Chapter Thirty-One

The Heart That Breaks

Nicholas hurried to close the door behind them and Jack couldn’t help but feel his chest tighten with worry. His brother looked restless and anxious. Nicholas walked in frenzy through the drawing room, like a hyperactive, trapped mouse. His eyes had dark bags under them, his skin was pale, his usually impeccable hair looked like it hadn’t seen a comb or a brush for days.

“What happened, Nicholas? Why all the urgency? Why have you asked me to meet you here?”

“Something is wrong, Jack. Something is very, very wrong,” Nicholas mumbled while still pacing around frantically. “Something is wrong and I’m not sure if I’m right, but I feel it.”

“What are you talking about?” Jack asked, feeling more nervous at his brother’s actions. “Nicholas, just calm down and talk to me. Is this about father and McGrath?”

“No! I mean, sort of… Part of it, yes. I guess if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have seen it.”

“What did you see? What happened?”

Nicholas finally stopped pacing and his eyes fell on his little brother. “Jack, what I’m about to tell you can’t leave this room. I… I don’t know if I’m mad or… or if I was before… but I really hope I am now.”

“Nicholas, you’re not making a lot of sense. Now, I know that father giving control of the empire to McGrath shook you, but-“

“This is not about that! I mean, it is, but not entirely.”

Jack sighed. “Nicholas, please, calm down and explain.”

Nicholas took a deep breath, before looking at Jack with serious and almost desperate eyes. “Now that I have been… well, basically without a job, I have been able to notice things. I have seen things that I was never able to see when I was working with our father… I guess the free time will do that.”

“What have you seen that you couldn’t see before?”

“It’s Hannah, I…” Nicholas shook his head and stared at the ground, using the back of the long couch for support. He looked defeated. “I may be wrong, I may be mad, I may be imagining things... and I really wish I am. But something… something very strong tells me I’m not.” He returned his gaze to Jack. “I think Hannah is deceiving me. I’m afraid she may be betraying me.”

Jack’s eyes widened at his brother’s last sentences. His legs trembled and he sat down in the closest chair, trying to soothe his increased breathing rhythm. He felt as if he had something rotten inside. “Hannah… betraying you?”

“I know, I know it sounds like madness. But I feel it, I know it. The way she acts, the way she looks at me, the way she talks, her sudden disappearances, her vacant expression… The foreign scent on her hair and body…” Nicholas sighed and looked more tired and sad than never. “Do you think I’m wrong?”

Jack did his very best to avoid his brother’s eyes without looking too suspicious. He felt disgusting and dirty. His insides felt like they had turned to stone, he felt sick, almost on the verge of throwing up.

“I think… I think that what father did has disturbed you. I think you are too upset and you’re not used to all the time you have on your hands now. You should rest, brother.”

Nicholas shook his head again and went back to pacing the room.  

“Maybe you’re right. But I can’t explain… Jack, I really think something’s wrong, I really feel like Hannah is hiding something from me.”

“You’re just paranoid.”

Nicholas’s hands flew to his hair. He appeared to be in physical pain.

“Maybe, maybe I am. I hope I am. Because if I’m not… Jack, if I’m not… then I’m right.” He looked at Jack again, with agony drawn on his expression. “And if I’m right, the love of my life is cheating me.”

***

Patrick made sure everybody had left the east side of the building before he made his way into the Archives Room. The last thing he wanted was to be caught searching through files of old and buried cases. Lewis was completely right in his assessment – most of his colleagues wouldn’t appreciate him going through a past case that was already widely accepted as closed. Not only was it distasteful, it also spelt suspicion – especially considering he was looking for clues of corruption, bad conduct or just plain negligence and incompetence.

The young apprentice opened the door and walked inside, not bothering to light up the room, confident that the lamp he was holding would be enough. He did his best to be as silent as possible, despite the fact that he was very much convinced that the few Guards working the night shift were either at the west side of the station or walking around the streets of St. Agnes, doing their designated rounds.

The moon’s glow penetrated through the tall windows and he was grateful for it. That natural light complimented the old and weak lamp he was holding quite nicely and it provided him with enough light for him to read.

He walked towards the filing cabinets and quickly got to work on his search. The drawers were filled with papers and reports of old cases, some of them misplaced, which turned an already exhaustive job into a more difficult and time consuming one.     

He searched in the drawers relating to the cases of approximately a decade ago. He was disappointed when he didn’t find the files he wanted – though not completely surprised. Patrick took a deep breath and dived into the endless array of papers, reports and documents, already resigned to the task of looking through every drawer and every paper.

