Hello, everyone! Happy New Year. Hope you are all safe and healthy. As the first chapter of the new year, I can exclusively reveal that we will finally learn Basil's family secret, so hang onto your hats!
After leaving the abandoned opera house, Basil, Dawson and Olivia caught the trolley to return to Baker Street. When they reached 221, Basil stopped, holding up his hand, as though there was someone in front of them.
''What is it, Basil?'' Dawson asked.
''Something's not right,'' the detective said, narrowing his eyes. ''I can sense it.''
With this said, the trio ran toward the rodent quarters that was Basil's flat. As they did, the large shadowy figure once again watched them with a large grin on his face as his white-gloved hand tucked a small gold object into his pocket.
As they reached the door to 221½, the three mice jumped back when the door opened to reveal –
''Pauline!'' Dawson cried in surprise to see his wife. ''What are you doing here?''
''Thank goodness, David!'' Pauline said, hugging her husband. ''Hiram and I have been so worried.''
''Why? What's happened?'' Oliva asked.
''It's Mrs Judson.''
Worried for the devoted housekeeper, the trio followed Pauline inside the flat. Once inside the living room, they saw Hiram on the floor cradling an unconscious Mrs Judson, a club lying next to her.
''Mrs Judson!'' Basil cried, as he and his comrades kneeled before the pair.
''Daddy, is she alright?'' Olivia asked in great worry, holding the housekeeper's hand.
''Don't worry, my wee bairn, she's merely unconscious,'' Hiram assured his daughter, before scowling darkly. ''She has a bump on the head, and I detect a hint of chloroform. The Viper has struck again.''
Basil sniffed and saw the toymaker was right, and then felt anger rising inside of him.
Whether it was because there wasn't too much chloroform or she heard everyone's voices, but Mrs Judson then began to stir.
''Mrs Judson?'' Pauline asked.
The housekeeper opened her eyes. ''Mr … Basil? Miss … Olivia?''
''She's coming round,'' Dawson said in relief. ''Quick, let's get her sat down.''
Hiram helped the doctor get Mrs Judson into Basil's red chair, while Pauline went into the kitchen to make an ice pack for her head. Olivia, meanwhile, went upstairs to retrieve her tartan shawl and wrapped around the housekeeper's shoulders.
''Bless you, my dear,'' she thanked Olivia in gratitude, now fully conscious.
Olivia hugged her tightly, and Pauline came back with the ice pack and a cup of tea.
''Now, Mrs Judson, Hiram, Pauline, I need you three to tell us exactly what happened,'' Basil said urgently.
''Yes, Pauline, I thought you were staying at Sally's?'' Dawson said to his wife.
''One of the children caught a nasty cold, so Sally and Theodore thought it best for me go home. Sally, Clara and I only live houses away from each other so it wasn't far,'' she explained.
''When Pauline returned, we rung here to see if you three had got home alright,'' Hiram added, ''but instead of Mrs Judson, there was a slight laugh and then they hung up. Knowing this was foul play, we immediately set off, and when we arrived, we found Mrs Judson on the floor unconscious.''
''Mrs Judson, what happened prior to this?'' Olivia asked the housekeeper.
''I was doing some late laundry when suddenly I heard the door creak open. I knew instinctively that it was an intruder, so I confronted him, but he was too strong and grabbed the club out of my hand and hit me around the head with it, before holding a rag to my mouth and I passed out. Hiram and Pauline must've rung just after that.''
''Can you describe the voice?'' Olivia asked her father and Pauline.
''It was a male voice,'' Pauline answered, ''and the pitch was somewhere between high and low.''
''And what did the fiend look like, Mrs Judson?'' he asked.
''I didn't see his face, Mr Basil, he wore a cloak with the hood up. He was huge and muscular, and also wore white gloves with gold cufflinks.''
''Sounds like one of those two men who act like the Viper's bodyguards,'' Dawson said.
''He did this to scare us,'' Hiram said angrily.
Basil growled loudly. ''Yes, he did. The Viper planned all of this! Already aware we would use the chemistry set on Mitchell's tooth and track him down to the Rat Trap, he saw the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: have Mitchell deliberately lure us to his opera house hideout, while sending another lackey to attack Mrs Judson at the same time.''
