Alarm bells rang inside Jane’s head as she watched Aurora make her way towards her. Had she left a ssage behind for Addison or Ricardo about her leaving with Aurora, would that have been helpful? But where would they even start looking?
"Aurora, please. You don’t have to do this," Jane pleaded, sensing the young woman’s eagerness to use the dagger in her hand and she tried to move her hands.
Jane cursed herself as Aurora ignored her pleas, squatting next to her. "It’s a pity that so people have everything, yet they throw it away as if it is aningless," Aurora said in a low voice.
"I thought you admired being a detective, or were those just empty complints?" Jane tried desperately to stall the crazed woman. "You can be a detective," she proposed, hoping to divert Aurora’s murderous intent.
Aurora laughed, the sound chilling in the dimly lit room. "You really think it’s that simple? Becoming a detective?" She brought the dagger close to Jane’s face, causing her to take a sharp intake of breath. "You see, Jane, admiration and envy are two sides of the sa coin. I admired you, yes, but I envied you more. You had everything I wanted, and now, I will take it from you. Piece by piece."
This was it, thought Jane in her mind. She was going to die just like people often murmured in the shadows—a job that wasn’t suited for a woman.
Just as Aurora raised her hand, ready to strike, they heard noises coming from not far away. The young woman cursed under her breath, her head snapping towards the door of the room. Aurora’s grip on the dagger tightened as she stood, clearly torn between finishing what she had started and investigating the disturbance.
Jane seized the opportunity, headbutting Aurora with all her might. The impact sent the young woman reeling, blacking out for a few seconds as she struggled to get back up.
"You dumb bitch! Do you think you’re getting out of here?!" Aurora shouted, her voice dripping with venom as the disturbances outside ceased. "I’ll start with your tongue so you can feel what real pain is."
Aurora grabbed the dagger that had fallen to the ground and approached Jane once more. Just as she was about to strike, Jane’s hand shot up, smacking Aurora hard and causing her to stumble backward and fall.
Aurora’s eyes widened in shock and fury. "How did you get out? I tied you!" she scread, livid. Her gaze fell on the ropes, noticing they looked frayed as if they had been gnawed on. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and rage.
"Do you think soone in my line of work doesn’t know how to prepare for the worst?" Jane muttered to herself, rubbing her wrists where the ropes had bound her. She then glanced down at her watch, which had a concealed button. Pressing it, she revealed a sharp little knife that had helped her cut through the ropes.
"Only your hands are free, doesn’t an you’re getting away!" Aurora snarled, lunging at Jane again. Jane managed to push her away, but it was a struggle to keep the dagger at bay. The two won wrestled on the dusty ground, their movents desperate and wild. Aurora, though smaller, had the advantage of moving freely and quickly got on top of Jane, cackling as she did.
"I must admit, none of my other victims put up a fight. They always scread, which made it easier to cut out their tongues. But you, I will have the pleasure of breaking the woman Sylvester likes," Aurora taunted.
Jane gritted her teeth, pushing the woman’s hands away. "I didn’t know if I should tell you before, but Sylvester is dead."
"You lie!" Aurora’s eyes narrowed in rage.
"I have no reason to lie! Sylvester has been gone for quite so ti. Before the execution day," Jane explained, watching as Aurora’s expression faltered, her mind seemingly beginning to malfunction.
"It can’t be true. My Sylvester can’t be dead! The mayor saw to his execution! He saw him there, I know it!" Aurora exclaid, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Jane seized the mont, pushing Aurora away with all the energy she had left. She rolled to the side, gasping for air. "What would I gain from lying? I had no interest in Sylvester Crowley; otherwise, I would have visited him in the asylum," she said, trying to scoot away from the crazed woman.
Aurora hesitated, her fury mingling with confusion, giving Jane a fleeting chance to plan her next move.
Jane knew she needed to free her legs if she had any hope of escaping. She carefully brought her legs closer, using the sharp little knife from her watch to cut the ropes. To keep Aurora occupied, she said, "I didn’t know it before, but I heard from soone at the asylum that he was gone. Put to sleep..."
"He was euthanised?" Aurora asked, processing the truth. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "Then it is only right that I follow the legacy he left. To kill those who don’t deserve to live."
"Mayor Andrew is dead," Jane pointed out, hoping to distract her.
Aurora laughed. "Good riddance to him. But I was talking about the won. I can change things up, but for now, I should carry on the task of cleaning society of spinsters."
Clearly, it didn’t go as Jane had hoped, as Aurora’s focus shifted back to her. "You thought you could change my mind? How foolish."
Aurora raised the dagger to attack Jane. In desperation, Jane tried to stop her, but the sharp tip of the dagger pierced her palm, eliciting a painful cry. "ARGH!!!"
"Admit it, that I am smarter than you," Aurora said with an air of arrogance.
