The Smoke In The Photograph Read Online Free Page A

walking from their home, on the Washingborough side of the city, to the Priory Academy on Cross O'Cliffe Hill. The girls, along with many other kids from the school, made the trip across the common every day of the week.
    That morning though, Alice had thrown her sister’s backpack into the undergrowth to tease her. Victoria had run off to fetch it, only to trip and fall on the corpse of the Ripper's latest victim.
    She had run screaming to her sisters, one of whom had called the police whilst the other comforted the younger girl.
    It was horrendous to think about it. The poor kid was going to be scarred forever. Sam felt a knot of anger in his stomach. Yet another innocent life ruined by that bastard.
    'What sort of state is she in now?' Sam asked Claremont.
    The doctor shrugged.
    'It's hard to say,' he admitted. 'We've sedated her, but I think it's going to take a lot of time and counseling for her to move on from the shock. I would expect there will be plenty of nightmares in her near future. Maybe some regression as well. She's going to become more dependent on her family, like a much younger child.'
    Sam shook his head in disgust.
    'I have to talk to her,' he said. 'See if there was anything she noticed that could help the investigation. Believe me when I say I hate the fact that I have to put her through that, but I have no choice.'
    Claremont nodded.
    'I don't know how much help she will be,' he said. 'The shock will have jumbled her memories. Her mind will be shutting things off so that she can't remember them. It's a defense mechanism.'
    Sam wondered if that was for the best, if the girl could forget the whole ordeal. He was aware, though, that the mind didn't work like that. Sooner or later the memories would come back to her, and they would need to be dealt with.
    'I appreciate that, Doctor Claremont, if there was another way I would take that option. However, I'm all out of options on this case. Ten women have been butchered by this maniac now. I have to stop him.'
     
     
    Claremont eventually agreed to let Sam speak to the girl. He was led to a cheerful room on the psychiatric ward, used solely for dealing with children.
    A woman, Sam assumed the girl’s mother, sat in a chair by the window. She nodded and offered a half smile when she saw Claremont.
    Victoria was sitting up in bed. She was twelve years old, but the combination of the shock, the room, and the sheer size of the hospital bed made her look much younger, and smaller.
    Claremont entered alone first, and Sam stayed back in the doorway. When Claremont had said they had sedated her, he had expected her to be asleep. Instead though she was just sitting, staring out of the window.
    'How are you feeling, Victoria?' Doctor Claremont asked.
    At first, the girl didn't seem to respond to his presence, let alone his question. She just kept on looking out of the window. Sam wondered if the doctor would ask again, but then the girl slowly turned her head towards Claremont.
    'Much better now,'  Everything about the girl seemed to be slowed down, her reactions, her movement, even her speech. It was almost as if someone had put her in slow motion.
    'That's wonderful,' Claremont said. 'I have someone who would like to see you.'
    The girl’s mother glanced towards the door. Her eyes met Sam; there was a look of concern. Sam held up his warrant card.
    'I'm not sure that's a good idea,' the woman said.
    'Mrs Reynolds, could we please talk to you outside?'
    The woman got up and patted the motionless girl on her shoulder.
    'I'll be back in a minute,' she said.
    The girl did not respond.
    Claremont led the woman out of the room, where Sam was waiting.
    'Mrs Reynolds,' Sam said. 'I'm D.I. Fluting.'
    The woman looked straight at him, her eyes cold and hard.
    'I know who you are,' she said. 'I watch the local news. You're the one who can't catch this monster.'
    During the case, Sam had tried to ignore comments, letting them wash off his back. He understood why he was the