''William,'' Olivia said suddenly, staring up at the mantle, ''he didn't send a goon here just to hurt our housekeeper.''
''What do you mean, Livy?'' Basil asked.
''Look,'' she replied, pointing at the very end of the mantle. ''Ratigan's bell is gone.''
Everyone looked and saw she was right. Basil had placed that gold-yellow bell on the end of the mantle nine year ago after the rat's demise, as a memento of having finally received justice for his family and all of Mousedom, and now it was indeed gone.
''I agree with Olivia,'' said Dawson. ''It was there earlier.''
''There's a note,'' Hiram said, reaching out and picking up the piece of paper that was laid in the spot of the now vanished bell.
''What does it say?'' Pauline asked.
Hiram pulled a face of disgust and read out loud:
Basil of Baker Street
Hello, old friend. Are you and Olivia enjoying our little game so far? Hope you had a fun time at my opera house, I was even nice enough to leave a little present from you.
By the way, how is Mrs Judson after my friend's little visit? I'm sorry he had to hurt and chloroform her, but there was no other option. Too bad.
I do look forward to seeing how this game ends. Oh, wait, I already know how it will end – in my triumph and your demise, Mr I'm-a-genius Detective.
In the meantime, have fun in guessing the truth. But as I said at the party, you will never deduce it.
The Viper
Hiram showed everyone the note also had the eerily-looking drawing of a Basil doll.
''The Viper is getting more creepier each time,'' Dawson remarked, frowning, voicing out loud what everyone was thinking.
''Look!'' Mrs Judson exclaimed. ''There are two more words at the bottom: 'mystery accomplice'.''
'' 'Mystery accomplice'?'' Basil repeated, frowning. ''Hiram, may I please have the note?''
Hiram hand it to his future son-in-law, who read the letter over before placing the desk. Thinking about Mrs Judson's description of the intruder, combined with these two words and the disappearing bell, a troubling idea occurred to Basil, but he ignored it. He wanted to focus on the facts rather than speculation.
''How did it go at the Rat Trap?'' the toymaker then asked. ''Did you find anything?''
''We did indeed, Father,'' said Olivia. ''And no, we didn't get hurt.''
''Thank goodness,'' Pauline said. ''By the way, David,'' she added turning to her husband teasingly, ''Basil certainly dressed you up for the part of a pub ruffian.''
Dawson looked down at his ridiculous disguise, mortified his wife had seen it. ''First the sailor get-up, now this,'' he said gravely, and Pauline giggled. ''Never again. Basil, before we tell them everything, I'd like to change if you don't mind.''
''Of course, doctor,'' said Basil. ''We all should.''
The trio then went upstairs to change. Dawson and Olivia scrubbed off their fake scars and bruises (and tattoos in Dawson's case) and donned their usual attire, and Basil wore his robe, putting the dolls they had found onto the desk with the note.
''Here's what happened at the Rat Trap,'' Olivia said once they were all assembled in the parlour, and they launched into the story of their little adventure of the Rat Trap and Mitchell leading them to the abandoned opera house.
''Olivia,'' Hiram said sternly, ''normally I would scold you putting yourself in danger like that, but I understand you were protecting Dawson, and besides, it sounds as though William kept his promise of not letting some creep touch you, so I will let it slide.''
Olivia gave her father small smile.
''And I find it outrageous that the Viper has been using the once famous Rodent Opera House as a hideout!'' Mrs Judson cried, putting her hands on her hips. ''Why, my late husband and I used to go there a lot in my younger days. I was saddened when it closed down.''
Pauline comforted the old mouse.
''Now that we've relayed our story,'' Basil said, lighting up his pipe, ''we will now proceed to examining what we have found out. Firstly,'' he continued turning his attention to both Olivia and Hiram, ''let us go back to where all this started over two weeks ago, on the night Mitchell invaded the Flavershams' toyshop and inflicted injury on Hiram. The questions we asked ourselves was why? Why did the Viper send Mitchell there to harm Hiram, and not Olivia? I had been suspecting the answer for some time, but what we have discovered tonight confirms it: to ensure that Olivia would come to me for help again, so we would be reunited.''
