Sarabande- Handel-Escala

Basil snuck through the giant paint cans as he looked at all of the labels for P: phosphorus. He was looking specifically for a greenish paint that had the tendency to glow in dark places. If he remembered correctly, which he always did, the paint was used for painting signs and symbols for warehouses, so workers would be able to identify them at night. Ah, here we are. Basil found one paint can on the shelf next to him. It was the paint he was looking for. He smiled when he saw one of the ingredients was phosphorus. He noticed the creases in the wood next to it use to hold another paint can. The drips of the green paint show him that he was right: someone had recently taken a new can of this paint. He also noticed small scratches of claw marks on the shelf's edge from some rodents climbing, as well as a swipe of green paint on the wall behind him that showed someone's tail was colored accidently and left a trail. He could tell from the markings and crease patterns that it was a reptilian tail. He listened as the owner was chatting with one of his customers:

"Yeah, I had to get new locks for this place, someone stole some of me green warehouse paint." The owner grumbled.

"Did you report to the police?" asked the customer.

"Yeah, problem is that no one busted my door or messed with the locks. Whoever got in here had a key or something. They only took one can of paint, thank God, but I'm not letting something like that happen again."

"Maybe it was them mice that have been nibbling on your record books aye?" sniggered the customer.

"Oh shut it Gerald—"

"Whoa, Thomas! There's one of the vermin!" The customer points directly at Basil.

Uh oh.

The owner yells as he flings a brush at Basil. With a laugh, Basil runs away behind the cans. He hops across the shelf and lands on a pile of sponges. Scrambling, Basil races out the door as the owner chases him with a broom. He scampered through crowds of both humans and mice as the store owner hunted him. Basil sees his flat, as well as Miss Belladonna and her siblings, who were at the door yelling at him:

"Hurry!" shouted Nick.

"Come on, you can make it!" screamed Mia with enthusiasm.

" Go Basil, go!" squealed Cassie.

"Run man, run!" bellowed Marten.

"Basil, look out!" shrieked Belladonna in terror.

Basil saw that the owner lifted up the broom to make a swipe at him.

All of a sudden there was a loud "KRACK!" as the broom exploded with purple light. "Bloody hell!" shouted the owner as he dropped the broom and stamped out the purple flames until there was nothing but a burnt up stick.

Basil jumped into his home as Mrs. Judson slammed the door and locked it.

Basil panted as he leaned against the wall.

The owner scratches his head in confusion as his customer catches up:

"Is it just me Tommy-boy, or was that mouse wearing a pea jacket?"

"You're a loon Gerald," grunted the owner, while wondering if he was one too. "I can't believe my broom just exploded."

"Oh and I'm the bloody loon."

"Shut up."

I run over to Basil. "Are you insane?"

Basil smirks. "That's a matter of opinion my dear."

"Basil! That man was ready to swat you like a bug!"

"I've been through worse." Basil straitens up to fix his jacket.

I stare at him incredulously. He was almost exterminated and he simply took it in stride. I was absolutely terrified, and the broom exploding into purple flames was shocking, but of course Basil didn't see it. I follow Basil, who grabs a pile of papers and leafs through them meticulously.

"Basil…" I started my apology. I almost lost him when I was angry at him the most. Knowing that he was a step away from being crushed was a horrible wake-up call of how we all needed to work together. As cliché as that sounded, I was nervous that he would have died without me telling him I was sorry. Of course my moment was interrupted with:

"No time for chatter my dear, the game's afoot!" Basil turns around to slam a piece of paper on the table. He was smiling eccentrically. "The hound we saw had the same green paint which was stolen from the human's shop. It was stolen by the mice that sent this letter for the heist (documentation my contact supplied to me at the pub) which was seen at their robbery scene's evidence. The phosphorus and animal dander on the clock was a match to the hound's dyed fur. This connects the hound with the killer!"

Marten raises his eyebrows. "This means?"

