Plot

Plot threads and ideas.

1. Murder mystery? Charlotte finds her master murdered.
2. Jews = scapegoats throughout history (gah -- sounds too much like my first book!)
3. Does Jack the Ripper need to be a part of this?
1. Ripper as a boy; Charlotte the family's maid boy's governess.
2. Mother cheats on father.
3. Does father suicide or is he murdered?
4. Ripper sees all women as untrustworthy or tainted.
5. Does he kill his mother?
6. How does Charlotte know all of this?
7. After murders, does she come forward to unburden herself? Why?
4. Does Charlotte unburden herself to Sherlock Holmes?

Outline

1. Charlotte consults a detective.
2. Charlotte must unburden herself. She feels guilt because she is sure of the identity of the Ripper. Moreover, she could see his violent tendencies develop and she stood by and did nothing.
3. Flashback begins.
1. Scene: Whitechapel, 1872. Charlotte is a maid governess in the Ackerley household. Her master is a doctor; middle class Anglican. Her mistress is a Jewess, but does not practice her religion. They have a seven-year-old son, Jacob (nicknamed Jack).
2. The mistress begins having an affair with a strange man who visits the house when the master is out. He is never introduced to the boy or to Charlotte. Instead, Charlotte is always directed to see that Jack practices the piano while the man visits.
3. Charlotte knows the mistress must be having an affair, but she does as she is told.
4. One day, the piano falls silent. The boy, finally too curious to do as he is told, creeps upstairs. Charlotte notices his silence too late. She goes upstairs to find him watching his mother having sex with the stranger.
5. When she is able to react, Charlotte removes him from the scene. He declares his mother is a whore and goes outside. She picks up her silver polishing.
6. Strange things start to happen around the house, things that hurt the mistress -- needles in her chair and the like.
7. The mistress blames Charlotte and threatens to fire her if she can't be more careful.
8. Charlotte suspects the boy, but is afraid to say anything.
9. The boy abuses animals, and Charlotte is alarmed, but says nothing.
10. One day when the strange man appears, the boy leaves the house abruptly.
11. Some time later, he returns with his father, who is clearly worried there is an emergency at home.
12. The father sees his wife with the strange man.
1. Option one: Father goes insane with jealousy and shoots the wife and lover, then puts the gun in his own mouth. The boy and Charlotte see it all.
2. Option two: Father is desperately sad upon seeing the scene and shoots himself at the doorway of his wife's room. The boy and Charlotte see.
13. The boy blames his mother's infidelity for the death of his beloved father. He says something about all whores needing to be killed that chills Charlotte, but again, she keeps it to herself.
14. Perhaps he pushes her down the stairs, trying to kill her?
15. Boy possibly runs away and Charlotte doesn't know what becomes of him until she begins to see clippings in the newspaper alluding to his career as a doctor (ads?).
16. When prostitutes are murdered in Whitechapel, Charlotte suspects the boy, but isn't sure until she hears of some or other clue (need to do more research) -- a calling card that makes her feel sure.
17. She tries to tell the police, but for some reason, they don't listen.
18. She goes after him herself, scared she will not survive the encounter.
19. She kills him? Something has to happen for the murders to stop.
4. She is where she was in the beginning.
5. She has told her whole story, and the detective releases her.
6. He is Sherlock Holmes, and he has deduced that Charlotte herself is involved somehow? I don't know.
7. Does he go to the police? If so, do they believe him?
8. She can't get away with murder, can she?
9. Perhaps she becomes a final victim, not associated with the Ripper in history as she was killed in a different manner.

Pieces