The Scotland Yard couldn't find the runaway anywhere. They went back to the restaurant to wait if she comes back. Basil couldn't help noticing grins on almost everyone in there. They were actualy happy that she got away. Inspector Lawless also noticed it since he was getting very inpatiente. The owner still didn't give any useful information. Not to mention any other in the restaurant. Finally, inspector had to give up. There was no-sign of runaway coming back, and much worse, he didn't have solid reason nor ground to take anyone in custody.
However Basil wasn't going to give up so easely. He thought that if she was such good friend with everyone in this neigborhood, how about becoming part of it. He was eager to get more informatio about this girl. So he came home, told that he'll be dinning out tonight and left Baker street with a disguise. He returned to the restaurant and to his relief no-one didn't regodnize him. Of course, how anyone could? He didn't wear any neat gentelman-like clothes anymore. He wore now, a wornout asian jacket, under it a dirty white plouse. His trousers now had holes on knees and lots of patches. Not to mention his shoes were modest yet so worn that they had holes too. His face was smudged with coal and ash. He also wore a fake mustash. And the hat was nothing more than a bandana.
He sat down and ordered some drink and small snack. After the waiter had gone which was one of the boys, the youngest, he kept his ears open to hear what others were talking. To his suprise, restaurant was now full of mouses of different nationalities. Earlier on the day, place had only Japanese or Chinese mouses, with couple exceptions. Now he noted some latin-american axcents, french, russian and irish mouses. They weren't only males, there was also females and even children. What were they all doing here?
Boy came quickly back with a bottle, a cup, and a small plate with some sort of piccels. It wasn't first time for Basil to have Japanese food. During his other investigations he had spend some time with Asian mice. He poured the drink to his cup and kept his ears open to catch anything interesting. The hole restaurant was keeping a noise. Everyone was talking. Some tables were full of mice of same nationalities and some tables were mixed. However the topic seemed to be one and same. The chase of Scotland Yard. Basil had heard most the conversation, when door slammed open and the guest stayed at the entrance. Everyone turned to look at the visitor. After taking a look into the hole place the visitor smiled and sayed.
"Everyone guess who's back?"
Basil and half of the clients couldn't help letting their jaws drop down, when they saw who came in behind him.
I bet everyone recognized me. The faces they had, were unforgettable. Well, seeing me wearing a skirt for first time would have being quite shocking. It was ackward to me too. I looked like gipsy in those clothes, well... I did knew some, but never had dressed like them. I wore a white long sleeved blouse, a short decoreded black jacket and matching skirt that came to my knees under black thight pants that came half way to ankles. My hair wasn't hid under hat anymore and it was open. So yes, now I looked like woman for the first time in year.
"Maria!" Some shouted, but I quickly signed to hold their mouth.
"Hi, everyone. Could some tell me, why there are two officers outside?" I pretended to ask.
"Oh, them. They try catch some girl who dresses like man." One white Spanish mouse said.
"Well, good thing I don't dress like a man." I said making a little curtsey.
Everyone laughed at that. Well, almost everyone. I was reliefed to be among friends. Of course, owner was the first one who came to me.
"As you see we are full. So get to work." He said.
Everyone laughed again. I just sighed, took my jacket off, pulled my sleeves up and took the wanted to know about my escape. To every table I went to serve, I was attacked by questions. Some asked how I did my escape, some asked why I never told them that I was a female. I finally cracked when Hugos (he's Spanish) little children asked me to tell my "adventure".
"Now see here." I said out loud to everyone. "As much as I like to tell you everything, I'm working now."
The aww the kids let out almost broke my heart. Almost. It didn't, because some grown up men joined it.
"Go ahead, tell them." Owner shouted somewhere behind the groud.
"Are sure what you are saying? I can't talk and serve drinks and hot food at same time." I asked.
"You tell, they drink more and pay more." He shouted.
Everyone shouted some cheer and some complains after hearing owners comment. They really wanted to hear me talking or they now had to order something. After hearing owners comment, I put the tray to the desk. With couple of small jumps, I was standing on one table and facing my audience.
"I never expected Yard to search for me. So yes, I was very suprised to see them." I started.
