suggested that James & Kim go check out " The Boom Boom Room " where Mary Nichols worked. They were to see if anyone new was hanging around, or if Mary had trouble with a customer. Tom & Evie would do the same at " The Body Shop " where Ann Chapman worked.
 
Tom and Evie headed for the Body Shop. It was on Cotner Avenue on the West Side and was lit up with purple neon. The bar itself was a long oblong room. The stage itself came out from the middle of the long left hand wall. There were a number of small tables which were then arranged along the two short sides of the stage but the more expensive, exclusive booths with semi-circular leather bound seating around wooden tables were positioned in the front of the stage – on the long end. There was a small lamp on each table. Then immediately around all three edges of the stages was a single line of leather seats stools. Sit here and you rested your drink on the stage itself. The stage floor was black and in the middle of it, a gold pole rose up to the ceiling. The bar went down half of the right hand wall. Then it stopped; there was a break with a couple of doors out to the bathrooms and then a rather grand flight of stairs to the upper floor. Upstairs were a number of private rooms. It was still early and the bar was quiet. There were a handful of guys in most of them sitting alone on the seats at the stage. Tom and Evie walked up to the bar. Tom showed his badge while Evie pulled out a photograph of Ann Chapman. The photograph had been taken by the ME… a cleverly done headshot with the cloth up at her neck so that there was nothing of the violent attack visible. The barman said he recognized Anne and asked what had happened. Tom told him that she had been found dead – murdered – but he didn’t go into any details. He was mostly listening, but he couldn’t help take a somewhat longer look at Evie. Tom asked whether Anne had any regulars… people who maybe came in specifically to see her… people who left with her. The barman told him of two regulars.

“Butch Singer… Eric… has had a bit of an on-off thing with Annie for while. He comes in for a few nights runnin’… then disappears for a week or so… then he’s back. If Annie was on shift then he always wanted to go upstairs with her… private dance if you know what I mean?” He looked at Evie and grinned as he mentioned the private dancing. Evie sighed and looked around… up the stairs… then back to the barman.

“Most of the girls don’t like Butch too much. Oh he’s nice enough to start with but he er… he can get a little rough… particularly after a night on the Jack Daniels.”

“So why did Ann keep going back with him?” Evie asked.

“Girl’s gotta eat. And… well… I think she thought she could change him.”

“Anyone else like to spend a lot of time with Ann?” Tom said.

“Clive. Clive Eastman. Now he’s a gentleman. Always very polite. Good tipper. Nice man. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“And he liked to spend time with Ann?”

“Yeah. Bought flowers for her every night he came in.” Tom thanked the man and him and Evie turned to leave.

“Hey” The barman reached out his hand and took hold of Evie’s upper arm. “You know… if you ever fancy a change of career… or even if you don’t… I’m sure the boss would find you a spot on the bill.” Evie chuckled a little and shook her head.

“I’m sure he would. Thanks. But no thanks.”

They headed out and got back into the car. Tom got James on the radio. James and Kim had headed out to the Boom Boom Room not far from Universal Studios. James was just about to drop Kim off at home, but he basically repeated almost exactly what the barman at the Body Shop had told Tom and Evie. Eric Singer. Clive Eastman. Tom and Evie exchanged looks. Evie wondered whether they might actually be getting somewhere. Tim told James to go home, get some sleep and they would meet up back at base first thing. Decide on their next move, although clearly it was going to be in the direction of Singer and Eastman. Tom finished the call and then turned on the engine. He drove them both back to the boat. Rick’s truck was parked outside, so they guessed that he had brought Alyssa home. When Tom and Evie got downstairs, Alyssa was not far off being ready to serve dinner for the four of them. Homemade cheeseburgers and French fries.
 
Tom & Evie were glad to see dinner was ready. It had been a long day for the detectives. During dinner Rick said that he'd be leaving for Vegas the next morning. The deal he was working on to buy a casino was almost done. He added that this was just the start. Rick was planning on buying, or building casinos in different parts of the US and the world. Alyssa talked about her day at the academy which went pretty normal. Her graduation day was coming quickly. Everyone was looking forward to that day. In time Tom & Evie spoke about their new investigation. They didn't go into great detail, but both said that leads were beginning to pop up. Rick left shortly after dinner was over. Alyssa went to bed earily since she had a day of exams ahead of her. Tom & Evie didn't stay up late either. While alone, Tom filled Evie in on a plan. During the day the MCU would check out their two new suspects. The team would then take a few hours off during the earily evening. The MCU would reform and hit the streets joining the pm watch on their patrols. The following night would be a long one for the members of the MCU. Tom & Evie turned in and slept in each others arms.

The next morning after everyone was showered, dressed and breakfast had been eaten and the dishes cleaned up. Tom & Evie drove Alyssa to the academy. With Rick out of town and the MCU tied up. Evie called her father Jack and asked if he could pick Alyssa up. Jack of course was happy to help out since Tom, Evie, James & Kim would be very busy tonight. Tom & Evie arrived at the Central Station a short time later. James & Kim were already there running background checks on the two new suspects. Nothing was found on Clive Eastman. He was clean as a whistle. However Eric Singer had been in trouble since he was a teenager. James had Singer's police file and showed Tom & Evie who they were dealing with. Singer's rap sheet detailed past cases of assault & battery, mostly against women. Burglary, petty theft, disturbing the peace, malicious mischief, possession of stolen goods, drunk & disorderly and resisting arrest. Singer had been released a month ago from the LA County Jail after serving 13 months on some of the charges listed above.