"This means that the secrets and connections are resurfacing, and when this happens." Basil picks up a dart and throws it; making a perfect bulls-eye. "The culprit isn't too far behind."

That night, the Flavershems came over to dinner along with Dawson. Marten, Nick, and I decided to make dinner for everyone. Being full-blood Italians and Southern cooks, we naturally took over the kitchen. We decided to cook a classic Italian meal and finish it up with a country apple pie. Nick and I handled the spinach alfredo pasta, while Marten baked the apple pie. When we were finished, the kitchen was a wreck, but the food smelt and looked delicious.

We managed to clean up the kitchen a bit before presenting our dinner. We were happy that everyone enjoyed the meal. We all ate desert in the parlor as Mrs. Judson was about to take her leave when Basil said. "Mrs. Judson, I have a favor to ask of you."

Mrs. Judson happily nodded. "Yes Mister Basil?"

"I need you to stay with Miss Belladonna and watch the children for one night next Saturday, so Dawson, Marten, and I can go run a few errands."

"Of course Mister Basil, I'll be able to do that for you,"

Nick and Olivia sat next to each other as Mia sat across from them on the window seat. Mia chirped in between bites of pie: "Can Olivia sleep over? Plleeeeaaasseeee?"

"I don't see why not," Mrs. Judson turned her smiling face to Mr. Flavershem questionably.

Mr. Flavershem chortled when he saw his daughter and her friends' pleading expressions. "Very well, you can sleep over if it's alright with Mister Basil,"

Olivia hopped over to Basil. "Oh please Basil, I really miss staying here."

Basil warmly smiled as he patted the girl's head. "You can stay over anytime Miss Flamisher."

"Flavershem!" the children shouted enthusiastically at Basil as he smirked:

"Whatever."

Cassie rushed over to Olivia and her sister to chat about their future plans of a slumber party as Nick stood up to read a book about steam engines.

I looked over at Dawson, who seemed just as confused as I was about the "errands" he needed to run. I peer over at Marten who was curiously scrutinizing Basil.

After the Flavershems and Mrs. Judson left and the kids went upstairs for bed; I inquired. "What errands are these Basil?"

Basil peered at me sideways and answered. "I need to go to the Rat Trap to reacquaint with an old colleague of mine—"

"Very well, I will join you all." I answered firmly; trying to sound assertive.

Basil shook his head as his tail twitched in exasperation: "Absolutely not, you know very well what would happen to you there. I won't allow you to wander into danger again."

"I also wouldn't allow Marten to wander into a seedy pub; the boy is only sixteen Basil."

"Yes, the perfect age to visit one's first pub." Basil answered with a grin.

I stood up. "No, I'm not letting Marten go there, especially without me."

Marten groaned in embarrassment. "I'll be fine Bella, besides, pubs are no place for a woman."

Dawson responded. "I quite agree with him Miss Belladonna, that place is extremely dangerous for you."

I ground my teeth in annoyance as Basil gave me a superior, arrogant smile of triumph, but I soon returned his smile with a sweet, coy one of my own. Time for plan B:

"Well," I sighed daintily. "I suppose I have no choice but to follow you all and hope that no burly drunk would drag me off." The gentlemice gaped at me in dismay. "I suppose I would be in even more danger when I am unattended, but since you all won't let me go with you I'll take my chances." Dawson gave me a look that said 'You're treading on thin ice young lady' as I continued. "However, if you let me go with you; you can keep me under close watch and I would be considerably safer with you all. Besides, I can really help you all with this case."

Marten sputtered: "You're not serious?"

"I am completely serious." I walked up to Basil and stood tall. Basil was motionless as he look daggers at me. I was on his last nerve, but I wasn't going to back down. "I am willing to go into danger for you all; the only question is whether you are also willing to let me 'wander into danger'? I believe you would call this a checkmate Basil."

"Miss Belladonna," Basil strained each word slowly as if he tried to sound courteous. "Is there no end to your irrationality?"

"No." I simply radiated with the knowledge that I won this round.