"Suprised or scared?" Renald asked laughing.
"Both." I answered. "But thanks to our generous owner." I extended my hand at him. "I managed to get out of the restaurant. What I don't get is, how did they gaught on me so quickly."
"There was some private detective, who told everyone that you're a gal and send all the cops after ya." Patrick shouted somewhere at the corner.
"Well, that solved the mystery." I said."After I saw the Yard coming after me outside. I started to run. And I mean RUN, I never knew I could run that fast. And I never knew that Yard can run AS fast. The first thing to get in the way, was Chois vegetable-cart. I didn't know what to do, but before I knew, I was jumping over the cart and at the other side. By the way Choi, I'm sorry about your cart."
"Don't worry, I already sent the bill to the Scotland Yard and I charged little extra too." Choi said on his chair and got everybodys cheer.
"Back to the chase." I said. "There was only one way to get my pusuiers to stop. And I used it, the narrow alleyway. And believe me, it was worth to skip the lunch. Where I barely got out, they got stuck. I'm talking about five mouses here. They were stuck so thight that I couldn't see the other end of the alleyway. But later to my disappointment, there were more of them. And I had run again. They followed me through the marketplace. By the way, thanks Renald for stopping some of them."
Renald nodded and everyone cheer for him.
"However they kept chasing me. My chase came finally to the construction site. Again, thank you to Jeffrey and Mac, for bloging their way."
There was laughter in the restaurant.
"That gave me enough time to spot our friend Bob and his co-workers." I said pointing at Bob, who received cheers. "I ran at then and asked for lift. I got it. But I regerted it. I bet some of you heard me while went up. If you didn't , then surely you heard the crash, when building materials hit the ground. The rest I prefer not to remember."
A loud aww was heard allover the restaurant. Everyone joined it. Everyone.
"But that's the part we want to hear!" shouted Will.
"Why?" I asked.
"'Cause we never saw how you dissappeared from the ropes." He said.
Everyone agreed with him. I could only sigh. When some started to hit their fists on table, I gave up.
"Alright, I tell." I said. Everyone cheered and to my suprise the loudest was the owner.
"I don't handel well hights. I never know how, but it's different everytime. But this time wasn't right time for panic. At the same level as the ropes were, I had two options, surrender or go through the ropes. You already know what I chose."
everyone nodded.
"It was the scariest moment of my life. After a pray, I took my steps on the rope. Left- right-left-right." I said as I took long steps to the table to table. Everyone picked their cups as came to their tables.
"Tells us how you got away from the Yard." Ben shouted.
"Coming to it. When I got half way to the other side, I saw my exit was blogged by two officers. I try to go back, but there is someone else." I continued.
"It was that detective, wasn't it?" Patrick asked.
"Yes, I think it was, since he wasn't like the Yard officers. He tried to be nice, but I wasn't in my best mood at hights. So, I might have upsetted him. He pointed me that I had no-where to go. Or so he thought." I said smirking.
"Where did you go then?" One Hugos kid asked. I just pointed down.
"No you didn't." Ben said.
"Yes I did. I took the scarf and one hard-bun from my pocket. And throwed it at the pigeons, to create a distraction. While pigeons flew around me, I jumped down. Eeeh, you know. Being on the rope wasn't the scaries moment of my life, the jump was. Of course, the jump was calculated. Right then, Johnny was passing by with his dirty laundry cart. And thats where I landed. And the last thing I remmeber, was a huge dirty laundry bag landing on me." I ended.
"Hey, I had hide you. Be grateful it was all in a bag." Johnny said. And everybody prusted to laugh.
"Anyhow, ladies and gentelmen tha's how you escape the Yard." I said rising a cup which picked from the table I was standing on. Everyone drinked to that except children. But Ben started argue that he was ole enough to drink.
After that, there was dancing, singing and more drinking. But in middle of all it, one question rose up.
"Oy Maria, why was the Yard after anyway." Someone asked somewhere in restaurant. Everybody stopped whatever They were doing to hear what I would say.
"Oh yeah, that. I sent them a note about a robbery about to occur. Gues they read it." I said. That was my biggest mistake.
Some lauhded and thought that they heard wrong. But I bet almost no-one belived me.