After he & Evie read over Singer's file, Tom detailed his plans for the MCU's evening. The team would break up in pairs, first they would visit the two suspects. Find out if ether man had seen the victims on the nights of their deaths. During the afternoon hours, the two teams would travel around to every strip club in the city in the hopes of finding someone named Elizabeth Stride, or Catherine Eddowes. The two teams would take a dinner break, then they'd join the pm watch. Tom and his team would patrol the streets of LA in cases the ripper decided to strike. While Tom was talking over his plans, a uniformed officer came into the squad room and delivered the morning mail. Most officers got some kind of mail at the station. This officer placed something on everyone's desk. Tom told James he'd be with Kim for the day and they'd be paying a visit to Clive Eastman. This meant that Evie & Tom got Eric Singer. Tom left the others and walked into his office. He sat down behind his desk and started thumbing through his mail. One letter which was handwritten and addressed to Tom stood out. It was written with red ink. Tom was careful as he opened it. A small piece of bloody cloth dropped down on Tom's desk as he opened the folded paper. Tom yelled for the others to come into his office. Evie was the first in, but quickly left and brought back an evidence bag for the cloth. She carefully made sure to get the bloody cloth in the bag without touching it. Tom read the letter out loud as she worked. ' Dear Lieutenant Reed............The Police have never been able to catch me........My evil can never be captured or snuffed out..........I kill so I can live forever...........Back in 1888 I gave the London coppers real fits..........Then I disappeared for a while.......But I keep coming back........Those people in London even renamed me Jack the stripper back in the sixties..........I did grand work on that last job......She didn't even have time to squeal........The cloth is from her clothing........I wanted you to know that you're dealing with the real ripper and not some faker......You'll soon hear from me again.......I really do enjoy my work and my knife is so nice and sharp.......I can't wait to get to work again.......My next targets have already been picked out.......But you'll find out about them in time.......Perhaps I'll send you a bit from the last one?..........Good luck and Yours truly Jack the Ripper. " Tom replaced the paper back into the envelop. He told Evie to get the letter and the cloth downstairs to the lab. They needed to know if the cloth really came from Ann Chapman and if the killer left any prints on the letter. The lab could also do work on the ink to see if there was anything special about it. Once Evie dropped everything off, she returned to the MCU squad room. James & Kim had already left to check on strip clubs and visit with Eastman. Tom waited until Evie came back before they left. Their first stop would be at Singer's home address.
 
When she handed the cloth and the letter over to the lab guys, she got them to run off a photocopy of te letter and Evie folded it up and then walked back up the stairs with it still in her hand. She picked up her jacket and gun from the office and then she and Tom went down to the car. Tom drove. She sat in the passenger seat and unfolded the single sheet of paper.

"Okay... So from what little I know, hundreds of letters sent in the London case, but three main ones. The 'dear boss' letter... Well he doesnt address you as Boss and this one isn't written in red ink. It arrived three days before the Eddowes killing so... Maybe we have three days to find this guy before he kills again?" Evie was really just talking out loud... A stream of consciousness... "Ts was the first letter where he signed himself Jack the Ripper. No promise to cut her ears off... But the suggestion he'll send us a bit. London police didn't get anything until the 'From Hell' letter. But...this line... 'My knife is so nice and sharp'. Sent that the exact same phrasing? Then there was the Saucy Jack postcard. Same handwriting as the first letter and talks about a double event... Stride and Eddowes... But posted after the killings. Then there's the 'From hell' letter and the half a kidney that came with it. Different handwriting but Eddowes was missing a kidney. By the time you get to the 1930s though you've had a couple of journalists admitting sending them." She exhaled loudly and looked at Tom.

"So I have no idea what this tells us."
 
Tom glanced over at Evie when she finished speaking. Evie was right on all the points she made about the letters and she could be right that they had three days. Tom said he believed the killer thought of himself as the real ripper. He noted that the letter he got this morning was a mix of the dear boss letter and the saucy jack post card. It didn't matter whether those items were really written by the killer of 1888. There were part of the ripper lore. Tom added that this person could be slipping further into his fantasy of being the ripper. As Professor Gateman pointed out. The killer may speed up his time table. Clearly the killer had seen the news on tv and saw that Tom and the MCU were now heading up this case. Tom felt that this maybe the start of the killer taunting the MCU and Tom in General. During the drive, Tom pointed out the part in the letter where the killer talked about being crowned Jack the Stripper during the sixties. In his reading Tom had come acrossed some killings in London in 1964 & 65. The press called this person Jack the Stripper because he murdered six, possibly eight prostitutes and left their naked bodies around London or dumped in the River Thames. " I believe this person really thinks they are Jack the Ripper reborn to kill again.......This isn't just some copy cat........We've got a dangerous person.......And time is running out to stop him. "

