Chapter Eight
Lizz: (holding up a newspaper) Meg, I think you should read this.
Meg: (reading) 'First National in Oahu Robbed.' So?
Lizz: Who's in Hawaii right now?
Meg: Ratigan! (smacks head) Doy!
Lizz: Don't hit yourself.
Meg: He's on vacation! He's not supposed to be doing his job!
Lizz: We should call the police.
Meg: What, and tell then that a very huge rat from the nineteenth century robbed a bank? Who'd believe us?
Lizz: Good point. Okay, never mind then.
The moon shone brightly as Basil lifted me up into a first-floor window of the Colhart Manor. I then reached down and pulled him up. "Now, there's a study on the second floor next to the library. Go in there and start rummaging through the desk. If no one comes up in five minutes, then knock something over and move to another room. You'll run into someone eventually."
"And what will you do?" I asked.
"I'm going to find Landon. Once I find him, I'll blow this whistle-" he said, holding it up, "-and you're to meet me in the stables. Colhart has one of those automobiles; we'll take that into Paris."
"This can go wrong in so many ways," I said quietly. "Oh well, you're the boss. What if I find Landon first?"
"Just leave him if you can help it," Basil said. "You're more likely to get caught if you do help him."
"All right."
Colhart stood alone on the back balcony, looking out over the family grounds he had not seen in years.
"You wanted to see me?" a voice said behind him.
Colhart turned around to find Charlie, the mouse who had been at Rahle's earlier that day.
"Yes. Rahle couldn't make a mask for my brother?"
"No."
Colhart sighed. "I thought as much."
"What are you going to do now?"
There was the sound of breaking glass from the study. "What the hell was that?" Colhart exclaimed. He darted inside, followed by Charlie.
Another henchman joined them as they rushed into the study, the source of the noise. They halted when they saw Basil of Baker Street standing behind a desk, a broken vase at his feet.
"You!" Colhart barked.
Basil grinned. "Adieu fellas," he said, taking off across the room and out the door.
Colhart grabbed Charlie by the collar. "Get every man here. I'll have that detective no matter what the cost!"
The real Basil searched a safe in the master bedroom, where he had found correspondences about the planned assassination. He placed the correspondences back into the safe and continued his search for Landon.
He came out into the hallway, but darted back in when some of Colhart's men ran by. He waited until their footsteps had receded, then went back into the hallway. He picked up the skirts of the dress he was wearing and ran in the opposite direction.
He halted at another door and opened it, only to run into Rafael. "Well hello there, missy," the thug leered.
Basil slugged him in the face and took off.
I, meanwhile, threw myself through the nearest door and locked the door behind me before Colhart's men could get in. I was in a large bedroom covered in shades of pink and red.
There was a rattling from the closet door, and I heard a voice crying, "Help me!"
"Help me!" a voice cried out to Basil, who was surrounded by racks of wine.
His ears perked up, searching for the source of the noise. He went over to a cellar door and picked the lock. Within a few minutes the door was open and Landon Colhart stumbled out.
"Come on, I'm here to set you free!" the detective said, grabbing the mouse's arm.
The door opened with a key I found in a desk drawer. Landon Colhart lay on the ground, underneath dresses and amidst women's shoes. I produced a small knife from Basil's pocket and untied his bonds. "We have to get you out of here!"
Landon stood up as I put the knife away. I turned to the window. "Now, I think we can climb down here if we-"
Colhart shoved the point of a gun into my skull. "Game's up, Mr. Basil."
Just then I heard the long shrill of Basil's whistle.
Basil and Landon burst into the ballroom just as Colhart and his men entered the other side. "This is just too easy," Colhart smirked. "First I get Basil of Baker Street, and now the girl."
"Basil?" Basil gaped.
Colhart stepped aside, revealing Meg. "Get out of here!" she screamed. "Go!"
"Give yourself up now girl, and I will spare his life. Make it difficult, and..." Colhart pretended to shoot her. "Goodbye detective."
Basil looked at Landon. Landon looked at him with blank eyes. "My sister," he said softly.
Basil bit his lip as he stared at the mirror image of himself, knowing that Meg was beneath that mask and those clothes. He knew that they would find out eventually that she was not Basil of Baker Street, and he could not leave her to face Ratigan alone. If he escaped now, however, it might be easier to save her, and the Duchess of Bachenstrauff.
Meg shook her head, signaling nonverbally for him to run away. He turned to Landon. "I cannot go," he whispered. He slowly walked towards Colhart and his henchmen.
Landon turned around and bolted for the door. A shot rang out, and Landon fell, grasping his leg, his face scrunched up in pain. Colhart ran towards his brother as two of his henchmen grabbed the real detective. Meg stared open-mouthed, incredulous at Basil's actions.
Leigh: Meg! I can't believe you!
Meg: What'd I do this time?
Leigh: Identical twins do not necessarily have to look alike!
Meg: Yeah, well you and I look so different, yet no one seems to be able to remember who's who.
Leigh: (to audience) We're identical twins. Really.
Meg: Except I'm better looking.
Leigh: Yeah sure, IDENTICAL TWIN!
Sarah: So let me get this straight... you want Meg to mix up the twins?
Meg: Why not? Everyone else can't seem to figure out twins either.
