002 | Voice

[burger_king]

It's a little after midnight, the cobblestones slick with fog on this mild late August night. Polly Nichols, a divorced mother of five, makes her way down Brick Lane on unsteady feet. A victim of drink, like so many other members of the working class at this time, and where there's drink there's desperation. She turns down on Whitechapel Road to earn enough coin for a bed for the night. Her new bonnet will surely do the trick.

Three hours later, two cart drivers come across a body in Buck's Row. In the dim light of early morning they can't know for sure but, as one of them told the police later, she looks to me to be either dead or drunk, but for my part, I believe she's dead. The way her throat was slit ear to ear confirmed that belief.

Want to hear the rest? Tune in to the Overlook Podcast. The first episode is available now on your favorite podcatcher.

Happy Friday the 13th.

Comments

[burger_king]

Oh yeah - I'm American. East Coast. [ Because that explains anything? ] It's not my legal name, but not even my parents use that anymore.

[girlybruiser]

Oh, I see!

My apologies. I had never heard of a name like that before.

[burger_king]

[ Why are you apologising. ] It's not the most common. My little sister is called Jellybean - well, it's JB now. She thinks it sounds cooler.

[girlybruiser]

Jellybean?

[ Haru is still a bit puzzled by these American naming conventions, but also a little more delighted by this one. ]

That is very cute! Is your sister here?

[burger_king]

No, luckily. [ He misses her but wow, what a disaster it would be to have her here. ] She's safe back home.

Do you have any siblings?

[girlybruiser]

I'm an only child. I wish I had siblings!

I imagine it must be so much fun having a brother or sister in the household.

[burger_king]

It's pretty great. We haven't lived together in a couple of years, though.

[girlybruiser]

That is unfortunate. I hope you get to see each other enough then.

[burger_king]

Yeah. Me too. [ That took a turn for the personal. He clears his throat, trying to bring this back to business. ] So, are you going to tune in?

[girlybruiser]

Oh, of course!

[ She realizes they got sidetracked, though she doesn't mind at all. She enjoys getting to learn about people. ]

I want to know everything about this case.

[burger_king]

Great. I hope we don't disappoint.

[girlybruiser]

I was intrigued from the get-go, so I don't think you will!