Story 21: The Case of the Cornwall Affair
Warning: This story contains material of domestic abuse. Also, a slight lemon warning.
July 4th, 1913
It was a long day for the famous mouse detective, Mr. Elliott Basil and his family. They spent the day in the market, wondering if a new client would come for services, but no luck. Basil was use to going through periods of having no case to solve as much of the 'horrid' criminals like Ratigan and Rosenberg had been dead for many years.
While in the market, there were talks among a few old rodents who were fussing about the Americans, or 'colonist traitors' as they were called, for they were celebrating their independence from the United Kingdom. Some rodents and even the humans living in England called the American's Independence Day 'Treason Day' as their act of disloyalty to the Crown would put many colonials to death.
Basil and his wife, Olivia didn't bother to offer their opinions, but they did believe every living being was entitled to their own opinions. The American colonists back in 1776 went through a period of 'unfair' taxation that the king put on necessitates like tea, sugar, and even stamps in order to pay off the debts from the French and Indian War, and many of the colonists were struggling to find enough to eat and keep warm during the harsh winters.
Basil did go to the continent across the Atlantic with his partner, Dawson some years before Olivia came back into their lives. They had gone to Mexico and then to the Arizona Territory, which Basil did recall that it became a state last year. They were pursuing a trio of diamond thieves, who were playing as an engaged couple in the hopes of throwing the detective off the trial, but it didn't work.
Basil would like to take his family to America, but he definitely wanted to avoid Arizona and the desert region, as Dawson described the climate as 'painfully hot'.
The family settle in their home on Baker Street; it did feel good to have time to themselves, but they were bored. "I really wish we had a case to solve," John said after abandoning his toy soldiers.
Then, Dawson walks in through the front door, he had a basket of food and Mrs. Judson takes them to the kitchen. The doctor then settles with his partner and his family in the living room. "Daddy," Leana said and her father looks at her from his newspaper, "Can you tell us another of your past cases?"
"I'd love to," he replies with a big smile; he always felt happy to relive the cases he solved before his children were born.
"How about one you had with Dawson? Before mummy came back?" Leana asks, again and Basil begins to think. Dawson begins to think, too, he wanted to tell the twins a case he took part of.
"How about one that you beat up a crook. You did fight with crooks, right?" John asks and his father gave a rather uneasy smile.
"I want to hear another case of him saving a child," Olivia said and looks to her husband with a grin.
"I think daddy should be part of a child rescue society," Leana replies and Basil gives another smile. It was true that he had a soft spot for children, especially those who were either abandoned or neglected by caretakers, but he would get raging mad if one young child were to lose their innocence to a monster, like Ratigan. He wished he had the opportunity to kill the rat himself, but with him dead, Basil could breathe a little better, although they were still some child predators out there.
"Oh, Basil," Dawson said and the family looks at him, "What about the case in Bude? It was just five years after the Flaversham case and another five years before Olivia came back."
"Bude? The town in Cornwall?" Leana asks and her father nods.
"I remember that case, even though it wasn't like the other child rescues I had, Dawson and I did put away a rather brutish mouse that I hope he is still rotting in prison," Basil said and he begins to tell the case to his family.
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221B 1/2 Baker Street, London, July 30th, 1902
Basil stares out the window from the living room of his home on Baker Street. It was a rather dreary day as the rain continued to fall as it had not let up since yesterday. He hears his partner, Dr. David Q. Dawson taking a breathing exercise that he read from a newspaper the other day.
"Basil, you should take in this meditation I'm doing," the doctor said and breathes in, again. He had his eyes closed and legs crossed. "It does help relax the muscles," he adds, but Basil ignores him. Dawson opens one eye to look at his partner, he did seem sad, but Dawson thought it was normal as some rodents didn't function well on cloudy or rainy days. However, he did notice that Basil would sometimes be emotional around the anniversary of the Flaversham case, no matter what kind of weather. The misery would last for weeks, but the longest would be half a year, according to Dawson.
It had been five years since Ratigan, the Napoleon of Crime was killed after falling from Big Ben and England had finally breathed a much needed sigh of relief. Basil, however, was not feeling any kind of relief. In fact, the great mouse detective was feeling dreadful almost every day when the anniversary came about. Even though he did his best to hide these emotions, his partner and their housekeeper, Mrs. Judson did notice his unusual behavior over the years, but had a hard time understanding what he was miserable about.
Basil comes back to the present when his housekeeper walks through the door, her umbrella drenched from the rain. Mrs. Judson had gone to the market to retrieve some food for dinner, but she then walks up to her employer.
"Mr. Basil, there is this female mouse down the street from here," she said, "She was there when I left to the market and she is there now." Basil looks at Mrs. Judson; this did seem unusual to him.
"Did you invite her to come in?" he asks and she shakes her head. "Mrs. Judson, please go back out and invite her in," Basil insists and his housekeeper goes back in the rain. She returns a few minutes later, but with no female mouse behind her.
"Where is she?" Basil asks as Mrs. Judson puts away her umbrella.
"She didn't want to come in," she replies, but she produces a sheet of paper. "She did say she rather meet you in private," she adds and Basil looks at the piece of paper.
Please meet me at Hyde Park. 1 o'clock sharp at Wellington Arch. Please be there!
