Hyde Page 10

  I grunted and swallowed some beer. "And how much would that cost me?"

  She widened her eyes. "Do you take me for a whore?"

  "Yes."

  She giggled. "Well, you're right. I am. But I never mentioned payment."

  "No woman will touch me unless I pay them."

  "Correction. All women save one." And with that, she leaned in close and kissed me on the lips.

  Never had I felt such a kiss before, save when I felt Jekyll kiss his beloved. The whores I employed would never let me kiss them on the lips, only on the cheek or neck or other areas. I savored the taste of her mouth, the softness of her skin. More than that, I experienced the touch of affection for the very first time. When she finally drew away, I felt myself close to tears.

  "Where?" I asked in a hoarse tone.

  Rebecca stood and drew her skirt back into place. "I live at a boarding house just 'round the corner."

  "Let us go." I seized hold of her hand and fairly dragged her out of the pub.

  My cab driver for the night was inside the bar, drinking a beer I had bought him, but hurried after me as I left and climbed into his cab.

  "Where to?" the driver asked.

  Rebecca gave an address nearby, and we made our way there. Along the way, Rebecca was generous with her kisses and her touch. I arrived more eager than when the journey began. She led me into the boarding house, where a number of prostitutes wandered the hallways, and mounted the steps to her room.

  Inside, another woman sat at a mirror, primping herself. She waved to Rebecca as she entered and said, "Found another one, Becky?"

  "Not quite, Liz," Rebecca called back as she hurried us into her bedroom.

  I cannot describe that experience fully, though I wish I could. I had been with women before, of course, but none such as her. I had always conducted myself with a certain savagery, and on their part was a certain reluctance to even brush against my skin. The deed was quick and devoid of tenderness. Rebecca was different. She seemed eager to touch my pale skin, did not recoil from stroking my twisted spine, kissed my lips, and welcomed my embrace. We lingered with each other, and seemed lost in each other's arms for hours.

  When at last it ended, I felt reborn. For the first time in my short existence, I felt like a man instead of a monster.

  She giggled as she touched my cheek with a finger. "You act as if you've never been with a woman before."

  "I thought I had," whispered I. "Until I met you."

  "And I thought I'd been with men until I met you." She gave me another kiss, then sat up and began to dress. "Well, I'm afraid we'll have to cut this short. I have an appointment in the morning."

  I watched her with a sinking feeling. "Will I see you again?"

  "I'll be at the pub. I'm there most nights. Find me then."

  I dressed slowly so as to linger as long as I could, but the moment came when I was finally complete. I half-expected her to hold out her hand and request payment for her services. Instead, she kissed me again and firmly pushed me out the door.

  As I stood outside, Rebecca gave me one long, lingering kiss, then waved and closed the door to her bedroom. I stood there, staring at the firm wooden surface, almost stunned by my experience. Had it been a dream? A hallucination induced by too much opium? Or had I truly found a woman who seemed to care for me?

  I returned to Lucky's cab then, and bid him return me to my home in Soho. I lay down in my bed and stared up at the stained ceiling, reliving the experience with Rebecca over and over again. I knew then what had happened to me. I had fallen in love.

  I had the cab drop me off several blocks from Jekyll's house so as to avoid being seen driving to it. A light snow fell from the heavens to lightly dust the sidewalk before me. As I crossed the road and approached the rear entrance of Jekyll's home, I brought my key to the lock. At that moment, I felt a touch on my shoulder.

  A voice called out, "Mister Hyde, I think?"

  I froze and caught my breath. Was it Inspector Newcomen, found at last? I inclined my head to one side. No, it was another man, older and more distinguished with a beard and mustache as white as the snow that clung to it.

  The fluttering came to my mind. This man was known to Jekyll. I had to be wary. I kept my head slightly turned so as not to be seen fully in the face as I said, "That is my name. What do you want?"

  "I see you are going in," said the older man. "I am an old friend of Dr. Jekyll's--Mister Utterson of Gaunt Street--you must have heard of my name; and meeting you so conveniently, I thought you might admit me."

