The Stalker Written by Joseph F Mazzaferro

[Joseph Frank Mazzaferro]

Written by: Joseph F Mazzaferro

Titled THE STALKER.

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Chapter One

The Time, Victorian England

Scotland Yard
A large file was delivered by Bedford's assistant, Sargent Mc Donald, as the

inspector was having his daily morning spot of tea.

Along with a note from superintendent Collinsworth. As Bedford was

finishing up his tea he read the note.

THOMAS, I HAVE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE PRIME MINISTER TO PUT OUR

BEST MAN ON THIS CASE, FOR THIS REASON I HAVE ASSIGNED THIS CASE TO YOU.

PLEASE STUDY THE FILE YOU WILL RECEIVE ALL THE HELP YOU NEED, ALL THE

RESORCES OF THE YARD ARE AT YOUR DISPOSAL SIGNED COLLENSWORT.
Bedford read the file then asked Sargent Mc Donald to read it.

The case file simply marked the stalker case. He did so,Bedford and Mc Donald

came to the same conclusions:

Five different inspectors and their teams, have been investigating this case.

Each inspector with their own team went down different

roads with there investigations, each road winding up in a dead end.

Bedford and Mc Donald would have to use their own unconventional

methods to investigate this case, after all The Stalker was not your

conventional murder case.

Chief Inspector Bedford and Sargent Arthur Mc Donald would use the

methods that have worked for them in the past.

Bedford in disguise as a coach driver and Mc Donald as a woman

passenger, would patrol the East End Whitechapel area.After finishing up

their day at Scotland Yard, they took their usual walk over to their local

pub to down a few tankards of ale and discuss the case,planning to make sure

they were both on the same page.

Part of Bedford and Mc Donalds bag of tricks was to get information by going

into local pubs and drinking with the regulars. By shedding their official

look ,they would open up to them. No subject would be tabu.Unlike the

conventional methods where people would clam up.
Just one of the techniques they employed. You would be surprised what you can

find out under such friendly circumstances

As Bedford and Mc Donald finished drinking because of the

lateness of the hour, Bedford looked at Mc Donald and said.
"Get a good night's sleep Arthur, I will meet with you tomorrow at 7 A.M. Make

sure you bring your gun".

McDonald nodded, indicating he understood.

The next morning, as the birds were singing and the sun was peeking over

the horizon, Bedford was finishing off his breakfast of tea and

crumpets knowing that after he left for work, the house keeper he had hired

Miss Jenkens, would come in and tidy up his mess.

So Bedford went to his closet to take out the clothes he had ear

marked, coach driver. From shoes to top hat, as he was finishing dressing the

part of his disguise and was getting ready to leave for the yards stable, the

house keeper Miss Jenkens came in.

She was shocked, she didn't recognize Bedford and was ready to

scream when he identified himself to her. He stayed with her till

she calmed down. When she was able to carry on with her duties, Bedford

left.

About a stone's throw away from the stable, there was a potent smell

over powering the senses.

As he approached, he saw two horses attached

to the coach waiting, as he had requested yesterday.

Sargent Mc Donald came walking over to him wearing an over sized dress that

made him look like a British bull dog in drag.

Bedford could hardly keep from laughting.

"Next time you wear the damn dress, its not funny, I have a reputation to

uphold, you know".Me Donald huffed.

He got into the coach and they headed toward the East End Whitechapel area.

As they passed the main entrance of Scotland Yard, the other

inspectors and sargents pointed at Mc Donald and had a big laugh.

Mc Donald yelled out the window.
"Go ahead laugh it up, we will see who has the last laugh".

I really felt sorry for him, poor Mc Donald slumped down low in

his seat to avoid eye contact.

As we approached East End Whitechapel, we noted it was too early to go

to the pubs where we would gather our nugget's of information on the stalker

case.

We drove around, having to stop frequently so I could pick up after

the horses with a pail to scoop up their manure.

Sargent Mc Donald and I were remembering previous cases where, Mc

Donald forgot he was wearing a dress after he consumed a large quantity of

ale.He went into the mens room,"you should have seen the looks on their

faces"

I told Mc Donald. "the looks as they rushed out of the gents room".

Mc Donald said;" If you think that was funny, you should have seen

the looks on the faces of the ones that were staring at me as I was relieving

myself of all the ale I drank".

Mc Donald and I had a laugh about those memories.

