Ok, so I'm rewriting two stories while writing this one, so don't expect updates so soon between each chapter.
Eli H. Lee
Falling…that's all he remembered last. He had been fighting Basil… the clock, it had rang, causing them both to fall. He remembered hitting something that bad a splash. He must have fallen into the water. He remembered something pulling at him, how his back ached with pain. Oh terrible, agonizing pain… And all of it was black.
Until he fell from Big Ben, all he saw was black. Before that, all he had saw was red.
…..
His eye lids slowly open, everything blurry at first before blinking a few times as everything came into focus. Everything was in pain, but not as agonizing as he remembered it at first. He held a hand up to his head, and instantly regretted it before noticing the bandages he had across his chest, shoulders, part of his head, and arms.
"What in the blazes?"
"Oh good, yer finally awake, Professor," a female Cockney accent rang out, it's owner being a female mouse with grayish fur that had a slight brown tint to it and mouse brown hair that fell to her shoulder and always framed the front of her heart shaped face, a slight part trailing down her snout. Her nose was like a rounded triangle and black and her eyes were green for she had the rare trait among mice where they eye color showed all the time*. She wore a green sweater and a blue scarf around the neck. She also wore dark brown pants and blue, cuffed boots. Her expression held only slight boredom, as she got up from the chair. "About time an' all. I was ge'in' sick ov tryin' ter clean da syringe fer your medicine each time," she said as she reached a nearby cabinet that contained medicines.
Ratigan stared for a moment before chuckling weakly, his hand still held up his head. "Never thought your knew anything medical, Ms. Knox."
Knox didn't turn her head, only taking a medicine bottle that contained some sort of sickly green liquid and turning it over to read the label. "Smuggling's a dangerous business, Professor. What yew know might be enuff ter safe your own life an' your crew," she said, grabbing a nearby tablespoon and shaking up the bottle as she walked over to him. Ratigan lifted his hand from his head and dropped it to his side as Knox made him swallow the medicine.
"Like to explain how I got here, my dear?" He said, putting up his usual grin at her. She only rolled her eyes at him.
"John an' William fished yew an' Fidget out ov da river." The grin faltered as he remember about the bat. Knox continued, saying, "At least 'e was still conscious. Hell, 'e was tryin' ter keep yew above da freakin' water! Told us all what 'appened up on what old clock!" For a moment, just a blink of an eye, she looked rather miffed as she put the medicine back, though as she spoke, she retained her calm voice. "What da 'ell was yew thinking? As inventive as i' were, yew really thought ter kill an' take da place ov da Baked Bean* ov Mousedom? And 'ow long did yew think what nobody was gon'a get suspicious ov why da mouse queen appoin'ed a rat ter be kin' when she 'as not one, but four sons ov 'er own?" At that last part, she crossed her arms as she spun to face him. Ratigan gritted his teeth when she emphasized the word "rat."
She sighed, rubbing her face, and for the first time for the moment, the male rodent noticed how tired she actually look, small bags starting to develop under her jade eyes.
"The last thin' we need is fer da criminal world ov us rodents ter kick da bucket at da moment..." she said quietly, but not enough for Ratigan not to hear.
"Excuse me?"
Knox looked back over at him, her hand now resting on her cheek now. "We're bein' cracked down by da cops, Ratigan. Yew was da one they kept tryin' ter get, an' now what they think you're dead, they're after any other criminal. And someone's tippin' 'em off, but we don't know who...We 'ad ter break out at least everyone what goes ter da old Rat Trap locations at least five times now," she said. Ratigan just stared as she answered his most likely question. "You've been out fer three weeks. And your cat got taken in by a fancy old lady. Bill says that da girl's getin' spoiled by that woman." Ratigan stayed quiet, laying against the bed board at this information.
"How long until I can get up and on this?"
"Around two weeks at least, but da long term healing'll take months."
"Do the police really think I'm dead?" Ratigan took noticed of Knox's held breath at the question, as well as her stronger grip on her arms. "You've been questioned on it?" Knox breathed out quickly, shutting her eyes for a moment.
"The entire family an' crew. We've been ge'in' caught 'ere an' there an' all. Basil's been on da case, 'ryin' ter use disguises ter pry information out ov us when I get da chance ter run da shop, an' Bertha's been questioned an' all every time da Rat Trap boys get thrown in. Gave 'em 'ell, she did." Knox leaned against the wall, looking to the ceiling. Ratigan remained quiet at this, looking around the room as he took it in. He knew this room, surprisingly enough. It was used to store hidden stash from police if something happened to the Knox family's shop, or if they just couldn't hide it there. This room happened to be next to Howard Knox's study and accessed from the piano room above. It was actually odd in the regard then, for no one would suspect that with how Gwendolen Knox here dressed and Bertha Knox was that chubby barmaid with a flower always in her hair at the Rat Trap that this family would have actually been rather well off in society standards. Ratigan knew this family for what it was most of all however. More than what most other 'customers' would know anyway.
"Basil's… onto this?" Knox merely nodded, her eyes still shut, though her eyebrows narrowed deeply. Ratigan watched her reaction. "Did this little 'someone' who's giving information to the police happened to hint at my condition?" Knox opened one eye to look at his face.
"Ah yes, we've all been thinkin' on who da little snitch is, an' we all actually 'ave determined that 'e hinted it ter 'em coppers. Well, it ain't Fidget. He's still bedridden until we get 'im a new peg leg. And it' ain't Bill, Frank, or Tom. If anythin' as i' is, they're actually tryin' ter find out who da sneak is. But 'e's one ov your thugs, that's fer sure. No other criminal groups an' such know ov your conditions or even what yer alive. Fidget thought ter let yew determine if yew wan' ter surprise 'em wiv a bang or not on that," she said, just before a knock came from above.
"Knox, we got trouble!"
Ratigan recognized the voice belonging to the Rat Trap bar maid instantly. Bertha opened what was a hidden part of the room's ceiling (or part of the floor for the room above) to reveal her face, which was shaped so similarly to her sister's.
"What's da trouble dis time?" Knox asked, staring up at the more 'colorful' of the two.
"Frank thinks he knows who the snitch is, problem is word got to one of them police officers firsts. Papa and some others are going to solve it out, but if something goes wrong…" Bertha trailed off, the worry in her dark eyes sharing the same concern the younger Knox girl had but didn't show.
"Fidget's up in da spare room, Mama should be wiv 'im. Get 'em ter da 'ide out. John an' William should be around somewhere in either da study awer da library. Tell 'em I need 'elp movin' da Professor. I'll leave da signal behind fer Papa an' Harvey."
And this is just a few weeks before the actual story. Yeah, sorry that there was more focus on the OC Knox and the Rat Trap barmaid a bit, and yes, I named her Bertha here, than Ratigan. But this is just the prologue. This is just a few weeks before the actual events of the story takes place. Btw, "Baked Bean" is a Cockney slang word for Queen. And please review.
Also.. um... since the title of this story does contain the word "murder." So that should give you a slight hint on what to... kind of suspect.