Basil reads it, again; it did sound rather desperate and he wasn't going to let this up. He needed something to occupy his brain during this time. He looks at the clock, it was about 12:30 in the afternoon; time did slip away, but rather at a sluggish pace for the detective.
"Let's get going, Dawson," Basil tells his partner, "This might be a case that'll keep us busy for a while." The two dress in their normal attire, with Basil in his brown Inverness cape and deerstalker cap. They take their umbrellas and began their long walk towards Hyde Park.
The Wellington Arch wasn't too difficult to find and the two did see a somewhat old female mouse roaming by the arch. She was wearing all black and she locks eyes with the famous detective. "You're Mr. Basil of Baker Street?" she asks, her voice was soft like a gentle breeze.
"Correct, and your name Madame?" he asks.
"I'm Mrs. Clara Pinkerton, please walk with me," she answers and she leads them away from the arch. The rain was steady, so they didn't have to worry about a heavy downpour anytime soon.
"Mr. Basil, I was hoping you would help me in catching the culprit who has been poisoning me," Mrs. Pinkerton said and the two male mice look at her in shock. "I mean, I feel like someone is poisoning me."
"Do you have proof?" Basil asks, but she shakes her head.
"I suspect my husband is responsible," she replies and they listen, "You see, Dr. Pinkerton is a well-respected dentist in our home town in Bude, but he's been infatuated with his assistant, this raven-hair beauty ever since he hired her last year.
"And for a while, I would get sick, but then I noticed that whenever he would leave, I would be all right. Then, I would get very sick, again when he returns from business," Mrs. Pinkerton explains and the gears in Basil's brain began to turn their wheels.
"Listen, I must go, my husband is to return this evening and I must catch the earliest train back to Bude. I don't want him to suspect anything, but please, if you do accept this case, take the morning train to Bude," she said and writes down something on a piece of paper. "This is where I live, I hope to see you soon," Mrs. Pinkerton said and leaves them. She takes her steps in sprints.
"I say Basil, what do you think?" Dawson asks and notices his partner, he had been thinking for a while.
"I'd say it's a lover's quarrel, a deadly one at that," Basil answers and asks for the time. Dawson pulls out his pocket watch, it was quarter after 1. "Perhaps this raven-hair beauty wants to do away with Mrs. Pinkerton, or Dr. Pinkerton wants to get rid of his wife. I always find it disturbing that older male mice prefer younger females. There's a saying that murder is cheaper than divorce," the detective said and they walk back home.
"So should we take the morning train to Bude, it is a bit of a journey," Dawson said and Basil nods.
"The journey will keep our brains busy; perhaps you could do your meditation," he replies and the doctor thinks about it. The two male mice gather some clothes and their usual necessities, such as Basil's smoking pipe and magnifying glass.
They checked the train schedule and the next train would be at 7 the next morning, the journey would be over 4 hours, so Basil calculates the arrival time at around 11.
The next morning, the two male mice caught the train on time and it left the station in London, going at top speed towards Cornwall at the southwest coast of England. Basil did admire the countryside and he did read up on Bude. It was described as a picturesque seaside town and many inner city people would flock to Bude for the summer holiday, the same with any other seaside town.
"Dawson," Basil said, still reading on the travel guide for Bude, "It says that Bude is the best source of sand stone and it has been used to improve the soil inland." The doctor, however, was not listening and Basil looks up to see him with his eyes closed.
"Dawson? Are you meditating?" the detective asks, but then hears him snore. Basil shakes his head in annoyance and looks back at the guide, it would be some time for them to reach Bude.
When the train arrived at the station, the two male mice took a detour and book two rooms at the Stratton Gardens Hotel. It was a beautiful 16th century building surrounded by lovely greenery and the coast was just about a half-hour's walk away from the door.
Basil thought to himself that he could use a holiday along any coast in England to put his mind at ease. He did enjoy breathing in the cool, clean sea air as it did helped him relax.
He and Dawson leave the hotel to head to Mrs. Pinkerton's home in town. The house they lived in was called 'Pebblestone Hill', a rather unusual name, but the detective admired the many different names for houses.
The two male mice notice a sign that said 'Dr. Pinkerton-Dentist' and they follow it to the door that lead to the rodent quarters. Basil was about to knock at the door, when he became aware of a sound, a woman crying. He opens the door without knocking and they step inside.
They notice a female mouse with red hair and wearing a maid's uniform, she was covering her face with a handkerchief. "Excuse us Miss?" Basil asks and the female mouse looks up and gasps.
"Who are you?" she asks.
"I'm Mr. Basil of Baker Street and this is my associate Dr. Dawson," the detective introduces himself and asks, "Do you know where we can find Mrs. Pinkerton?" The maid's face drops and more tears fall.
"I'm afraid you're too late," she replies, "She's dead." The two male mice look at one another.
"Dead? How?" Dawson asks, but the maid shakes her head.
"Don't know, but Dr. Pinkerton couldn't wake her up this morning," she answers and blows her nose. Then, a door at the end of the hall opens and a slightly older male mouse steps out from the room. He was dressed in fine clothes and he had a withered look in his eyes.
"Dr. Pinkerton?" Basil asks and the mouse looks at them, but doesn't utter a word to the detective. Instead, he looks at the maid and frowns.