''But why?'' Pauline asked.
Basil walked over to the desk and momentarily looked at the Ratigan doll with utter loathing, before picking up the dolls of him and Olivia. ''Because the Viper's motive is revenge. Not just revenge on my hurting his arm, but to also avenge the death of someone who died nine years ago, for which he holds both me and Olivia personally responsible. And that someone,'' he added, now sounding more dramatic, replacing the dolls on the table and picking up the third doll, ''is the fiend who committed such vile depravity, the villain who caused great harm to my family, the scoundrel who tried to take over Mousedom that night – the nefarious Professor Padraic James Ratigan!''
He held out the Ratigan doll for everyone to see, as it suddenly thundered. Did thunder always transpire whenever Basil dramatically announced the name of the villain?
''So that's it,'' Hiram said, glaring at the doll of the rodent that kidnapped him, not sounding surprised. ''I suspected that's what it was, because Olivia and I had never known the Viper. I understand why the Viper would blame you for that monster's death, William, but why does he hold my daughter at fault as well?''
''Because it was Olivia coming to me for help over your disappearance in the first place that informed me that Ratigan was up to some dastardly scheme, so therefore if she hadn't done so, Ratigan's plan wouldn't have been foiled and his death would've been averted.''
''Now that we have established the Viper's motive,'' Olivia said, ''we need to figure out what the connection to Ratigan actually is.''
''Especially since there was never any acknowledgement of a link between them in the first place,'' Dawson added.
''It's true they kept their affiliation a secret for some reason,'' Basil agreed with a grin, ''but it does further implicate the Richmond family, namely Gideon, given Samuel's lingering devotion to Ratigan's birth mother Marianne –''
''Gideon Richmond!'' Pauline suddenly growled, to everyone's shock. She was looking uncharacteristically angry. ''I can't stand that man!''
''Pauline, you know him?'' Basil asked in great surprise.
Dawson put an arm around his wife. ''When I told her about the party, she was overcome with anger when I mentioned Gideon, but she didn't say why.''
''Pauline, if you something about Gideon, we need to know,'' Basil implored her.
But Pauline's anger had reached boiling point; her face was very red and she was breathing heavily, before she fainted.
''Pauline!'' Dawson cried, catching his wife, and everyone gathered around in concern.
''Is she alright?'' Olivia asked.
Dawson looked at his wife. He could no longer ignore the suspicions he had had surrounding Pauline's recent health.
''She's fine, but I need to get her home and check her over. We don't live far from here,'' he added, seeing Olivia open her mouth. ''Basil, I'm afraid we can't ask her about Gideon until a later time.''
''Of course, doctor, you look after her. She can tell us about Gideon when she's ready.''
''Thank you,'' Dawson said in relief, and scooped his wife into his arms. ''Coming, Hiram?''
''I think I will stay here tonight,'' the toymaker replied, ''just in case the fiend comes back.''
''But Daddy –''
''No buts, Olivia. After what happen to Mrs Judson tonight, I am staying here to look after her, you and William, and that is final. My wound is heeling,'' he gestured to the cut on his forehead; it no longer needed stitches and was fading away, ''so I won't let Mitchell get me again. Besides, after going to the party I have found myself wanting to take more part in the case, and perhaps I can help make sense of Ratigan and the Viper's connection.''
''Well, if you're sure, Hiram,''' Basil said uncertainly.
''If Hiram wants to stay here then that's fair enough,'' said Dawson. ''Goodnight, everyone, and do take care.''
Everyone said the same to the doctor, who then left with his unconscious wife.
''I hope Pauline will be alright,'' said Hiram.
''She will be,'' Olivia assured him and they all looked at one another, both wondering Pauline's health was indeed what they thought it was.
''Doctor Dawson will inform us if it's anything to worry about,'' Mrs Judson said. ''Now, I will go and prepare the guest bedroom for Hiram.''