Tom pulled the unmarked police car over once he & Evie reached the State Street address where Singer lived. Most of the neighborhood seemed nice. A few house were in disrepair and Singer's house looked like a junkyard. There was a truck and motorcycle parked in the driveway. A car and parts laying all over the front yard. One couldn't tell if the car was being ripped apart, or put back together. Tom & Evie both stepped from the car looking around. They walked together up a walkway which led to the single story home. Tom knocked on the door which brought the sound of foot steps. The door slowly opened and a woman appeared peeking out. Her hair was in disarray. She had a black eye and a swollen lower lip. It was clear to Tom that this woman was being abused. Tom pulled his badge & ID from his coat. " I'm Lieutenant Reed.......This is Detective Taylor........We're from the MCU.......We'd like to talk to Mister Singer. " The lady at the door looked frightened upon seeing Tom & Evie showing their badges. She swallowed hard, but before she could answer a hand yanked her away from the door and a man stepped out on to the front porch. He looked at Tom with great disdain. " You got papers on me pig!? " Both Tom & Evie knew they had met Eric "Butch" Singer face to face. His mugshot was with his file back at the station. " We're just here to ask you a few questions Mr. Singer. " Tom said as he studied over Singer carefully. Singer stood about 6 feet and weighted well over 200 lbs. He had dirty blonde hair and had many biker tattoos on his arms and chest. Singer stood there wearing blue jeans and a wife beater t-shirt. Tom started off the questioning by asking if Singer knew Mary Nichols, or Ann Chapman. Singer just smirked and said he knew them. " They were a couple of really nasty whores.......They'd do anything for money. " Singer laughed then he looked over at Evie. His eyes checked over Evie's body while Tom asked if Singer had seen the women recently. Singer looked back at Tom. He didn't try to hide the disdain he had for cops. Well male cops anyway. " Yeah!......I saw em..........What's it to ya!? " Singer was trying to intimidate Tom, but it wouldn't work. Tom stepped up in Singer's face and said that two women were dead and they were gonna catch the killer. " That's what it is to me! " Singer slowly backed away while saying he had nothing to do with anyone getting killed. While Tom was winning the stare down with Singer, Evie's cell phone went off. The lab was calling her with a report.
 
Evie climbed out of the car, leaving the photocopy in the passenger door pocket. Evie looked around as she closed the door. It wasn't really what she had expected. Singer's house was, but it was very out of place compared to the rest of the street with their manicured lawns and clean paintwork. As she walked up the driveway behind Tom, she stepped over odd bits of motor engine or car interior. As the door opened, Evie stood sideways on at Tom's right side and he faced the door directly. That the woman who opened the door was scared was an understatement, but Evie didn't get a chance to say anything before she disappeared. Not that there was anything they could have done. The first training officer Evie had, fresh out of the Academy was a man called John Cooper. He was tough but fair... she couldn't have asked for anyone better. Quite a lot of the calls they got in any given week were domestic disputes and John had very little patience. Too many times of trying to get the women some help... going above and beyond ... only to get a call a few weeks later back at the same address and find that she had gone back to the man beating the crap out of her. He'd also torn her a new one once when he'd told her to take care of the woman while he talked to the boyfriend; Evie had gotten cocky, not really been paying attention and the woman had attempted to throw scalding water over her boyfriend. Fortunately most of it had missed both the boyfriend and Cooper and minutes later as she sat on an outside step while her boyfriend got checked out by a paramedic, she was begging his forgiveness and telling him she loved him while John was laying into Evie. Now as the memories moved fleetingly through her head, Evie did nothing. She said nothing. If the woman wasn't going to make a complaint, they were powerless. It didn't stop her from thinking that Singer was a dirtbag. And her view of him didn't improve as he responded to Tom. She smirked a little as she saw him step back in response to Tom's move but then she felt her phone buzzing in her back pocket. She reached around as she turned away and she stepped down the path a little way, but still making sure she had Tom's back... just in case.

It was the Crime Lab; a technician called Greg who she had left Tom's letter and the cloth with. Evie suspected Greg fancied her although he had never asked her out or anything like that. He almost certainly would have been aware that she and Tom had a pretty good thing going. He introduced himself, asked how she was and then got onto the information he had for her.

'The writing style is dated... certainly not dissimilar from the way the language worked in England at that time. But the words obviously weren't formal. Ink is pretty ordinary. Standard stuff. Not traceable. Not even distinguishable from an evidential perspective. The paper and the pen though are a little different. The paper is a special grade used for writing letters and we can probably track down a batch... a supplier... a purchaser... and that might give you a customer. But that's obviously going to take some time. The pen is almost certainly a quill and again we can probably try and trace it. Last but not least... the piece of cloth came from the dress that Ann Chapman was wearing when she was killed." Evie couldn't help but notice that he sounded pretty pleased with himself.

"Okay. Thanks Greg. Get back to me if you find anything on the paper and quill." She clicked her phone off and walked back to Tom's side, waiting for him to finish before she filled him in on the details.
 
