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"Not guilty!" The judge slammed the gavel and with these two words, Gina Lestrade was free to go.
Inspector Tobias Gregson sighed in relief and took a mouthful of his usual fish and chips. This had been one complicated trial, full of disturbing facts brought to light.
At the news of McGilded's death two months ago, Gregson had wondered who was behind this, who had setup the whole thing, trapped McGilded into the omnibus and set fire on it. It should have been Gregson's job to plan his assassination. McGilded had bluffed his way out of the death penalty through false evidence and testimony. He perfectly fitted every requirement to be a new target of the Reaper.
Speaking of the Reaper, Gregson watched Gina Lestrade exiting the courtroom and a terrible doubt filled his heart. Before his retirement, Barok van Zieks had only prosecuted criminals who were actually guilty of their charges. Since his return to the courtroom, three people have stood in the dock. The first was McGilded, the second was a Japanese student named Soseki Natsume and the third was this girl, Gina Lestrade. McGilded had died without the Reaper's intervention. After being charged twice with attempted murder and acquitted twice, Soseki Natsume had decided to go back to his homeland, probably too quickly to ever be targeted by the Reaper. But Gina was different. She lived in London, she wouldn't leave the country.
This girl was a pickpocket, just a poor kid who tried to survive in East End. Stealing was a crime but she didn't deserve to die for it. And so, Gregson made up his mind, he'd find the girl and hire her, keep her close and protect her from the Reaper.
The next day, Gregson finished writing his report. He had to include the mysterious telegram message being played for everyone to hear. That message was apparently a secret communication between Britain and the Empire of Japan. As he wasn't aware of any other connections between high officials from the two empires, Gregson highly suspected it was a message from lord chief justice Stronghart to his former student Seishiro Jigoku, the current minister of foreign affairs in Japan. Obviously Stronghart would be angry that his private message was played aloud in a courtroom but Gregson didn't fear the consequences from it. After all, he had tried to prevent this, and no one spoke morse fluently in the courtroom anyway.
After handing his report, Gregson bought a portion of fish and chips and headed to the East End. With the Windibank case now closed, the inspector didn't have much work to do, he could even spend a few days searching for Gina.
This suburb had a bad reputation. Most of its inhabitants were poor, trying to steal to survive. An external observer would have thought Gregson to be crazy, to wander there alone. But the inspector didn't fear for his life. He didn’t have any prized possession on him either. With his worn-out coat and hat, he just looked like a regular man with fish and chips in hands. However the people he met on the way were wary of him. He was a stranger, and more than once he heard some whispers as he passed by. "Who's that cove?" ... "is that a cop?" ... "he looks like a cop." ... "what is he looking for?" ... "why is he on his own? Cops come in groups."
Every time Gregson approached a group of people, they most of the time stepped away from him. He did find a few blond-haired girls but none of them was the one he was looking for.
On the first day, he came back home empty-handed. His next attempts were as unsuccessful, and he was starting to really raise suspicion, at the point that finding a living soul in the street became difficult. And it seemed all East End knew there was a fish and chips addict with a beige coat and a round hat roaming on the streets. But Gregson didn't give up. Every day he explored new streets of this suburb, until, finally, his efforts were rewarded.
It lasted less than a second. From afar he saw a blond-haired girl with a green hat. She immediately noticed him and ran away as fast as she could.
Cursing, he chased her, running as quickly as his health allowed him. He wasn't used to this kind of pursuit, he usually left this job to his subordinates. At 44, the inspector wasn't in a great shape, certainly not trained enough to catch up with a 17-year-old girl used to run away from the cops. Still, he didn't give up, focusing on the green hat and the blond hair, pushing away everything and everyone that stood on his path. Breathing became more and more difficult, keeping up the pace as well. And he also had no idea where he was going.
From time to time, Gina looked behind, seeing the inspector running after her, more and more exhausted at each passing second. The poor man was red, panting, struggling, and at this rate, it wouldn't be long before he collapsed on the ground. The last thing Gina wanted was to be held responsible of the death of a Scotland Yard officer. So she stopped running and glared. "Ya that cop with the fish an' chips. What do ya want? I did nothin' and I'm outta jail!"
Gregson was red, of exhaustion and anger. He pointed his fish and chips at her and asked, panting. "I know you did nothing, sunshine! Why did you run away?"
"Coppers brin' trouble. I don't like ya lot. Why are ya chasin' me? I had enuff with that McGilded and that Egg coves."
"I want you to work for me, as my apprentice."
"Me? A copper? Not in a thousand years."
"You have the abilities that would make you a great asset to Scotland Yard. We're looking to hire people like you."
"Thieves?" She raised a brow.
"No. And diving on crime scenes won't be tolerated, that's for sure. But think about it this way: if you get a job, you won't need to steal anymore."
"What's in for ya?"
"As I said, we're hiring."
She stayed silent for a bit, thinking. This job would bring her money, hopefully enough to allow her to decently eat every day without having to resort to thievery. Maybe it wasn’t that bad.
"And I want to keep an eye on you." Gregson confessed.
"Wot? Why me?"
"Do you know of lord van Zieks' reputation?"
"The Reaper? I 'eard of it. Wot about it?"
"None of the defendants he prosecuted ever survived, until now. They're either convicted and sentenced to death... or acquitted, and they die in mysterious circumstances."
"That Egg cove killed McGilded. Not the Reaper."
"The Reaper didn't have the time. McGilded had many enemies, as you saw."
"So you think that van Zieks bloke is goin' after me? He needs to catch me first. And I'm runnin' fast!"
Gregson rolled his eyes. "I noticed that. Lord van Zieks had this reputation for ten years, and I have investigated it. The Reaper isn't a myth or a curse, it is very real: a well-organized group of people. If they want you dead, they'll look for you, they'll find you and they'll kill you. Sooner or later."
"And ya think ya can protect me from it? Why do ya care for me? I'm just a thief."
"Lord van Zieks' defendants who died by the Reaper's hand had all been acquitted of crimes they actually committed. They bluffed their ways out of their punishment by forging evidence, bribing or coercing the jury. You are different. You may be a thief but you don't deserve to die."
She stayed silent for a bit, pondering his words as he observed her anxiously, his eyes not leaving hers. He was a good man, she felt it, and he seemed genuinely scared for her sake. She didn’t like to receive orders, she hated authority, but she could make an exception for him. Also, getting regular money wouldn't harm.
She extended her hand to him. "I'll work for ya."
His face lightened with a smile. It was the first time since they met that she actually saw him smiling. He seemed relieved and it confirmed her first impression. He was a good man.
The days and weeks that followed, every summon at the lord chief justice's office filled Gregson with pure terror, as he dreaded the instant when Gina Lestrade's name would be brought up. Of course asking Stronghart directly on the exact scope of the Reaper's activity would be easier but Gregson never dared asking. Neither he gave him the real reason why he’d hired Gina in the first place.