The Price of Her
Chapter 3
It seemed like hours had gone by before Selena saw him. She shook Basil's shoulder.
"There," she whispered. "That's one of them.."
Basil followed her gaze to a thin dark mouse walking slowly past them, having just exited the pub.
"Thompson?" Basil whispered, not moving his eyes from the mouse.
"No... just one of them. I remember him.." An image of the dark mouse's eyes flashed in her memory, full of hate and anger. She clenched her fists.
He passed the two of them without so much as a glance in their direction. His fur was a startling black under his dark over coat.
"Don't get up.." Basil whispered, slowly rising. Selena watched him quietly slip after the dark mouse. She heard David's voice in the back of her mind, distantly.
"Surely your not taking a gun, Basil." The doctor asked, concerned. Basil turned from his desk, pistol in hand. He studied it for a moment before replying.
"No.. I think that would be overdressing for this sort of occasion, don't you think?" he said with a grin.
"It's likely to get you into more trouble than it's worth." Mr. Dawson warned.
Basil spun the empty barrel once before setting it back down on the table.
"I don't plan to do anything too drastic." Basil said simply, popping his disguise beret' between his ears. "I hope only to discover where these fellows are hiding out, confrontation would be foolish."
Selena lowered her gaze from the two of them to the pistol on the table; it was within her reach. Being sure that both men were distracted, she reached out for it - the memory of the cruelty she had been subject to burning hot in her mind.
Selena stood suddenly, letting the blanket drop around her ankles. The cold air chilled her.
Basil slipped quietly along behind the dark mouse, moving carefully and keeping his head down. He watched the man's dark fur rise and fall on the back of his shoulders with each breath. The man turned into a narrow passage between two old structures.
Basil stopped at the head of the ally. His breath shook as he regarded the path before him. The walls along either side were gray and still; places that the surrounding city had long forgotten and left to fight the slow decay of time without the help of their builders.
The buildings on either side passed him slowly. He held his breath as he quickened his pace. The ally slowly grew darker and it was becoming difficult to keep the mouse he was tracking in his sight. He gasped when his foot caught a cobblestone, causing him to stumble a few steps. Certain he had been heard, he darted around a corner and pressed his back on the wall.
Forcing himself to breath with as little sound as possible, he waited. Only a few moments later, the dark mouse passed him, his eyes darting about worriedly as he retraced his steps to ensure he wasn't being followed.
Basil knew that his earlier plan of avoiding confrontation would not help him now. He wanted answers, and in that moment he decided to trade patience for recklessness. He stepped swiftly behind the mouse and pushed the end of his pocket watch into the small of his back. "Stop there," he breathed sternly.
The man raised his hands slowly above his head.
"What do you want?" his voice was haggard.
"Where is Thompson. What is he panning?" Basil asked cooly.
"Go to Hell."
"I suggest you answer me now. I'm not a very patient man." Basil pressed his watch rigidly against his back.
"He's not doing anything wrong." the man didn't sound threatened. "Our revenge is justified."
"Where is he!"
Basil's foot was suddenly kicked out from under him. He hit the cold cobblestone only moments before he felt the dark mouses weight on him, grinding his back into the cobblestone. A cold object pressed against his temple and clicked; unfortunately not a pocket watch.
"Who are you!" The man growled. "Who are you to judge!" He grabbed Basil's collar and pulled him closer to his face. Basil kept his eyes steadily locked on the dark mouse's, but kept silent.
"My brother was dying" The man snarled. "He was dying and they wouldn't help him" he tightened his grip around Basil's collar. "They wouldn't help because I couldn't pay - because I couldn't pay! ... You want to know what this is about?" He pushed himself closer to Basil's face. "It's about money. Like every bloody thing else."
"Stealing a painting." Basil breathed.
"It wouldn't have mattered if you had shot me with that stupid pocket watch." he said frankly. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "It wont matter if i shoot you now." He drew his face even nearer, placing his mouth just over Basil's ear. "None of us are worth a thing if we aint got money."
A shot rang through Basil's ears. The man's body collapsed against him. Basil's didn't move for a second in pure shock, his breath and heart racing. He struggled to push himself up on his elbows to look over the dark mouse's body.
Selena stood only a few feet away, eyes wide and teeth clenched. Her hand was still raised, the pistol still smoking.
A down poor began fittingly shortly after the incident. The street lamps came on as all other light faded away in the blanket of rain. Basil gripped Selena's hand tightly as they ran down the cobble stone streets. Confused and frightened, the two had fled the scene immediately after they were sure of what they had done. After what felt to Selena like a great distance Basil slowed and turned on her.
"You shot him." he spoke in disbelief.
"He would have shot you." She replied quickly.
"This.. This is crazy, this is-" There was a crash somewhere down the street. A trash container tipping over onto the side walk. Basil stopped to recompose him self while regarding her for a moment.
"We shouldn't be out here." He said suddenly. "Come." he took her hand again and began to lead her out of the street.