  So this was Jekyll's lawyer Utterson, the one that Jekyll wrote to will me his property and who cautioned him against it. Indeed, I would have to be wary. From the way Jekyll spoke of him, Utterson was the closest thing Jekyll had to a best friend. Though my appearance had changed, there was always a chance that Utterson would note a similarity between Jekyll and myself. The fact that Utterson had never met me, but he recognized me somehow, also inclined me to caution.

  I pretended to blow dust from the key as an excuse to keep my face invisible to Utterson and said, "You will not find Doctor Jekyll; he is from home. How did you know me?"

  Instead of answering me, Utterson asked, "On your side, will you do me a favour?"

  "With pleasure," I said. "What shall it be?"

  "Will you let me see your face?"

  I hesitated, but there seemed little I could do to avoid it at this point without raising suspicion. If he would recognize Jekyll in my features, so it would be.

  I turned my head to allow the light from a nearby lamp to fall upon my face. He drew back slightly at the sight, a gesture I had grown accustomed to, but studied me closely. I saw no glimmer of recognition in his eyes, only quite the opposite. That gave me courage. Whatever he knew, he did not know my secret. The two of us now regarded each other as hunters examining prey.

  Utterson nodded. "Now I shall know you again. It may be useful."

  "Yes," I said. "It is as well we have met; and á propos, you should have my address."

  I gave him my address in Soho, an act designed to show a lack of fear of him. Utterson only grunted in acknowledgment. He seemed disarmed by my casual temperament.

  "And now," said I, determined to keep him on his guard, "how did you know me?"

  "By description."

  "Whose description?"

  "We have common friends."

  "Common friends," I echoed. I hardly knew the meaning of such a word. "Who are they?"

  "Jekyll, for instance," said the lawyer.

  Now I knew what Utterson knew - virtually nothing. Jekyll had never given Utterson my descrption. The falsehood angered me and I blurted, "He never told you. I did not think you would have lied."

  Utterson drew back, shocked by my anger, but replied with forced bravado, "Come, that is not fitting language."

  I laughed in his face, no longer afraid. Utterson was merely spying on me to gather information, but had little himself. If he had known more, he would not have been forced into a lie to make my acquaintance. I saw little purpose in continuing with Utterson, and so unlocked the door, slipped inside, and slammed it shut in Utterson's face.

  I stood there a moment, breathing slowly, allowing my rage to retreat. I hurried to the laboratory, mixed the drug, and raised it to swallow.

  Then I paused. I whispered, "Jekyll, Utterson is becoming suspicious. If he inquires further on our secrets, we must dispose of him."

  Then I drank.

  I flinched in expectation of the agony of the transformation. It never came.

  I looked down at the flask, then at the chemicals before me, thinking perhaps I had made an error. There was none. The drug simply had no effect.

  Knowing not what else to do, I prepared a new flask of the concoction and swallowed it down. Almost immediately, the pain swept through me, and carried me away into the depths of Jekyll's soul. I heard a loud ripping sound which I took to be my flesh rending itself, but turned out to be my clothes tearing apart as
Jekyll's larger frame stretched them beyond their limits. I made a mental note to change back into Jekyll's clothes before drinking the potion from then on.

  Jekyll straightened and gasped, "It was not enough. The drug is losing its potency."

  It was true. This time, it took two doses of the drug to shed my body for Jekyll's. I felt elation at the notion that I had become stronger, less easy to dispose of. Perhaps the day would come when I would dominate our lives.

  "As for Utterson," whispered Jekyll, "he is not your affair, Hyde. He is my friend and I will deal with him. I am not a murderer."

  Jekyll headed upstairs and fell asleep. I slept as well, dreaming of the beautiful woman who touched my body and soul.

  Chapter Twelve - The Inspector Returns

  THE NEXT morning, Jekyll announced plans to his butler to arrange a dinner party, saying, "I know that I have been lax in my social life lately. I intend to remedy that situation. This will be a fine opportunity to elevate my social status with Sir Carew."