That's what made us such great friends as well as colleagues.

Day time started to be swallowed up by the darkness, to make matters

worse, what little light that was provided by the gas lamp was being hidden

by the fog that was rolling in fast. _______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter Two. THE HUNT BEGINS

In a dark room on a large estate a dark figure sitting on the floor in a

fit-tle position staring up at a wall with only one candle lit. As the light

from the candle danced off the dark figures on the wall, looking at a

portrait in the center of the wall where he scrolled some writing across it.

To the left of the portrait were mounted heads of a dead animals to the right

also mounted heads of dead animals. As he rocked back and forth looked up to

the mounted head to the left he saw the face of Mary Ann Nichols as she

appeared before he killed her.

Then he looked at the head to the Right of the Portrait and saw the face of

Annie Chapman her look of fear before he butchered her, turned one more time

to the left the second head of the dead animal appeared to him as Elizabeth

Stride. He stopped to write a letter to the LONDON TIMES after he completed

it he left by the side door to post it.

7 a.m. the next morning, SuperIntendent Collensworth was holding a press

conference on the stalker case. When the press representative of the London

Times handed him a letter that was received at the London Times.

The letter he read to himself said

SO FAR IT HAS BEEN EASY ON THE EAST END WHITECHAPEL, ONLY THREE NOW.

HOW MANY MUST I CUT UP. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. Signed JACK THE RIPPER.

After the press conference as the Inspectors left Scotland Yard you could here

The hawkers on the street shouting out the head lines, "extra extra read all

about it Ripper challenges Scotland Yard to catch him".

As Bedford and Mc Donald went to there lockers to dress in there disguises

after the conference, as they walked over to the stable to take the horse and

coach back into the whitechapel east end.

Bedford looking at Mc Donald; "he has a lot of Nerve challenging the yard in

that way". Mc Donald answered;"I guess he must think he is invisible".

Bedford scratching his head;"he has kinda been invisible til now, killing

ladies in broad daylight, no witnesses stepping forward". "Its more important,

even now that we find somebody who has seen something, we need a break, before

things get out of hand".

Mc Donald asked Bedford ;"What do you mean get out of hand". Bedford had this

dreadful look on his face; "The stalker, by sending this letter to the press

has in a sense turned up the heat, if he kills many more, this will make

Scotland Yard to be the laughing stock of England".

Bedford then said; "We must look at this case the way a magician uses his

craft". "How is he able to appear to be invisible". Mc Donald said; "I think

I know what you are getting at","he is making a fool out of us, by us not see

him or catching him., that know one is paying any attention to him".

Bedford said;"You have got it".

Mc Donald said;"What do you mean I got it, what I said makes no sense to me".

Bedford looking at Mc Donald; "my friend you see, he is able to move about

because he is also using a disguise maybe a Doctor, a Constable or even a

female". Mc Donald scratching his head said;"I see what your getting at, you

have made a good point".

At that point of the day when the pubs started

opening Bedford and Mc Donald went into one, started drinking buying rounds

for the house and asking questions, another fruitless day moved into the

evening. ______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter three Needle in a hay stack

Bedfords Brilliant Idea.

Day three, Inspector Bedford had a brilliant idea, he took a Map of the East

End Whitechapel, took a compass and was drawing circles around the areas

of the first three victims to find the closes pubs to the scenes of the crimes.

This would increase the odds of finding someone who may have seen something

that would help Bedford and Mc Donald find the stalker.

Chief Inspector Bedfor in conference with Super Intendent Collensworth,

Bedford looking into the eyes of Collensworth,"I think we should concentrate

our efforts looking for evidence, possibly a witness pointing to the Map with

the three circles.Collensworth response;"that's what we have done sent

constables into those streets questioning everybody, to no avail"

"One person said he heard the sounds of horses hooves on the cobblestones

just after the last victim screamed" "but saw nothing".

Bedford;" Interesting" "what else".Collensworth said;" as I said he saw

nothing, It had started getting dark, he could not see anyone".While Bedford

and Mc Donald spent a good amount of there time at Scotland Yard in the

meeting with Collensworth. They left for the circled area of the Map.

______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter FOUR Whoses The Next Victim

At the East End White-chapel area, thick fog started to roll in, the sounds of

a Coach moving horses hooves hitting cobblestone, clip clop as the Coach stops

a foreboding figure gets out of the Coach, moving slowly in the dense fog

towards a female. "you wanta have a good time governa", as she takes him by

the hand, the deadly sound of silence in the fog was broken by a lowd scream,

then police whistles. Victim number four.

