The Lady Hellion by Joanna Shupe

from the water, sir?”
    Sophie stood a bit taller. Or tried to, at least. “I have not, but I shall not be turned away. The girl may very well be my valet’s sister, and I mean to set the man’s mind at ease.” She slid a few coins across the surface of the desk.
    The clerk wasted no time in pocketing the silver. “Of course, sir. Follow me.”
    He came around the desk once more, a large ring of keys in his hand. There was a lamp on the corner, which he picked up as well. Sophie followed him to the door, which the clerk unlocked to reveal a set of steps. They descended, the soft light throwing shadows on the plain, dirty walls. Doors fitted with heavy locks stood on both sides of the corridor. They continued on to the far end, where the man used another key to open a thick, wooden door. “We keep it locked at night,” he explained and gestured for Sophie to enter.
    This room was brighter than she expected, with multiple lamps positioned around the large space. Instruments covered every surface, a macabre silver reflecting in the glow. There were three long tables, two of which were covered with cloths. A young, bearded man with blood on his clothing—the surgeon, she assumed—leaned against the empty third examination table, a lit cheroot in his fingers. There were dark smudges under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept in a very long time.
    “This gentleman wants to see the girl pulled out day before yesterday, the one missing a hand,” the first officer said.
    The surgeon tiredly lifted his cheroot and asked, “Do you mind? Might keep your eyes from watering if you’re not used to the other smell.”
    She nodded, grateful. The underlying scent was already quite strong—a rank, noxious odor of decaying flesh. He gestured to a long table where a sheet-covered lump rested. “Right here.” He walked over and flipped the cloth with a flick of his wrist to reveal a bloated, pale naked form with an incision down the center of her body. Sophie had to dig her nails into her palms to keep from reacting. She’d never seen a dead body, let alone one pulled from the water. The skin was gray and loose, torn in places, the stomach distended. Her hair had been cut short, a rough, haphazard effort. Pity constricted Sophie’s chest as she forced herself closer.
    “Couple of surveyors found her yesterday around noontime. Some boys were throwing rocks at something floating in the water near Horsleydown and the surveyors went to investigate. Pulled her out and brought her here.”
    Sophie swallowed hard. “Do you know what killed her?”
    He pointed to purple marks around her throat. “Strangled.”
    “And her hand was severed.”
    “Yes, very neatly, too.”
    She walked all around, studying the body from various angles. The smell grew stronger and she fought the urge to gag. She took a handkerchief from her coat and held it over her nose. “That mark there, on her leg. Is that a tattoo?”
    “Yes. It’s a small playing card, the queen of spades. Likely a mark from whatever house in which she worked. It’s not a common practice, but there are a few who do it.”
    So not Rose, who had been employed at The Pretty Kitty. Sophie experienced a small measure of relief until she realized this meant another girl had been murdered. This made a total of four found in the last six months—and that still left Rose unaccounted for. She thought of Natalia, the tavern worker that had disappeared a few months back. Could she have been another victim as well?
    “Anything else you can tell me about her, or any idea when she was killed?”
    He blew a long, thin stream of smoke from his lips. “Generally takes at least two days in the water until they float to the surface, depending on the temperatures. Dead before she went in the water. Appears as if she was raped as well.”
    Sophie closed her eyes briefly. A tragic end for anyone, prostitute or lady. “Thank you. I think that is all I need. May I leave money for a proper