"Delia, I will not be seeing any patients today, please see these gentle mice out," he orders and the maid, Delia nods. Dawson was about to protest, but Basil shakes his head, urging him not to talk.
Delia shows them out, but shuts the door behind her. She looks at them and begins to talk, "Listen, the Missus did tell me she would try and seek you out. I don't want to speak ill of my employer, but he has never committed infidelity."
She then looks around, wondering if anyone was listening. "That is until that raven hair girl came, but he has done his best to reject her advances," she whispers and that got the detective's attention.
"Does this 'raven-hair' beauty have a name?" Basil asks.
"Ms. Sybilla Perry," Delia answers and the detective makes a mental note.
"Is she here now? In Dr. Pinkerton's office perhaps?" he asks, again and she nods. She points down the pathway that lead to Dr. Pinkerton's office. They thank her and they head to the dental office. The door was unlocked and they step inside. They hear the clanking of dental tools, which seemed unusual as Dr. Pinkerton was not taking any patients.
Dawson decides to step into the room where the dental procedures would occur, taking note of the chair and the tools on the table beside it. Just as he was about to leave, he bumps into a body. "WATCH IT!" a female voice shouts and Dawson was about to apologize, but he stood dead still. The female mouse had dark hair, the color of raven feathers, but her eyes were a shade of brown that shined with a rather devilish light.
"Do excuse us Miss," Basil said, noticing his partner being bashful. He takes a look at Ms. Perry, but notices a rather dark aura around her. Despite her beauty, she did display a rather uncaring nature.
They find the maid, Delia outside and Basil decides to ask her a few questions. "Miss Delia, do the Pinkertons' have family?" he asks and she nods.
"Yes, their daughter Lillian or Lily she prefers, and their granddaughters, Thea and Shena," Delia replies.
"Do they live here in Bude?" Basil asks and she nods.
"Lily use to live here along with her daughters after her husband died a few years ago, but then about two months there was an argument between Lily and her mother, Clara," she answers.
"Where do they live now?" Basil asks, again.
"With Lily's fiance, Mr. Solomon Radcliff at his home, a viscous brute I should say," she said and the two male mice were curious about this, "If you ask me, he's trying to put a wedge between the Pinkerstons' and their daughter. She and those beautiful girls use to be full of brightness, but now they seem terrified whenever they come for a visit."
"What was the argument about, do you remember?" Basil asks once more. Delia looks at the ground, she did seem afraid of telling the detective, but she breathes in deep.
"Mrs. Pinkerton was infatuated with her daughter's fiance, Mr. Radcliff. She was almost 70 and he is about 30 I've heard," she explains and continues, "When Lily found out about her mother's affair with him, she was livid and said she didn't want to expose her daughters to such behavior.
"Mr. Basil, truth be told, this family has gone mad ever since Ms. Perry and Mr. Radcliff arrived in this town," Delia finishes and the detective thanks her for her valuable information. He asks for Mr. Radcliff's home address and Delia writes it down on a piece of paper.
They leave the 'Pebblestone House' and began their trek to Mr. Radcliff's home. Deep down, Basil felt that something unsettling was happening within the Pinkerton family and the least he could do was remove the young girls from harms way. He didn't want to see a child be a victim of any kind of abuse, especially sexual or physical abuse.
The two locate Mr. Radcliff's home on Lansdown Road and were welcomed in by Mr. Radcliff himself. "Well hello," he said in a cheerful tone, "Who might you two be?"
"I'm Basil of Baker Street and this is my good friend, Dr. Dawson," the detective answers and he notices that Mr. Radcliff gave a slight angry look. "Is Ms. Lily here?" he asks and Mr. Radcliff nods. The male mouse had dark colored fur with a black patch of hair on top of his head and his eyes were the same color as Ms. Perry's, they even had that dark aura.
"Lily! You have guests!" he shouts and he did sound irritated. Then a female mouse comes down the stairs; she had some physical features similar to Mrs. Pinkerton, but Basil notices some purple bruising on the lower part of her neck. She does her best to hide them by rolling up the top of her dress.
"Um...hello, who might you be?" Lily asks and the two male mice introduce themselves and she looks at them in surprise. "Did my mother go to you?" she asks and Basil nods.
"She told us that she feared she was being poisoned," he explains, but Radcliff scoffs at the mention of poison.
"Lily's mother was suffering from gastritis, you can speak to her primary doctor in town. He'll tell you that she wasn't poisoned," Radcliff replies and Basil asks for Mrs. Pinkerton's doctor.
Basil observes Lily for a moment, she did seem out of sorts, her eyes heavy with fatigue and he notices some bruising under her fur. "Lily is out of sorts, we were told of her mother's death before you arrived. I insist you go so she could collect her senses," Radcliff insists and the two male mice obey.
Before they went to the front door, they notice two small female mice, and Basil's heart froze as he looks at them. "Well hello," he said and kneels down to their level. The oldest was roughly in her adolescence with pretty blue eyes and the youngest was about ten, she also had the same blue eyes as her sister.
The girls didn't reply, instead they scurry away into the other room when they look up and Basil turns to see Radcliff behind him. "Those two have been mortified like their mother," he said and shows them the door.
Once they were out of ear shot, Basil turns back to face the house. "What is it, Basil?" Dawson asks.
