Chereads / The Whitechapel Murderer / Chapter 20 - The First Suspect

Chapter 20 - The First Suspect

"She worked with me. She was like a friend of mine. Even if it's worth my life, I would've helped you both."

Jessica twirled the pen in between her fingers.

"I see...thanks for coming here, you may go now."

And suddenly Jessica sat up straight on the sofa she was lying down all this time.

"Huh?" She frowned.

"Do these dreams even exist? Why was I interrogating someone?" She rubbed her forehead and looked at her surrounding.

"Where did I sleep yesterday?" She mumbled, and then her eyes fell on Hebrew, sleeping peacefully on his chair.

"Oh! Now I remember..." She scratched her head.

The room was still dark, which made her wonder what time it was. She looked at the clock and it was exactly 6'O'clock.

"Why was I woken up so early today?" She sighed again, and a newspaper slid through the door.

She walked slowly and lazily towards the newspaper and picked it up.

"They have given the case back to Jessica Lennon, is she the beacon of hope?"

Said the headline today, with a photo of her meeting Robert, both shaking hands.

"It's true, the reporters are everywhere!" She exclaimed sarcastically at the photo.

"And so...you must leave before they see you here." Hebrew's sudden comment made her flinch.

She turned around, only to find him looking at her.

"Now that they know you're handling the case...they might follow you everywhere secretly, so...it would be better not to get caught with me. Your name with mine can dirty up your image too."

His voice was monotonous. Jessica nodded, gripping the newspaper.

"Then...I should go. Better keep this a secret rather than pushing you in a mob again."

He sighed and nodded, "Don't get caught."

He left the room, and so did Jessica. On the way towards outside the apartment her mind stuck something.

"Wait...it wasn't just a dream."

She looked upon all those stairs she had descended just now.

"I have to find that notepad." She mumbled and rushed towards Hebrew's apartment.

~~~~~~~

Here, Hebrew was in the bathroom. He looked at the mirror, or more precisely, he stared at himself, his bruises. His hands taking support from the washbasin.

"How come I ended up this way..." he scoffed.

Wiping up the blood on his lips, he washed his face abruptly and then suddenly he heard the main door of his apartment being opened, slowly. Probably someone had barged in, trying hard not to make any sound.

Hebrew walked slowly towards the hall. He might deny the fact that he had expected no one, but he might rather accept the thought lingering in his mind that, out of all those expectations he had, who has arrived?

As he went inside, he saw Jessica roaming around the room like a racoon rummaging in a dustbin.

"You were the least expected Ms Lennon." He commented, emphasising the word least.

She stood straight and smiled. "At least I was expected." She emphasised the word, at least too.

He sighed, and she continued, "Well...I have a reason to be back here."

"Well...You always have." He replied.

Jessica coughed. "Actually, do you remember that woman who came to your house yesterday when...we were drunk?" She smiled awkwardly.

"Yeah...it was you."

This time...she sighed, "No, the other one...talking about...Martha?"

"Martha? Another woman? Honestly...Nope!" He popped the 'p' out of his mouth.

She facepalmed and shook her head.

"Seriously! You're the finest one?" She taunted, earning a glare.

"Wait! First..." she said and started rummaging through the pages scattered over the sofa.

"Lemme..." She groaned as she tried to uplift the sofa, almost lying on the ground.

"Find the... notepad, here it is!" She jumped up in happiness as she took out the notepad from beneath the sofa.

"There was a notepad?" Hebrew doubted in his mumbles.

She came forward to him as she tried reading her handwriting written on the pages.

"Well, it says...that- that..." She sighed and looked up at Hebrew, smiling awkwardly.

"Why? You can't understand what you wrote?" He emphasised the word you, and she nodded meekly.

"Ugh!"

"Lemme see." He snatched the notepad from her grip.

"Actual name, Martha. Worked as a prosecutor for two months. Last seen, with a man. The man of average height, wearing black overcoat, black gloves and an unusual Ara-" He looked at Jessica with a frown.

"Arabic scarf?"

"Arabic scarf, how do they look like?" Jessica questioned her hands on her waist.

"How would I know, you've written it?"

"Umm...lemme think." She folded her arms.

"Oh, there's more," Hebrew claimed as he turned to the next page.

His claim gained Jessica's attention, and she stood beside him to look at the next page, along with him.

"The scarf had a red checkered pattern all over."

"Wait...I've seen such a scarf before." Jessica's claim caught Hebrew's attention now.

"Where?" he insisted.

She looked in her front, her eyes narrowed, thinking about where she had seen this very scarf.

"Umm...Mr...Winchester?" She doubted her own words.

Hebrew looked at her, and she looked at him.

"Maybe...the last client is the murderer?"

"Aye!" She smacked his shoulder.

Hebrew looked at her hand, which smacked, and went back to look at her.

"Let's not jump to the conclusion and first find out who this person is," Jessica suggested.

Hebrew nodded, "But...you just now said it's Winchester.

"I also said, let's not jump to the conclusion. Maybe this could be someone else. We must find him."

"Oh really? And how will we?" Hebrew crossed his arms.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat

"Umm...why not take help from crime branch head?" She smiled.

Hebrew sighed being frustrated, "Tch!" He shook his head and sat on the sofa.

"Why? What happened?" Jessica stood in front of him.

"I can't trust him." He said out loud and clear, without even the slightest hesitation.

She clicked her tongue,

"How about...we give him a chance? Cause...you know we actually don't remember who came last night, and so...we don't know to whom we should go after." She suggested.

Hebrew rubbed his face. "Okay, let's do it. But!" He stood up and stared into her eyes with his narrow gazes.

"If anything goes wrong, it's your responsibility." He said in one breath.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Okay!" "Then I'll wait for you outside the police station afternoon. I hope you'll come."

"And I hope you won't go inside without me." She nodded and further suggested,

"You know we can't be caught together so... disguise yourself."

Before Hebrew could say anything further, she left his house. Hebrew stood there holding the notepad.

"Was this the reason you didn't expose the first murder to me?"

And he looked in front, his eyes narrowed. "Cause you're involved in it too?"