A/N: My sincere apologies for not updating this story in a while. So many factors (school, writer's block, and lack of motivation) have kept me from working on this. So enjoy guys!

Chapter 6

It seems that it has come to this, I kept thinking as I paced back and forth. I felt that I would go mad if I was not constantly moving about. Even some of the mice at the yard felt that I was a vicious predator that at any given moment I would strike if any of them dared to come too close. Since my arrest I had not seen Dawson or my wife, but I was made aware that my friend and colleague had attempted to speak with me. More than likely that detestable mouse refused his presence to be made known to me for he thought that the doctor would help me find a way out. No, never would I allow him to stoop so low for me, not again.

I assumed when Vole came to my cell that perhaps he would brief me on what I wanted to know. Sadly that was not the case. The moment I saw him, he carried a look of disappointment on his tiresome face. Once again, I had made a request to speak with Cunningham regarding the kidnapping and my thoughts on the matter, but like before he refused to speak to me, let alone be in the same room as me.

"It has been two weeks, Inspector! Two weeks and not once have I been told a damn thing!" I shouted angrily at Vole as he stood by my side in the confinements of my cell. "I might as well take a rope and hang myself at this very moment. That is clearly what he wants!"

"I wish there was more I could tell you, Basil," the inspector replied, his nerves just as shaken as my own, "but he refuses to hear your side regardless if what you say is indeed true."

"If that may be, then what about you trying to convince him? Reason with him perhaps."

"I have tried and failed. He threatened me of losing my rank if I even dared to help justify your innocence. After I spoke to your wife I even tried to explain to him of what she told me, but as he stated, he even refuses to hear anything a woman— foreign or not—has to say. In fact, his tone gave me the impression that more than likely he thought she too was involved. Then again, he's was always accused of being a misogynistic bastard. I just never believed the accusations until I witnessed it for myself."

"You spoke with Paula?" I questioned, completely ignoring what he said. "When, and do tell me she is all right."

"Forgive me for not coming to you sooner for that bastard has managed to keep me on my toes with nothing but petty crimes as of late; but yes, after our little dispute the night after your arrest she requested that I call upon her the next morning. Her appearance, I fear though was a terrible sight, Mr. Basil. It was obvious that she had not slept well since your daughter's disappearance and her face was stained from crying."

Hearing such news pained me greatly. She was worse than I imagined. "What did she speak to you about, anything useful?"

"Firstly, she apologized for her actions towards me, though I understood and did not take offense in her lashings. As you are highly aware, I do believe you are innocent of this crime for I know you better than anyone in the Yard. She allowed me to speak my thoughts more thoroughly, for I too know something is amiss. I believe the evidence shown is completely off."

"Like I told your Chief Inspector, there was nothing from my bedroom to Sara's that could have caused such an injury."

"Even I could see that, but what made him think otherwise, even I have not been privy to that information. In fact, as far as I am concerned, I don't think anyone who was at the scene was given any details. It all seems so strange."

And strange it was, I thought. Without any hesitation, I began to pace while Vole stood off to the side watching, waiting for any thoughts to appear. This was indeed a challenging mystery. The only way I could have obtained this wound was if I had fallen out of bed and something from the table cut me. The problem, however, was there was nothing that could do such damage. Not only that, but I would have woken up from such commotion, Paula as well.

It was then another mystery appeared. Why didn't Paula or I wake up that night? Surely I know that I am a light sleeper, but as is my wife. Whoever took Sara or gave me this injury would definitely not have gone far. It was at that precise moment that the answer occurred to me. The only likely possibility was that we were drugged somehow. It was then that the vial fiend had the ability to slice my arm without any hesitation since I would not be able to fight back, take Sara, and put the blame on me. But whose blood was in her crib? Surely not hers I would hope. Did my daughter's kidnapper have the ability to drag me out of the bed, allowing my blood to drip onto the floor?

No, no, that would have been too difficult, I thought inwardly, for the blood on the floor would have been all over for the fiend would have had struggled. Based on my own observations, the blood trail was in no way disturbed of any turns or blank spots. From my bed to hers there was a perfect line. So someone else must have given themselves a similar wound in order to have the blood travel.

"Do you have any thoughts detective?" Vole questioned finally once he saw that I had ceased. For the first few moments, I remained quiet as I allowed myself to gather what bits of information I conjured up. "Detective?"

