Chapter 1: The usual day
The story starts at the end of year 1895 in mousedom. It was my usual day at work in small Japanese restaurant near the docks.
How did a young woman get that job? 'Cause I fit the only requirement, I spoke Japanese. Very little of it, but the fact that I did spoke it, even that little was enough for job. That and I caught two little thiefs stealing food from them. I made a deal that those two would work their stolen goods and after that my two little thief became the two most hard working boys in the restaurant and my best pals.
As I said it was my usual day at work, serving customers some tofu, rice and sake. Sometimes at my work, I have to through out some clients who have had too much. Today wasn't that day. When it began to get darker, at that many working mice came to eat after work. Of course, most of our clients are Asians but there were few exceptions, who enjoyed our sake. Today there were more of them.
It was busy for all of us in restaurant. Even boys had to start help on serving. I had my hands full on bottles and cups. But it still didn't stop my bad habit of hearing what customers said. "My boss is jerk." "Today was long one." "Got my wife waiting at home." I heard all this and more. But the worst part of me was that I remembered it all.
"After work I need to get to the docks" I said to myself.
The only way for me to forget what I heard was get to the docks and concentrate on some difficult puzzle. Restaurants owner sometimes gives me a puzzle. This had helped me many times to keep my mind sharp and forgetting unimportant things. That and singing. That was hole reason I went to docks. At docks there is no-one to hear my singing, not that I had bad voice, but I didn't like singing at audience. It made me nervous. When I talked I sounded like a young boy whose voice hasn't changed yet. For that reason I wore pants at work and everywhere. Hearing my singing was the only thing that made me sound like a woman. So I preferred to keep my feminine side at hide.
When I started to clean up one table which was a mess, my ear caught up something disturbing.
"Tonight we can get through, no-one will ever know how it all disappeared." said one customer behind my back.
I didn't see his face but from his speech I knew he wasn't our regular customer.
"What if some finds the tunnel?"asked other.
I turned while I cleaned the table to have a peek at their table. I kept my face on table scrubbing it clean while I had quick looks on the clients. They were three, English mice who wore used dark clothes. One was skinny with white brown fur and brown eyes. Seconds fur was slightly darker and had scar on his cheek. Last one was round and same colored fur as the first one and he kept sipping his drink.
"No-one will find it. We'll break the hole thing once everyone is out." said now the one with a scar on his cheek.
"What if yard finds out?" asked the skinny one.
"Don't worry there are always someone working at in the 9th and 7th warehouse. Why would some
come to check the 8th for having lights up." said the third one pouring more sake in to his cup.
"Okay, tonight and no-one will know. Huh, ..." sighed the skinny one.
"What are you nervous?"asked the one with a scar.
"Heck I am. It's a big gig. To go in to the bank and get out with the loot. It's my first job under him." said the skinny one.
"So don't screw it." said the one with a scar. "Finish your drink we'll leave soon."
"Hey waiter." third one shouted at me. I almost dropped the plate as I jumped.
"One sake bottle, we got long night ahead."
I sighed. I thought they caught me hearing their conversation. I quickly finished cleaning the table, went to their table to get the empty bottle and brought them a new one. After that I went to the kitchen. My face must have being pale or something. 'Cause the minute I entered,chef a middle-aged round grey mouse, looked at me with concern as did Ben one of the two boys I mentioned.
"Oy, daijōbudesuka?"chef asked as I passed the kitchen to the back door.
"Watashi...hitsuyô...kûki." I said as I nodded.
As I said before, I spoke very little of Japanese, but it was enough for the job. Chef nodded and got back to work.I stepped outside and took deep breathe. My hands were shaking as did my head. I have heard many things what customers have said but this was serious. A robbery. And the thiefs are eating and drinking here right now. I kept walking back and forth and I didn't notice Ben coming right at me.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
I turned around to see him. Ben was thirteen years old boy, his height was just over my waist. He had a light brown fur and deep brown eyes. I sighed and sat down on the ground. Ben came next to me and also sat down.
"Chef is a bit worried."
"Hmm"
"Something wrong?"
I sighed again and looked at him. So young and not easy to fool.
"I heard something disturbing." I finally said.
"They always say something stupid. Ask boss to give you a new numberpuzzlethinggy." He said.
"I actually prefer something harder than numbers." I said.
"Why, it is already hard to solve." he said rolling his eyes.
"Coming from someone who copies my puzzles but doesn't ask the rules." I said teasenly.
"You don't ask either."
I laughed a bit, then after couple thoughts I opened my mouth.
"If you would find out that something horrible is about happen, what would you do?" I asked.
"That depends, what are my options. If I could, I'd tell the yard, but we both know that will never happen." He said.
I knew what he meant, someones like Ben and Will are always seen as troublemakers. That's what they were before this job. I am not different of them nor is any other mouse in this blog. We are not taken seriously, we're immigrants, orphans, lowlifes, labor workers. Something you don't need to see at central. Maybe that's why the heist is committed here. I felt a bit bitter at myself. Actions like this robbery gave our home bad reputation. I took another sigh.
"You better go back Ben. Kitchen sink is full of dishes and we need clean plates to serve food." I said and patted his head.
"I know that." he said smiling and showed off my hand as he always did when I sent him to work.
