"Good morning sir," I heard our maid, Elizabeth, say from downstairs.

"Morning Miss. I was wondering if Katherine may be home?"

I instantly recognized Jack's voice and bolted from my room and to the staircase. His eyes caught mine as I descended the stairs, trying not to trip on my dress.

"I'm here!" I said quickly, "Thank you Beth!"

Elizabeth nodded and went back to where she'd been dusting in my father's office.

"Do you have the papers?" I asked.

Jack held up his bag and patted the side of it.

"Let's get to work."

.

Jack and I sat in the parlor; him taking the armchair at one end of the coffee table as I sat on the other end, facing him.

Around the coffee table were sketches Jack had made of the bodies and suspects as well as notes written in mine or Davey's scribbled handwriting. We quickly labeled the victims and suspects before Jack grabbed a map from his bag and laid it out over the papers. He began marking the places each woman had been found as I continued scribbling down details into a notebook.

Victims:
Anne Harbor - 32, Found in an alleyway near Jimmy's Bar; throat slit
Molly Blythe - 26, Found outside Central Park; throat slit, liver removed
Mary Davis - 30, Found ???, throat slit, kidney removed

Suspects:
Jimmy Barker - Owner of Jimmy's Bar, found body of Anne Harbor.
Spot Conlon - From Brooklyn, suspicious whereabouts.

"So we have some similarities." I said, looking over my writing, "Their throats were all slit and they're between an age gap of ten years. They all worked as prostitutes but only two had an organ removed." I looked up at Jack who nodded thoughtfully.

"Perhaps his first victim was just a 'test run' for him." Jack said putting air quotes around the words.

I shook my head in disgust, "How could someone do such a thing. . ."

The two of us worked in silence for a while longer before Jack spoke up.

"What time do you have work?"

"Don't have it today." I muttered, marking more notes on the sketches, "People are starting to get laid off and Snyder is trying to choose from the bunch."

"Are you scared you'll get laid off?" Jack asked.

I finally looked up at him and just shrugged, "If worse comes to worse, I'll find a different company- not my father's though."

Jack just nodded as I continued writing, my hair falling in my face.

"Why are you wondering about my work schedule? Are you planning to ask me on a date?"

I was glad my hair hid my pink cheeks at my teasing.

I could tell Jack was stunned in silence as he stammered a bit before talking once more.

"Only if ya want it to be Plumber."

I looked at him and sighed, "Pulitzer."

He just winked at me and I rolled my eyes.

"So is it a yes?" He asked.

I leaned over the table, meeting him halfway, and smiled smugly.

"We have a string of murders to solve Mr. Kelly." I said softly, "Now is highly not the time to be asking me on a date. Though, with our continuing investigation, I suppose I'll have to consider it." I tried to shrug nonchalantly but clearly looked very awkward.

I could feel his breath against me and I'm sure it went vice versa.

"Well Plumber. . . I-"

His eyes flickered to my lips before meeting my gaze once more. His dark chocolate brown eyes bore right back into mine.  I was sure my cheeks were pinker than my skirts by now. The room felt less airy than it had before.  I saw a drop of sweat had mingled into his brow and I wondered if I would begin to sweat as well.

In nervousness? Excitement? Knowing it's scandalous enough to be alone with a boy- let alone be this close.

My mind was a whirl.  I had no idea what I was doing.  What decency I had.  To kiss a boy in my own parlor.  Unattended.  I wouldn't be half surprised if this preposterous behavior made it to a newspaper; or at least my diary.

"Hey Kathy do you know where-"

My sister stopped in her tracks, the door to the kitchen now opened.

Both Jack and I flung back to our chairs as though we'd been burned.

"Where what?" I asked, smoothing my dress and tucking a strand of hair loosely behind my ear.

"Where the tea is." Lucille said, eyeing me suspiciously, "The rose one."

I cleared my throat, "Top cabinet, second from the left."

My sister nodded closing the door but still calling back, "I'm heading out with Darcy today. I'll be back around 5 at the latest."

I almost nodded but called back an 'alright!' realizing she couldn't see me.

Jack was already flipping through his sketchbook once more; an expression I couldn't read across his face.

I stretched my arms over my head and cracked my knuckles.

"How ya been sleepin' Plumber?" Jack asked, not looking up.

Are we- Are we going to just forget what happened?

My response was slow as my mind was still catching up to my previous actions.

"What's with all the questions Mr. Kelly?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Keeps a conversation from dying." Jack said, "Not my greatest choice of words." He gestured to the spread along the table.

I stifled a laugh, "Sleeping fine." I said.

"Bags under your eyes say different."

"Boys knocking at my window don't help." I muttered, grinning.

"Seriously Kath." Jack said, "Ya don't look so good."

I ran a hand through my curls; tugging on a piece absentmindedly.

"It's been difficult Jack."

I stood up and looked around at the evidence that lay on the table and spilled to the floor, walking as I began to explain.

"I see my mother everywhere.  I know what happened to her was different- that there was no 'Simon Says'.  But I remember how she looked, i-in that box." A shudder ran through me and I looked up back him, "She looked a lot like Mary Davis." I mumbled, picking up a picture of the pretty blonde woman when she was still alive.

A new sense of realization seemed to wash over Jack as he connected my last sentence and what had happened a few days ago at the laboratory.

"I've been able to get to sleep- staying asleep has been a harder problem." I said, "But I am doing just fine.  I'm up late for assignments anyways."

Lie.  As if simple stories of a marketplace robbery every few weeks was the hard hitting news that would take nights to write.

I sat on the couch next to Jack's chair and set the photograph down next to the other ones.

"I'm sorry Kath." Jack said quietly, resting a hand against the arm of the couch.

I forced a small smile, "Hey, it's alright. Writing helps." I paused, taking in my own words, "Well, writing about good things I mean. . . It takes my mind away from it all."

He nodded, "Writing about me?" He said with a cheeky grin.

That's the Jack I know.

"Ah yes," I said with a tone of sarcasm, "what a lovely thing to write about."

"I know I am." Jack said, putting his arms behind his head in mock relaxation.

I playfully kicked his leg, "Get back to work Mr. Kelly."

Jack went back to his sketchbook as I continued marking the photographs. At some point in time his strong calloused hand had found my small dainty one. Fingers interlocked and I didn't feel like letting go.

.

1270 wordssss! gosh I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. I start college next week and have had awful writers block😩 I hope this chapter will do! See ya in the next one!

~ ky❤️