Bedford and Mc Donald just arrived were about to go into the Pub when the

whistles started sounding off. As they went into the door of the pub, as the

locals started to enter the pub.

Bedford and Mc Donald asking questions;"Whats all the commotion about?"

One Local patron;"Isn't it obvious The Ripper struck again".

Bedford "Did you see the Ripper", The Patron answered;"to much damn fog to see

em."

Victims number four and five.

As the fog was rolling across the East End thick in spots and thin in others,

Mary Jane Kelly moving about on the east end, when her luck ran out. The

Stalker took his fifth victim earlier that day taken the life of

Catherine Eddowes victim four.

The helpless feeling of the people of the East End had reached its limits.

They took matters in there own hands, beating up on strangers who were a

little different, people who had displayed strange tendencies something had

to be dun.

As the stalker added two more names to his trophies that hung, under the heads.

Sitting on the floor rocking back and forth.

As the single candle's lite danced on the wall, he was thinking to himself of

the portrait that was at the center of his hatred. Thinking back on the last

note he sent to the London papers just a few hours earlier taking credit for

Catherine Eddowes before going out to do Mary Jane Kelly.

The five victims ghosts haunting him, there screams keep-ed echoing in his

mind. ______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter five

The Break

Another Local,"I heard it, my friend saw the Ripper".Bedford wanted to know,

"why hasn't he stepped forward to tell the constables from Scotland Yard,

what he saw"? The locals Answer,"let me start over for you can see, I am

blind, my friend who can see is deaf and dumb, we tried to tell those idiots

from Scotland Yard what we saw but no one was paying any attention to us".

"We would have a better chance of getting them to listen if we had two heads

and a tail". Bedford, with a half laugh and half smile on his face,;"Your

friend you said is deaf and damn how is he going to tell them what he saw".

The blind-man had a quality of arrogance that Bedford liked about him,

The Blind mans response;" I said he is deaf and dumb, I did not say he was

stupid, my friend is a well educated man who can read and write, if you

write down a question, he can also write down his answer".

Bedford and Mc Donald, found a blind eye wittness and a deaf dumb man who

could not tell them what he saw at least not in the conventional way.

Both Bedford and Mc Donald took there two new friends to a rooming house on

the East End, so they could find out what there witnesses knew, without

making them feel uncomfortable.

At the rooming house Bedford first spoke to the blind man.

"I'm afraid that both myself and my friend have falsely represented ourselves;

"my name is Chief Inspector Thomas Bedford and my friend with the flowery dress

on is Sargent Arthur Mc Donald of Scotland Yard". "We are in pursuit of the

stalker, you may know him as Jack the Ripper".

"You sir, have my ear, you said back at the pub, that your friend can answer

questions with a written response". "Is that true?" The blind man

said; "finally an inspector with a brain", "yes that's true".

As Bedford and the blind man sitting at a table continued.

Bedford Looking at the blind man asked him; "first, what is your name?"

The blind man said; "my name is Richard Relic". "Both myself and my friend

have been together for years we grew up together since we were children,

I was not always blind and my friend was not born deaf and dumb these

conditions came about later in our lives, as a matter of fact we both attended

Edinburgh college together". As Bedford was bizzy writing down the

information. Then said; "I see, and what is your friends name?"

His response;" Danial Morehouse".

Then Bedford placed two pads on the table one he would write the questions on

and the other for Morehouse to write down his response on.

Bedford gave a hand signal to Morehouse to sit next to his friend at the table.

As Morehouse was compling, Sargent Mc Donald asked; "Is there anything I can

do?" Bedford told Sargent Mc Donald "Yes, go and get several containers of

strong tea and food, I am afraid this is going to be an all night-er".

Mc Donald followed Bedfords instructions. As Bedford wrote down on the pad in

front of him. I AM IN NEED OF INFORMATION AND TRUST YOU CAN ACCOMMODATE ME?

After reading what Bedford had written down. Morehouse wrote down, I WILL

BE GLAD TO HELP.

The hours of painfully awkward inspection of the questions and answer sheets,

Revealed to Bedford and Mc Donald that they had gotten more information then

all the other Inspectors who were working the case. The information in writing

was that Daniel Morehouse and Richard Relic where not present at the first two

victims murders, Mary Ann Nichols and Annie Chapmans.