Hiram tried to protest he do it and that the housekeeper should rest after her ordeal, but Mrs Judson was adamant she wanted to keep herself busy.
Hiram looked at the Viper's note and the dolls and wondered. ''William, I've just thought of something. I know it's going to sound mad, but with … Mitchell having been local at the Rat Trap, the motive, the bell, the voodoo dolls of you and Olivia, and Mrs Judson's description … you don't suppose the invader, and the Viper's 'mystery accomplice', could actually be …?''
''You have just voiced out loud what crossed my mind earlier, Hiram,'' Basil said darkly, taking puff of his pipe.
''I noticed you turn pale when Mrs Judson told us what he looked like, William,'' Olivia said, ''and now that I think about it, Ratigan does fit the description.''
Basil nodded stiffly. ''That possibility has always haunted me, given that Ratigan's body was never found. It wouldn't be far-fetched to assume Ratigan has been in hiding all these years, and has teamed up with his old secret acquaintance the Viper, who also loathes me, to plot an elaborate scheme of revenge against both me and Livy. It would be the perfect cover, the Viper appearing to be acting at his own accord and avenging Ratigan's 'death', and then at the end reveal that that sewer rat has been alive all along.''
Hiram frowned. ''But there's one thing that doesn't make sense to me: why would the Viper have Mitchell deliberately lure you to the opera house to find the Ratigan doll, thereby revealing his motive? That gives away his whole plan, basically.''
''Not entirely. Like a lot of the scoundrels I have captured throughout the years, the Viper is very arrogant and confident – confident I will not figure out his link to Ratigan. If I know the Viper, he is also up to something else, but he wants me to keep more focused on his motive regarding Ratigan than his overall grand scheme, whatever it may be.''
''But, William, surely we can do both, find out his affiliation with Ratigan and what his whole big plan is at the same time?'' Olivia suggested.
Basil grinned at her. ''That is precisely what we are going to do, darling. One thing about villains like Ratigan and the Viper is that their confidence tends to be their undoing.''
''But is that rat actually dead though?'' Hiram asked.
Basil took a whiff of his pipe, the horror of that thought fully sinking in. ''That's what we need to find out, Hiram. Did the old Napoleon of Crime somehow survive that night at Big Ben? Or is the Viper trying scare us by making is think that? Yes, that crafty Viper is making us second-guess ourselves, making us question everything. He has always been good at that. He likes that sort of game.''
''Well, if Ratigan is alive,'' Olivia said, looking fierce, ''I will kick him where it hurts for everything he did to us.''
Basil and Hiram laughed. ''No doubt you will, my wee bairn,'' said Hiram, before yawning, ''but we will talk more about that at some other time.''
Basil nodded. ''I agree.''
Hiram said goodnight to his daughter and future son-in-law and retreated to the guest bedroom.
Olivia started to leave a sell. ''Well, I think we should turn in as well, William –''
''Olivia,'' Basil interrupted suddenly, placing hand on her shoulders, looking both anxious and serious, ''I know this is so abrupt, but in light of recent events, it's time I told you the truth about my past … and my family history.''
Oliva was stunned. ''William, you don't have to if you're not ready –''
''I can't put if off any longer, Livy. You deserve to know everything,'' Basil said adamantly. ''The whole truth.'' He inhaled sharply and ran his hand over his head. ''Where do I start?'' he asked himself, pacing up and down.
''Take your time, William, I'm not going anywhere. In fact, I'm not sleepy now.''
Hearing Olivia's sweet voice say that, Basil found the courage begin with his big family secret and stopped pacing, taking a slow, deep breathe. ''Firstly, there were three siblings: my father, my Aunt Violet and my uncle.''
''You had an uncle as well?''
To Olivia's shock, Basil's hands clenched into fists. ''Yes,'' he said through gritted teeth, as though his uncle was the most disgusting person ever. ''Father was the youngest of the three, then Violet, and my uncle was the eldest. They grew up being as close as siblings could be … at least, that's what Aunt Violet and my father thought.''
''What do you mean?''