Tom glanced over when Evie moved away. He suspected that it was ether the crime lab, or perhaps James & Kim had found something on their end. Tom continued with his line of questioning while Evie was busy. Singer came up with 6 guys who could place him at a bar during the times both murders took place. Tom figured that those friends of Singer's were ex cons and bikers like him. No doubt they'd lie and say Singer was there even if he wasn't. During the time Evie was on the phone, Singer made a comment about males cops bring their own whores with them. It was clear that Singer was checking Evie out every chance he had. Tom had to step in front of Singer to block his view of Evie from where she was standing. This pissed Singer off to the point where he stated he'd give Evie a better time then any cop would. Tom smirked as he looked Singer over. He said that Singer wouldn't know what to do with Evie if he had her. " You get off on beating women........Your police file is filled with reports of how you treat women......I saw how you treat your wife. " Tom was calm and cool as he spoke. Just as Evie rejoined Tom at his side, Singer yelled out "SON OF A BITCH!" and threw a punch at Tom's head. Tom caught Singer's fist long before his punch even came close. He twisted Singer's wrist and spun him around before pushing Singer against the house. " I could bust you right now......But I won't......You'd be back out on the streets too quickly........Scum like you always messes up........When I hear you've stepped over the line......I'll be back and we'll finish this. " Tom kept Singer pressed against the outside wall of his home until he had his say. Singer was let loose when Tom backed away. " Thank you for cooperating with the police on this matter Mr. Singer........Have a nice day. " Tom gave Singer a wink of his eye as he turned towards Evie. " Let's go. " Tom said as he gave Evie a smile. Singer was holding his wrist as Tom & Evie walked back to their car. Once inside Evie told Tom who was on the phone and what they said.
 
Evie took a last look at Singer rubbing his wrists, eyes blazing but at least showing enough sense not to push things any further against Tom despite how desperate he was to put the cop down. Evie smirked and shook her head, imagining the bad thoughts which were going through Singer's head.

"Don't even think about it Mr. Singer. I guarantee you that whatever you're thinking... its a bad idea." With that, and without waiting for a response, Evie then turned and followed Tom, hurrying a little to catch him up. Singer watched her leaving, saying nothing, but his thoughts now on what he would do with Evie rather than what he might do with Tom.

As Evie came to Tom's side, she was still smiling. She looked up at him. "Enjoy that?"

"I wast just warming up." Evie giggled at the response knowing all too well the truth of what Tom said. She walked around the front of the car and climbed back into her seat as Tom climbed in and started the engine. 'Who was on the phone?" he asked.

"Greg. From the lab." Tom looked at her, looked away and then looked back, the hint of a smile playing around his lips. 'Greg huh? Something I should know?" Evie threw him a dirty look and ignored the question knowing that he was teasing. "He reckons the paper and the pen... a quill no less... might very well be traceable. Language in the letter is comparable with Victorian English and the cloth matched what Anne Chapman was wearing." Tom nodded not particularly surprised by any of it.

Tom drove them both back to the station. As he pulled the car into the garage, James and Kim were just climbing out of Kim's car. They both waited and then the four of them walked up the the MCU together.

"How was Mr. Singer?" James asked.

"Oh... he's a real charmer." Evie said. 'No-one is going to be surprised if he finishes up being our 21st Century Jack. What about Eastman?" Kim shook her head a little. "Nothing would make you think that he's our killer." Kim said as the four of them stepped into their office. "Other than the fact that he is a mortician, there's nothing..." she said as she headed over to pour them all coffee.

"Was that your take on him James?" Tom asked.

"Yeah... I guess.. I mean he was very polite and respectful and he answered all out questions. Like Kim said, nothing puts him out there as being a prime suspect."

"But?" Tom pressed.

"Probably nothing. It's just... how many times does it turn out to be the person you least expect?" Evie laughed. "That's almost as bad as suggesting the butler did it. Most times we know exactly who is it from the start... we just have to find the evidence to prove it."

The four of them spent the next couple of hours tracking down the names that both Singer and Eastman had given them. As expected, Singer's were almost all bad boys... Eastman's all seemed to be reasonable upstanding members of the community. When the time came, Tom got them all back together and they headed out again in their pairs to start the 'night shift'.
 
To a person, each of the people Singer gave as witnesses to where he was during the murders told chapter and verse. They could tell you when Singer was eating. When he was playing a video game and even when the man went to the bathroom. None of which Tom, nor anyone in the MCU believed. Eastman's people were mostly those he worked with, or people he knew from everyday life. The owners of the Heavenly Slumber Funeral Home called him a model employee. The store owners were he shopped called him the most pleasant person they had every met. There was one fact that stood out about Eastman. No one could place where he was during the murders. Everyone said he's likely be in bed sleeping, but no one had seen him. It was hard to believe that this mild mannered and somewhat nerdy guy was a brutal killer of women. Tom told his team that for now, both Singer & Eastman would stay suspects. The normal end of the day came, but it was only a break for the MCU. They would get a few hours off to go home and change if they wanted. Tonight was the night the MCU would join the pm watch on patrol. The plan was that the nearest MCU car would roll on any calls involving women and dead bodies. The other MCU car would stay on patrol until they got word from the other car.

Tom & Evie went back to the boat to change their clothing. Alyssa was already there since Jack had picked her up. Normally she would have supper started, but there would be no supper tonight. Tom gave Alyssa money for a pizza before he and Evie left. Alyssa had the police scanner on. She would spend the rest of her night listening to the radio calls. Tom & Evie drove back to the station. By 6 pm James & Kim were also there. The MCU team then hit the streets of Los Angeles hoping to catch the killer. Just after 8 pm Tom called dispatch and said he & Evie would be code 7 at the code 7 diner. The code 7 call was to let dispatch know they'd be out of the car taking their dinner break. The diner called code 7 was a popular spot where cops hung out to eat. The family of a fallen officer ran the place. As Tom & Evie were walking in, they ran into an old friend walking out. Just exiting the diner was Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Milton C. "Hardcase" Hardcastle, an eccentric judge notorious for being strict with the law in both his duties and towards defendants. Hardcastle was famous for wearing Hawaiian shirts and jugging shorts under his robe. Evie and Hardcastle always got along well. He was like her a New York Yankees fan. The Judge often wore his Yankees baseball hat and was wearing it tonight.