"Forgive me, but indeed I have come up with a theory and one I can definitely say is a likely possibility. When I thought of the incident that had occurred months prior to this, I seemed to have brushed it off when no other attacks presented themselves."

"You are referring to that break in."

"Precisely, but it was during the time of that break in that Paula began to have her reoccurring nightmares."

"Yes, I am familiar with that. She told me it was because of that note you had found in your daughter's bed that triggered them."

"Correct, but not once has she confessed to me what the dreams were about. All I know is that she was determined to keep me in the dark about them. I believe that the nightmares have something to do with me."

"Why do you say that?" Vole inquired; his interest on the matter quite noticeable.

"After her worst episode, when she finally woke, she begged for me to never leave her. I'm still trying to understand her meaning behind that."

"Do you think her nightmares were about you walking out on her?"

"I wouldn't think so. In fact, I have no clue as to why she would think I would. Aside from trying to keep quiet of her own distress, she has not given me any reason to do so. In fact, I can say that I have presented her with more opportunities due to my habits that she could have left, but never did. No, no, I have this strange accusation that what she dreamt was of me being killed."

For a moment or so, the inspector kept quiet, allowing the information to sink in. "You do think that it's some sort of prophecy?" The alone caused me to burst out in laughter. I don't know if it was of fear that it might be true or the fact that the very thought of nightmares becoming reality was simply ridiculous and illogical in itself. "Do you find me comical, Mr. Basil?"

"Do forgive me," I said once my laughter finally diminished, "but are you telling me that my wife's nightmares are some kind of prediction in which someone out there wants to kill me? My dear, Vole, I'm afraid that I have already been aware of that notion. For every brute I had every face in the last sixteen years has tried and almost succeeded in just that. So in this case, no, I do not think her nightmares are."

"Then why worry about them at all if you believe them not to be a threat?"

"I worry because of the change in Paula. Since the nightmares occurred, she always has this appearance as if she's looking for someone. It has not gone unnoticed to me."

"Almost as if she feels she's being watched."

"Quite so, but why she would not confront me of this, I don't know. This is what I was so keen in finding out so that I could do what I can to comfort her. Yes, I can say I myself have been stressed as of late with that Matthews' case, but she knows the phases I go through. Though as it may be, my family is more important than anything."

"Perhaps there were times she felt she couldn't come to you," Vole commented so innocently not aware of what he said had made me think about how I had been abusing myself as of late.

Those long nights, frustrated and in need of something stronger than what my wife could give me. It devastated her when I relied on alcohol and cocaine to ease my mind before assisting Vole with his recent case, but even then my frustrations did not help. I shut her out, I shut them both out. Perhaps that's what made me at fault even more about my daughter's kidnapping, was the mere fact that I was ignoring any time I could have spent with her. More than likely Vole was right. Maybe the reason Paula never dared bring it up was because she was worried that I would lash out at her. I certainly almost did so that night the before our child's disappearance.

"I've been distant from her, haven't I?" I finally questioned, allowing myself to take a seat of the lumpy mattress.

"The case was taking its toll on all of us, Mr. Basil-"

"But to the point of almost striking at my own wife; all that frustration, all that built-up aggression, I almost took it out of her. Never would I lay a hand on her, but when she still tried to assure me that there was nothing for me to worry about, I was brought over the edge."

"Hence the argument you both had."

"Yes, but…but I did nothing to harm her. We had made emends and went to bed with no grudges." With nothing else to be said at that moment in time, Vole nodded and turned to make his exit. Stopping suddenly, he looked back at me before taking my hand, which to me was unlike him.

"Never stop believing, detective. I know of your innocence, as does he. You will come up with a way to make him believe you, I have faith in you," he preached on, before releasing my hand and walking out, closing the cell door. As he walked further away from me, I stood there, baffled by his behaviour just now.

As I balled up my fist tighter, I furrowed my brows in wonder of what was in my hand. Looking down, I slowly opened it. What was revealed to me left me in shock; shock that Vole had just risked his long life career and his life to save my own. However, such an act could more than likely mean not only his life, but mine as well. At a moment like this, I had to take a chance. This meant that all I had to do now was wait for the perfect opportune moment.