I was going to have this chapter included in the previous chapter, but that's too long. I decided to go with one chapter at a time and meet one person at a time.

Chapter 3: Basil of Baker Street

When Dawson, Olivia, Andrew, and Clover arrived at Basil's home at 2 ½ Baker Street, Dawson knocked on the door. The siblings smiled up at Dawson, grateful for him being there in their time of need. Someone in the house answered the door and they turned their attention to the landlady who opened it.

"Good evening, Ma'am," Dawson greeted as he tipped his hat, "Is this the residence of Basil of Baker Street?"

"I'm afraid it is," the housekeeper answered, "He's not here at the moment, but…" Then she smiled warmly at the newcomers. "You're welcome to come in and wait."

"Well, I...I don't want to impose," Dawson said. "It's just the girls and boy..." Dawson turned to see that the siblings were no longer with him.

Olivia looked into a magnifying glass with curiosity. Andrew and Clover united with her.

"Oh, my!" Mrs. Judson said as she set a box of books and other things in Dawson's arms to run over to them. "You poor dears! You must be chilled to the bone!" She took their hats to twist them to get the water out and grinned. "Oh, but I know just the thing: Let me fetch you a pot of tea and some of my fresh cheese crumpets!" She also took their scarves to get them warmed up as well as their hats. They were touched by the housekeeper's generosity as they watched her go, so she could make them tea and cheese crumpets.

Then, Olivia, Andrew, and Clover saw amazing things in Basil's lab: a chemistry set, steam coming out of a fan, and shoes leaving footprints on paper.

Dawson hung his coat and bowler hat, revealing a lavender jacket, which was the same color as his trousers, red vest, and a white shirt when a voice shouted, "Aha! The villain's slipped this time!" Then the same figure who spoke swung open the front door and shouted, "I shall have him!" Lightning struck in the background as the figure showed himself. It was an overweight white chinese mouse with a red and black gown and hat. Dawson cowered at the sight.

"Out of my way! Out of my way!" the chinese mouse yelled rudely as he threw his hat in Dawson's direction without looking.

"I say!" Dawson said, offended and suddenly a hat fell on his head. The doctor pulled it off his head as if it were glued to his head. "Who are you?"

"What? Who?" the chinese mouse asked as he took off his head, revealing to be a handsome mouse the same color as the rest of the mice in the house. "Basil of Baker Street, my good fellow," the gentlemen said, smiling warmly with a bow. With that said, he deflated his costume with a cord, revealing his skinny self with black and white spats, grey pants, brown vest, white shirt, and a green necktie.

Olivia, Andrew, and Clover took off their coats and Olivia exclaimed, "Mr. Basil! We need your help and-"

"All in good time!" Basil said, not quite hearing what the young mouse said as he pulled out the dart, where his magenta robe stayed and put it on.

"But you don't understand!" Olivia said, but Basil threw the dart back on the target. "I'm in terrible trouble."

"If you'll excuse me," Basil said, ignoring their pleas.

Olivia sighed as she and her siblings were brushed off.

"Come on, sir," Andrew said, "We need your help more than anything.

"This is serious," Clover told him.

Dawson, however, wasn't having any of Basil's unapproachable behavior, so he shook his finger at him. "Now, see here!" Only to see Basil running past him. "These young ladies and young man are in need of assistance," Dawson said in a no-nonsense tone, "I think you ought to listen-"

"Hold this please, doctor," Basil said, giving him a gun.

"Oh, yes!" Dawson answered, "Of course!" Then he brought the gun back to him. "Now, wait just a moment! How did you deduce you know I was a doctor?"

Basil put bullets in his revolver. "A surgeon to be exact! Just returned from military duty in Afghanistan." He blew in the holes where the bullets went through and closed it. "Am I right?"

Dawson gave him an impressed look. "Why yes, Major Dr. David Q. Dawson." Then gave him an astonished look. "But how can you possibly?"

"Quite simple, really," Basil replied and examined Dawson's cuffs where the stitches were sewn, "You've sewn your cuff together with a lambert stitch which of course only a surgeon uses." Basil patted Dawson's cheeks. In the living room, he added, "And the thread is a unique form of catgut." He picked up a pile of pillows. "Easily distinguished by its…" He leaned over towards Olivia saying, "Peculiar pungency." Olivia gave him a dumbfounded look.

"And found only in Afghan provinces," Basil concluded as he threw pillows at Dawson.

"Amazing!" Dawson said in a muffled voice through the pillows thrown at him.

"Actually, that's elementary, my dear Dawson." Basil rolled the revolver and pointed it at the pillows, cocking his gun.

Dawson threw the pillows on the red chair and grabbed each of them by the hand to hide behind another chair as Basil shot the pillows. Before they knew it, feathers were flying everywhere. Basil nonchalantly blew smoke from his gun.

The landlady burst in the living room, finding feathers flying everywhere. "What in heaven's name? Oh, my...pfft...pfft! My good pillows!" Then she scowled as she knew who shot them.