"You are smart," Jane responded, giving Aurora the acknowledgent she craved. With her hands free but her ankles still bound, Jane didn’t waste ti. She kicked out, striking Aurora and sending her crashing into the wall with a groan.
Jane worked frantically with the knife, sawing through the ropes around her ankles. Finally, with a burst of strength, she tore the bindings apart and stood up. "You are smart, but I have more experience with criminals."
Aurora, dazed but determined, grabbed a bottle from a shelf and uncapped it, ready to throw acid at Jane. Seeing this, Jane didn’t hesitate. She flung open the door and sprinted down the corridors, her heart pounding as she navigated the unfamiliar building.
Aurora, driven by rage, chased after her. "You think you can hide? This is my place! My father owned this building!" she scread, her voice echoing through the halls.
Jane ran into a room and locked the door behind her, not randomly but purposefully, seeing the light from a window inside. She quickly pulled a desk over, climbed on top, and shattered the window with a decisive blow.
Hearing the crash, Aurora realised Jane’s plan. Instead of wasting ti at the door, she imdiately turned and raced towards the building’s exit. Jane was already halfway through the window, her heart pounding as she made her escape and noticed the sky had changed colours quickly to evening. How long had she been knocked out?
By now, Addison and Ricardo must have found her absence suspicious. She wasn’t at ho or in the office, and while she hoped they would figure out her predicant, Jane knew she had to rely on her own wits as always.
Clambering through the window, she landed on the ground with a grunt and took off running, knowing her life depended on it. Considering this place belonged to Aurora, Jane decided it was wiser to hide instead of heading straight for the gate. She needed to avoid the obvious and find a mont to catch her breath.
The area looked like a rundown factory as she sprinted past buildings and ducked into a shed. She huffed for air, listening intently as hurried footsteps approached and entered the shed.
"Co out from wherever you are hiding, Jane. You cannot hide forever. How about we sit down and talk?" Aurora’s sweet voice echoed through the shed.
Jane glanced around, realising this wasn’t just any factory—it was filled with weapons. Rusted guns and bullets were scattered about. Did any of these still work? If so, why hadn’t they been sold or used?
"You know, when I was young and my parents were alive, I wasn’t allowed in here," Aurora said, her voice drawing closer. "They told it wasn’t a place for a woman. I was always curious, knowing there was this big business I knew nothing about, but I told myself it was alright. After all, I would marry a handso man and have children. But that didn’t happen. And look now, I am the owner of this place. I’ve preserved it in mory, forbidding anyone from entering. People have forgotten about it," she laughed, the sound tinged with madness.
Jane crouched lower, her eyes scanning the room for anything she could use. The weapons were old and probably unreliable, but she had to try sothing. She spotted a small, rusty revolver and cautiously picked it up, checking the chamber. There were still two bullets inside. She hoped it would work.
Aurora’s footsteps grew louder as she moved through the shed, searching for her prey. Jane took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to co.
Jane knew she needed to injure Aurora enough to stop her from following, but she had to keep her alive for evidence. Bracing herself behind a shelf, she waited for the right mont.
When it was ti, Jane stepped forward, aid the gun at Aurora, and pulled the trigger. The gun made a loud noise, but no bullet fired. The sound alerted Aurora.
"AHHH!" Aurora scread, charging at Jane. Before Jane could dodge, the dagger’s sharp blade pierced her arm, eliciting a painful cry. "DO YOU FEEL IT?!"
Jane staggered, blood oozing from her arm and turning her sleeve red. She used the gun to block another stab and shoved Aurora away. Desperately, she pushed the shelf onto the crazed woman, hoping to buy herself so ti, and ran out of the shed. There was a bridge nearby.
A few seconds later, a gunshot rang out behind her. Aurora had found a working gun. Jane’s heart pounded as she sprinted through the rundown factory, her injured arm throbbing with pain. When she turned back to make sure she wasn’t being followed, she collided into soone. Looking up, she breathed, "Ricardo."
A deep frown ford on his face when he noticed the bloody wound on Jane’s arm. She was wheezing and asked, "How did you find ?"
"I found out that Aurora was buying too much wool from a shop, and noticed there was wool in the scarecrow doll that was being kept beside the victim. I called you at your office, and when no one picked up, I found it strange," Ricardo replied. "I found the carriage that brought you here and let Addison know to inform the officers before coming here."
"But they will co for you," Jane murmured, not knowing if she should be relieved or worried now.
Footsteps were heard and Aurora appeared at the scene. She stared at Ricardo in awe and said, "It is you...!"
But Ricardo wasn’t impressed upon seeing her. There was an unsaid anger in his eyes for bringing harm to the woman he cared about.
"You lied to !" Aurora’s eyes suddenly snapped at Jane. "Saying Sylvester is dead when he is alive. I knew you were lying to !"
