Continuing from where the previous story ended. Inspector Frederick Abberline has managed to find and arrest Jago and Litefoot and is now currently escorting them in a black maria to what they presume to be prison. Jago whispers to Litefoot about possibly escaping when the maria slows down. Abberline however can clearly hear him, but Jago is indignant at his captor. The duo are incredibly surprised when Abberline announces that they’ve arrived at their destination – the Red Tavern!
The trio are greeted by Ellie, who is incredibly pleased to see them alive and well. But their reunion is cut short when the Infernal Investigators remember that they are still in Abberline’s custody. But Abberline merely states that he wishes to buy the men a drink and have a chat with them.
As Jago downs his fill of alcohol, Abberline reveals that he is actually not in service to the police as he retired and that he hasn’t officially arrested Jago and Litefoot. So the question on Litefoot’s mind is what does Abberline really want with them? Abberline states that he needs their help in exchange for their exoneration. He starts by explaining that the infamous murderer Jack the Ripper was in fact captured, but the news was never made public.
Abberline explains that while the public believes that Mary Kelly was Jack’s last victim, truth is that he did strike three more times afterwards. In the last three cases, Jack’s handiwork was sloppier and more careless than before. Abberline and the police had more than enough evidence to find and capture the serial killer, and they were successful. Jack was successfully imprisoned.
Litefoot isn’t sure what any of the Ripper business has to do with him and Jago. Abberline quietly tells the gentlemen (and Ellie, who had been standing behind him without him knowing) that in his capacity as Queen Victoria’s appointed advisor on law and order that Jago and Litefoot assist him in recapturing Jack the Ripper…
Jago, Litefoot and Abberline travel to the mortuary. Abberline states that since his escape, Jack has killed again. The reason Abberline has come to Jago and Litefoot in particular is because of their experience in the unnatural. Right now though, he needs Litefoot’s expertise in pathology to study the bodies of Jack’s latest victims.
At the mortuary, the trio are greeted by Sergeant Quick. Jago and Litefoot realise that Quick isn’t aware that the victims were killed by Jack the Ripper, but rather a new killer dubbed the Streatham Slasher. Quick has his doubts and from the bodies makes comparisons to the work of Jack the Ripper. Abberline however is quick to shut down his theory and dismisses him to continue his police duties. As Quick prepares to leave, he tells the group that he is on a case searching for a missing sculptor from Madame Tussauds…
The trio take a look at the grisly bodies before them. Abberline states that two of the three victims were part of the chorus choir at Jago’s New Regency Theatre, hence why he also involved Jago in the case as he knows the victims personally. Plus he needs Jago’s natural ability to get people to talk with his eclectic vocabulary and easy-going personality…
Litefoot has gone to the Red Tavern to rendezvous with Jago and Abberline, both of whom have gone to interview the mothers of the victims. Litefoot once more urges Ellie to keep the nature of their business with Abberline and Jack the Ripper under wraps, to which she promises. As Ellie goes behind the bar to fetch an ale for Litefoot, Litefoot sits himself down near an unassuming drunk man who asks him if he’s managed to capture Jack the Ripper…
Quick is investigating the case of the missing Madame Tussauds sculptor. He interviews Patsy the Mudlark, who claims to have witnessed a sinister creature in the river with four legs, four arms and two heads. Quick is obviously not buying the story and asks if the heads were middle-aged with greying hair and whiskers? To which Patsy incredulously confirms as such.
Litefoot and Ellie settle in a quiet room at the back of the Red Tavern to talk. Litefoot confirms that after examining the bodies, it is beginning to look like the work of the Ripper, as one girl had her heart missing and another had her lungs removed. As two of the victims were performers at the New Regency Theatre, Ellie suggests that she and Litefoot should investigate there while Jago is otherwise occupied with Abberline.
Quick is discussing what Patsy claims to have seen on the river with his subordinate. Quick deduces from a corroborating report that what Patsy saw was a middle-aged man dragging another man along the riverbank. The corroborating report in question was that there was a man being marched along the river terrified by another threatening man, which could only be his missing sculptor. Quick is optimistic and sends his subordinate to interview more witnesses while he heads to the New Regency Theatre to conduct his own investigations.
