Chapter Text
This time around Matthew grabbed their duffle bag and his satchel as Caitlin picked up Connor and the three of them made their way to the carriage. Saying Goodbye to Hermione and wishing her luck with the opening of the theatre, the three of them chambered inside the carriage.
Reid, Thatcher and Nathaniel picked up Robin's body and the piece of paper to help conduct his autopsy and made their way towards the door, thanking Hermione for her hospitality and promising a way to repay her endless kindnesses. The trio make their way to Leman Street.
Having arrived outside of Leman Street, They found Chief Inspector Aberline and Chief Inspector Dove at a standstill on the front steps, a crowd was beginning to form of curious onlookers and police officers who had formed a human barricade on one side.
Approaching the two men Mathilda is the first to notice the trio and with a subtle nod to his daughter to convey the relative safety of Miss Susan, Captain Jackson and Connor. Mathilda points the trio out to Seargant Drummond.
"Gustus!" Nathaniel calls out as he hears the tail end of the conversation Dove and Aberline were having. Augustus turned at the voice of his brother shocked by his appearance but even further shocked by the appearance of Seargent Thatcher and Edmund Reid.
"Something the matter boy, he look a bit familiar." Aberline snarls at Dove as he attempts to deny knowing his own brother.
"Seargent Drummond, My name is Edmund Reid and I wish to surrender myself to the police." Reid watches as Drummonds facial expression darkens slightly at the confession.
Thatcher nudges Nathaniel gently beside him. Prompting him to speak again - "My name is Nathaniel Croker, and I wish to surrender myself to the police."
"On what crime?" Drummond calls still stood behind Chief Inspector Aberline and Dove.
"The murder of Leon Rotovsky, some men I do not know the name of. And Inspector Drake." Gasps echoed up and down the crowded street. Whilst people were aware Drake had been killed Dove covered up the death flawlessly.
"Men! Get these people inside now!" Drummond ordered pointing the police officers to Reid and Nathaniel who were still stood outside in the street.
After the initial shock of the confessions were made and the officers had brought the two men inside Thatcher right behind them carrying the body of Robin Sumners still. Drummond order the men to be booked and chained and then they were to be taken down to the remaining cells. Before that could happen, however, Thatcher drew their attention to one other arrest that needed to be made. The murder of Robin Sumners committed by their very own Chief Inspector Dove
As Dove shuffled backwards in an attempt to escape the verdict, Nathaniel pleaded with him to come clean. His eyes held a wisdom and a dazed look of a man who had seen and been a part of things that were lasting. Dove's final attempt to deny the truth had Aberline marching towards him and swinging at him with a strong right hook. Once knocked unconscious and easily transportable Dove was taken to Drummonds office and cuffed to the chair.
Whilst they waited for Dove to regain consciousness they took Reid and Nathaniel downstairs. Mathilda and Thatcher followed to take Nathaniel's statement. Nathaniel was still frightened about what could happen he felt better knowing he was hopefully doing something good.
Miss Susan had said to him once that if he is repentant to something he has done, or he uses his voice to right a wrong than he is doing something good. They'd been at the warehouse alone, Abel had gone ti retrieve one item or another and Miss Susan had come to check the inventory. He had asked her about being repentant and they had began discussing how they'd came to be where they were in life. Miss Susan would say that what he was doing now was a good act and for that he is proud, and for that he will face the consequences confident in that fact.
He gave his statement explaining the events from his mother dying all the way to Gustus confessing to murdering Robin. The overall process took just shy of three hours as the story was a long one and he wanted to make sure he didn't miss any key details out. It was at the end that he remembered to mention that Gustus was also the one responsible for the murder of Abel and the attempted murder of Thatcher.
There was a blanket of calm immediately following the confession, the atmosphere was felt as if this massive wave of relief and triumph had washed over everyone. After almost a year of cases, they'd not only gotten the confession from the murderer himself but also they had the beginnings of evidence on the man behind that murderer as well.
Whilst Mathilda finished writing Nathaniel's statement Thatcher took Drummond with him to autopsy Robin's body. During the years that Jackson was still working as their in house surgeon he began to teach Thatcher the basic knowledge needed for an autopsy. With his list of instructions in hand he made a start.
Leman Street has never been truly calm, the same way that Whitechapel's crime never seems to sleep. Despite the constant rush of crime and death, Whitechapel fell silent for a time on this day. Whilst the seargents autopsies the body of a young boy and Mathilda took the statement of her own father and whilst the retired Chief watched over the unconscious form of their newest corrupt Chief. The people outside of Leman Street were restless. Wishing to know what was happening so silently inside.
It's not uncommon to hear the shouts of please of inmates, the drunken holler of the day drink brawlers, the wolf whistles when the occasional prostitute gets brought by. The general chatter of booking lowlife criminals and interview statements.
Quiet, however, that's unheard of, the complete lack of obnoxious shouting and crass flirtations.
Reid lay atop the cot in his cell, hoping that Jackson and Susan have made it safely aboard the argentine, he hopes Hermione is able to get some much needed rest after having to put up with three fugitives. He hopes that Thatcher will be able to identify some factor that connects Dove to Robin Sumners deceased body. A hair or a scratch or anything would make their lives feel all the more complete.
Thatcher had been through all the common diseases that Robin could've had, it wasn't until he remembered Miss Morton's rash and the time Jackson had told him to think of the surroundings that he thought of Scarlet Fever. Scraping the inside of Robin's mouth and proceeding towards the microscope both seargents almost wept in elation and the string of lilac pearls.
Running up the flights of stairs to where Dove was being held Thatcher held his breathe as he approached Dove, Praying to God that there is some sign of fever on him, his appearance although feverish didn't appear to have any obvious signs of scarlet fever, that is of course until Drummond pull his shirt open and they were face to face with a scarlet fever rash.
Chief Inspector Aberlie watched both men as they worked, the connection they'd all been looking for was right there in front and then and he could do nothing but laugh. Scarlet fever. That would be a connection to remember for a long time.
The arrest of Chief Inspector Dove was decided by the board of police, by the early hours of the next day, He was to be sent to Dartmoor until he succumbed to death.
Nathaniel Croker, was to be sent to hang at Newgate and would be transported there after saying goodbye to his brother.
and Inspector Reid was to be cleared of all charges, pending he take position as the Chief Inspector at Whitechapel.
Chief Inspector Aberline could go back to retirement with his wife and life the life she had patiently waited for, for the last twenty odd years.
Caitlin, Matthew and Connor were aboard the argentine by the time Nathaniel had completed his statement, and they were set sail by the time Reid had made his decision to stay on as Chief Inspector.
Hermione opened her theatre three months later and Reid attended as a guest, bringing along with him a vintage bottle of red to share.
Come the year 1900 The Judges, were expecting a baby girl, she was to be called Marilyn Hermione.
The End or not.