"I can't help but feel that Ms. Lily and her daughters are terrified of Mr. Radcliff," the detective answers, but Dawson thought there was something else. However, he did agree that Ms. Lily was timid around Mr. Radcliff and her daughters ran away when he appeared.
"What do you suppose we do?" Dawson asks his partner, but Basil leads them towards Dr. Raphael Zimann's office in the town square. Something puzzled him of Mrs. Pinkerton's death and the behavior her daughter and granddaughters displayed he saw.
Dr. Zimann sees them right in and they ask about Mrs. Pinkerton's condition. "It's true, she was suffering from gastritis for over a year and I did prescribe some medication for the pain," he explains, reading from a few file notes.
Basil begins to think on this; Dr. Pinkerton had hired Ms. Perry last year and she was starting to suffer from a mysterious illness. "Dr. Zimann, what can you tell us about Mrs. Pinkerton's daughter and granddaughters? And perhaps the unusual fellow, Mr. Solomon Radcliff?" Basil asks the doctor, who did seem too old to be carry on his profession.
"Ms. Lillian was married to a Mr. Lesley Hayes before he was caught by a human and killed some years ago. She lost her bright spirit, but she was a devoted mother to her two daughters and her parents welcomed them back into their home. They also devoted a lot of time for those girls, that is until those two unusual mice appeared in town.
"A little after Ms. Perry was hired by Dr. Pinkerton, Mr. Radcliff showed up as a patient at Dr. Pinkerton's office and Ms. Lily became infatuated with him. At the same time, Mrs. Pinkerton said something about a charming fellow who treated her like a young woman mouse, again," Dr. Zimann answers and he continues, "In this town, everyone keeps quiet on someone's infidelity, but Dr. Pinkerton loves his family, why he wouldn't hurt any of them by sleeping with a younger female."
"Did Mrs. Pinkerton say she was having an affair with Mr. Radcliff?" Basil asks.
"Yes, she didn't deny it, although, she mentioned that Mr. Radcliff was making advances on her, but when Lily found out, he flat out denied the advances and she believed him," Dr. Zimann explains and Basil begins to think.
"One more question," he said, "Do you suspect that Mrs. Pinkerton was poisoned?" he asks and Dr. Zimann looks at him in surprise.
"Poisoned?" he replies and Basil nods.
"Some symptoms of gastritis are identical to being poisoned, including inflammation of the stomach, correct?" the detective asks the old doctor and Basil pulls out a small book about poisons. "If I'm correct, symptoms on arsenic poisoning include stomach pain, does that sound right?" he asks and shows the page to Dr. Zimann.
"My word," the old doctor said and looks up at Basil, "If what you say is true than I would like for Mrs. Pinkerton's body to be looked at by a professional," he insists and Basil nods. Dr. Zimann goes to his telephone, but the detective stops him.
"Dr. Zimann, I have another question, I promise it's the last," Basil said and asks, "How much is the Pinkertons' estate?"
"Estate?" Dr. Zimann replies and Basil nods. "Mrs. Pinkerton had inherited a lot from her late father, but she kept it stored away, mostly to invest in her granddaughters' well-being. If she were to die before her husband, he would inherit everything from her, but if I recall correctly, the combination of their estate is worth around £20,000."
"My word," Dawson gasps and Basil begins to think on this. He and Dawson bid Dr. Zimann goodbye just as he goes to the telephone to call for a medical examiner.
The two go back to the hotel for a hot meal and settle for the night. Basil picked at his food, he wasn't feeling hungry; his mind was on the two young girl mice, Ms. Lily's daughters. The youngest, Shena perhaps, was about the same age as Olivia Flaversham when she came to him for help all those years ago. His mind replays the memory of the case, but he feels his heart grow heavy with dread.
"Basil, are you feeling all right?" Dawson asks as he finished his meal of cooked beef with potatoes.
"Dawson, what do you think of Mrs. Lily Hayes and her daughters, Thea and Shena?" Basil replies and the doctor takes his glass of sherry.
"They did seem rather scared of Mr. Radcliff," Dawson answers and Basil nods. "What are you applying at?"
"Dr. Zimann mentioned that the late Mrs. Pinkerton was charmed by Mr. Radcliff, yet denied any responsibility to his fiance, Mrs. Lily Hayes," the detective explains and looks at Dawson, "When you saw Ms. Perry, how would you describe her eyes?" he asks.
"Oh," Dawson said and thinks back on the encounter. "Well, her eyes were brown, but they seemed almost like demon eyes," he explains and his partner begins to think.
"A female mouse with demon eyes, nothing the sort of a dental doctor would want as an assistant, do you think?" Basil asks and Dawson nods.
"Wait a minute," the doctor said and adds, "Her eyes were the same shade of color and just as devilish as Mr. Radcliff's eyes."
"Very good Dawson," Basil said and they retire to their bedrooms. The detective sits in the comfy chair by the window, his thoughts were still racing, but he was having a dreadful feeling inside his heart. He looks up at the clock, it was nearing 11 and his eyes were getting heavy.
He decides to go to bed, he needed sleep in order to think on the possibility of solving Mrs. Pinkerton's murder.