"Sylvester is dead, Aurora," Jane answered, while Ricardo took a step forward, protectively standing before Jane. "This is Ricardo."
Aurora’s excitent didn’t fade as she exclaid, "That’s even better for ! It was Ricardo who killed them all, wasn’t it? I am so happ—" Her words paused midway, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at the man she had admired.
When Aurora looked down, she saw Ricardo’s hand, now with wood-like fingers, deeply embedded in her stomach. As he pulled his hand out, revealing the blood-soaked, wooden digits, her expression turned to one of utter disbelief. "H—How?" she stamred.
"Jane has turned out to be dear to both and Ricardo. You shouldn’t have brought harm upon her," said the scarecrow, speaking through Ricardo. "Now, for the consequences of what you’ve done."
Without hesitation, he plunged his fingers back into her stomach. Aurora coughed up blood, her body convulsing as he twisted and pulled, extracting her intestines with a grueso, sickening noise. Her eyes widened in terror and pain, and with one final, strangled gasp, she collapsed to the ground.
"Why did you kill her?? The officers will think this is all you again and won’t believe even if I was there for proof," Jane exclaid, her voice tinged with frustration and fear.
Ricardo, or rather the scarecrow, hadn’t paused even for a mont before taking imdiate action, leaving Aurora no chance to speak or confess her reasons. It was as if he didn’t care. Wiping his bloodied fingers on his trousers, he turned to face Jane, his expression calm but serious.
"I won’t let anyone bring harm to you, and if they do, they must be eliminated. You are important to us," Ricardo said, his eyes softening, his voice calm. After a brief pause, he added, "This has gone on long enough. It’s ti to put an end to it, don’t you think?"
"What do you an?" Jane questioned, her voice slightly wavering.
Ricardo took a step closer, leaning forward to steal a kiss from her stunned lips. The kiss was a gentle brush, yet there was sothing profoundly heart wrenching about it. He pulled back, looking into her eyes. "You know what I an. Will you do a last favour, Jane? Quickly, co with to the bridge."
Jane could still feel her lips quiver from the feel of his lips on hers, while her ears faintly picked up voices from one side of the factory. She followed him to the bridge, feeling an inexplicable dread. "Stop here," he said.
"What are you doing, Ricardo?" Jane asked, watching him walk farther away from her.
"Raise your hands now," Ricardo instructed her. Jane realised what he was doing, as her hand hadn’t left the gun.
"I can’t..." initially when she didn’t know him she thought she would, but Jane just couldn’t do what he was asking from her.
"You must. If it’s by your hand, they will believe you," he said, his voice steady. "I know you can do it. Raise the gun."
Jane then rembered sothing and said, "The gun doesn’t work."
Ricardo smiled at her and said, "It will this ti. It must be jamd, hit the barrel."
"STOP RIGHT THERE, SYLVESTER CROWLEY! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!" Sergeant Gruger yelled from afar.
"MISS REINHART, GET AWAY FROM THE CRIMINAL! RIGHT NOW!"
The officers ca pouring in with backup and Addison was there too with them. Upon stumbling over Aurora’s dead body, a collective gasp escaped from their lips. One of the n said, "This is another victim!"
"Raise the gun. We don’t have much ti," Ricardo urged her again.
Jane’s hands trembled as she raised the gun. She aid at Ricardo, as her heart turned heavy.
"Please, Jane," Ricardo whispered, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and resolve.
With a deep breath, Jane squeezed the trigger. The shot rang out, echoing in the night. Ricardo staggered with blood beginning to ink his chest, a sad smile on his lips as he fell. The officers looked in shock, seeing the detective pull a trigger and aim right at his heart. They all saw blood ooze out of his chest.
Jane couldn’t believe that the gun only needed to be hit once before it worked. As her hands ca to her side, her hands grew cold as she saw Ricardo beginning to lose consciousness.
When the officers ca running to the bridge, Ricardo staggered back and fell over the bridge. His body fell into the running water, surrounded by darkness.
"Get people to check the water for his body!" Sergeant Gruger ordered.
"But sire, it is the running water and finding the body at this hour will be hard... We know he is dead," replied one of his subordinates.
But Sergeant Gruger didn’t want any reasons and he demanded, "I want people on the boat right now! Find his body so that it can be displayed!"
"Y—Yes, sire," the officer left with the other n, while so carried Aurora’s dead body.
Jane stood rooted to the spot, staring at the flowing river, the mont replaying endlessly in her mind. Sergeant Gruger’s voice cut through her thoughts, sharp and accusing, "How could you kill the man in question?! You will be under arrest for going against the law!"
Jane didn’t respond, unable to shake the haunting image of Ricardo’s final monts.
