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Writing

20K!

Yes! I hit the next milestone! 40% done, and almost to the halfway mark. I have an idea of what will happen at 25k, it’s just the intervening words that I will have to figure out and soon.

At least I finally figured out what would happen in the park. Do I like it? I’m not sure. Could it change in the revision? More than likely. But the whole exercise of NaNoWriMo is to write, write, write. Revision is for later. My editor is still frolicking in his kennel, but I have to make sure that when he comes back home, he’s got words to play with.

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I imagined I would not have long to wait. Xavier told me he was able to come back the next morning at nine. So, at most, I would have nine hours to wait. I had done longer stints in the past. I kept a lookout through half closed eyes throughout the night. There was no stirring. The playground sat quiet and unused, without even the echoes of children’s laughter remaining. The paths remained unused, no lovers out for a late night stroll. The only sound, other than an occasional hoot from a hunting owl, was the burbling of the fountain. It was soothing and, under other circumstances, I could see myself falling into a restful easy sleep on this bench. But that was not to be tonight. Tonight, every muscle in my body was tensed, ready to jump from the bench and catch Jack, at last.

Unfortunately, adrenaline only can carry you for so long. Around four in the morning, I fell into a light drowse. I woke up, startled, not sure how long I had been out, but sure that I had missed Jack. I bolted up, checked to see if there was anyone around. The park was still completely deserted. 

I raced to the bathroom. I needed to ensure the envelope was still there, that I had not missed Jack while foolishly falling asleep. I checked the trash bin, just where Xavier said the envelope would be, and felt the package. I pulled it out to make sure it was the same one I had seen Xavier walking in with. It was, but I had to blink several times to confirm I was reading the envelope correctly.

TO LEON, WITH MY REGARDS. X

I tore open the envelope. There was only one picture in it. A picture of me. At the Paradise Inn. Entering room 312.

Xavier appeared to be a lot less innocent than I had given him credit for. He was helping Jack. I imagined he had made that anonymous phone call in order to set me up. And it had worked.

I tore up the photo into the smallest possible pieces and stuffed them in the trash bin. I would have to have another word with Xavier.

A proper talk. At the station. Which meant I would have to get a warrant.

I dragged myself home and collapsed into the bed, hoping I could get a few hours of sleep in before having to head back to the station to talk to the captain again. I wasn’t sure how much I would have to divulge to him in order to get him to go along with the warrant, but I was worried that if I said too much, it could make things difficult for me, and the last thing I needed were more roadblocks between me and my quarry.

Los Angeles. 1947.

I was hot on Jack’s trail. He had been sloppy at his last location and I was able to find him in short time. But even there, I made it a day too late.

Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, had been brutally slain by Jack the night before. But I had him dead to rights. I tracked down the hotel he was staying at. With the help of the concierge, I was able to make it to Jack’s room unnoticed. It always amazed me how many doors a badge could open.

I slowly opened the door, hoping to catch him unawares. I succeeded. He was out on the balcony, in a robe provided by the hotel, enjoying the night air, facing away from me. I closed the door behind me and pulled out my revolver. I stepped closer to the balcony door holding the gun in front of me. “It’s over, Jack.”

Jack whirled to face me. Those eyes were just as filled with hatred as the last time I’d looked into them. “You again. Why can’t you leave me alone?”

“You know I can’t do that, Jack. I’ll never stop. You need to face justice for what you’ve done.”

“And what have I done?” Jack smiled coldly. Are you going to tell them I was Jack the Ripper? That I’ve been killing women for centuries? How do you think that will go?”

He was right. At this point, all I could get him for was one murder here, and possibly the three girls he’d murdered in the last town I’d chased him to. But I knew Jack. I knew he was careful, never leaving a trace behind. There would be nothing to connect him to any of their deaths. There was only one option. I cocked the hammer back.

Jack’s smile dissipated. “You wouldn’t.”

“I don’t think I have a choice. No matter how long you rot in prison, they’ll let you out eventually. And then you’ll be back to killing innocent girls.”

“Innocent?” Jack laughed and spat to the side. “Not a one of those women was innocent. They all sold themselves, sold their bodies for money. That is not the act of an innocent woman.”

“So, you killed them? That’s supposed to be just?” My voice was rising and I took a closer step to Jack.

“It’s the way of the world, Leon. You just haven’t learned that yet.”

“And my wife? She wasn’t selling her body. Why her?” Another step closer.

“That,” Jack whispered, “was personal.”

I closed the rest of the distance between us and jammed the muzzle of my revolver against his temple. He closed his eyes and waited.

I wanted to pull the trigger. Every fiber of my being wanted to pull that trigger. It would take barely any effort to flex my finger. To end the nightmare, the string of tragedy that followed this monster like a skunk trail. But, I could not pull the trigger.

Once Jack realized his end was not coming, he chuckled. He opened his eyes and stared at me. Stared through me. “I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t do it. That’s the difference between us, Leon. I am not afraid to do what needs to be done.”

Before I could react, Jack turned away from me and in one swift motion hurdled the balcony railing. I ran to the edge and watched as he nimbly navigated his way down from one balcony to the next. I hastily holstered my weapon and began the climb down, but he had had too much of a head start. By the time I reached the ground, Jack was nowhere to be found.

I woke up from yet another dream of my failures, feeling a little more rested than I had the night before. 

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