Hours went by and still the young apprentice hadn’t found what he was looking for. His eyes stung, tired of the continuous strain of reading small letters in such poor lighting. Piles and piles of reports and documents surrounded him and still no success.

He found a file that grabbed his attention, though it wasn’t in the cold or old cases cabinets – it was in the personnel one. His eyes ran through the papers, until they were instantly widened as he read the last few pages. It was certainly interesting and he was sure Lewis Jackson would agree. He would have to share this information with him, it was of major importance. 

After that, he returned to the case cabinets, his energy and enthusiasm renewed after this victory, though these feelings were short lived. After more hours of fruitless search, he was beginning to doubt the file he was looking for even existed, when finally, hidden in the confines of a drawer on the cabinet relating to ancient cases of twenty years ago, he found it – the file that said von Mallesch by Chief Detective Samuel Black in thin writing on its cover.

He couldn’t help the smile that spread on his face. He felt victorious, his heart beat faster with excitement – whether the files had been organized wrongly by mistake or on purpose, he had found it.

Patrick sat behind one of the old desks in the room, brought his lamp closer to him and opened the file. He read through the papers and, immediately, he could tell something was wrong.

Could Lewis be right, after all?

He flipped all the pages and read everything in excruciating detail, only tearing his eyes from it when he thought he had heard steps and doors opening close to the Archives Room.

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.

“What are you doing here, young lad?”

Patrick jumped at the sound of the voice that came from the room’s entrance. He hadn’t even noticed his arrival. He took a sigh of relief as soon as he recognized the man walking slowly to meet him in the darkness – his mentor, Chief Detective Jonathan Hazenberg.

“Chief Hazenberg… you scared… I wasn’t expecting you, Sir.”

“Well, can’t say I was expecting to see you here, either,” Jonathan smiled with kindness. “What are you doing here, Patrick? It’s very late. You should be resting at home.”

“I’m… working, Sir.”

“I can see that.” Jonathan approached Patrick’s desk and leaned in, so as to see what his apprentice was studying. Patrick was overcome by an instinctive need to hide the files away, but quickly thought better of it. Jonathan Hazenberg was his Chief Detective and he would be as interested in the anomalies he had found as he was – it made no sense to hide his discovery from him.

“The von Mallesch file?” Jonathan asked, his eyebrows arching. “Still focusing on that?” Patrick nodded and the Chief Detective proceeded, “What is really happening, Patrick? Why are you insisting on this? I thought we had agreed that, once it became obvious that nothing useful would come out of that theory, you would forget about it.”

“But something useful did come out of this theory, Sir.”

Jonathan’s attitude changed immediately. His body stiffened and his demeanor became instantly more serious and interested. “Really?”

Patrick took a deep breath, finding no other alternative than to come clean. “I met a journalist-“

“Oh, Patrick, I thought I’d warn you against journalists! They’re-“

“This one is different, Sir!” Patrick interrupted, “This one is really intent on finding out the truth.”

“He’s just fishing for a good story-“

“No, Sir, trust me,” Patrick insisted. “He knows what he’s doing. He agrees with me that the von Mallesch trial can be related to both murders. He has found me the evidence-“

“New evidence?” Jonathan quickly asked, his eyes widening.

The young apprentice looked at the papers on top of his desk. “Actually, I meant the evidence used against Sir William in his trial…”

“So old evidence, you mean?” the Chief Detective said, visibly uninterested and disappointed.

“You’re not understanding, Sir! The evidence he got me almost screams either corruption or negligence.”

Jonathan Hazenberg was quick to raise his hand, clearly telling his apprentice to stop talking. “Be careful with what you say, boy. For your own good.”

“But Sir, I am positive you will agree with me once you see the documents. And look!” Patrick pointed to the von Mallesch files he had been reading and was now holding. “These reports… not only were they seriously misplaced-“

“Almost everything is,” Jonathan chuckled, waving away Patrick’s words with a carefree gesture.

“They looked hidden,” Patrick insisted. “And look! Most of the reports and documents are missing. See?” He pointed to the few papers in his hand. “The pages are numbered and it’s obvious almost every page is missing. Important pages. There are leaps of almost ten pages from one to the next.” He stood in front of his mentor with a confident pose and determination in his eyes. “Something is very wrong.”

Jonathan grabbed the file and went through the pages. He frowned. “Yes… I have to admit, young lad. It is odd. I’ve never seen a file lacking so many… the occasional page is one thing but in here…”

“It seems like pretty much the whole case is missing,” Patrick completed.