Some time had passed and Basil was startled awake by the sound of shouting and loud knocking at his door. He opens the door and a female mouse stumbles into the room with two small figures following behind her.
"I DID IT!" Mrs. Lily Hayes shouts and she starts to laugh. Her daughters took a few steps back, standing next to Basil. The inn keeper was about to take Ms. Lily out, but Basil intervenes.
"I finally stood up to him!" Ms. Lily shouts, again and Basil turns the knob on the oil lamp, illuminating the room. Lily Hayes's face was covered in fresh bruises and she had a split lip.
Dawson steps into his partner's room and was shocked to see Lily Hayes on the floor, she looked as if she took a beating. Suddenly, she lets out a cry of pain and a pool of red fluid appears on the floor under Lily's dress.
"Dear God!" the inn keeper exclaims and Dawson urges him to help take Lily to his room for examination. Basil looks back at the blood on the floor and then looks at the girls, Thea and Shena.
"Lets go to the parlor," he insists and leads the girls away. The inn keeper's wife makes a pot of tea and prepares some crumpets for the detective and Lily's daughters.
"Is mummy going to die?" the youngest girl asks, but her sister takes her into her arms and they begin to cry.
"No," Basil insists and they look at him, "Your mother is a brave woman. She got you away from that brute." The two girls look at him and a shiver goes down his spine. He knew who hurt their mother, but he had to ask who it was. "Tell me, who was the fiend who hurt her?" he asks.
Both Thea and Shena were silent for a few moments, but Thea looks at the detective. "If we tell you, you will put him away forever?" she asks, her blue eyes glistening with tears.
"I solemnly swear he will pay dearly for the pain he has caused on you, your sister and your mother," Basil answers and the two girls take a deep breath.
Before they could say a word, Dawson steps into the parlor, he had some blood on his sleeves and Basil urges the girls to hold onto the identity of their mother's abuser. "Dawson, what's happened to Ms. Lily?" the detective asks and notices the look of anger mixed with sadness in the doctor's eyes.
"Ms. Lily took a savage beating, so atrocious. Basil, she suffered a miscarriage," Dawson explains and Basil's heart sinks. "She is asleep now, but I wish to keep an eye on her during the night. Who in their right mind would beat a pregnant woman?" the doctor asks, but his partner looks back at the two girls.
"Dawson, how old was the fetus?" he asks.
"Roughly 2 months, 8 weeks to be precise," the doctor explains and Basil thanks him, then urges him to stay beside Lily Hayes while he interviewed her daughters.
"Miss Thea and Miss Shena, I understand you two had gone through so much agony in the last 12 hours, but whatever information you have is crucial in this investigation," Basil said and they look up at him. Their eyes were full of sweet innocence, the same innocence that Olivia Flaversham possessed.
"It was Mr. Radcliff and we think Ms. Perry," Thea said and tears fall from her and her sister's eyes, "Ever since they arrived, grandmum would get sick. In fact, we saw both of them add something to her food a few times. Mr. Radcliff had a little salt shaker and he actually left it in the kitchen one time. Shena added some of it to her food, but she got real sick afterward."
Basil listens to the girls as they continue their story. "Mr. Radcliff started to interact with grandmum some time after mummy met him, the same with Ms. Perry with grandpa, but he would ignore her advances. Grandmum and Mr. Radcliff, however, became rather intimate a few months later, but mum was angry at grandmum for making advances on Mr. Radcliff, although it was him who made these advances.
"When we moved in at Mr. Radcliff's place, he would refuse to let us see our grandparents unless he went with us and whenever mum try to stand up to him, he would hit her and threatened to hurt us. Sometimes at night, we would hear them...in the bed room...but she would...scream and beg him...to stop..." Thea struggles to speak, but Basil understood it very clearly.
"Mr. Radcliff hurt her," Shena said, "So bad." She begins to cry and her sister hugs her tight.
"Mr. Basil," Thea said, "You will arrest Mr. Radcliff and Ms. Perry? We just want them to go away," she pleads and Basil nods. He looks at the clock, it was a little after 2 in the morning. He wasn't sure if the medical examiner Dr. Zimann called had done an autopsy on Mrs. Pinkerton, but he wanted Mr. Radcliff arrested right away.
He offers the girls his bed for the night, they were tired and he thought it best for them to sleep off the events of the day. "I'll keep watch, if that brute shows up, I'll make sure he won't lay a finger on you or your mother," he swears and the girls settle down in bed.
Basil returns to the parlor and pulls out his smoking pipe. A lot was going through his mind, but the mere thought of Mr. Radcliff hurting Ms. Lily made him feel angry. He was against all forms of abuse; his mother taught him to respect both genders and not raise a hand to a woman or child. His father never used physical force on his wife nor their children, but he was strict and often used words that sometimes would upset them.
In fact, John Frederick Basil didn't support his son's dream in becoming a detective like Sherlock Holmes and told him to accept the harsh reality of caring for finances and the possibility of living on the streets. Sarah, his mother, however, guided him through the toughest of times, and pleaded with her husband to allow their son to fulfill his dream. In the end, John Frederick accepted, on the condition that Elliott Basil would stay in school and achieve a higher education.
Dawson locates his friend in the parlor, he was smoking at his pipe and Basil turns to him. He notices a few pieces of paper in Dawson's hands, "What are those?" he asks.