"Lady Jane Reinhart! I am talking to you!" Sergeant Gruger’s annoyance was evident.
"Gruger! Is that how you speak?" ca the commissioner’s authoritative voice, making the sergeant quickly turn around.
"Commissioner, what are you doing here?" Gruger’s eyes widened in surprise. "Everything is under control. You didn’t have to co here."
"And not witness what you just did?" the commissioner’s eyebrows raised in disapproval.
The sergeant turned back to Jane and said, "This woman here took a shot at Sylvester Crowley and killed him. He’s now in the river, and we have to look for—"
"That is enough, Gruger," the commissioner interrupted. "I would like to talk to Jane and hear what she has to say. Judge Reynolds is a valuable person in our society, and he wanted to see things through myself. Miss Reinhart, what happened here?"
Jane’s gaze moved to et the commissioner’s eyes and she carefully said, "I am not sure if you would believe it."
The commissioner stared at the woman, noticing her arm bleeding and how she tried to conceal the pain she was in. He then ordered one of his n, "Bring first aid for Miss Reinhart." He replied to Jane, "Let hear what you have to say and decide for myself."
Jane pursed her lips, and then started to explain,
"Sylvester Crowley wasn’t working alone in the murders taking place since the beginning. Lady Aurora was part of it too. She made dolls for him—"
"That’s utter rubbish!" Sergeant Gruger interrupted.
"Will you shut up, Gruger or do you want to be suspended for lack of manners?" the commissioner gave him a warning, before turning back to Jane. "Continue."
"There’s a shop that Aurora had been visiting to buy materials," Jane began, her voice steady despite the chaos in her mind. "She never stitched clothes; she made scarecrows. Sylvester got Aurora to bring here, to this desolate place. Maybe the missing body parts are here too. When Aurora found out he planned to kill , she refused to collaborate and he killed her. As you can see, he stabbed and shot . I chased him to the bridge and shot him in self-defence."
Considering how Aurora had always put on an innocent and joyous woman’s appearance, Jane knew she couldn’t tell the entire truth because they hadn’t seen Aurora’s true face. But what she could do was integrate so things into the story.
Sergeant Gruger looked ready to protest, but the commissioner sent him a withering glare. The commissioner then said, "Get the first-aid kit and go ho, Miss Reinhart. You need plenty of rest after what you’ve been through."
"But, Commissioner, we need to find his body—" Gruger began.
"Sergeant Gruger, did you see Miss Reinhart shoot him?" the commissioner interrupted.
"Yes, but—"
"Did you see him bleed, or did he just fall into the river?"
"I did see blood—"
"Then that should be enough," the commissioner said firmly. "You are unnecessarily tarnishing Miss Reinhart’s reputation, and I won’t stand for it. She has shown nothing but bravery by ending this for good. You are dismissed for now, Miss Reinhart."
The news about Sylvester Crowley’s death spread like wildfire, despite the fact that his body was never recovered from the river. Judge Reynolds resigned from his position after learning about his niece’s actions, overwheld by the scandal. anwhile, Sergeant Gruger spent a week searching for the body, only to co up empty-handed.
The whispers about Jane in Riddleford had changed; people couldn’t help but admire her strength and resilience. Jane hadn’t stopped working, knowing that idle monts would only bring back haunting mories of how she had shot Ricardo and the bittersweet mory of their first and last kiss.
For the next few months, Jane visited the cafe often, watching people walk in and out of there, as if she would find him there. But the person was gone. Sylvester’s sister had built a grave in her graveyard in his mory to which Jane had been invited, but she had been postponing from visiting.
One evening, Jane returned ho after attending a soiree. As she removed her earrings, the mory of that fateful night flooded her mind—the night she shot Ricardo and watched him fall over the bridge. The weight of that mont pressed heavily on her chest.
"Only if the gun had not worked," Jane murmured.
When Jane pulled open the drawer, there lay the gun that belonged to Aurora’s family. For months, she had kept it. She dropped her earrings into the drawer, picking up the gun and examining the barrel. Opening it, she noticed the two bullets still inside. Her eyebrows furrowed just as she heard a knock at the door.
"Milady?"
"Co in..." Jane responded, still staring at the gun.
"Your glass of milk," the maid placed the glass on the dressing table. "Also, this was on the doorstep with this envelope but without an address."
When Jane looked up from the gun, her eyes widened upon seeing the fedora hat in her maid’s hand. Dropping the gun, she took the hat, before quickly reading the short note inside the envelope that read:
’It is going to begin snowing again and you might need it.’ Jane’s heart skipped a beat, and a small smile crept onto her lips.
-
Author’s Note: The book is now complete. Thank you for giving this book a chance and patiently waiting for updates on it. If you enjoyed the story, do share it with others, and thank you once again!
New book: ’Claid by the Prince of Darkness’
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