Basil breathed in and out heavily, as though he was going to have one of his outbursts, but he forced himself to remain calm. ''On my uncle's part, it had all been an act. For all of his life, he had actually hated Father, all because he was born and accused him of 'taking Mother, Father and Violet from me' and 'replacing me as the family's son', even though my grandparents made it perfectly clear they loved all three children equally.''
''Sounds like your uncle was seriously messed up.''
''Oh, he was,'' Basil spat, cold hatred in every syllable. ''You see, he and Violet weren't my aunt and uncle by blood.''
Olivia's eyes widened. ''They were adopted?''
''I looked up to my uncle as a second father, and actually often wished he was my father. How could I have ever wished such a repulsive thing?'' Basil shouted, making Olivia jump back in surprise. ''My grandparents took him and Violet in when they had nothing, raised them as their own, and how did my dastardly uncle thank them? By ripping out the heart of our family! He turned his back on his own family to carry out a life of crime! There was no evil scheme he wouldn't concoct, no depravity he wouldn't commit! And worst of all, he violated his own niece and killed his own brother and sister that night!'' he screamed, tears in his eyes. ''When Grandpa Bernard and Grandma Maggie heard their own son had become a criminal genius, the shock was too much for Grandpa and he died of a heart attack. Then Grandma died not long after of a broken heart, having lost both her husband and first-born son.''
Basil sunk the floor howling while Olivia hugged him. While it was painful to relive the memories, it was as though a huge weight had been lifted off Basil's shoulders, now that he was finally telling Olivia the truth.
As she hugged him, Olivia was trying to process everything she had heard. She hated Basil's uncle. He betrayed his own family to become a criminal mastermind, all because he was jealous of his own brother. Olivia didn't know why, but this uncle sounded very familiar, as if she had met him before, but she couldn't have … or could she? The young woman thought about everything Samuel had spoken of at the party and, putting it all together with everything she had just heard from Basil, a thought came to mind.
''William,'' she said hesitantly, ''your aunt and uncle … were they … were they mice or rats?''
Immediately, Basil removed himself from her embrace and helped her to feet, silent the whole time. The detective gently sat Olivia down in his red chair and left for a moment.
Olivia sat in nervous suspense. The silent treatment her detective was giving her fuelled her suspicions. Basil returned a moment later with a framed picture and a photo album and passed the portrait to his love.
Olivia looked at the framed picture. It featured a pretty rat woman with black hair that fell to her shoulders, with dark eyes and facial features that looked familiar. ''Is this Violet? She's beautiful.''
''Yes, she was.''
Basil then took back Violet's portrait and handing Olivia the photo album, his hands shaking the whole time. ''Here it is, Livy,'' he said quietly. ''My big family secret I have been fearing telling you, the secret that started all of this.''
The young woman opened the album and stared at the first few pictures. There were pictures of three young children playing together, a rat boy about five or six-years-old, a rat girl about two to three, and a baby mouse boy who was waving pudgy fists at the camera. The rat girl had dark hair that was tied into cute little pigtails, and was smiling while holding in her lap the baby mouse boy who was the spitting image of Basil. Olivia looked at the rat boy who was also smiling while holding his siblings close. His dark hair was neatly combed and he was smiling a very familiar smile. His face was much younger and lacked wrinkles, but Olivia knew that face anywhere.
The young woman looked up at Basil, her mouth slightly agape.
Basil nodded bitterly. ''Yes … Uncle Ratigan ...''
Jaw-drop twist! Ratigan was Basil's adopted uncle! To those of you who had guessed it, well done. If you go back and re-read the hints about Basil's past, they will make sense. I took inspiration for the chapter's end from the film version of Matilda.
Now this raises the obvious questions: how and why did Ratigan turn his back on his own family to become the Napoleon of Crime? How did he end up feuding with both his own brother and nephew? And could Ratigan really still be alive?
Also, what does Pauline know about Gideon?
Time to answer some reviews:
duchessofbooks: Indeed, Olivia did right to learn how to fight. Following the events of the film, I always imagined she had become afraid of something happening to Hiram again, so she took martial arts lessons so she could protect him, as Hiram said in an earlier chapter. And that had made a lasting impression on her detective.
Happy New Year and see you soon!