Hardcastle greeted Tom with a handshake, then gave Evie a hug. He told her she always looks twice as pretty as the last time he saw her. Hardcastle then elbow Tom in the gut and told him not to let Evie slip away. The Judge then asked why Tom & Evie were out? Tom said that his MCU team was hoping to catch the killer of those women. Hardcastle wished them good luck and added that he hoped that madman was brought before him. Hardcastle left and Tom & Evie went inside to sit down. A dozen uniformed officers were already eating their dinners. Tom & Evie found an empty booth as a waitress came over with menus. After looking over the menus, Tom ordered a steak with a baked potato, a side of coleslaw and coffee. Once Evie placed her order, the waitress returned with the coffee. Tom brought up the fact that uniform days was coming soon. He and each member of the MCU would have to spend a shift working a street patrol. Tom commented on the night they had last year. He was hoping they could get that day in before Halloween this year.
 
Whilst Tom set Alyssa up with the scanner, telling her what was happening, what the plan was, what he was hoping, why he was setting things up as he had, Evie got a quick shower and changed into jeans, a plain white t-shirt tucked into the waistband and her black leather jacket. Tom then showered and changed whilst Evie made coffee to go for both of them and listened to Alyssa about her day. Alyssa had also asked about the shooting competition and whether Evie thought she was going to keep her title. Evie had laughed and said he had been pretty lucky last year and that probably the only thing that was a gambling certainty was James keeping his title.

It wasn't long before Tom was driving them both back to the City. A couple of hours later, after driving round in what felt like relatively small circles, both of them had agreed that they were starving and they headed for the Code 7. Evie stepped out of the car and then smiled wide as she saw the Judge heading out of the door. Milton C Hardcastle was the judge most good cops hoped to get hearing their case. He wasn't biased; he wasn't crooked in favour of the cops. He applied the law and he was pissed if cops were sloppy and as a result he had to let bad guys go because of a technicality. He had a lot of common sense though and his sentencing habits were pretty fair; the worse the defendant, the worse the penalty. You knew exactly where you stood with him. No politics. No games. Evie hugged him back and then stood next to him as Tom told him what was happening. Then they watched him head out to his car and settled themselves down at a table. Evie had the salmon. She listened to Tom as he reminded her about the uniform day.

"Alyssa was talking about the shooting championship at the Academy. You entering?" Evie smiled a little as she saw the question in Tom's eyes. She shrugged a little. "I was just thinking... maybe I should step aside... let the old men reclaim a little glory for old times."
 
Tom cocked an eyebrow when Evie brought up the shooting championship and whether he'd be entering. Before Tom could answer, Evie said about dropping out and the old men reclaim a little glory. Tom placed his coffee cup back on the table before answering. " You won fair and square last year......I'll be entering this year and I want to face the best.....Since you are the champion......That means you. " Tom said as he reached acrossed the table and gave Evie's hand a gentle squeeze. " Besides.......Jack & Steve would never stand for you dropping out......There's a lot of family pride on the line.......And you were the first woman in 15 years to win the championship.......A lot of people at central have already placed big bets on you winning again this year. " Tom added while he brought his hand back to his side of the table. Most everyone in the LAPD bet on the shooting championships. Captain MacDonald already had a bets on Evie with the Captains of Rampart, Harbor, North Hollywood and the Van Nuys Divisions. The waitress brought the food, Tom & Evie ate while continuing to talk. Tom asked Evie on her thoughts of visiting Hawaii for their vacation this year. They both had some vacation days to use up before the years end and Tom had never been to Hawaii before. Tom's reasons for going to Hawaii weren't just because it was a great vacation spot. In the back of his mind he wondered if there would be a chance to meet the members of the Five-0 task force. His own Major Crimes Unit team was modeled after them. Tom heard stories of Commander Steve McGarrett and his team from Sam & Callen of the NCIS OSP team in Los Angeles. He couldn't help but wonder if the Five-0 team was as good as his own team. Evie was more then just a pretty face and a great body. Tom could see the questions forming in her mind just from the look in her eyes. It was easy to see that she was wondering why he'd be thinking of going to Hawaii when it never came up before now.
 
Evie laughed out loud at the suggestion that Jack and Steve wouldn't let her sit the thing out.

"Dad would say I was letting you win and Steve would say I was scared that he would beat me this year." As she said it she remembered back to lat year where she'd beaten James in the third round and Steve in the fourth before meeting Tom in the final. Since being shot, Steve had spent a lot of time practicing at the range. She smiled a little to herself. Maybe it would do him good to win... Although that didn't mean she'd let him. Steve didn't need that kind of charity and he wouldn't thank her for it. Quite the reverse.

"I don't like the guys putting their money on me though. Too much pressure."

"Maybe we should have our own private little wager?" Tom suggested, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"What kind of wager?"

"Hmmm. I'm sure we cam come up with something." The two carried on chatting over what had the feel of a date despite the fact they were working. Then Tom mentioned Hawaii. Evie listened to what he said...and what he didn't. She suspected that there was a little more behind Tom's suggestion.