Litefoot and Ellie arrive at the New Regency Theatre and find the it closed. They gain entry via the stage door which is strangely unlocked, Ellie assumes that the relief manager John Rippon must be inside. She requests Litefoot that he pose as Jago should they encounter him.
The incumbent manager John Rippon is in the Theatre office counting the profits. When he hears knocking on the door, he demands the callers to go away. But the knocking persists more loudly until Rippon decides to open the door to Litefoot and Ellie. He immediately tries to dismiss the two as performers looking for work and rudely states that Litefoot’s too old and Ellie’s too skinny, much to her offense. Litefoot begins to play the part of Jago (including his voice, mannerisms and overuse of alliteration), but Rippon isn’t convinced, but nonetheless plays along. Litefoot voices his concerns for the female performers, Rippon dodges the question and states that he’s booked in late night performances with displays of waxwork statues in rather lewd and erotic positions – Tableau Vivant, much to Ellie’s disgust. Litefoot once more demands to know about the missing performers, but Rippon becomes agitated and demands they leave. He is aware that Jago is a wanted man and threatens to call the police. On this note, Ellie and Litefoot take their leave.
On their way out of the theatre, Litefoot and Ellie encounter a caretaker working in the theatre called Tom Carlton. He is not fooled by Litefoot’s deception and claims to know the real Jago, but nonetheless doesn’t hold it against Litefoot. He praises Jago as a manager for giving him a job, despite being a war veteran with a physical disability. Litefoot questions him on the missing chorus girls, and Carlton mentions the girls by name. He claims that Rippon knows more than he is letting on regarding the recent disappearances. Before he can divulge more information, Rippon arrives, and Carlton feigns ignorance. Rippon once more demands that Litefoot and Ellie leave. Ellie bluffs Rippon by stating that they are aware of Rippon’s connection to the murdered women, stating that they all returned to the Theatre before they were murdered. Rippon stutters trying to refute the claim, but almost let slip that the girls did not return to the theatre. Nonetheless, Rippon demands they leave.
Outside, Litefoot and Ellie are waiting for Rippon to leave so they can reinvestigate the Theatre. They watch Carlton leave and moments later Rippon follows suit. Before they enter, Litefoot notices how Rippon is cautiously looking around as if someone was watching him. Rather than investigate the Theatre again, Litefoot suggests they follow Rippon.
Jago and Abberline arrive outside a warehouse which houses Jago’s old Theatre props. Jago comments how he likes to keep the warehouse on the downlow as he is aware that crooks would take any opportunity to steal its contents – even going as far as pointing out a pair of figures in the nearby alleyway that look suspicious. Abberline corrects Jago by stating the suspicious figures in question are Litefoot and Ellie. Both groups reunite and Abberline informs Litefoot and Ellie that both victims came to the warehouse for costume fitting before they were murdered. Litefoot talks of his and Ellie’s encounter with Rippon. After leaving the Theatre, Rippon shadily made haste to the Theatre, hence why they wound up outside the Theatre themselves. Both parties begin to suspect that Rippon may be Jack the Ripper, but Abberline states he will know when he sees him, and they prepare to enter the building.
Once inside the warehouse, Jago suggests they start their search at the inventory room as that would be the most likely place Rippon would go. In the darkness, they see someone in the darkness standing very still. Litefoot cautiously approaches the figure and finds that it’s a waxwork statue. It’s not the only one, as there’s several of them, all of young women. Litefoot makes a disturbing discovery, he finds two waxworks of the murdered women from the Theatre. These waxworks are copies of all the Ripper’s victims! Abberline instructs Litefoot and Ellie to call for police reinforcements while he and Jago will find Rippon and bring him down.
On the way out of the warehouse, Litefoot and Ellie reencounter Carlton. Carlton comments on the large number of waxworks the warehouse has been receiving lately. Litefoot requests Carlton that he and Ellie find the police while he returns to Jago and Abberline to find the Ripper. Carlton agrees to do so, and he and Ellie leave immediately.