Work ended quickly as it had started. Owner Aki told me to go home and as usual he gave me a puzzle on the paper. I couldn't help looking at Ben and chef who both quickly looked away. They must have told owner to give me something to keep my mind occupied. I took the paper and wished everyone good night.
As I sat at the docks I started solving the puzzle and after couple of minutes I had it solved. So much for keeping me occupied. Maybe owner didn't have any hard puzzles to give this time. I sighed. This didn't help me. The idea of grime going on made me restless. I was about to put the paper in my jacket pocket, when something ran through my mind. I looked at the paper, the puzzle on the other side and other side blank. I still had my pen on my hand which I use to solve puzzles. I looked the blank side of the paper and started to write with simple letters.
3rd block after Chinese quarters, 8th warehouse.
Robbery. Sent men to investigate.
"It's done then." I said as I finished writing.
Next evening was foggy at Baker street. And at number 221, Basil sat on his red armchair playing his violin. Basil felt a bit bored since there wasn't any new cases at hand. So he entertained himself with the music. He had reed the days newspaper. To him the bank robbery was the only thing that had any interest to him. The weirdest part in the case was that the most valuable items were left alone. Basil kept continuing playing the violin. He was sure that Scotland Yard can handle this without any problems. However, his playing got interrupted by knocking on the door.
"Looks like not." Basil said annoyingly to himself and got put from his chair to open the door. Behind the door was standing Chief inspector Lawless.
"Good afternoon inspector, please don't tell me you came because of the bank robbery." Basil said with a little tone sarcasm and guided the guest in.
"You can put that thought out of your mind. The case is closed now, we managed to catch them and got back most of the stolen items" Inspector said with a calm voice sounding a bit proud of himself.
"Most?" Basil asked.
"Well... Some wooden boxes were left missing but nothing of great value." Inspector said.
"Well then. Why on earth then did you come to see me. If the case is so well handled, you don't need me. Unless, you expect me to find those wooden boxes?" Basil said smiling.
"Nothing of such. Two of my men got killed during action. They followed the lead and caught the culprits red handed. How ever that didn't seem to stop them to fight back. Where I need your assistance is finding the person who wrote this note." Inspector said holding out the paper.
Basil took the paper in his hand looked at it carefully. The paper was three and a half inches tall, two inches wide and was wrinkly. Letters on the were clear yet the form was simple.
3rd block after Chinese quarters, 8th warehouse.
Robbery. Sent men to investigate.
Basil couldn't help smiling.
"So this is how you found out about robbery." He said smirk on his face.
"Yes. At first I thought it was a joke, but I sent someone to check it anyway. Later we found out the note was true and we caught them. Still the loss was great, when we lost our men"
"And the wooden boxes" Basil added. Lawless gave him a annoyed look. Basil turned the paper and saw a odd-looking drawing.
"Interesting."Basil said and stared the paper.
"Can you figure out what that is?" Lawless asked.
"I don't need to figure it out, I know what it is. It's a very popular puzzle among Asian immigrants. The task is to add needed details to a half ready drawing to make it hole. In this case it was very easy to anyone who knows Asian signs.
"So, the writer is Asian." Inspector said quickly.
"Not necessarily, beside me, I know a handful of mice who know Asian signs yet are not Asians."Basil said. "And it's very probable that our writer is a woman."
"What!?"
"Oh, it wasn't easy to notice, since the letters are written in their most simplest form. But if you would pay closer attention, you would find very small feminine touches."
Basil sat down to his chair and kept looking at the paper. One side after the other.
"Just of curiosity, why are you so interested to find this mystery writer?" Basil asked after a moment.
"Beside losing my men. I want to know how did he know about the robbery and why didn't he come to tell yard sooner." Lawless answered with inpatient voice.
"She, inspector. It's she. Although it looks like she prefers to stay unanimous according to this note. No signature and no particular handwriting style."Basil said looking at the paper.
"Where do I find her?" Lawless asked.
"Hmmm." Basil kept looking at the paper. He hold it front of the light and found stains on it. He brought it close to his nose and sniffed.
"I say, 5th quarter after the Chinese apartments near the docks a Japanese restaurant which serves just made sake."Basil said after sniffing the paper.
"You are sure?" Lawless asked.
"Yes I am sure. Paper has clear liquid stains which appear front of the light. Which means paper has been under a bottle or has had a little splash of it. The smell is obviously sake. Since stains are clear the sake hasn't matured much. There three small restaurant at docks however closest to the robbery scene is in the 5th." Basil said giving the paper back to inspector who looked at the paper sniffed himself to prove that Basils words were true.
"However, I wouldn't go there tonight. Since we only know our writers working place, we can only find her there. At this time she might have finished her work and be on her way home. Where-ever that is." Basil added.
"We'll be going there tomorrow at noon. Everybody works at that time." Inspector said.
"Mind if I come along? I'm curious to hear her side of this case."Basil asked quickly.
"So am I. I see no trouble for you coming along if you stay out of the way." Inspector said before he left.
Basil sat quietly looking at the paper. He couldn't help wondering what kind of person this mystery writer was. He stare papers both sides as if looking for more clues. After some time, he put the paper down and continued playing violin.
Tomorrow he would find it out anyway.