"Hawaii huh? Sun, sand, and... A little surfing maybe." She hesitated for a moment, sipped at her water. Then she stopped. Making a play as if she had just gotten a great idea.

"Hey! You could check out 5-0 while we're there. Maybe get a look around ... McGarrett might even give you a personal tour. Bet you never though of that?" Evie was teasing and she really didnt mind. She quite liked the idea of a holiday with a little bit of work related stuff. "I mean it would be rude not to say 'hi' if we're there anyway." She paused for a moment and picked up her fork. "Besides..." She lifted a piece of fish into her mouth, chewed it, intentionally making Tom wait. "... I hear that McGarrett is as sexy as hell. Particularly when he's in his Navy Blues." She smiled and looked straight at Tom.
 
Evie knew Tom to damn well. She spotted what he didn't say about Hawaii and she didn't even have to be a great detective. Tom noticed the teasing sound in Evie's voice when she spoke of him visiting Five-0 and maybe even getting a personal tour from McGarrett himself. Everything Evie said had been in the back of Tom's mind. Tom grew up in Los Angeles and he learned how to surf at a young age. Surfing in Hawaii was certainly something Tom wanted to do. The conversation turned to Evie saying she had heard McGarrett was sexy and more so in his Navy dress uniform. Tom just chuckled while shaking his head. He knew that McGarrett was young then he was and that McGarrett had been a Navy Seal. Sam from the NCIS team spoke of McGarrett a few times when his group hung out with the MCU. He even told how MvGarrett owned him a steak dinner. This seemed to be something Sam was proud of even thought he never said why McGarrett owned him the dinner. " Perhaps Commander McGarrett would pose in his uniform for you?..........From what I've heard about the man......He's a decent guy who does his job well. " Tom didn't know any of the members on the Five-0 team. He only knew McGarrett by reputation. Since the MCU team was formed, the press in California, Hawaii and the national press corps always wondered which task force was the best. Five-0 was created first and the MCU was modeled after them. It all started when Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly & Sergeant Danny Williams came to Los Angeles and worked with the NCIS OSP team. The Five 0 crew got good press coverage while in LA. The Governor of California decided then that he wanted his own special task force team. That's where the idea for creating the MCU came from.

Tom & Evie continued to talk about Hawaii and meeting the Five-0 team during their meal. Once dinner was over, Tom paid the bill and he & Evie hit the streets. Their conversation on a vacation to Hawaii continued into the start of their patrol. Most of the night was spent driving around while the black n whites handled normal calls. Around 11:30 pm a call came in of a woman screaming. James & Kim were near that area and rolled on the call. Tom & Evie had to keep driving around until James called them and said that the woman was screaming because she just had the most amazing orgasm. Tom & Evie just laughed. " Never a dull moment in LA. " Tom said to Evie as they drove on. At 12:26 am another call came in of a woman heard screaming, but this time it was for help. The nearest patrol car Adam 48 rolled on the call as did Tom & Evie since it was in their area. Tom's unmarked car pulled up just behind the parked black n white. The two detectives raced over to find the officers helping a woman from her car. One of the officers came over laughing and told Tom & Evie that the woman was screaming because her son had left his pet snake in the car. The lady had driven to work with the snake not knowing it was in the car. The snake laid quietly while the lady was working. She was now trying to get home and the snake looking for a warm place wrapped around her leg. " James and Kim get a lady having an orgasm and we get a snake. " Tom said as he & Evie returned to his car. They drove around for another 30 minutes. Tom was ready to call it a night when the dispatcher's voice came over the radio. She told of a 911 call from an alley off of Santa Monica Boulevard a block west of the Movietown Plaza Shopping Center. Adam 61 rolled on that call as did James & Kim. Tom & Evie again played the waiting game until Kim called and told them to get over there right away. The killer had struck and just like in London, he was disturbed when someone came acrossed him while he was doing his work. A couple of garbage men had stumbled on the scene and the killer fled. The woman was dead, her throat had been slit. She was identified as 26 year old Elizabeth Stride, a white female who worked as a prostitute. Her friends called her "Lizzy." She was new to the streets so James didn't know her.
 
Evie laughed at the suggestion that McGarrett would pose for her. "From what I hear...he's certainly arrogant enough to be prepared to do it. I'm pretty happy with the model I've got though, thank you very much." She smiled at Tom and under the table she drew her lot against Tom's calf for a moment. Evie had heard the same stuff that Tom had about McGarrett but she had also picked up that sometimes his methods were a little extreme. Hanging a guy off a building was a touch too far for Evie to say the least.

Dinner was nice. For as much as they were at work, it was very pleasant and it had been a long time since they'd actually gone out for dinner. But they went back to work still talking about Hawaii. As calls started coming in though, the conversation naturally turned back to their case. The 911 call came in just after 1.00am. Evie had looked at Tom and commented that the timing was right and it was maybe not that much of a surprise to either of them when Kim came on to say they should get over there. When they arrived, there were already a couple of squad cars there lined up with Kim's car all throwing light into the alleyway. James was crouching next to the body as Kim walked up to meet them.

"One clear-cut incision which severed the main artery on the left side of the neck but no other mutilation. Her friends can't give us a clear idea of who she was with. One says she was with a man who was fair, another dark; one says he was shabbily dressed, another says well-dressed."

