Here's Chapter 9. I'm running low on plot ideas for the story. I might have the end part of the movie, where he kills Turpin and the Beadle, be the next chapter and put an epilogue after that. The epilogue might be the beginning to a sequel.
Diana POV
I walked into Dad's shop on Friday night to clean up when I found Toby digging around in Dad's dresser. "Toby what do you think you are doing?" I asked walking up behind.
Startled Toby jumped and banged his head on one of the drawers he had left open, "Nothing! Nothing Diana."
"Really, because it certainly doesn't look like you're doing nothing. It appears that you're looking for something, did Mr. Todd take something away from you?" I replied not buying a word he said.
"Diana doesn't be mad at me, but I think there's something wrong with Mr. Todd. That he's evil or something. Haven't you noticed that none of his customers come back, well you work up here with him so I'm sure you've noticed. I want to proof to Mum that there's something wrong with him," Toby explained.
"For your information Toby, his customers do leave the shop they just take a staircase that you can't see from Mum's shop. Besides you don't think Mr. Todd's going to notice if all of his stuff has been moved around, I mean he'll probably get mad at you and threaten to throw you out on the street again. And even if he was "evil" or he "killed his customers" do you really think he would leave evidence here? Don't you think he would get rid of it? I swear you are a complete idiot, Tobias," I said before walking out of the shop.
Honestly it's like the boy doesn't have a brain or something. He really thinks we would leave the evidence just lying around. Doesn't he ever think these things through? If he's beginning to notice these things I should probably warn Mum and Dad. We obviously aren't being careful enough. Well at least one good thing is going to happen tonight. Toby's going to get yelled at!
I was sitting in the parlor reading while waiting for Mum and Dad to get back when Toby came downstairs. Instead of walking into the parlor he headed towards the pie shop. He's probably looking for the gin. A few minutes later Toby walked into the parlor with a bottle of gin and two tumblers. "Diana don't you worry at all about Mum? I mean doesn't Mr. Todd disturb you at all?" Toby asked while pouring gin for both of us.
"Toby, if Mum thinks that she's safe around Mr. Todd, then we should trust her. Yes Mr. Todd is quiet and he tends to keep to himself, but he pays his rent, helps us make a profit, and he cares about Mum. He makes Mum happy and that should be enough to make you like him," I replied before drinking some of the gin.
"I guess you're right, but I still don't like him," Toby replied after finishing his second shot of gin.
After finishing my shot I took my tumbler back to the shop. I washed it and the dishes Toby and I had used for dinner before I headed back to the parlor. There I found Toby passed out on the couch with the half full bottle of gin in his hands. It had started out completely full. Once again he's passed out drunk, that'll make Mum happy. I then grabbed the bottle and his tumbler before heading back to the kitchen to put them away. When I came back to the parlor I dragged Toby to his room figuring that might buy me a bit more time when Mum gets home. I don't why she thinks I should be in charge of him when she's not home, I mean it's not like he doesn't get drunk when she's here.
Mum and Dad got home about two hours later and immediately Dad headed upstairs to his shop while Mum looked in the parlor for me and Toby. Spotting me in my usual chair reading she asked, "Diana where's Toby?"
"In his room, passed out like always, and before you start ranting he brought out the gin and drank almost that whole half of the bottle. I wasn't here for half of that either I was cleaning the dishes that we had used for dinner," I said defending myself before she could start yelling.
"Fine, I guess it's not your fault if he's a bit of a drunk," Mum said while leaving the parlor to go check on Toby in his room.
Just as she left, Dad yelled from upstairs, "Diana, come up here now!"
I then rushed up there knowing that he would only get angrier if I took my time. "Yes Dad," I said when I was in the shop.
"What happened in here? I left with Nellie and everything was normal and I come back to find the shop a mess," Dad replied while picking his belongings up and putting them away.
"It's Toby; he's realized that something weird is going on here. He doesn't know what yet, but he's suspicious of you and what's happening to the customers. He thought that he could find proof and show it to Mum to get you thrown out of here and arrested," I replied.
"And you know this because?" he asked.
