The Limehouse Golem Page #3

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Please note the oxtail in the

jelly tonight is three pence.

Now...

-That's for later.

Uncle:

...Without any further ado,

may I introduce

the man of the hour,

Mr. Dan leno!

Here we are again!

Mummy!

Man:
More!

Uncle:
Pies, pies, pies, pies.

All in dire need of pies.

I'll tell you what, dearie.

Seeing as you're here again,

be a good girl.

Give uncle a hand.

Be careful with that.

All too good to drop.

As the pregnant woman

said to the midwife!

Here you are, Vic.

A little bit of what you fancy.

-Ooh, pie.

John John.

Aveline, dear, nice and hot,

just as you like it.

But not quite so big.

Woman:
Thanks, uncle.

Last one's for you, Mr. leno.

Mr. leno, is it?

Did you find her at the grocers,

uncle?

She's certainly a green one.

Now, now, girls.

What's your name?

-Lizzie, sir.

Lambeth marsh Lizzie.

I thought I could

smell marsh gas.

Oh, don't let 'em dumb you.

It's just their way.

And call me Dan.

This is Tommy farr,

theater manager

and keeper of the bunce.

Speaking of which, we owe you

something for your trouble.

What in god's name did

they have you doing down there

in those marshes?

Digging graves.

Five years it was

before I found out

you're supposed to use a shovel.

I like this one.

Can you read?

Like a native.

Here.

Lizzie:
"What's fame?

A fancy'd life

in other's breath.

A thing beyond us,

even before our death.

All we feel of it begins

and ends in the small circle

of our foes and friends."

That's my favorite line.

Alexander pope.

Are you looking for work,

Lizzie?

Yeah.

Only, our prompter ran off

with a lion comique.

And it won't all be lavender.

There'll be some

fetch and carry,

but there's decent bunce

and room in the digs

with the dancers.

What do you say?

How would you describe

your relationship with Dan leno?

Lizzie:
We were friends, sir.

And he was...My mentor.

He took me under his wing.

Dan:
"No, Mrs. Killian"...

Where did you learn

to read and write

if you didn't go to school?

My mother's Bible, I suppose.

Oh, and speaking of books...

Oi.

Thank you.

-Dan:
What?

Finished already?

That's the second this week!

Lizzie:
I think books might be

my first love.

And I've always heard it said

that first love is insatiable.

Sod writing new gags,

they can have the milkmaid again

tonight and like it.

I want to show you something.

Where are we going?

Dan:
You'll see.

A whole room?

Full of books?

Every inch of it.

Lizzie:

People come here just to read?

To read. To learn. To create.

It's like...A great furnace.

I mean, the future

is being forged here.

Writers, philosophers,

men of science.

All the way down

to lowly clowns like me.

The ladies' table is upstairs.

Oh, thanking you

kindly, good sir.

You were never

more than friends?

Lizzie:
No, sir.

I believe he felt

protective of me.

The prosecution wishes

to remind the court

that Mr. leno

was recently questioned

in connection with

the "limehouse golem" murders.

Defense:
Objection, your honor!

Judge:
Order, order!

Inspector kildare!

Kildare!

Why was I not aware

that Dan leno

was previously a suspect?

You tell me, kildare.

It was in every daily newspaper.

But not in the brief

you gave me.

Well, he was eliminated

from inquiries.

The, uh, report's

on my desk somewhere.

You didn't think to place

it in your files?

The streets of London

run red with blood,

and you concern yourself

with paperwork?

You'd have made

a fine politician, kildare,

were you not

the topic of such...

Speculation.

Kildare:
I wouldn't read that.

Disgraceful lies, all of it.

The poor woman spoke

of misfortune and cruelty

and they've turned it upon her.

Makes my blood boil.

Seems your beloved leno

wasn't actually a suspect.

My beloved?

What man doesn't enjoy Dan leno?

One who doesn't care

for the music halls?

Well, I'll venture to say you've

not seen the right shows, sir.

If you ever wish

for a recommendation...

He was questioned in regard

to Alice Stanton's gown.

A label sewn into it

identified it as his,

a stage costume.

-So he knew her?

Kildare:
"Leno stated that

the dress was part

of a consignment

of stage costumes

he'd sold a year earlier

to a purveyor of

secondhand clothes."

And apparently he provided

a receipt which proved it.

Well, then it was merely

a coincidence.

Kildare:
Perhaps.

As is perhaps the fact

that the purveyor of

secondhand clothes

was the late Mr. Gerrard,

murdered at ratcliffe highway.

We should get a sample

of his hand.

Quite. And can we find out

what's happened to that dress?

It wasn't with the rest

of the evidence.

I'll look into it, sir.

Why didn't you tell me

you questioned Dan leno?

I haven't.

Though I shall have to.

In court they said you had.

Not me.

Before I joined the case.

So is he a suspect or not?

Do you think he should be?

Please don't play games with me.

I have no desire to!

The golem is still at large.

Wasting my time

could cost lives.

Unless you are correct

about my husband.

If the golem is no more,

then none are at risk.

Besides yours...

You needn't hang, Mrs. cree.

Please call me Lizzie.

Just assist me in assisting you.

I can't tell you

what I don't know.

All I ask is that you

tell me what you do.

Where should I start?

How you came to know

John cree, perhaps.

Dan:
Jim is very partial to me!

Though never a word has he said.

Right now he's lodging

with Mrs. Kelly.

Do you know Mrs. Kelly?

Don't you know Mrs. Kelly?

Good life-a-mighty,

don't look so simple.

Everybody knows Mrs. Kelly.

Am I -- am I going too fast

for you, love?

You spoof it, I'll write it.

Oh, she's a mean one,

Mrs. Kelly.

She'll buy half a dozen oysters

and eat them

in front of a mirror

to make them look like a dozen.

What about...

"I saw her take a coin

from her purse the other day,

and I swear,

I saw queen Victoria blinking

at the sight of sunlight"?

Are those petticoats ironed yet?

Good.

Then you can come over here

and lace me up.

F*** off, Victor.

Victor:
Come on, dear.

You know I can't see

from the back row,

and I do so love

a double act.

Victor, out, out!

Come on.

-Victor:
Just a joke, Dan.

Get that, will you, Lizzie.

That'll be the reporter

for my interview.

Hmm, you're new.

Lizzie.

Seen you before, haven't I?

You work for the era.

I'm a playwright,

but yes, indeed,

the era puts food on my table.

For now.

John cree.

Man:
You got to sweep it.

Shall we?

Man #2:
Can you help me dress,

love?

Victor:
Jumped out the window.

Waitress:

The usual for everyone?

Dan:
Oh, yes, please, darling.

Waitress:

What about you, dear?

A baked potato.

You don't fancy a bit

of meat tonight, Lizzie?

What's the matter, Dan?

She must be over 16.

No, I mustn't.

So, Lizzie, what's your act?

Do tell.

Uh, it's called

"little Lizzie the dogsbody."

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I do all manner

of gags with an iron

and a pile of dirty smalls.

Oh, that sounds extraordinary.

It is.

She's dumbing you, John.

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