Page 14 of Taken By the Ripper
But what she wouldn’t give to have it today.
For good measure, she opened the pantry for the eighth time and searched in vain for a container of coffee beans as if it might magically appear in front of her eyes.
It didn’t.
And now she was going to be cranky and exhausted and running on a few hours of sleep for the rest of the day. She had to meet with the detective to examine the body, so she regrettably added shadows around her eyes to the lengthy list of what was about to make her terrible company.
She rubbed her aching, tired eyes after she finished checking on the infant. He was stable, and his fever had disappeared in the wee hours of morning. The police were scheduled to pick him up in a few hours to take him to the orphanage. There was little else Clara could do for him that those running the orphanage couldn’t do themselves.
Despite the vampire mishap last night, she was grateful she’d gotten the medicine to the child in time. Even if he now had to live without a mother or father to love him and ensure his care.
Handing the child off to Norma and her patients now resting after receiving care, Clara changed from her regular blue dress and white apron to a gray long-sleeved blouse tucked into a dark gray plaid skirt. The only pop of color she allowed was a dark red belt matching the ribbon flower pinned to her bonnet.
Only at the door did she realize that the gray likely enhanced the dark shadows beneath her eyes.
The first step outside blinded her as the piercing rays of sunlight broke through the clouds overhead and offered an immediate headache. Still, she was grateful for the light. Venturing into the city with nothing other than darkness to follow in every waking footstep was not high on her to-do-again list. In fact, it made it on her to-never-do-again list entirely.
Taking a deep, exhausted breath, she exited the gates, only to freeze as clomping hooves alerted her to the carriage pulling up to the estate. Instinctively, she backed up until her shoulders brushed against the bars of the gate, and she slowly reached into her basket filled with medical supplies until her fingers grasped the scalpel hiding within.
She refused to be taken off guard byvampireswithout a good fight.
However, as the carriage rolled to a stop, Detective La Cour stepped out. Her defenses fell as a relieved sigh, and her hand dropped to her side.
“Why are you here?” she asked. “I’m supposed to meet you.”
“I’m not entirely rude, Miss Thompson.” His mouth twitched as if he found his statement amusing. “I’m not about to make you walk the entire way to the morgue.”
“Not entirely?” She raised an eyebrow, never breaking eye contact as she stepped into the carriage as he held open the doorfor her. Only when he joined her, closed the door, and pounded on the top of the carriage to signal for the driver to move did she say, “So you admit you’re a little bit rude then.”
“I admit nothing.”
The carriage lurched forward, and in her state of exhaustion, she lost her balance and braced her hand on La Cour’s knee across from her. She quickly snatched it back, her eyes wide with mortification.
“I apologize.”
“No harm done.” He pulled out his small notebook, and she swore it looked even more battered and bruised than only yesterday.
Teacups and teacakes, had it only been yesterday? It felt like a lifetime ago.
In the dim light of the carriage, she noticed the dark shadows beneath his eyes, his rumpled hair, the wrinkled clothing. Almost as if he’d slept at his desk rather than changing into a new pair of clothes the next day.
“You look tired,” she commented.
“Ilook tired? You look like you were up with patients until dawn.” He chuckled and ran a hand over his face. “I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was buried in paperwork and charting the case.” He took a sip from a canteen, and the aroma of coffee hit her like a ton of mouthwatering bricks smashing into her senses at full force.
Unfortunately, he noticed her perk up.
“You need it more than I do.” He handed his canteen over, and in her state of exhaustion, she shamelessly took a sip of the hot, bitter liquid. She sighed in relief when her mind instantly became alert, if only for the promise of the caffeine within. It was much better than tea to keep her going today, that was for certain.
With brows furrowed, the detective flipped through his notebook and rubbed a hand over his chin. For a moment, she studied the sharp angles of his face and the strand of hair flopping over his eye. Only yesterday, she’d thought him in need of an asylum.
But today?
She couldn’t help but wonder just how much of his claims were true.
She cleared her throat to distract from her discomforting thoughts. “What will I be looking for at the morgue?”
He shrugged one shoulder and glanced briefly at her before returning his attention to his notebook. “I don’t know. Anything. I cannot make heads or tails of the damage. The coroner is pathetically useless. Even I can tell he had no idea what he was doing after the autopsy for the second victim. I cringe to think what kind of damage he might have caused with the third.”