"So maybe she was with both? First Singer. Then Eastman?" Evie said, more thinking out loud than anything else. "And how do you engineer an interruption? But then why would you need to? If you knew you were going to follow the London pattern, you would never have had any intention of doing anything beyond the cut across the neck." Evie looked at her watch. 1.15. "Eddowes body was found about 45 minutes after Stride. Our next victim could be dying as we speak." She looked at Tom with a look of desperation in her eyes. Someone could be dying and there was nothing they could do.
 
The descriptions given by the other working girls seemed to fit both Singer & Eastman. Tom ordered patrol cars sent to both Singer's house and the apartment used by Eastman. This move wasn't to catch anyone. It was to prove whether or not the men were there. History had played it's self out just like in 1888. It would be impossible for anyone to count on the garbage men being there at the right time. Unless the killer waited until someone came. But that was insane to think anyone would hang around a murder scene just he he could get spotted. Then again, this man had to be insane. The garbage men didn't see the man's face, but they did give a description on the clothing he wore. Both men said the man was dressed like Sherlock Holmes. The killer was wearing a deerstalker cap and a coat with a short cape hanging over his shoulders. They said he also had a reddish handkerchief tied around his neck. The outfit was dark gray in color. The man ran away while bending over slightly so they couldn't get his height. However both men said that he was a white male. This description fit both Singer & Eastman.

Tom saw the look in Evie's eyes. Inside he felt just like the look Evie was giving him. Evie was right, even now another woman could be meeting her end and the MCU was powerless to save her. Tom ran to the nearest patrol car, he reached in and grabbed the mic. " This is L-90 to dispatch!.......Clear all frequencies for broadcast! " Tom barked out the order which was carried out quickly. He then told all LAPD units to be on the look out for a white male, 5'7" to 6 foot tall, dressed in a deerstalker cap and wearing a coat with a short cape, the color being gray and a red handkerchief around his neck. Tom then told the officers to get the body down to the morgue right away. He needed to know if this woman was straggled like the others. This fact wasn't released to the press. If this was their modern day ripper, then this woman would have been straggled first. Tom tossed the mic back into the car. He turned and looked at his team who were each looking at him. By now that look of desperation in Evie's eyes had spread to James & Kim. Tom looked down at his watch. Only 5 minutes had passed, there was 40 more to go. He suggested that everyone hit the streets again. Tom knew that the next woman would be found with in a few city blocks from where they were now. He told Kim & James to drive east on Santa Monica while he & Evie headed west. Almost to the second, at 1:45 while driving west. Tom & Evie almost hit a bum who ran out into the street. His face filled with terror from the sight he had just seen. Tom & Evie both leaped from the car and helped the man who had fallen too his feet. The old man stammered on about finding a dead woman in the alley. He pointed towards the alley he came from. Tom & Evie placed the old man in their car and headed for the alley. It didn't take long before the body was visible in the head lights. You didn't have to get out to see how badly mutilated her body was.

Tom called in the crime as Evie left the car to check over the body. She was quickly joined by Tom who stood at her side. Most of her clothing had been ripped open by a knife, but it was easy to see she was wearing a costume. This outfit looked the type genie would wear. Tom remember a place just down the street. It was a massage parlor were women wore sexy genie outfits. The place was called The Sultan's Palace. Evie checked the woman's hand bag where she found her name. Katherine Eddowes. The only difference here was the K instead of a C. Tom returned to the car long enough to tell Kim & James to stop at the Sultan's Palace before coming to the crime scene. They need to find out if anyone fitting the descriptions of Singer or Eastman had been in there tonight. Kim & James made the stop as told. Once they were done, they reached the second crime scene. James said that neither man had been in there tonight. But both men were regular customers of Katherine's. It didn't take long for the press to get wind of the second murder. They were thick as flies with in 10 minutes. Most had come straight from the first murder sight and McBride was first in line. Tom refused to make any statements to the press. He instead gathered this team. He suggested that the killer must have known when Katherine would get off work. A parking lot was no more then 30 yards down the alley. Tom felt that Katherine's car must be in that lot. The killer knowing that she came this way, jumped her. Tom like Evie was sure that the killer had removed Katherine's uterus & kidney. They would wait until Maggie had a chance to look over the body, but they were already sure she'd find the organs missing.
 
Evie climbed out of the car as Tom called it in. Her heart was pounding; she knew what she was about to find. She stood over the body, looking down as she was aware of Tom moving to stand beside her. The woman's throat had been severed and there was a long jagged cut across her abdomen. It was clear that the killer had done some cutting inside. Evie said nothing. Even when James and Kim arrived, she said nothing. She looked carefully around the scene. She listened to Tom's theory about the killer knowing Eddowes and knowing when she would get off work. But it got them nowhere. She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"We've got nothing Tom. We're behind this guy on everything. We know exactly what he's going to do and we can't do anything except wait. Mary Kelly or someone with a name close to it is going to get killed in her own bed ... maybe in 9 days time... maybe less... who knows. And with all of our expertise and our modern policing we're nowhere. What the hell is Maggie going to tell us that we don't already know. We're about as useful as a chocolate fireguard." She wasn't shouting; she wasn't visibly angry. Frustrated yes. She shook her head and then walked back to the car.
 
