Inspector Logan bends down to study the body further.
He brings one of the men with a lantern closer to inspect the wounds in the light, they are quite ghastly indeed, "Precision cuts. Whoever did this knows the craft of cutting and the human anatomy, you see there are no errant slices, the fiend knew where to go to get what it wanted.
Anything else gentlemen, anything at all?"
So, yer sayin' he wanted the blood?
Marco begins to search the area around the body to determine if he can pick up a trail of the perpetrator by identifying prints dissimilar to those in attendance.
Marco, this killer left no traces, not even a trace of blood on a boot, this confirms your suspicion that o blood was left in the body even before the incisions were made.
Logan shakes his head, "I am not saying that but it is possible.
Still, how would our man get the blood without spilling a single drop?
And what is his motivation for wanting blood?
We know the killer is cold blooded so he must be one who has some experience in slicing up people, a soldier or doctor perhaps? A butcher as the cuts were so precise but that seems an odd suspect. Perhaps even an undertaker.
I will have to compile a list of those who dwell in the city and may fit this description.
Did you gentlemen get a look at the killer the other night? Any features that stood out to you?"
Logan stands and looks to his underlings, "Contact Mort to come haul the body away, we do not want any citizens seeing this a second night in a row".
It could be that the lady was killed elsewhere and dumped here - would account for the lack of blood, Duncan offers looking away from the grizzly sight.
Derrick stands by as the others talk, and he shifts his weight and looks to Inspector Logan when he asks about the murderer's features. Giving it a moment for the others to speak up, he finally clears his throat. "Well, there were some identifiers. Black cape and hat, clearly upper-class in appearance. Got away in a carriage. And it wasn't human."
Khalid stokes his beard as he watches the magic aura ebb away from the body. "There is something here in fact. This body is suffused with a dark magic. Necromancy to be exact."
Inspector Logan rubs his chin thoughtfully, "A carriage eh? Then perhaps a Doctor is the only suspect that fits with what we know. How do you know the killer is not human?"
Turning to Khalid, "Necromancy magic? Do you think this woman will rise again?" he looks a bit dismayed by the thought and his constables pale at the suggestion.
"We suspect the killer is not a man as spells specifically geared towards stopping men in their tracks failed to stop him. Not only at the scene of the crime, but later on when he came after Gavin and I".
Inspector Logan's eyes get wide, "Are you saying that this killer targeted some of you after the fact last night!? Did any of you know last night's victim? What about this woman here before us, do any of you know who she is?"
Aye, I'm from Blackchapel, and this is, or was, Annie Smitters. She is a local molly. I just seen her on the streets last night on my way home.
Khalid raises a calming hand to Inspector Logan. "No Inspector, nothing like that. It seems though, that this is how her blood was removed. I know of now spell that could do such a thing, but the taint of necromancy runs clearly through her arteries."
Khalid looks grimly to his companions. "We knew before that we were dealing with something inhuman, but that it is wielding dark magics is truly disturbing."
The Inspector looks at you all, "If the killer targeted someone you know man you should warn your friends to keep their wits about them.
Many odd things stalk the lands outside of Paridon, if some malevolent creature has come here to strike at us all this is disturbing news indeed. I shall out together a list of suspects that may have knowledge and resources to do such a things.
That at least is somewhere to start. If something else is doing this, may the Divinity help us all..."
One of the Constables turns to you all, "We will take it from here citizens. Come to the precinct house tomorrow if you find anythings else of use".
Wyatt nods, "Will do".
As the group begins to walk away Wyatt states, "Do we all return home or do we stick together?"
Kensignton shrugs, "I've a rental in Riverside while on leave. It will be cramped but can accommodate all present".
Gavin looks down in frustration. How are we ever going to get the drop on a beast as vile as this one? he wondered to himself. Hearing Kensington's offer, Gavin returns to the moment at hand. "Yes, I think stayin' together would be wise... at least then if'n there be another crime, we can respond en masse..."
Kensignton shrugs, "I've a rental in Riverside while on leave. It will be cramped but can accommodate all present".
That sounds capital, he says weakly. Lead on.
Exhausted, the group of investigators heads to Riverside trading narrow alleys and hovels for wide avenues and manses. Despite the fog, the streets are well lit by many a street lamp unlike Blackchapel where often the lamps have gone out.
As the group steps into the lobby the desk clerk eyes Marcus dubiously and is almost aghast at the sight of Khalid but as you are with Kensignton he says nothing as you all walk on by up the stairs.