Inside the warehouse, Jago and Abberline find a mortuary slab and several surgical tools. Litefoot’s sudden appearance causes Jago a start and he accidently a waxwork’s chest with a scalpel. Jago is relieved that he didn’t hurt anyone…until he takes the scalpel out of the waxwork and it starts to bleed blood. Litefoot and Abberline place the waxwork on the slab and Litefoot dissects the stab wound to discover a human heart! Abberline is more startled to discover that one of the waxworks nearby is breathing, meaning it must have human lungs! Litefoot makes an unsettling connection and realises that these waxworks must be housing organs from the Ripper’s victims, as the recent victims were missing a heart and lungs. Litefoot suggests that they should all wait outside for Quick’s reinforcements before continuing the investigation.
On the way out, they come face to face with Rippon. Abberline identifies him as NOT being the Ripper. Suddenly, Rippon falls to the ground with a stab wound in his back, dead. Standing over his corpse is a waxwork holding a bloody knife. Litefoot deduces that the waxwork didn’t kill Rippon, but rather the real killer placed the knife in the waxwork’s hand and pushed Rippon into it to impale him. Abberline theorises that the Ripper must have killed Rippon as he must’ve figured out something. Litefoot realises that their bluff at the New Regency Theatre when Rippon was nervous to answer may have been the motive. They look at the waxwork holding the knife and realise that this woman wasn’t one of the Ripper’s victims, but rather one of the royal family, the deceased Princess Angenine – Queen Victoria’s favourite Great Niece who died in 1887. They remember how the Princess was to be married to a commoner who happened to be a surgeon. Abberline reveals that the commoner in question was in fact the man who would become Jack the Ripper. Because of his ties to the Royal Family, his identity was kept out of the media. Abberline recalls the night when he and the police captured him. One of the officers shot the Ripper in the leg, leaving him with a limp. It’s the only unique feature and clue to identifying the real Ripper. Litefoot suddenly realises that Carlton had a limp in his left leg and that he suffered it around the time of the Ripper murders, the very same leg the Ripper was shot in. Even stranger is that Jago has no recollection of any Carlton working in his Theatre. It dawns on the group that Carlton is very much likely the Ripper…and Litefoot’s sent Ellie with him to fetch the police!
The trio rush to the exit only to find another corpse on the ground dumped by the Ripper. As they inspect it, a large cage drops down, trapping them. Out of the shadows, Carlton, or rather Jack the Ripper, emerges. Jack calmly states that Ellie is safe for the moment, but he does look forward to dissecting her. He reveals that his disgusting grand scheme is to resurrect Princess Angenine as a waxwork being with organs harvested from his victims. He leaves the warehouse stating that he has an appointment at Buckingham Palace, leaving the Infernal Investigators and Abberline trapped.
Elsewhere in the warehouse, Ellie is chained up begging to be freed. Thankfully, Sergeant Quick arrives and frees her. Before he can ask who captured her, Jack the Ripper emerges and gleefully claims responsibility. Ellie warns Quick that the Streatham Slasher is in fact Jack the Ripper standing before them. Quick tells Ellie to run while he deals with the psycho. Ripper holds a knife to Quick’s throat to dissuade him from fighting him. The Ripper reveals that he plans to exact revenge on the Royal Family for condemning Angenine to death. Jack’s ultimate plan being that he will assassinate Queen Victoria and take the throne with his Wax Princess ruling alongside him…The Ripper makes his escape and heads off to Buckingham Palace…
Quick heads further inside the warehouse and manages to find Jago, Litefoot and Abberline in the cage. Quick also identifies the mystery corpse as the missing sculptor he had been pursuing in his own enquiries. The Infernal Investigators state that they’ve tried every possibility of escaping the cage, but Quick brings over a nearby bench and places it next to the cage. His idea is between the four of them, they should be able to lift the cage and use the bench to prop it up so they can slide underneath the bars. The plan works easily and with self-congratulations out of the way. Quick explains that Jack the Ripper is on his way to Buckingham Palace to carry out his heinous assassination. Only problem is that Ellie is sending the police to the warehouse whilst they actually need to be sent to Buckingham Palace. Abberline orders Quick to organise a squad of police while he, Jago and Litefoot head to Buckingham Palace to save Queen Victoria.