"Notes on the injuries on Mrs. Hayes, I thought the police would want this as evidence. I've also included her miscarriage," Dawson answers and Basil smiles a bit.
"Very good old chap," he replies and looks out the window; the sun would rise in a few hours.
"What are you thinking about?" Dawson asks and settles in one of the parlor chairs.
"The conclusion to this case, but there is one piece of crucial evidence that we must obtain," Basil replies and begins to think of a plan.
A few hours later, the sun rose above the horizon; a new day had started for many of the people in Bude, both local and foreign. Many of them retreated to the beaches, while others went to explore the various historical buildings in town.
At the local doctor's office, the medical examiner, who arrived a little after Dr. Zimann called yesterday, was preparing some notes. He performed the autopsy on Mrs. Clara Pinkerton during the night and sent an urgent message to Scotland Yard's Mice Division.
Commissioner Charles Winston and a few of his fellow officers arrived. At the Stratton Gardens Hotel, Basil received word that the commissioner was in town, so he sent a message to Mr. Radcliff, telling him to come to the hotel as soon as possible. He devised a plan and he was sure it would work.
As soon as Mr. Solomon Radcliff arrived, Dawson was shocked and almost confronted his partner, but knew it best not to utter a word. "Mr. Radcliff, are you aware that your fiancee left you during the night, taking her daughters with her?" Basil asks, he did notice some scratch marks over one eye lid on Mr. Radcliff.
"That woman made a fuss last night. I told her her father was a crook and that she shouldn't take her daughters to see him," Mr. Radcliff said.
"Would that explain the scratches on you?" Basil asks and Mr. Radcliff scoffs.
"I tried to talk her out of it, but she's a violent woman," he replies and Basil decides to lead them up to his and Dawson's rooms. Basil's room was empty and he has Mr. Radcliff sit in a chair. The detective then produces a piece of paper with some writing on it.
"Mr. Radcliff, do you mind writing your signature on this?" Basil asks and the mouse looks at him in surprise.
"What for? What is that?" Mr. Radcliff asks and Dawson was also curious.
"A confession, that you and Ms. Sybilla Perry murdered Mrs. Pinkerton and that you inflicted physical and sexual abuse on her daughter, Mrs. Lily Hayes," Basil answers and Mr. Radcliff starts to laugh.
"Have you gone mad, Mr. Basil?" he asks, but the detective shakes his head. He then produces a folder from a drawer in the desk.
"Do you know what's in here?" Basil asks, but doesn't wait for an answer, "Evidence of the physical abuse you inflicted on Mrs. Lily Hayes. It also contains the medical examiner's report on Mrs. Pinkerton's body. He found traces of arsenic and he concluded that you and Mr. Perry have been poisoning her for over a year."
Mr. Radcliff stares at Basil in shock, which turns to anger. "You can't prove anything!" he shouts, his voice was something like a demon, one that would strike fear in everyone.
"Dawson, please open the connecting door to your room," Basil said. Dawson stares at him in shock, Mrs. Lily Hayes and her daughters were in there, but he obeys. The door swings open to reveal Ms. Lily in bed; she was awake and she holds her daughters close when they see him.
"YOU'VE BEEN HERE THIS WHOLE TIME?!" Mr. Radcliff shouts at them. Dawson stands in between him and the doorway, refusing to let him in. "They've been telling you stories!" he shouts at Basil.
"Stories?" the detective asks, "I beg to differ. You see Mr. Radcliff, one thing I didn't mention was that Mrs. Hayes was pregnant with your child, but you had beaten her so bad that she miscarried last night," he explains and sees Mr. Radcliff's eyes go dark, but the rage came back right away.
"She's been lying!" he snaps, "She's nothing but a lying slut! Her daughters will end up like her! A pair of lying sluts!" In a flash, Basil grabs Mr. Radcliff's arm, twists it around, but then delivers a powerful punch at his nose. The male mouse goes flying and lands on the floor with a loud thud.
"If I ever hear you mention that word, again, I won't be as merciful the next time," Basil whispers his warning, rubbing his knuckles.
"You broke my nose!" Mr. Radcliff shouts, blood began to ooze out of his nostrils and he cries out, again, "And my arm!" Basil pulls him up to his feet and forces him to sit at the chair at the desk.
"Here's what's going to happen, Mr. Radcliff, if you sign this confession, I will destroy the evidence and let you go, but I insist you leave this town and never come back. If you refuse, I will have a few undercover officers follow you around and they will arrest you at the opportune moment," Basil explains and walks to the window. "Want me to point them out?" he asks.
Mr. Radcliff walks over to the window that had a view of the gardens, "See those two plain clothes mice?" Basil asks and the mouse looks at two male mice, wearing rugged clothes; they were chatting and one was smoking a cigarette.
"Those two have been trained to follow dangerous crooks and let me warn you, they have families with children. They told me that they don't like scum like you," Basil said and Mr. Radcliff stares at him, rage in his eyes.
"Damn you Basil!" he spits, but then takes a pen and writes his signature on the paper. Basil takes the folder and throws it into the coal heater in his room. It caught fire and the pieces of paper were destroyed. He then walks to the window, pulls down the shade and lifts it up.