The room is a bit cramped for so many but if the Inspector is correct and some of you are targets for this killer there is safety in numbers, especially in a neighborhood like Riverside.
Dunstan's sleep is fitful, moreso than the rest of you.
As the sun rises Wyatt is the first up and out. Within 30 minutes he is back with food to break the groups fast.
Wyatt munches on his food absentmindedly as he speaks, "We know that our killer strikes at or around midnight two nights in a row is certainly a pattern.
We know it is experienced in both anatomy and bladework.
We also know that it is not human.
Through Khalid we know that it employs dark magic.
What we do not know is why it is motivated to kill. Certainly if the pattern of the last several set of murders holds true there will be at least three more victims. This leaves us with three more nights to stop his fiend.
Could this possibly be the same murderer from the last several sets of killings, one of the undead perhaps? There is no blood in the body of the victims after all..."
Dunstan's sleep is fitful, moreso than the rest of you.
Wisdom
Well put, Wyatt. We need t'be lookin' around at any blokes with those skill sets during daylight. The murderer is sure to strike again in Blackchapel tonight.
Can Khalid glean any info from his Gypsy background? Maybe rumors of a necromancer nearby or a surgeon with a known nasty streak? He probably learns a bit from people through his crystal ball and tarot readings.
If so:
"Should we meet with your mortician friend again Marco? Perhaps he will have new insights with a new victim".
That is not a bad idea, but the bloke will likely say the pattern's the same.
In the late morning the group heads to the mortician's location looking to speak with him regarding the condition of the body. It takes persistent knocking to bring Mort to the door.
He flings the door open obviously aggravated to be disturbed, "Who the hell is it I am busy workin'...."
He seems a bit surprised to see you all assembled at his door, "I take it yer not 'ere for tea?"
Quite... we are here to discuss the bodies bought in for the Blackchapell murders.
...Again. Now don't be puttin' on airs, Mort. If'n ya have anythin' new, come clean.
Mort looks around and waves your group inside.
He brings you to the foyer where rests the body covered by a dark sheet.
"I shouldn'a bring yer lot in 'ere as yer not constables but this lass was one I knew. Poor girl was not deservin' a this fate".
Mort seems genuinely effected by the death of the young girl.
"These cuts were real professional like, I'm not sure I could'a pulled 'em off, even with time. Not sure why it was done, seemed like the blood was already gone a'fore the cuttin' began. This took time to be sure..."
" I am sorry for your loss Mort, truly, but maybe your familiarity with this victim can help us catch this bastard. What can you tell us about her?"
"She was a street walker. You know th' type just struggling ta get by. Nice kid".
Medicine
"Just a street walker. One of the faceless, nameless masses, huh?" Derrick sighs and leans back on a wall, careful not to touch anything in the room. "Damn shame, yeah. No one deserves this."
This poor victim's body was either murdered somewhere else and carried to the Butcher shop or the Necromantic powers that Khalid identified drained the blood from her body as there was simply no blood at the spot where her corpse was discovered.
Wyatt scratches his head, "This whole ordeal seems odd. Why is the killer performing some sort of odd surgery on the victim? Is it me or is the killer trying very hard to make the attacks appear to be perpetrated by a creature that drains blood?"
Mort looks towards Wyatt darkly, "The same two incisions were in this victim's neck now that you mention it. Look like bite marks..."
Well, are they bite marks, or aren't they, Mort? Can ya tell from the wound?
Mort shrugs, "They look like bites ta' me..."
Dunstan peers closer at the wounds.
Bites you say?
Dunstan looking closely at the puncture wounds while keeping the rest of the body mercifully covered you would concur, they do appear to be bite marks.
Bigod! It is bite marks... but what does it mean?
"We know that the killer is not human as neither Gavin nor spells seemed to effect him in any way. Still, were he a Vampire as the legends tell, why would he utilize Necromancy in these killings and why remove the organs? We may need to catch this fiend to discover these answers."
Kensignton shrugs, "We'll not catch this Killer standing here, we should go and see if anyone saw anything last night near the Butchery where the poor lass was discovered".
Khalid nods to Kensignton. "Indeed. Maybe we can find an eyewitness to clear some of this up."
Aye, let's turn over some rocks and see what scurries out.
The odd assortment of allies stroll from Mort's business to the seedy streets of Blackchapel looking for eyewitnesses to the horrific murder of the previous night.
Investigation