Selena wasn't sure what compelled her her resist. She pulled her hand free and stayed a moment in the road, trying to gather her stampeding thoughts.
Basil took a deep breath as he turned around to face her.
"Confound it Selena," he began with mounting urgency, "Why do you still refuse to trust me!"
Selena, taken aback by this seemingly misplaced, though accurate assumption, could only look back at him in disbelief.
Basil put a hand to his face and groaned, irritated. "Your rashness and.. and inability to trust the people who are trying to help you is getting us nowhere!"
Selena piped up immediately. "You don't know this, you don't know anything! You think you can read me like you read some clue? "
"You have to tell me if you want me to know!" Basil shouted, his voice trampled by the sound of the rain. "What do you want me to do?" Selena wrapped her arms around her self and turned away from him.
"Selena.." Basil began stepping closer to her. "I can't help you unless you-"
"I do trust you! I do trust you, damnit!" Selena angrily swiped the rain from her eyes. "That's what makes me sick, trusting you!"
Basil shook his head, confused. "...Why?"
Selena took several deep breaths and lowered her eyes. "Because.. I know better now." she said almost to softly for Basil to hear over the rain. "I loved my uncle," she began, louder. "And he was the one who did this to me! He took me to Thompson and his awful men!" She wiped her face and held her forehead in her hand. "I don't want to be close to anyone! Never! I'd rather live alone then have my heart torn again!
She raised her eyes and look directly into his. "Just... stay away from me."
"Selena -" Basil held up his hands at loss. "I.. can't help that I care for you."
"I know.." said Selena, turning to meet his gaze. The famous mouse detective, she thought, standing in the rain before her, completely at loss. Suddenly she stepped closer and studied him for a moment before she absentmindedly plopped against his chest, exhausted.
"I know..." she breathed, She closed her eyes as she felt Basil rest his arms around her. Selena could felt his warmth through her wet coat and their embrace tightened.
After a few moments, she pushed herself up on her toes and made a clumsy jab with her mouth just below Basil's ear. She wasn't entirely sure why she had done it - weather she had been inclined to kiss him or just show some kind of consent. After a few more moments of silence, she decided the kiss was for her uncle, and that, if she was ever given reason to, she would be ready to forgive him.
Basil and Selena quietly opened the door of the flat on Baker street. The room was dimly lit by a low burning candle on the mantelpiece. Mr. Dawson sat hunched over in Basil's armchair, snoring softly.
"Basil..." Selena whispered, tugging his sleeve. "Look at David.."
In the dark there could be seen a piece of parchment hanging over Mr. Dawson's face. Basil strode lightly across the room and bent to examine it. Selena read the note from over his shoulder. It read : "This no longer concerns you. Stay out of this or someone will get hurt."
Selena rose slowly. "How on earth did he manage..."
Basil plucked the paper from Dawson's forehead. When he still did not stir, Basil placed his hands on Dawson's shoulders and shook him lightly.
"oh.. wh..what..?" Dawson muttered groggily as he opened his eyes. He was instantly awake at the sight of Basil. "Great Scott, I must have dozed off waiting for you.."
"Dawson, "said Basil sternly, "Does this mean anything to you?" He held the paper in front of him.
The doctor squinted at the parchment. "Well no, I don't believe so..." he turned his eyes to Basil. "Where did it come from?"
"Thompson." said Basil simply, rising and carrying the parchment to his desk.
Selena leaned in towards him and whispered. "It was stuck on your head."
"Good heavens!" Dawson exclaimed.
Basil was hurriedly removing things from his coat pockets and placing them on his desk. After Basil had gotten out from under the dark mouse in the ally way, he had quickly relieved him of anything he had carried in his pockets.
Selena had felt like she was standing in a story, part of some elaborate crime scene. It amused her slightly when she realized that, in fact, she was.
At the time, Selena could only stand and gape at the man on the ground, the red stain growing on the back of his coat. She held herself perfectly still, gun raised, and watched as Basil pushed himself out from under the man. Without hesitation or even a glance in Selena's direction, Basil removed the man's over coat and fished everything out of his pockets; the gun was still raised when Basil stepped briskly to her and snatched it before grabbing her free hand and pulling her away.
Basil had before him now the note from Mr. Dawson's head, some spare change, and a small scrap of paper, reading "Monday, The Strathappin, 4 am at port 4b."
Dawson rose from the arm chair and followed Selena to where Basil stood.
"What do you suppose happened at four am?" Dawson asked, studying the small note.
Basil brought his hand to his chin. The Maitenant de Septembre is not in any museums or art galleries that I know of. .. It's a fairly new painting so I don't suppose it would be in any." He folded his arms behind his back and paced to the center of the room. "It was done in France; Lake Annecy, to be exact. It would have only recently been purchased by an art dealer, if at all.." Basil turned to face Selena and Dr. Dawson. "Or, if the artist couldn't find a buyer, he would have likely shipped it overseas to art gallery else where... America, most likely.."
