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.

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Happy Friday the 13th.

Comments

[devoutish]

Have you got reason to think you would be next?

[burger_king]

Let's just say Riverdale isn't exactly safe for anyone right now.

[devoutish]

Being here isn't gonna help that, son.

[Alfie's voice is naturally gruff, but he sounds a little gentler here.]

Whatever you've got going on, this just delays it.

[burger_king]

I know that... and it's fine. I want to go back, eventually but until then...

I'll take this as a vacation, I guess. Make the most of it while I can.

[devoutish]

Mm.

[That, at least, he can understand.]

Yeah, I suppose I'm doing a bit of that myself, now.

[burger_king]

[ This has been mildly one-sided for a bit so. ]

What about you? You got things to deal with back home?

[devoutish]

Family, business. The usual sort of thing, eh? But I - unlike many others, right - I was happy with mine.

[burger_king]

I can see why you don't want to settle down here. Here's to hoping this is the last time I talk to you.

[ Even though he really enjoyed the conversation. ]

[devoutish]

[Alfie grins at that. He likes you, Jughead.]

The sentiment's appreciated, mate.