The Dancer on the Bridge

Catherine kept thinking about what her roommate had said. She kept analyzing for hints or anything that could link the things that made her uncomfortable to what her roommate observed.

"Is it possible? Is Doctor Luke really as bad as they say?"

Catherine was so lost in thought that she didn't hear her roommate calling her, even after she finished her bath. It was only when her roommate lightly tapped her shoulder that Catherine came back to her senses.

"Are you alright? You've been in a daze," her roommate asked with concern. "Is it because of what I said?"

"No… it's fine. I'm fine," Catherine assured her. "Are you done taking a bath?"

"Yeah. I've also filled up the tub if you want to take a bath," her roommate said, still unconvinced, walking up to her with concern in her voice. "Are you really alright?"

"Yes. I'm probably just tired from the journey. Don't mind me. Anyway…" Catherine changed the topic. "Are there any news in the ward?"

"Not much. They were just arguing about who's going to take the night shift. Anyway, if you feel uncomfortable or anything, don't hesitate to ask me for help, okay?" her roommate said as she walked to her bedside, laying out all the blankets and preparing to sleep.

"I'll go to sleep now. Good night, Catherine." Her roommate smiled, then went to sleep.

Out of consideration, Catherine turned off all the other lights and got a small lamp. She then went to the bathroom carrying her clothes and the lamp. She took a quick bath, wore her work clothes, and went out.

She carefully walked out of the room, making sure not to wake up her roommate, considering the hard day she had. With the lamp in her hand, Catherine walked toward the emergency ward in an unhurried manner.

"Excuse me, are you the only one working the night shift?" Catherine asked after arriving at the ward and seeing a nurse who was almost asleep.

"Ah! Uh… yes." The nurse, shocked by Catherine's sudden appearance, was now fully awake.

"You must be tired. Let me take over for a while." Catherine picked up one of the patient's information files on the table and started reading. "Since we only have three patients in the ward, I can cover them for now. Why don't you take a nap in one of the empty beds? Just come here to the desk afterward," Catherine offered with a smile.

Unable to resist her sleepiness, the nurse graciously agreed. "If you say so. Thanks, Catherine. Just wake me up if you need something." The nurse then went to an empty bed and almost immediately fell asleep.

Silence accompanied Catherine in the ward. She didn't mind it, but still, the silence felt too loud. Unable to bear it any longer, she decided to check on the patients in the adjoining room.

On the other side of Durham town, a play of justice and punishment unfolds as William, accompanied by Albert, personally hands down the punishment that the law could not.

"Lucian!" a voice from afar could be heard as he kept on shouting the boy's name.

The boy in question is sitting in a bench by the roadside, feeling a bit lethargic from the effects of the drugs.

"Huh!? Mr. Dadori?" Lucian stood up to greet Dadori ,who had just arrive, breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath from running.

"Was it you? Did you summon me here?" Dadori breathlessly asked.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Mr. Dadori?" Lucian asked in confusion.

Dadori kept on asking Lucian a bunch of questions as he tried to catch his breath, still on his knees, tired from running."What is the meaning of that letter!? You're going to confess your crime? After everything I did to clean up after your mess!? furthermore, how the hell did you even get out of your room!?"

"Clean up after me?" Lucian, who is still not on his right mind, fell into silence as he repeat Dadori's words.

"Yes! How could you get that bloody commoner pregnant? How truly careless of you!" Dadori started to blabber.

"Which is why I had to go to such efforts in doing that! By golly! You are a noble man."

"Frida…" Lucian started to comprehend what Dadori was saying.

"That dishrag of a woman is no one for you to trip up over. Do you not understand that!?" Dadori frantically yelled at Lucian.

Unbeknownst to the two, a wet person's footsteps could suddenly be heard just across the street, near the stairs leading to the riverbank.

"When you make a mistake, or make a slip of the pen, don't you toss out the piece of paper, right? People are the same. That is the way of the aristocratic world you currently live in!" Dadori continued his nagging while the person just continue to talk hazily, humming a tone.

"I meant--meant to marry Frida!" Lucian responded, after regaining comprehension and understanding a bit of Dadori's words.

"That is quite enough of that bullshit!" Dadori finally lost his temper.

However, before they could argue, an eerie voice, humming a solemn tone, is heard within the premises. A heavy and wet footsteps, echoed, accompanying the tone. And in the distance, a small figure of a woman could be seen. Her face isn't that much clear due to the weather, but both Dadori and Lucian could recognize the owner of the voice.

"Lu-ci-an…" the woman called out to Lucian in a sombre tone.

"I-I-Impossible! You're!-you're already dead. I-I pumped you a high dosage of opium, and you plunged to your death in the river!" Dadori frantically blabbered the truth as the fear of seeing Frida once more, crept up to him.

Lucian stood in stunned silence, his words deserting him at the shocking revelation of Dadori about his lover, Frida.

"Well finally… we all heard it from your mouth—the confession of the unpardonable sin."

William emerged from the shadows and walked up to just five meters from where Lucian was standing. He smiled menacingly as he gave Dadori Bell a sinister glare.

"Fred, it's fine now. You may stop." William smiled as he ordered Fred to cease.

"What-!!" Dadori was confused by what was happening. "P-Professor Moriarty!?"

"Fortunately, the fog is heavy this evening. He may be small and slight of build, but when you look more closely…" As William explained, Dadori suddenly laughed.

His face lightened up when he realized the truth of the situation. "So that's it. You're the one who called me out here!"

"That's correct. We are the ones who sent that telegram. At the behest of my consultant." Albert walked towards William, smiling sinisterly.

"I am the one who plotted all this. I, William James Moriarty, Crime Consultant." William put his hand on his heart and smiled like a gentleman. Albert smiled proudly as he gave a brotherly glance at William. Fred and Lucian remained silent on the side.

"Consultant!? what are you blabbering about now?" Dadori fell into confusion once more.

"Mr. Bale. I did a little background check on you, and in addition to working as an administrator in the university, you are also the owner of several hospitals--nope, make that brothels, in the area." William continued.

"And so what?" Dadori continued to feign ignorance.

"Right. Fred found our dear student here in one of your brothels, just two doors down to where he was supposed to be."Albert chimed in. He then walked to Lucian's side as he explained.

"Thanks to the opium that was given to him, I believe our dear Lucian is isn't on the right state of mind for now. " he smiled as he gave Dadori a glance. "Well that is not a problem for today's performance."