"There, that was the signal to let those officers know not to follow you," Basil said. Mr. Radcliff regains his composure, but takes out a handkerchief to stop the bleeding from his nose. He looks into the room where Mrs. Lily Hayes and her daughters were, but Dawson had blocked his view.
"If I ever see you, again, Mr. Basil, I will ruin you," Mr. Radcliff hisses and quickly leaves the room. Once he was out of sight, Dawson looks at his in shock and maybe in disgust.
"Basil, you're letting that criminal get away," the doctor said, but Basil chuckles a bit and he looks out the window to see Mr. Radcliff run off.
"On the contrary," the detective replies, then opens a second drawer to reveal the real pieces of evidence, including the corner's report, the statements written by Mrs. Lily Hayes and her daughters, and Dawson's examination on Mrs. Hayes injuries.
Basil then shouts, "Commissioner?!" Then, Charles Winston and an officer appear from behind Dawson; they had been in the room with the Hayes', just in case if Mr. Radcliff were to attack them.
"Well done, Mr. Basil," Winston comments and had the officer go and collect some reinforcements to arrest Mr. Radcliff and Ms. Perry. It turned out that the two plain clothes mice were not officers, just regular rodents enjoying a leisure talk. Basil also had the inn keeper call Dr. Pinkerton and have him come to the hotel.
The old dentist was shocked to see his daughter and granddaughters, shaken, but alive. He holds his daughter in his arms and begins to cry. "Oh my precious girl," he sobs and takes his granddaughters into his arms. "This is all my fault. I should've kicked Ms. Perry and that Radcliff out of this town a long time ago," he said, but they forgive him.
Thea and Shena look to Mr. Basil, who went over the evidence with Commissioner Winston, and the commissioner tells them that both Ms. Perry and Mr. Radcliff will be charged with murder, assault, and attempted theft.
"Theft?" Dr. Pinkerton asks. Basil then begins to explain that Ms. Sybilla Perry was, in fact, Mr. Solomon Radcliff's cousin; a rather lethal pair who preyed on couples for their fortunes.
"Their plan was to drive a wedge between you and your family. Mr. Radcliff used his charms on your wife and daughter, and Ms. Perry tried to take advantage of you, Dr. Pinkerton. When Ms. Lily discovered her mother's affair on Mr. Radcliff, but he denied any responsibility and said she made the advances. So Ms. Lily and her daughters left, and moved into Mr. Radcliff's home, but it was all a trap. He kept them as his prisoners, just so she wouldn't be able to reach for you for help.
"Ms. Lily here suffered immensely, but she was brave enough to keep Mr. Radcliff from hurting your granddaughters and finally left him last night. I am sorry to say this, but she became pregnant with his child, although Ms. Lily stated it was the result of a rape from Mr. Radcliff," Basil said and stops as he notices the tears in Dr. Pinkerton's eyes, but he lets him continue.
"They were also planning to kill you, so Ms. Lily would be able to inherit both your wife's and your estate, the sum of £20,000. However, your wife wanted to use the finances for your granddaughters' well-being. I hate to think this, but I do believe both Mr. Radcliff and Ms. Perry planned on killing your daughter and granddaughters," Basil finishes and the dentist begins to cry, again. His daughter and granddaughters cry with him, too, but they were happy when Commissioner Winston received word that both Mr. Radcliff and Ms. Perry were arrested at the train station.
They stood before a judge and were charged with the murder of Mrs. Clara Pinkerton, the assault on Mrs. Lily Hayes, as well as the death of the unborn baby Ms. Lily was carrying. The judge also added the charge of child neglect as Shena was also poisoned, even though the two cousins try to deny the charge, the judge ignored their denial of responsibility on this charge.
The two were sent to a high security prison, where they would serve their life sentence, away from any children. After the case was closed, Dr. Pinkerton decided to close his dental office in order to partake in the physical, as well as the emotional recovery of his daughter, which he was glad to do as the family became more closer than ever.
Basil did feel relived that these two monsters were caught and sent to prison, but deep down, he knew that there were many predators out there, especially child predators like Ratigan, and predators who preyed on women.
He and Dawson decided to stay in Bude for the remainder of their August holiday. It was a lovely place and the sea air cleared the detective's mind. However, he was still thinking about Miss Olivia Flaversham, as he had been for the past five years. He wanted her to come back, but the irritating voice inside his head kept saying, "You are not worthy of her. You are selfish and will neglect her, like the other women mice you slept with."
On a bright, but cool morning, Basil steps out into the hotel's garden and notices Dawson, sitting cross-legged or was attempting to, as his legs were pretty large. "Dawson?" the detective asks and his partner looks up at him. "Are you doing more meditation?" he asks, again.
"Why yes, care to join me this time?" Dawson replies and to his surprise, Basil accepts the invitation. The doctor tells his friend to sit down, legs crossed, eyes shut and breathe slowly.
Basil follows the instructions and notices that the voice inside his head was not speaking. In fact, his brain was starting to clear up from some of the negative thoughts he had for some time. Then, a bright image of Olivia Flaversham appears in his mind; she was the ten year old girl he fondly remembered. She smiled at him, but then went away.
Dawson peeks one eye open to look at Basil, who had a bit of a smile on his face. "Basil?" he asks and one of the detective's ears perk up.