“Yes, you’re right,” the Chief agreed. “It’s very odd, very interesting... almost as if someone was trying to hide something.”

“My thoughts exactly, Sir,” Patrick replied with a smile, relieved that his Chief was finally seeing what he was seeing. “And that is not all Sir!” Patrick turned to pick up the other file he had found in the personnel cabinet. He opened it on the last pages and gave it to the Chief Detective, whose eyebrows shot upwards in surprise.

“Interesting… though this certainly puts a different spin on your theory.”

“I know. It is important though, I’m sure it means something and it can change everything,” Patrick replied.

“It does. It means that apparently the source of this corruption you speak of will not be found here.”

“Maybe…”

Jonathan took a deep breath and handed the file back to his apprentice. He eyed Patrick with worry drawn on his face.

“Be very careful, young lad. I can’t say I am on board with this theory of yours yet, but I’m beginning to see its merits. Be very careful.”

“Sir?”

“If what you say is true, then there’s someone walking around with enough strength to corrupt an entire system. This person will not want to be found. Be very, very careful son, for we may be hunting a dangerous, extremely powerful and, apparently, very unmerciful individual with way too much to lose.”

***

“What are you saying?” Selina’s voice trembled. She remained paralyzed on the spot, close to the door of the room she had rented in Madam Monique’s Inn, for the sole purpose of proving to Jack that she was doing alright.

It seemed pretty silly now. Silly and unnecessary.

The fluffy pink pillows and flowery curtains seemed to mock her current feelings of despair. That setting was the perfect contrast to the situation she was living, like a cruel and sick joke. A beautiful setting for the end of her world.

Jack looked at her and he seemed nauseated. She could see sadness and pain in his expression, but at that moment, she didn’t feel for him. He was the one bringing it upon them. He was the one destroying everything. He was destroying her.

“I’m saying that Hannah… Hannah has finally chosen me. Bea-“

“You’re saying you’re leaving me… for her?” the words felt alien to her. She couldn’t believe she was saying them. She couldn’t believe he was doing this to her.

“I never meant to hurt you!” he spoke with urgency. “Believe me, I wish I never had to hurt you.” He looked at her with despair, as if he was begging her to understand. “But I love her, Bea.”

“So… it was all a lie?” she asked, trying with all her might to prevent the tears that were so desperate to fall. She was sure that if he were to stab her heart with a literal knife, it wouldn’t hurt this bad. Knowing that she was being traded… it hurt like the most painful burn, no amount of physical punishment could ever make her feel so miserable.

“It wasn’t a lie-“

“I was just a distraction…” she mumbled, averting her eyes from him, her breathing becoming faster and faster, as if she was on the verge of drowning. “She was right… he was right… they all warned me!” She paced the room, as if she was disoriented. “They were all right! I was so blind!”

“Bea…”

“Don’t call me that!” she almost yelled, stopping in place and looking at him with an accusing glare. Jack wasn’t expecting it, though something in his expression told her he knew he deserved it. He looked as ill and as in pain as she was, but again, he deserved no pity.

“You…” she said, no longer able to hold back the tears. “You used me.”

“No!”

“I really believed in you! I thought you cared for me…”

“I do!” He walked towards her but she was quick to walk away, determined to keep their distance. He seemed surprised and hurt, but continued, “I do care about you, very deeply. But Bea…” He frowned and corrected himself, “Beatrice I… I could never forget her. I tried to, I really wanted to but… I couldn’t. Please-“ He tried to hold her hand but she avoided his touch.

“Don’t touch me.”

Jack took a deep breath and avoided her eyes.

“I never meant to hurt you. Please, try to understand-“

“Don’t you dare!” she mumbled, glaring at him again. “Don’t you dare.”

“I care about you, Bea. Please, believe me when I say that I would never intentionally hurt you. It kills me to see you like this and to know that I’m the reason. If I could go back, I would never put you through this. I… I would’ve stayed away. If I could go back, I would’ve never let it go this far…” She looked at him feeling even more betrayal, shocked at what she was hearing, hurting like she never did before. He seemed to realize exactly what he was saying to her and she could see the panic in his expression, before he said with new urgency, “No! That’s not what I meant!”

“Just stop it…” she whispered, turning away from him. “Stop it, please.”

“Beatrice…” he begged, but she ignored him. She needed to be as far away from Jack as possible.

Selina didn’t spare him another look. With tears streaming down her face and a heart that she felt was dead, she held the door open and said, looking to no one, “I wish you happiness, Sir Jack.”

She left.