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Damnation, I should have realised from the minute when I first met the Ripper who he was.

Worried, I rose from my bed and dressed in a hurry. Running down the stairs, I left and ran to where I knew the Ripper lived. The house was empty, with only the staff present. They were unaware of where my quarry hid. In a temper, I searched the bedroom and study for clues to The Ripper’s whereabouts but couldn’t find anything. For hours, I stalked the streets, looking for The Ripper, but to no avail. Finally, I gave up and returned to my house after leaving a note at his home.

I looked for the next three nights and found no sign of my suspect. The Ripper had vanished. November 9thbrought a wave of satisfaction, bordering on madness aimed, directly at me.

Luckily, I was at home as the feeling swept me off my feet, and I fell to the floor, clutching my head in my hands. This was personal, sent to taunt me, and it disclosed the sender’s whereabouts.

Unsteadily, I rose and made my way to Miller’s Court.

There, in a house, a sight so terrible confronted me; I was sick. The woman, now known as Mary Kelly, had been completely cut open. There was blood everywhere, and herorgans had been removed. It looked as though I had entered an abattoir. In the middle of the bed, still merrily cutting and tearing, was The Ripper.

Aghast, I walked in the door and shut it behind me.

“Why?” I asked.

“Why not? They all deserved this. Why not kill them, Jacques?”

“Why did they deserve to die?” I questioned, approaching the bed and trying not to peer at the body.

Instead, I gazed into the eyes of the Ripper and witnessed the glint of madness. How had it been hidden from me?

“These bitches take a person’s soul and twist it. Good souls are imprisoned in these whores and witness how they torture them, Jaq. They corrupt and damage the soul so much it becomes unrecognisable in its anguish.”

The knife slashed again, and I swallowed.

“This is the last, isn’t Jacques? You have come to help, and now I must stop, but not before I leave this for the world to see. Tonight shall never be forgotten, and the warning will be heeded.”

“What warning, my darling?” I asked, taking the blade from cold and shaking hands.

“The message that prostitution is bad. It’s very naughty and mustn’t be allowed. They twist the souls inside those bodies and kill them.”

Hands now pummelled the bloody and torn carcass, and I winced as blood splattered onto my suit. I put a hand to my mouth and shook my head. The sight made me feel nauseous again. How had I not realised what was happening? The truth was, I should have.

I was partly to blame, as I had not seen the warning signs.

I took The Ripper by the arms and dragged them off the bed. The Ripper collapsed against me and started to cry.

I offered comfort and muttered nonsense, but inside of me, great anger was building.

“Why?” I exploded.

“I saw Kierran’s soul!” Julia screamed.

Julia fell into my arms and began babbling. I couldn’t make any sense of it. Julia kept repeating that Kierran’s soul should not inhabit that filthy body and that she had to free it.

I shook Julia repeatedly, but I was getting nowhere fast. Scooping her up, I fled the house of horror and ran to Hyde Park. This late at night, it would be deserted.

I kept stroking Julia’s hair and making soothing noises as she continued spurting random sentences.

Julia leapt from my grip and began pacing up and down the grass. She was waving her arms about and pulling at her hair. Julia ranted for at least an hour before she calmed enough for me to talk.

The state of Julia left me heartbroken, and I cursed myself repeatedly for not realising what was happening.

I should have known; the thought kept running though my head, and the guilt was tremendous. Had I had been so engrossed in my life that I’d not realised Julia required help, needed me? There was a unique bond between us. It had been there ever since Julia had rescued me from the guilt over Father. Yet, despite our closeness, Julia hadn’t been able to inform me what was happening.

However, I must ask, would I have listened? Probably not, I was that selfish. Well, Julia needed me and now would have my full attention. Julia had never judged me over that fiasco with Caroline, and I would not judge her now.

“Darling heart, tell me what is wrong,” I said softly, pulling Julia onto my lap.