  He gave Poole his list of guests, which included Sir Danvers Carew, his lawyer Utterson, and Richard Enfield. It seemed clear to me that Jekyll's true intention for this gathering would be to assemble all those who had an encounter with Edward Hyde. It seemed a clever way to gauge the effect I was having on the streets of London. He also invited an old friend Dr. Neville Lanyon, as well as a handful of other associates. Poole left to send the invitations while Jekyll went out to see his beloved for a visit and to discuss more preparations for their wedding.

  When Jekyll arrived at his fiancée's home, the general's butler said, "Mrs. Glass has instructed me to inform you that she will be with you in a moment. She is currently being interviewed by a member of Scotland Yard."

  Jekyll started at the words. "Scotland Yard?"

  The butler led Jekyll into the drawing room to find someone else there.

  Charlotte sat on a couch facing a thin man in a long coat. It was Inspector Newcomen.

  The inspector looked up at Jekyll and bowed slightly. "Good morning, Doctor Jekyll."

  "Good morning, Inspector," said Jekyll in a tight voice. "I did not expect to see you here."

  "Would that I could say this is a social call. I'm still investigating the attack on the son of Sir Carew. Unfortunately, all our leads have grown cold. It seems Mister Hyde has few companions that we could find, save yourself. I thought perhaps Mrs. Glass might have encountered Hyde in her outings with you."

  I felt Jekyll's breathing quicken. His chest swelled in anger as he said in a loud voice, "Mrs. Glass is not in the habit of associating with my patients. She knows nothing. To be perfectly frank, Inspector, I do not appreciate your dragging my fiancee into this affair."

  Inspector Newcomen tapped his pencil against his notepad and looked down with an exaggerated sigh. "I regret the intrusion as well, Doctor Jekyll, but I'm afraid I had little choice. I am under quite a bit of pressure to resolve this case, and have few options to pursue. If I had but more clues to follow, I would not be forced to intrude upon the lives of lovely widows such as Mrs. Glass."

  At that moment, General Stone(?) entered the drawing room with a lit pipe in one hand. "There you are, Jekyll. I demand to know the meaning of this. Who is this Hyde and what is your connection to him?"

  "Hyde is a former patient given to bouts of violence. He injured the son of Sir Danvers Carew several weeks ago."

  "Carew the MP?" roared the general. "My God, that is an outrage. Have they captured the scoundrel?"

  "Not yet." Newcomen pointed his notepad at Charlotte. "Such is the reason for my interrogation of Mrs. Glass. The only lead we have on finding the man is Doctor Jekyll, but he has offered us little to go on."

  The general rounded on Jekyll with eyes blazing. "Jekyll, how dare you drag the good name of our family into this affair. This must be resolved immediately."

  "Would that I could be of assistance," Jekyll said, "but I have little to offer. As I told the inspector the last time we met, I have not seen Hyde since I treated him."

  Newcomen looked up at the ceiling with a curious gaze. "So you said, Doctor Jekyll, but I'm afraid I must question that assertion. It just so happens that I advised your housemaid that the Carew family is offering a substantial reward for information leading to Hyde's arrest. As a result, she has been vigilant over the past month and has observed Hyde visiting your home with great frequency. Indeed, she stated that Hyde has his own key, and that she was given instructions to follow Hyde's instructions to the letter, even treating him as master of the house."

  I felt Jekyll's face burn as the general's eyes narrowed at him.

  "Is this true, Jekyll?" the general asked.

  Jekyll lowered his eyes to the floor. "I'm afraid you have placed me in an awkward position, Inspector. A gentleman would have approached me on this matter in private."

  "I offer my apologies, doctor. My profession sometimes requires me to set aside social graces. Since our last conversation was not as productive as I would have wished, I have been forced to pursue other avenues. I will ask you again, Doctor Jekyll. Where is Edward Hyde?"

  He raised his eyes to the inspector, trying to avoid the general's dark gaze. "I must admit, I have been less than forthcoming. I have indeed been forced to make the acquaintance of Hyde in recent weeks for reasons that I cannot discuss. However, if it will aid your investigation, I can tell you that he has a home in Soho."

  "Soho," muttered the general. "What class of gentleman do you travel with that lives in that blighted area?"