Tom felt as frustrated as Evie did. The killer had been one step a head of the MCU. This had to change. There was nothing else Tom and his team could do now. The killer made a clean getaway. The MCU left the uniformed officers in control of the crime scenes. Everyone went home for the night. Tom & Evie hardly spoke two words to each other. It wasn't because they were mad at each other. It was just that at this point in time nothing mattered but the case. There was little to say on that subject. Plus they were dead tired and in need of sleep. Tom & Evie went to bed, but sleep didn't come easy for Tom. His mind was busy plotting out his team's next move. Tom's mind went back to an idea he had earlier. Ether Evie or Kim would have to go undercover. Tom would have to use one his team mates as bait and one just happened to be his girlfriend. He glanced over at Evie. His eyes glided over Evie's face and down onto her hot body. She had already done a lot for the team. More then her fair share. She could be called Dirty Evie since she had done every dirty job which Tom gave her. It was time for Evie to sit this one out. Tom knew that the best choice for his plan was Kim. She had the background in the sex trade. In the morning Tom would fill his team in on the plan. In time sleep came to Tom, but it didn't last long. The morning alarm seemed to come to quickly. Tom felt wiped out, but he knew that coffee would do him some good. This was the morning that the press put two and two together. Someone in a newsroom discovered what the police had already known. The morning papers, the morning tv news and the radio were full of ripper stories. McBride was crucifying Tom and the MCU team on tv. He called them inept and bumbling fools. Hearing his name spoken out load and in print made the killer bolder. He sat down and wrote a second letter. This letter wouldn't be mailed. The killer would deliver this letter to the Central Station. The killer also added another extra surprise in this letter. It started out as a rough day, the worst was yet to come.
 
Evie woke up and rolled over. The bed was empty. Cold. But Evie could smell Tom's soap... Fresh... Mixing with the aroma of the coffee. She looked around the room. Damp towels were on top of the laundry basket. Evie guessed that Tom had woken up early, showered and dressed without waking her. She imagined he was upstairs now making breakfast and she guessed that he had a plan. Up early. Keen to get going. She eased herself up, showered, dressed and headed upstairs. Alyssa was sat at the table watching the news and criticising the comments of some of the reporters. McBride's features filled the screen at that moment as he was laying into Tom.

"Who the hell is this idiot! What does he know about good police work?"

"He's an asshole who knows nothing about anything." Evie said as she walked over to where Tom was stood propped against the counter, watching the TV and sipping coffee. "Your dad runs rings around him again and again." He stepped in front of him, took his mug and then rose up on tiptoe and kissed him on the mouth. She smiled. "Morning. She kissed him again. "I take it you have a plan?"
 
Tom enjoyed Evie's kisses. They made him feel better when times were rough and it was certainly a rough time now. McBride was laying into Tom each time he spoke. At one point McBride said that Tom & Evie were too busy hopping in and out of bed to catch a killer. McBride again painted Evie as the biggest whore in the LAPD. He implied that she was only on the MCU as Tom's private little sex toy. " THAT SON OF A BITCH!! " Alyssa screamed out while slamming her fist on the table. " HE CAN'T TALK ABOUT YOU TWO THAT WAY!!! " Alyssa again screamed out as two pictures appeared on the tx screen. One was a picture of Nero with Tom's face photoshopped over it. The other one which was beside the first was a picture of the whore of Babylon with Evie's face on it. That's how McBride ended his report. Tom told Alyssa that McBride was trying to get ether him or Evie to cross the line with him. Sure his attacks were personnel, but Tom & Evie were both public figures and public figures needed to have a very thick skin. Tom returned his attention to Evie's question. " Yes.....I have a plan.......But you'll have to wait until we've reached the station. " Tom gave Evie a smile, a kiss back then he told her to eat. After breakfast, Tom & Evie dropped Alyssa off at the academy. Tom asked Evie to call McWilliams and have him work all that rage Alyssa had built up off. If anyone could work off anger, it was McWilliams. Tom figured that McWilliams mostly ask about getting together sometime. McWilliams was a horny old man who certainly loved using Evie and she enjoyed how he did it. No get together would be planned until well after the MCU was finished with the L.A. Ripper case.

Tom & Evie reached the Central Station. The mood around the station was somber at best. Tom knew that his plan was risky, but it stood the best chance of working out in their favor. He and Evie waited until James & Kim arrived. Tom gathered everyone in the squad room and laid out his plan. He said they all knew the name of their next victim and it wouldn't easy to track down every woman with a name like Mary Jane Kelly. " So we'll create one for our killer. " Tom said as he looked at each member of his team. He said that someone would go undercover posing as a Mary Jane Kelly who will just happen to work out of her own place. Tom was sure that the killer couldn't pass up such details. He then looked at Kim and told her she'd be the one going undercover. Kim was a little stunned since Evie normally did this. Sure Kim worked undercover, but almost always as support for Evie. Kim questioned Tom as to why? He told her that she had a background in the sex trade. Kim would know what sex papers to advertise in and what to say. She'd also know how to blow off guys who weren't the killer. Tom then added that he felt it was Kim's turn since Evie had done so many. Kim understand why Tom wanted her to do this job. She told of a daily sex paper which she could get an ad in. Tom told her to do it. He then asked Evie to find a motel where Kim could work from. This motel would have to have a good view from the street. The rest of the team would be on stakeout duty.
 
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