Crime In New York; Ch. 1
folder
S through Z › Sleepy Hollow
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
6
Views:
2,131
Reviews:
2
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
S through Z › Sleepy Hollow
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
6
Views:
2,131
Reviews:
2
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Sleepy Hollow, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
ch.3
“Ichabod, where on earth have you been?” Katrina demanded in a high, overwrought voice that sounded strange even to her as Ichabod entered their home at ten in the morning the next day.
Ichabod clutched his aching head and sank down into his chair by the fire, not much soothed by his wife’s suddenly less than dulcet tones. “Working on that case...the dock murder.”
“You promised you’d hurry back!” Katrina fairly shrieked. “You were gone the rest of the night and half the morning! I’ve been out of my mind! Where were you?!”
“ The morgue then the library...Katrina please...I’ve got an awful headache.”
“I don’t care! It’s your own fau...” Katrina choked on her own words as Ichabod looked up at her and she saw his lovely brown eyes dulled, rimmed with red and slightly puffy around the edges. Tears leaked out of them leaving dark trails on ashen cheeks. Her anger quickly subsided. She knelt down beside Ichabod’s chair and hugged him saying in a much gentler but tremulous voice, “I’m sorry Ichabod. I was just so worried.”
“I should not have worried you.” Ichabod returned her embrace. “It’s just...I became so involved in my work that I forgot everything else, even what any fool would recognize as most important.”
Katrina shook her head and gave a wry smile over Ichabod’s shoulder. “Between the way he looks and talks it’s difficult to stay angry with him,” she thought, “and it’s completely impossible when he’s unwell.” His small body trembled in her arms from equal parts cold, hunger and utter exhaustion. “Come on, let’s get you to bed. Thank heavens it’s Sunday. Even Chief Constable Erikson wouldn’t have the crust to come again today.
***
Katrina let Ichabod sleep for most of the day and poured over her various spell books looking for the candle pattern Ichabod had shown her in his notebook.
“I should have thought of that earlier.” He’d said with a sigh and closed his eyes. “If anyone around here would know what that signified, it would be you.”
Later on, Katrina came into the bedroom with a cup of hot broth. She set it on the bedside table and softly kissed and stroked her husband’s forehead to wake him. To her relief he wasn’t feverish.
Ichabod opened his eyes which looked much better already. They were still a little red but the puffiness had faded. He smiled at Katrina and sat up. She gave him the broth. Once he had taken one or two swallows, he asked her,
“Did you find that pattern I asked you about?”
Katrina sighed. She’d really rather Ichabod didn’t think about the case for the rest of the day. But getting upset about it would be rather like getting angry at knickknacks for collecting dust. “No, nothing. I looked in every book I possess and scanned my own memories of various spells but that pattern does not exist in any of it. Of course being connected with a murder it’s probably dark magic. I’m not well versed in that.”
Ichabod shook his head. “ I’ve already been through those books. One of the reasons I was home so late was it took an hour alone to convince that pious librarian to let me look at them. “
“I think someone must have just made that pattern up.”
“It’s beginning to look that way.” Ichabod agreed. “But that’s very strange. Usually ritualistic murders are done with some specific, existing ritual in mind and if it’s done in a place like New York, it’s generally something any layman could learn about from a trip to the library.”
Katrina thought a minute. “ What if the murderer isn’t a layman when it comes to magic?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well maybe it’s someone who’s traveled, who’s seen things that wouldn’t be in books. You might try the explorer’s club.”
“Brilliant!”Ichabod grabbed Katrina’s face and kissed her. “Darling, what would I do without you? The explorer’s club! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“I’m sure you would have if you’d come home and gone back to bed last night rather than staying up ridiculously late at the library. Now finish your broth and rest a bit more while I heat some water for a bath.”
“Yes dear.” Ichabod said meekly. He drank the rest of the broth and lay down. “First thing Monday morning, I’m off to the explorer’s club.”
Ichabod clutched his aching head and sank down into his chair by the fire, not much soothed by his wife’s suddenly less than dulcet tones. “Working on that case...the dock murder.”
“You promised you’d hurry back!” Katrina fairly shrieked. “You were gone the rest of the night and half the morning! I’ve been out of my mind! Where were you?!”
“ The morgue then the library...Katrina please...I’ve got an awful headache.”
“I don’t care! It’s your own fau...” Katrina choked on her own words as Ichabod looked up at her and she saw his lovely brown eyes dulled, rimmed with red and slightly puffy around the edges. Tears leaked out of them leaving dark trails on ashen cheeks. Her anger quickly subsided. She knelt down beside Ichabod’s chair and hugged him saying in a much gentler but tremulous voice, “I’m sorry Ichabod. I was just so worried.”
“I should not have worried you.” Ichabod returned her embrace. “It’s just...I became so involved in my work that I forgot everything else, even what any fool would recognize as most important.”
Katrina shook her head and gave a wry smile over Ichabod’s shoulder. “Between the way he looks and talks it’s difficult to stay angry with him,” she thought, “and it’s completely impossible when he’s unwell.” His small body trembled in her arms from equal parts cold, hunger and utter exhaustion. “Come on, let’s get you to bed. Thank heavens it’s Sunday. Even Chief Constable Erikson wouldn’t have the crust to come again today.
***
Katrina let Ichabod sleep for most of the day and poured over her various spell books looking for the candle pattern Ichabod had shown her in his notebook.
“I should have thought of that earlier.” He’d said with a sigh and closed his eyes. “If anyone around here would know what that signified, it would be you.”
Later on, Katrina came into the bedroom with a cup of hot broth. She set it on the bedside table and softly kissed and stroked her husband’s forehead to wake him. To her relief he wasn’t feverish.
Ichabod opened his eyes which looked much better already. They were still a little red but the puffiness had faded. He smiled at Katrina and sat up. She gave him the broth. Once he had taken one or two swallows, he asked her,
“Did you find that pattern I asked you about?”
Katrina sighed. She’d really rather Ichabod didn’t think about the case for the rest of the day. But getting upset about it would be rather like getting angry at knickknacks for collecting dust. “No, nothing. I looked in every book I possess and scanned my own memories of various spells but that pattern does not exist in any of it. Of course being connected with a murder it’s probably dark magic. I’m not well versed in that.”
Ichabod shook his head. “ I’ve already been through those books. One of the reasons I was home so late was it took an hour alone to convince that pious librarian to let me look at them. “
“I think someone must have just made that pattern up.”
“It’s beginning to look that way.” Ichabod agreed. “But that’s very strange. Usually ritualistic murders are done with some specific, existing ritual in mind and if it’s done in a place like New York, it’s generally something any layman could learn about from a trip to the library.”
Katrina thought a minute. “ What if the murderer isn’t a layman when it comes to magic?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well maybe it’s someone who’s traveled, who’s seen things that wouldn’t be in books. You might try the explorer’s club.”
“Brilliant!”Ichabod grabbed Katrina’s face and kissed her. “Darling, what would I do without you? The explorer’s club! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“I’m sure you would have if you’d come home and gone back to bed last night rather than staying up ridiculously late at the library. Now finish your broth and rest a bit more while I heat some water for a bath.”
“Yes dear.” Ichabod said meekly. He drank the rest of the broth and lay down. “First thing Monday morning, I’m off to the explorer’s club.”