Page 38 of Molly Boys
“Early this afternoon, by accident I might add,” Shaw replied. “There was a heavy snowfall last night, causing the body to be heavily covered after already having been hidden far back in the alley. There was a good chance he might not have been discovered for some time. Like I said, it was sheer luck they found him.”
“That might be it,” Archie speculated. “The killer took the risk of being caught to conceal the body this time. Wakefield was left splayed out in an open space like the killer wanted him found, wanted his work seen. But what was it about Perkins that made him want to hide him? Shame, maybe?” He scratched his jaw. “Whatever it was, Perkins was different from Wakefield somehow.”
“Well, I suppose we’ll know more once I get him back to the mortuary.” Shaw stood and dusted the snow from his trousers as he turned to Richard, who’d remained silent throughout their whole conversation. “Richard, be a good lad and have the constables bring the coroner’s cart.” He turned to glance at Archie. “Have I your permission to remove the body?”
Archie nodded. “There’s nothing else to be done here, and we need the autopsy report.” He once more stared at the body still slightly concealed by snow. “Do you know what he did for a living?”
“I think his father had always wanted him to follow in his footsteps, but David had no interest in becoming a policeman. He pursued the law instead.”
“He was a lawyer?” Shaw nodded in confirmation.
There was a commotion at the end of the alleyway and both men turned to the sound of someone calling for Archie.
“Inspector! Inspector!”
Archie’s expression clouded as he saw Ernest Grover duck under the arm of one of the constables and hurry toward him.
Striding away from the body, he moved to block the reporter and glared. “This is a crime scene. You’re not allowed in here,” Archie said flatly.
“As an employed member of the press, I am asserting my legal and moral right to report on this terrible crime.” He smirked from beneath his shabby bowler. “Do you have any comment on this latest vicious crime or your inability to catch the killer?” He rolled his stubby pencil between his fingers, his nails thick with grime as they poked out from his fingerless gloves.
“I have nothing to say to the likes of you,” Archie said coolly. “And you’ll just print the complete opposite anyway.”
Grover grinned. “Is it true the first lad… Wakefield… was a molly?”
Archie lifted his hand and beckoned to one of his constables.
“The latest victim is David Perkins, isn’t he? That’s the chief commissioner’s boy, innit? Was he unnatural too? Like the company of fellas? Was he found naked too?”
Archie stalked closer his eyes blazing and his mouth a tight thin line. “I really wouldn’t repeat any of those questions if I were you, and if one single word of it appears in the paper, you will feel the full weight of the chief commissioner’s ire. In his grief he is not likely to take kindly to such rumours about his son.”
“Ah yes, the chief commissioner. How do you think he’s going to react to the inspector who failed to catch a killer, leaving him free to murder his only son?” Grover grinned. “I imagine H Division will be looking for yet another new detective inspector before the day is out.”
“Get him away from here,” Archie told a constable as he approached.
“Come on, you heard the inspector.” He grabbed Grover’s arm and yanked him back.
“Inspector.” Constable Merritt appeared beside them. “The chief commissioner wants to see you at his office right now.” He was a little breathless as if he’d run all the way to Whitechapel.
Archie blinked in surprise. In the chain of command, he reported to the chief inspector. To be summoned by the chief commissioner, who answered to the Home Office as well as being the father of the victim, did not bode well for Archie.
“Thank you, Merritt.”
“’Ere, inspector,” Grover called out as he was dragged down the alley. “Tell Commissioner Perkins the paper will give him a good price for the situation–vacant ad for a new inspector.” He cackled evilly as Archie deliberately turned his back to him.
“Pay him no mind.” Shaw glowered at the retreating form of the reporter. “He’s not happy unless he’s making someone’s life a misery.”
“Do you need me to stay while you move the body?” Archie asked, choosing to ignore the comment.
“No need, I have Lowcroft to help.” Shaw peered around Archie. “We’ll have the body back to the mortuary directly. You probably shouldn’t keep Commissioner Perkins waiting.”
Archie nodded, knowing Shaw was right. “Let me know as soon as you have the autopsy report.”
Turning away from the doctor, he made his way back down the alley, nodding to Richard Lowcroft as he returned from summoning the coroner’s cart. He pushed through the crowd at the mouth of the alley and out onto the street. Fortunately, Grover was nowhere to be seen.
Keeping his head down against the swirling snow, he walked quickly. He probably should have just taken the omnibus but he needed the movement and solitude walking afforded him. He had too much going on inside his head. What was it about this killer? What drove him? Why leave the victims naked and on display? He corrected himself —Charles Wakefield had been displayed. Was it to humiliate the victim or did it speak to some deeper hunger of the killer?
Archie shook the thought from his head. Wakefield may not have been a molly as such, but given the evidence in his autopsy report, it was clear the lad had been homosexual at the very least.