  I felt like throttling Jekyll myself for the betrayal of my sanctuary, though had to admit that Inspector Newcomen had put him in an awkward position.

  Inspector Newcomen smiled at Jekyll as he closed his notebook. "Thank you, Doctor. If this lead bears fruit, I shall trouble you no further. I might also add that, no matter what hold this Hyde has upon you, Scotland Yard is quite skilled in dealing with such matters. I encourage you to file a report. Have a good morning. Mrs. Glass, General, thank you for your time."

  The inspector walked out, leaving Jekyll to face the pregnant stare of General Stone and Charlotte.

  "Henry," Charlotte finally said, "what is going on?"

  "It is nothing." Jekyll approached her, dropped to his knee, and took her trembling hands. "I assure you with utmost sincerity. Edward Hyde has nothing to do with us and will never disturb you again. I offer you my deepest apologies for allowing my troubles to interrupt your lives."

  "Jekyll," growled the general, "I had my doubts about your character, but I must say that this has exceeded even my low expectations. I hardly know where to begin. I put it to you bluntly; who is this Edward Hyde and what is your connection to him?"

  Jekyll rose and faced him. "It is as I stated, General. Hyde is a former patient of mine. Nothing more."

  "Then why do you give him full access to your home?"

  "Forgive me, General, but there are some things that I simply cannot discuss. All I can do is assure you that the matter is closed, and that Hyde has nothing to do with our engagement."

  "I would think it does. It seems that Hyde has opened questions on your character, Doctor Jekyll, questions that I feel must be answered. Until my fears are put to rest, I must put your engagement to my daughter at an end."

  General Stone clamped his pipe back into his mouth and strode out.

  Jekyll closed his eyes. A wave of dizziness swept over him.

  A delicate hand touched Jekyll's. It was Charlotte, looking up at him with her beautiful green eyes pleading silently. "Henry, please confide in me. You know I am by your side always. What is the meaning of this? Who is Hyde and why are you protecting him? Is he blackmailing you?"

  "I cannot discuss it," Hyde blurted. "He has nothing to do with us. I have given the Inspector what he wants, he shall not return to you. Please, do not speak of him again."

  "But, Henry--"

  "I said, be silent," screamed Jekyll.

  Charlotte recoiled and took a step back. Her eyes sw
am with tears.

  Jekyll took her hand and seized it between his. "Forgive me, my darling. I did not mean to shout. I just wished to impress upon you that Hyde is not a part of our lives. He is a poison, destroying everything he touches. But he will not harm you or the general. I promise you that."

  Charlotte pressed a handkerchief to her throat. "Would that I could believe you, Henry. But you lied to the inspector before my eyes, and I wonder whether you would lie to me. I did not think you capable of such deceit."

  "If you knew my circumstances, you would not question that it was necessary."

  "Then tell me your circumstances. Allow me to understand."

  Jekyll turned away to pace the room, bathed in the heat from the fire. "It is as I said. I cannot discuss it. As much as I long to share the truth with you, it is better that you do not know. All I can do is assure you that it is through no failing of mine. "

  "And you ask me to simply accept that statement without question."

  Jekyll glared into the fire. "Yes. It is vital. I do not wish to sully your purity with my indiscretions."

  "I see." I could hear Charlotte's skirts rustle as she came up behind him. "How little regard you hold me in, Jekyll. Is that how you think of me? Do you not think me capable of knowing the darker side of your life? I am to be your wife, Henry. A wife knows all of her husband."

  Jekyll closed his eyes. "Not all. Not all of me."

  "Especially all of you. Do you know or expect to know all of me, Henry? Do you not expect to find secrets in my life?"

  "Of course. You were married once. I know what leaves you with. But this is beyond anything you can imagine."

  Charlotte took his shoulder and turned him to face her. She smiled up at him, her red hair cascading down her face. "I can imagine more than you think, Henry."

  Jekyll gazed down at her beautiful features, lightly accented with but a hint of rouge. I felt his desire for her, but it was dwarfed by my own. How I envied Jekyll having such a wondrous creature loving him. How I wished she were gazing upon my visage in that way. I wished to touch her skin, feel her against me, instead of him.