But they were present at Elizabeth Strides. This fact made Daniel Morehouse

even more upset, he wrote down that ELIZABETH WAS VERY KIND TO RICHARD RELIC

SPENDING TIME TO READ HIM THE NEWSPAPER.

As Bedford was reading this out loud for Sargent Mc Donald, tears appeared

in the eyes of Morehouse and Relic. Relic comment; "Its difficult when such

a sweet lady is", then could not finish his sentence, Mc Donald had to bring

him outside for some fresh air. As Bedford was writing more questions for

Morehouse to answer.

This went on all night long, night turned into day. Finally Bedford was

finished. Bedford and Mc Donald knew who was the stalker also known as

Jack The Ripper.

After the questioning was completed Bedford sitting in the kitchen at the table

asked Mc Donald; "What do you think we should do next?"

Mc Donald scratching his head; "I don't know". "Why do you ask?"

Bedfords answer was; "Because what we found out, I think the statements of

Morehouse and Relic will not be enough to bring to the SuperIntendent

Collinsworth, after all pointing the finger of suspicion at the Queens cousin

the Royal Duke". Mc Donald was tired said; "I see what you mean". "What else

can we do, what is our next step".

Bedford sitting with his head in between his hands in deep taught, sitting for

thirty minutes.

Looked up his eyes sparkled; "I got it, its brilliant'.

Mc Donald looking at the recharged energy that Bedford displayed all of a

sudden; "What, what did you come up with".

Bedford with a look of relief on his face; "remember the files on the stalker

case, I had you read them also".

Mc Donald looking at Bedford; "What about the files, what are you getting at?"

Bedfood all excited walking back and forth; "Tomorrow, we will go to Scotland

Yard", "and we will have a meeting with Inspector Johannson in his report is

the answer". _______________________________________________________________________________

Chapter Six

Meet Inspector Johannson.

At Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Bedford walked over to the desk of Inspector

Johannson. Johannson looked up, "While I live and breed, Its Inspector

Bedford", "what can I do for you today?" Inspector Bedford replied; "I was

examining the files on the stalker case and your report got my attention".

Johannson looking right at Bedfords eyes,"I heard you also were assigned to

the case." Bedford;" I am here to ask if you wanted to combine your

investigation with ours". Bedford went on; "our two investigations have been

the only two to turn up any information".

Johannson; "What part of my report are you talking about?" Bedford said;

"your crime scene report". "It says, after closing off the crime-scene of the

first victim, were the victim body was found on the ground, you saw a clear

path of grass were the body had been dragged from a location where a set of

wheels from a coach". Bedford asked him; "you wrote that didn't you?"

Johannson response was "yes I did". Bedford then went on to say "you also

wrote the front horse on the left side was missing a shoe", You had included

a sketch of the scene showing where the body was, where it was dragged from,

next to the wheel marks of the coach showing the four legs of where the

horse stood, showing the rear foot of the horse on the right side".

Johannson, "yes that's all true, what are you getting at?" Bedford gave

Johannson his report of the all night er of questions and answers to read.

After Johannson finished reading the contents of Bedford and Mc Donalds report

he turned towards Bedford with a worried look on his face. "Your report is a

very damaging report, it would destroy the crown heads of England if it ever

became public knowledge". Then Johannson asked; "What do you suggest we do?"

Bedford said; "We will have to go to Super Intendent Collinsworth to get his

permission to proceed to do a residence check and the stable for the horse at

the Royal Dukes residence. Johannson; "Did you read in my report I also found

boot prints at the scene." "This could place the Duke at the scene of the

crime".

Both Bedford and Johannson knew by placing the Duke the cousin of the Queen of

England at the scene of the crime connecting the Duke to the crime scene, where

he had no innocent reason for being would damage the Crown Heads of England.

Bedford also found out that Johannson also used plaster to make casts of the

pair of boots that the killer had been wearing during the crime.

Along with the written statements of the witness, identifying the Duke his

Coach with a coat of arms on it.

Bedford, Mc Donald and Johannson would have to take there findings to Super

Intendent Collinsworth to see what could be dun about stopping these crimes.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Chapter seven

Meeting with Collinsworth.

That morning, Bedford knew that he was walking into a bee hive, when he

requested a private meeting with SuperIntendent Collinsworth.

