Hands of the Ripper Page #5

Anna...

Anna... Trust me.

A gentleman and young

lady to see you, madame.

- They gave no name.

- Ask them to come in, Maude.

They are expected.

Do come in.

And be seated.

This is Miss Anna.

Hello, my dear.

Sit here, won't you?

- What a pretty dress you have on.

- Thank you, madame.

- I hear you have lost your past.

- It's facts I need, madame.

- I can only tell you what I see.

- What the crystal ball reveals?

Sir, I do not really

understand the process myself,

but I use no apparatus, unless

I can call myself apparatus.

No crystal ball, not

even tea leaves.

Sorry if I disappoint you.

Shall I proceed?

Oh, what a very pretty little

face you have, my dear.

Don't be alarmed.

Nothing I do will harm you.

I've often helped people

to find their past,

an sometimes it can be such

a very pleasant exper...

There is a violence in this girl.

I felt it. Quite sudden.

It's still there now.

Something horribly violent.

Something to do with

someone close to her.

I see a room, firelight,

a red carpet...

a bed and a child.

A little girl is in the bed.

There is a woman, her mother,

and a man, her fa...

Yes. Her father.

He's well-dressed, well-spoken.

A nobleman.

His clothes are years ago.

There's blood on his clothes.

He is a man who murders.

The little girl... it is Anna.

She's alone. There is a woman

on the floor, lying there, still.

Blood.

The man has murdered the

mother of his child.

And that child...

That child is Anna.

Who is this man?

Berner Street... Berner Street.

Why, it's...

Oh, my God!

He's the Ripper!

Who was it?

Who was this man? I must know!

I can't tell you.

But I warn you, the violence

of that man is still in this girl.

She is what I would call possessed.

Poor child!

There, there. It's all right.

Don't be frightened.

You're all right now.

Poor child.

'Anna...'

Come along, Anna.

It's time for us to go.

Madam...

Anna!

Anna!

Why?

Why?!

Giddy-up.

Come in.

- What the devil do you want?

- What did Madame Bullard say?

Nothing.

A lot of mumbo jumbo about Jack

the Ripper being her father.

- I knew it!

- He's been dead years.

- That explains it.

- Rubbish. It's not a fact.

- If Madame Bullard...

- She's a fake!

Dysart, I'm beginning

to make progress.

I'm discovering the causes of

her actions. I will cure her.

You can't cure Jack the Ripper!

- That's who she is!

- Listen to me, Dysart!

Listen to me.

Let me show you what

I've discovered.

Come, Anna.

Now, lie down, Anna.

Now you're feeling

very tired, Anna.

Sleep.

Sleep.

Sleep.

Her condition is induced by nothing

more than a flickering light.

Do you remember where this began?

She used to hide behind a

grille at Mrs Golding's.

The firelight flickering through

the grille set up a conditioning,

which she associated with

this spirit world nonsense.

She's an emotional, sensitive girl.

In reaction against the terrors

of the world she grew up in,

her mind went into revolt.

It sought every opportunity

available to forget,

to escape into a safer world,

where no one could intrude...

or inflict pain...

or lust.

While the light flickered,

Anna felt safe.

She felt needed and useful.

So, in moments of stress,

her mind seized on any

similar pattern to escape.

You may be right, but she's a

murderer, a murderer's daughter.

You can't escape that.

- Murder must be punished.

- Please, let me prove my theory.

Anna?

Anna?

Anna, I want you to open your

eyes and look at something.

Can you see it, Anna?

Yes.

I remember.

I thought it was lost.

Now, look at it again, Anna.

Thank you, Anna.

Now I want you to close

your eyes and sleep again.

Rest, Anna... Rest...

You're very tired.

- She's perfectly safe in that state.

- How can a murderer be safe?!

What sets her off?

Why does she kill?

I haven't discovered what triggers

her violence but when I do...

Don't you see? I'm near a discovery

that could change conceptions

of crime... and punishment.

Yes, all very

interesting, I'm sure.

But it doesn't solve the problem,

which is still one of morality.

The girl brutally murdered a woman,

possibly more, and she is unpunished.

Is that all you can think of? I'm

about to find out why she has to kill

and all you can think of

is revenge. I can cure her.

The only cure for her trouble

is a length of good, stout

rope about her neck.

It was always the answer. I must

have been mad to listen to you.

Fear has made me neglect my duty.

And I think, Pritchard, any

revised testimony you give

about seeing me that night will

be a waste of your breath,

once it's out you're

harbouring a murderer.

As a public servant, I intend

to expose this menace.

Good day to you, sir.

Anna, my dear...

I failed.

I failed you and I failed myself.

Forgive me, Anna.

'Anna...

'Anna...'

No! Anna!

Anna!

The alterations to the

dress will take hours.

- I can't possibly go with you.

- We'll go alone.

Go alone?! You can't

be seen out together,

two days before your

wedding, unchaperoned.

Ah, there's your solution.

- Where are you off to?

- Anna, you're just in time

to save not only our reputation

in society but honour, as well.

Don't get too tired, Miss Laura.

- See she doesn't, Mr Michael.

- She'll be all right.

Goodbye.

Dr Pritchard, is that you?

Yes, Mrs Bryant.

Is Michael with you?

He and Miss Laura have gone to

his office in the city, Doctor,

but it's all right, sir.

Anna's with them as chaperone.

I wouldn't let them go alone.

I'll just go off and get

your tea ready, Doctor.

Take the stairs on the left for

the Whispering Gallery, madam.

Thank you.

Do you know there are

258 steps up here?

My father used to bring me

when I was a little girl.

I used to so look forward to it.

He'd sit on one side,

100 feet away,

and I'd sit on the other side.

He'd whisper a line of poetry, and

I'd whisper the next if I knew it.

That way, I learnt to speak

poetry before I could even read.

Anna, give me your hand.

I'm longing for you to see this.

It's really beautiful.

We shall be just under the

dome when we reach the top.

Whoa, there. We're here, sir.

- You all right, sir?

- Get Mr Michael, quickly.

Right away, sir.

Paper! Paper! Read all about it!

Latest edition! Paper! Paper!

- Anna, Laura, where are they?

- St Paul's.

- Get in. We must get there quickly.

- What's the matter?

- St Paul's, quickly.

- Giddap!

Ah.

Oh, I'm exhausted after

all those stairs.

Anna, why don't you go

over to the rail? Look down.

I knew you'd like it. Now,

go over to the other side,

and sit down and listen to what

I'm going to whisper to you.

Go on, Anna.

Are you there yet, Anna? Anna?

Are you there yet, Anna? Anna?

Are you there yet?

- Anna?

- Anna?

Dr John, help me.

In her trance...

any kiss would bring

back the horror...

of the last image... of her father.

Then... he would possess her.

He would make her kill.

I was wrong.

I made a terrible mistake.

We must get to Laura

before anything happens.

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