"I came up here after you left to clean up the mess and I found Toby digging around in your drawers. I asked him what he was doing and he basically told me what I just told you, but he gave a much longer explanation. Is that all you want?" I asked while heading for the door.
Dad then picked up his razors and found that two were missing, "Did the boy take anything?"
"I don't think so, why are you missing something?" I asked freezing in my tracks.
He then showed me the case. "Oh don't you remember you keep one in you holster?" I replied.
"I know that, but would you mind telling me where the other is?" he asked annoyed.
"Thirty-five and your memory is all ready slipping. Sheesh, Dad you're not aging well," I teased him.
"Diana!" he yelled obviously getting annoyed.
"All right, sheesh don't get so touchy. You gave me one after Mum was attacked, remember. I have it here," I said while pulling it out from my boots.
"Oh right, sorry about that," he replied while closing the case and putting it back in its spot on his desk.
"Diana I need you to bring your mother up here. Tell her we need to talk about the boy, you need to come up here too," Dad said while checking and closing the remaining drawers of the desk.
I then ran downstairs to go get Mum telling her that Dad needed to talk to the two of us.
Mrs. Lovett POV
"Diana what did Sweeney, I mean Mr. Todd want?" I asked when I saw Diana come back downstairs.
"He wants to talk to both of us, right now. It's about Toby," she replied while pulling me upstairs.
We got upstairs to his shop and found half its contents all over the room. "Mr. T what happened in here?" I asked.
Sweeney nodded at Diana from where he was standing next to his dresser refolding his shirts. "Mum, Toby came in here and searched through Dad's belongings," Diana explained while gathering Sweeney's vests and pants and handing them to him.
"Diana I know that you're not fond of Toby, but are you sure it was him?" I asked not believing that Toby would do such a thing.
"Mum it was him. I saw him up here pulling things out of the drawers," Diana retorted.
"That's not all Nellie," Sweeney said after finishing putting away all of his clothes.
"What do you mean Sw-Mr. T?" I asked confused.
"Oh come on Mum; just call him by his first name. It's not like any of us care," Diana replied annoyed.
"Anyways," Sweeney continued, "The boy is beginning to suspect us. He already thinks I'm guilty of something and he's been noticing how the customers hardly ever leave."
Wow that's the longest I've ever heard him talk. Nellie! Forget that Toby's life is at stake right now! "Sweeney we just have to be more careful that's all. You don't have to kill him," I half suggested half begged.
"Nellie I wasn't planning on killing him, I was going to suggest the same thing as you and to try to keep him busy during work hours. That's all," Sweeney said while picking up the last few things off the floor and putting them away.
"Of course, well we'll see you tomorrow Sweeney. Come on Diana it's time for bed," I said while turning for the door.
"Good night, Dad," Diana said before hugging him and following me downstairs.
That man is definitely odd. He actually said three full sentences to you.
"Sweeney was acting a little odd tonight. Don't you think love?" I asked.
"Why did something happen on your date?" Diana asked confused.
"No I was just saying that because he was talking so much," I replied.
"What do you mean talking so much?" Diana asked getting even more confused.
"He usually only says sentences with about three or four words. Not full on long ones like he was up there," I explained.
"Really, cause he always talks like that when I'm with him," Diana said before heading into her room.
Sweeney POV
Well things definitely aren't working out to well this week for you. Johanna is in an asylum and Anthony is planning on freeing her and bringing her here soon. Toby is getting suspicious about what's going on here. It doesn't look like Turpin will be coming by here any time soon. All though Johanna might be helpful in getting him over here.
Ugghh why can't life ever be easy?
I can't believe I'm saying this but the easiest thing in my life right now is my relationship with Nellie.
Okay a few things I want to note before I end the chapter.
a) Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett are both thirty five. They're that age so if you subtract fifteen their twenty, and it will make sense with the sequel that I will definitely write after I finish this one.
b) The next chapter will definitely be the last in the story and there will be an epilogue after that to set up the sequel.
Sorry that this chapter's so short, but this one is basically there to set up the next one. The next one will probably be really long though to make up for this one.