As Inspector Bedford saw it, the fundamental difficulty of the affair lay in

establishing the identification of the stalker.

As Bedford Johannson and Mc Donald was sitting outside of Collinsworths

office, in deep thought, concentrating on what they where about to show to him

waiting for him to enter, they were silent during most of the wait.

SuperIntendent Collinsworth was in his time, one hell of a Chief Inspector,

when he was promoted to the position of SuperIntendent the job's

responsibility was heavy on his shoulders. It affected his health, he

started biting his nails and losing weight.

On his way into the yard Collinsworth stopped by his Doctor for medication for

his stomach, he was nervous and in pain, sweating profusely.

When he arrived at his office and saw Bedford, Johnnson and Mc Donald waiting

he told them "give me a few minutes".

After settling into his office he beckoned them "you can come in now!"

Superintendent Collinsworth's office was a large one, in the center was a

large conference table, that Collinsworth used to hold meetings on important

cases.

Collinsworth looking like a ghost of his former self "what can I do for you

gentlemen".

Bedford spoke up;" we wanted you brought in on our findings, to see what

could be dun about stopping the stalker". Bedford handed the files with the

parts of the files circuled that contained the important information.

After Collinsworth examined the files of both Inspectors, Bedford asked

for permission to proceed to the Royal Dukes residence along with Collinsworth.

Even though he was reluctant to do so he agreed.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Chapter eight

The Solution.

The four of them proceeded to the residents of the Royal Duke.

When they were outside the over sized door that used the lion head knocker,

til one of the Dukes servants answered the door.

In the residence of the queen of England's cousin our first observation as we

walked in, it was a large estate with land surrounding it, with a large

stable near by.

The well furnished residence had a large dinning area were many official

functions took place.

Their was a special room that only the Duke had access to. His Trophy

room, the Duke had taken up taxidermy, the tools of his taxidermy were

keep ed in a carrying bag by the exit that led to the stables.

The servants to the Duke told us, "the Duke spent all of his time in that

room".

After the investigation of the stables and the private living quarters

of the Duke were we found the evidence, the boots he was wearing and in

the stable the horse with the missing shoe.

As we tried to confront the Duke who had taken up residents in the trophy

room, by knocking outside the door that was bolted close from the inside.

Bedford had instructed Sargent Mc Donald to go outside to stand watch on

the other door that had the path that led to the stables.

As we continued to knock on the door, the voice from the inside said;"go

away". We Identified our self as being from Scotland Yard. He ignored us,

a few minutes later Mc Donald open the door from the inside with the Duke

cuffed. "He tried to exit the side door",Mc Donald told us.

The Duke was raving mad with anger "you had no right to come in" he said,

do you know who I am I am the Royal Duke cousin to His Majesty Queen Victoria.

As we entered the Trophy Room in plain sight was the heads of dead animals the

Duke had stalked and killed, along with the stuffed bodies of animals.

Mounted on the main wall was a portrait of the Queen Victoria written across

the portrait in a dark red substance was the words; Die your next.

Under head mounted next to the portrait was the names Mary Ann Nichols,

Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly.

Later outside that room the Servants told us, "the Duke would sit in the room

for hours with only one candle to light it". "when we knocked at the door the

Duke would tell us many times, I've told you leave me alone", "so we would

leave the food tray outside the door". "Come back about an hour later to find

the empty tray and dishes.

It was Collinsworth who found the bag with the surgical tools in it, the

bag marked taxidermy.

Poor Collinsworth got sick to his stomach, when he saw the dried blood on them.

Now the question on Bedfords mind was, how do we proceed with this, after all

we can't let the Duke continue his crime spree.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Chapter nine. The Cover up

It was SuperIntendent Collinsworth who came up with the solution.

"We will place the Duke under protective custody, until I speak with the Prime

Minister on this matter.

After a few days passed, Collinsworth Informed us that the Duke was being

placed into a mental institution. The Prime Minister had a private conversation

with the Queen.

She was going to release this information to the London Times, It had been

decided that the Royal Duke was to be Hospitalized after he suffered a nervous

break down.

As for our files, thay would be sealed for 100 years, strangely enough at

Scotland Yard a suspicious fire broke out only burning a few files.

The Prime Minister along with a few trusted friends of the Queen went to the

Dukes residence to remove the evidence in the trophy room. The Prime Minister

burned all the traces of the Dukes crime.