Dawson shook his head. "But what does all that have to do with-"
"We can certainly find out, "Basil chimed in, walking briskly towards them. Kneeling down he produced a box of charts from under his desk. Encircling them in his arms he lifted them from the box and dumped them onto the floor, revealing a rather large collection of old and tattered documents at the bottom. He scooped them up and began to thumb through them as he rose. "...here we go.." he pulled a large folded parchment from the middle of the stack and placed in on the desk before dropping the rest back in to the box.
The parchment was dusty and badly creased at every fold, having been left untouched for a very long time. Basil unfolded it to reveal a hastily drawn map of the world, covered in dark lines weaving all about the continents. "Routes" was scrawled sloppily across the top.
The three of them leaned over the parchment closely as Basil followed each of the lines in turn with his finger, muttering softly to himself.
"Aha!" he shouted suddenly , causing Selena to jump. "Look here!" he pointed to one of the many lines emerging from the coastline of France. Hardly legible, the word "Strathappin" was written along side of the route. Selena followed the line with her eyes. It stopped once at Erith on the Thames River, and then again somewhere on the Eastern coast of North America.
"They must have stole the painting when the ship was in port in Erith." said Basil.
"But why?" Dawson asked, confused. "The painting can't be worth anything.."
"I would like to say it has little to dow with money, but recent happenstance has me slightly confused on that." Basil replied simply.
"Do you think they managed?" asked Dawson. "To steal the painting?"
"If one of them can get in here and glue a note to your head Dawson, I would assume so."
"This whole ordeal is beginning to look terribly personal." said Dawson. "Is this really something we should be getting involved in at all?"
"That, I don't know." replied Basil. "Though we do have a possible murder on our hands, if you recall the letter left for Dr. Lourence."
Dawson sighed heavily. "-It's entirely to late to be dwelling on such matters... I'm hardly as young as I felt this morning."
"Feel free to retire at any time, Dawson." said Basil, obviously wrapped in thought.
"Then I think I'll do just that.." the doctor replied taking his leave. "I bid you both good night, though I do recommend you get some sleep Ms. Chartier, you've had a very trying day, I'm sure."
"Yes, though I think I can hold out a bit longer." replied Selena, turning to see him up the stairs. "Good night, David." She turned when she heard Basil draw a deep breath.
"I'd almost forgotten he'd had a first name." he said, still studying the route chart.
Selena made no reply and pushed some coins around the desk top with her finger. "Thank you." she said suddenly. "For helping me."
Basil turned to look at her. Selena was reminded of the first time she had spoken with him on the sofa; his face lit by candle light as he recalled the way Edith tied her hair. He smiled boyishly and flipped a tendril of hair over her shoulder.
"Well," he began, turning back to the desk, "once you start something, you've got to finish it."
Selena scooted closer to him. She took a deep breath and was quiet for a moment.
"..What about the body?" she whispered.
"I don't know. Another nameless chap found dead in the dark ally ways of London." Basil replied, studding the letter found on Dawson's head.
"Where do we go next?"
"To where the Strathappin in docked, I suppose."
Selena adjusted to look up at him. "What about Dr. Lourence?"
Basil sighed. "We ought to look in on him tomorrow morning."
Selena moved to take Basil's hand. "..He knows where I am."
Basil stopped what he was doing and turned to stroke her hair softly. "We'll keep you safe."
"I'm tired." said Selena, stepping away from the table. "I suspect you haven't gotten much rest lately."
Basil nodded before gathering the coins and documents and placing them into the chart box before sliding it under the desk. He left the charts strewn about on the floor.
The two ascended the stairs together; the guest room was just at the top. They paused in front of the door regarding each other in the dim light. Basil tentatively placed his hands warmly on her waist. Selena was surprised by how quickly she moved into his arms ad came to rest against his chest. Basil rested his chin in her hair.
"Don't worry." Basil said softly. "I have a feeling we'll see the end of this sooner than you think."
Selena nodded silently and was disappointed when he began to pull away from her. She grasped his hand tightly and drew him back to her.
"Don't go." she began, looking up into his eyes. "..just yet.."
Basil sighed and gave her an encourageing smile.
"Don't be afraid..." he whispered, leaning closer to her a second time.
"... I'm not.." was all Selena could manage as she stood up on her toes and met Basil's lips.
She felt Basil's long arms tighten around her waist as she relaxed into the kiss. It was warm and gentle; Selena released her earlier tension and leaned against him, feeling warmth overflowing through out her body. When they finally parted, Selena didn't open her eyes until she had quickly kissed him again on his cheek and below his chin.
She lowered back onto her heals and rested her head against his chest as she had in the ally way. She was aware that things seemed to be moving awfully fast.. but the more comfort she was exposed to the more she longed for it. She listened to his heart beat and thought briefly of her child hood. She would fall asleep in her mothers lap while she listened to her stories, her head rested against her breast, listing to the beat of her heart.
"I'll stay with you." she heard him whisper.