Basil was dusting off the feathers from his red chair. "Mr. Basil!" Mrs. Judson scolded and Basil looked at her like he got caught stealing a cookie from a cookie jar. "How many times did I tell you not to-"

"Yes, yes, Mrs. Judson. It's quite alright," Basil said calmly and inhaled the smell of Mrs. Judson's cooking. "I believe I smell those delightful cheese crumpets of yours." Basil shoved her out of the room, adding, "Why don't you fetch our guests some?"

"B-b-but I uh…" Mrs. Judson protested, but Basil closed the door before she could finish.

Basil turned from the door in a serious tone, saying, "Now!" He searched for something on the floor. "I know that bullet's here somewhere." Just as he was about to look some more, he found it in an innocent Olivia's hands. "Thank you, miss," he said in an annoyed tone, taking the bullet from her.

"Flaversham," Olivia said sweetly with her hands behind her back, "Olivia Flaversham."

"Andrew," Andrew said, waving a hand.

"And Clover," Clover said.

"Yeah, whatever," Basil said dismissively as he walked over to his desk to examine the bullets.

"Yes, but you don't understand," Olivia said in a disapproving tone as she walked up to him, only to be shushed.

The three siblings watched as Basil put the two bullets together under the microscope and turned the bullets to see whether or not they matched. However, there was Dawson behind them as he observed in amazement. "Yes…" Just then, there was one bullet that did not match the other and it had marks all over it. "NOOOOO! Drat!" Basil shouted, throwing his head back and grasped onto it, disappointed that the bullets were unmatched. Then he slumped, with his hair all messy and picked up the marked bullet. "Another dead end!" Basil threw the bullet away and walked over to his chair in sadness. "He was within my grasp!" He plopped onto his chair, grabbed his violin, and played a sad tune.

Dawson urged Olivia, Clover, and Andrew to knock some sense into him. So, they rushed to the depressing scene.

"Now, will you please listen to us?" Olivia pleaded, "My daddy's gone and I'm all alone."

Basil stopped playing to glance at them. "Young ladies and young man, this is the most inopportune time." He continued playing his sad music.

The three siblings exchanged dejected looks at him.

"Surely your mother knows where he is," Basil said dryly.

"We...We don't have a mother," Olivia said sadly.

"Our mom was killed by crooks," said Andrew.

Basil hit the wrong note, making a screech, making him stop playing and they flinched. He came out of his sad state and said, "Well, um...but perhaps." Then he frowned and their expressions changed from downhearted to confusion. "See here! I simply have no time for lost fathers!"

"Is that a challenge?" Clover retorted.

"Temper, temper. I wouldn't dream of challenging you."

"But our needs go first!" Clover continued.

"Who says?" Basil demanded snarkily.

"Our mother!" Clover replied sharply.

"Then she must be another childish woman, too."

But Clover wasn't going to take any bad remarks about her mother. "Take that back!"

"Never!"

"TAKE IT BACK!" Clover shouted.

"No!"

Clover slapped Basil.

Olivia was also fed up with Basil's nonsense and put her fists on her hips and snapped, "We didn't lose him; he was taken by a bat!"

Basil's expression changed from annoyance to interested. "Did you say bat?" he asked in their faces.

"Yes..." Olivia and her older siblings said, surprised by his change in tone.

"Did he have a crippled wing?" Basil was grinning, they could tell.

"I don't know," Olivia replied and smiled, "But he had a peg leg!"

Basil jumped on his chair with enthusiasm. "HA!"

Dawson came back into the living room, standing right behind them. "I say, do you know him?"

"Know him?" Basil sat on top of his chair with his violin in hand, pointing his bow at them. "That bat, one Fidget by name, is the employee of the very fiend who was the target of my experiment!"

Dawson held Olivia protectively, while Clover did the same for Andrew.

"The horror of my every waking moment, the nefarious Professor Ratigan!" Basil went on dramatically and pointed at the portrait of Ratigan with his bow. Lightning struck at the sight of that rat.

"Eh, Ratigan?" Dawson asked in confusion as he still held onto Olivia and Clover held Andrew.

"He's a genius, Dawson!" Basil said behind his chair. "A genius twisted for evil! A napoleon of crime!" More lightning struck as Basil told them the story.

"As bad as all that, eh?" Dawson asked.

"WORSE!" Basil said hoarsely, making them turn to face him between the banister upstairs. "For years, I've tried to capture him and I've come close. So very close and each time, he's narrowly evaded my grasp!" He shook his fist at the picture. "Not a corner in London is safe while Ratigan is at large. No evil scheme he wouldn't concoct! No depravity he wouldn't commit! Who knows what dastardly scheme that villain may be plotting, even as we speak!"

"We're sorry to hear that, Mr. Basil," Andrew said.

"Thank you for sympathizing with me," Basil told him.

"That's what we do," Clover assured him.

"Alright, I'll be glad to accept this case," Basil said to the two sisters and their brother.

"Yes!" Olivia said enthusiastically and smiled at her brother and sister, who smiled back.