Using his credentials, Abberline leads Jago and Litefoot through the Palace in search of Jack the Ripper. Instead, they come face-to-face with Queen Victoria herself. Abberline explains that Her Majesty is in grave danger. Before Queen Victoria can ask who poses a threat to her life, Jack the Ripper enters the room and greets The Queen. Jack is displeased that The Queen isn’t pleased to see him and presents the waxwork of Princess Angenine, walking as if she were really human…and holding a huge knife. Queen Victoria is overcome with confusion at the sight of her beloved niece. Abberline tries to urge Queen Victoria away from Jack, but the waxwork suddenly grabs Her Majesty and runs into the Palace with Jack following close behind. The Infernal Investigators and Abberline give chase…
Jago, Litefoot and Abberline eventually corner Jack and his waxwork. Several police officers led by Sergeant Quick arrive and train their weapons on Jack’s waxwork. The waxwork holds it’s knife to Queen Victoria’s throat. Jack warns the police to not shoot less they accidently kill Her Majesty. Abberline relents and orders the police to stand down whilst apologising to the Queen. Queen Victoria is understanding of his decision stating it is not his fault, but Jack angrily insults the Queen. Queen Victoria however is defiant despite his insult and the threat against her life, stating that in the heart of the British Empire, he is powerless. The Queen addresses the waxwork of Angenine and reflects on how she was her Little Princess and how she sorely misses her, but sadly admits that this waxwork isn’t real as she wouldn’t harm a living soul. Jack loses patience and demands the waxwork kill Queen Victoria, but the waxwork shoves the Queen aside instead. Jack furiously tries to wrestle the knife out of the waxwork’s hand and decides to do the villainous deed himself. The police prepare to open fire, but The Queen orders them not to shoot or risk harming the Princess. Suddenly, Jack is stabbed through the heart by the waxwork and it utters the words “You are not the man I loved.” Even stranger is that Jack isn’t bleeding…he’s a wax facsimile as well! Jack falls over and knocks a candelabra over, setting fire to the Wax Princess’s dress, melting her and Jack. Quick escorts Queen Victoria away from the fire as the police combat the fire. All the Infernal Investigators can do is watch as Jack the Ripper and Princess Angenine melt away to mere wax…
That evening, Jago, Litefoot, Ellie, Quick and Abberline are celebrating another infernal case closed at the Red Tavern. Quick received a promotion to inspector for his part in rescuing the Queen. Quick bids the group farewell as he has a case he needs to investigate involving reports of a shooting star crashing down nearby. He promises to call on the two Infernal Investigators should he need them now that they’ve been formally exonerated by Queen Victoria for saving her life. Abberline reveals that he’s been sought out by the European branch of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and he plans to take up their offer, but not before revealing that he offered Jago and Litefoot’s services to the Queen should she ever need them. Ellie turns to leave to return to her barmaid duties, but she bumps in a young woman who is looking for Jago. The woman claims to have travelled a considerable distance to find him so she can demonstrate her act for the New Regency Theatre. Jago feigns interest but assumes that the woman will show a new run of the mill act. The woman assures him that the act is nothing the likes he’s never seen before, but she is merely an agent for the true act…she presents to the Infernal Investigators…The Scorchies!
On cue, a band of giggling puppets emerge as if they were alive! Jago is amazed and asks how they work. The agent smiles and states that’s the mystery…and the Scorchies know a song about such a thing. The Scorchies break out into a joyous song introducing the merry troupe of puppets and asking that Jago consider them for his Theatre. Once the song is over, the entire tavern is silent in bewilderment. Jago applauds the performance and hires the Scorchies on the spot. After all, these giggling puppets can’t be sinister…right?