"Hmmmm?" he replies and waits for his partner's response. Dawson was thinking of the moment that Basil attacked Mr. Radcliff after he called the Hayes' girls a vulgar name. He had seen his partner defend other children, but nothing like that before. Mr. Radcliff did get what he deserved, but Dawson was curious about something. Was his partner still having thoughts on Miss Olivia Flaversham, the little girl mouse who helped him put an end to Ratigan's reign of terror?
"Uh..." Dawson struggles to say something, then changes his mind. "Nothing; you seem relaxed though," he said.
"This meditation does seem to help a bit," Basil replies and they continue on clearing their minds.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Basil comes back to the present, his family had listened to the case the entire time. "I would love to see that memory of you beating up that Radcliff!" John exclaims, but his father hushes him.
"Well, my rage got the best of me," Basil replies, "The thing is, after solving many cases involving children, I kind of became a rescuer of sorts. Like Leana said earlier."
"I think mummy made you a major softie after she left," the little girl said and the detective looks at his wife with a loving smile.
"It's true, but I just can't stand any kind of violence done to children and women, but everyone is vulnerable," he replies and adds, "You see, I do believe that both the male and female genders are capable of committing vulgar acts on others. Which is why I want you two to be kind to others, but be wary of those who view violence as fun or as a means of controlling others. And I do recall telling you this, I want your significant others to be well of mind and heart. I will annihilate anyone like Radcliff if they lay a finger on you."
Basil turns to his son, John, and tells him, "I don't want you to unleash your anger on someone who doesn't deserve it. Instead, maintain a calm demeanor and focus your attempt to protect those who you care about." The little boy mouse gives his father a smile and nods. Basil gives him a squeezing hug and says, "I bet Kingswood would have an after-school program on physical activities."
"Oh!" John exclaims, "Do you think they will have boxing?" he asks.
"Perhaps, but as I said, I want you to focus on your attempt of protecting others," Basil replies, but then asks his partner, "Dawson, what is that activity that teaches balance of mind as well as body?"
Dawson begins to think and then replies, "There is something called 'martial arts'. Much of the countries in Asia have their own form of fighting methods, but they also teach the rules of not using it for crime, but for the defense of the individual or others."
Basil looks to his wife, Olivia, who appeared to be thinking. "John, if you wish to pursue a career in boxing, then we'll support you, but I want you to use violence as a last resort. We don't want you to get in trouble with the law," she said and John smiles at his mother.
"What about meditation? Would that be helpful?" he asks his parents.
"Yes, but maybe you should explore the various types of marital arts, not just boxing. As Dawson said, there are some rules to follow and I would like to know about them," Basil said and his son gives his father another hug.
"What about me?" Leana asks, "Can I join in martial arts?"
"If you like to," John replies, "Dad did say that being physically active means we would be able to catch criminals on foot." Leana looks at her feet for some reason and begins to think.
"Maybe I should take the running track, be a sprinter," she said and her parents laugh. "Daddy, I have a question? What happened to Dr. Pinkerton and his family?" she asks. Basil did receive a newspaper story some time ago and he finds the clipping.
It featured Miss Thea Hayes taking over her late grandfather's practice in Bude and received multiple awards on the well-being of rodent oral hygiene. She was also happily married and was expecting a baby soon. Her sister, Shena went on to become an advocate for victims of domestic abuse and their mother, Lily would give lectures and tell audiences of the pain she and her daughters went through.
"I love happy endings," Leana said and her family did, too.
Then, Mrs. Judson calls everyone to dinner; time did slip away, but it was rather fun to listen to one of Basil's cases. Before they went to the dining room, Dawson stops Basil and says, "I believe you were thinking of Olivia at that moment when Mr. Radcliff called the Hayes' girls that terrible word."
Basil gives a slight nod and replies, "I had been thinking of her during those ten years. If I had shut out that voice inside my head, then..." he trails off and starts to think a bit, "Things would be different, but I am thankful for what fate had in mind, except for Hiriam's untimely death. We should be focusing on living the moment as Tsura said, but it is hard at times."
"Indeed it is difficult, but I am proud of what you accomplished so far," Dawson said and they smile. After finishing their evening meal, Basil and Olivia took a private moment in their bedroom. They were not sleepy, but they did their best to not moan as they made love in their bed. They didn't want anyone, especially the twins to hear.
"You did...become...a softie..." Olivia said as her husband thrusts into her.
"Rupert...did that...first..." Basil replies, sweat trickles down his brow, "But...you did...open my...heart, again..." he said and stares down at her, while increasing his speed. They then reach their climax and let out exhausted breaths.
They settle in their bed, arms enclosed around each other. "I love you Olivia," Basil whispers, "And I always will, until the end of time."
Olivia kisses him, "And I will always love you, Elliott," she replies and they take a moment to recover from the love making before they rejoined their children and best friend in the living room.
From the author: I borrowed elements from one of Agatha Christie's 'Poirot's Early Cases'-'The Cornish Mystery'. I bet you are surprised to see Basil commit an act of violence, but he did develop a soft spot thanks to Olivia, so I'm sure you would understand.
As for John, he has much to learn in order to contain his aggression and use it for good. Leana also has much to learn, but these two will make a great impact on Mousedom and make their parents proud. Don't want to spoil too much! See you soon!