The Great Mouse Detective

Chapter 4: Basil is Interested?

Angel's POV:

Basil searches through the blown up pillow and feathers for the bullet he shot. 

The lady from earlier comes back and sees the mess before her. 

"What in heaven's name?!" She asks, panicking. She sees all the pillows are now nothing but feathers. 

"Oh! Oh! My...MY GOOD PILLOWS!" She shouts in Basil's direction. "Mr. Basil!!!" The lady says angrily. 

Basil pops his head above the armchair as she spits out some feathers. 

"How many times have I told you not to-" 

"There, there, Mrs. Judson. It's quite alright." Basil says and he sniffs the air. "Mmmm! I believe I smell some of those delightful cheese crumpets of yours," he says as he gently pushes Mrs. Judson back toward the kitchen. 

"Why don't you fetch our guests some?" He suggests. 

"But, ah, but, but..." She stammers and he shuts the door, silencing her. 

As he was doing this, I spot the bullet he was searching for and pick it up. He gets on his hands and knees and begins searching for it again.

"Now... I know that bullet's here somewhere." He says. 

I walk in front of him and bend down slightly, putting my free hand on my knee and holding out the bullet with my other hand. 

"I believe this is what you're looking for?" I say and he looks up at me. His eyes widen a bit as he stares into my blue eyes. He seems to have just noticed me. He quickly stands up and I straighten up and place the bullet in his hand. 

"Uh... Thank you Miss..?" He asks. 

"Flaversham. Angela Flaversham. But people just call me Angel. And this is Olivia." I introduce. He shakes his head and starts to walk off. 

"Mr. Basil, you don't understand." Olivia starts but he shushes her and opens a small box and pulls out another bullet. Taking both bullets, he puts them under a microscope. I'm pretty sure he's comparing their markings. 

"Yeah...... Yes!" He mutters, but then his demeanor suddenly changes as he continues to examine the markings. "Noooo! Drat!" He yells. "Another dead end." He says in a depressed tone. Dejected, he tosses the extra bullet aside and slowly walks over to his chair. 

"He was within my grasp..." He whispers as he dramatically falls back into his chair and slowly reaches for the violin sitting beside him. He begins to play a mournful tune. Dawson nudges me and Olivia encouragingly and we walk toward him. 

"Now will you please listen? My daddy's gone and we are all alone." Olivia says to Basil, who pauses his music and looks over at us. 

"Young lady, this is the most inopportune time." He says, still depressed, and resumes his tune. He looks over at Olivia and sees her sad face and sighs. 

"Surely your mother over there must know where he is." He says. 

"I'm not her mother, I'm her elder sister. We... We don't have a mother..." I say sadly and the violin screeches as he abruptly sits up. 

"Well... um... well, then perhaps..." He says with uncertainty as he looks at us, then firmly says, "See here! I simply have no time for lost fathers." I get angry and place my hands on my hips. 

"Now see here! We did not lose him! He was taken! By a bat!" I say angrily. Basil looks at me in shock by my outburst then his eyes widen and he leans toward me, intently. 

"Did you say... BAT?" he asks. 

"Y..Yes" I reply, startled by his sudden interest. 

"Did he have a crippled wing?" Basil asks expectantly. 

"I don't know." 

"But he had a peg leg!" Olivia says and I nod.

Basil stands up on the arms of the chair, arms wide. "Ha!" He laughs. 

"I say, do you know him?" Dawson asks as he walks over. Basil climbs on top of his chair and sits on it. 

"Know him? That bat, One-Fidget by name, is in the employ of the fiend who was the very target of my experiment! The horror of my every waking moment! The nefarious, Professor Ratigan!" Basil says as he points his violin bow in the direction of the fireplace. I look up and see a picture of a well-dressed rat grinning sinisterly. 

"Uh... Ratigan?" Dawson asks. "He's a genius! A genius... twisted for evil! The Napoleon of crime!" Basil says as he ducks behind and out from behind his chair. 

"As bad as all that eh?" Dawson asks. 

"Worse! For years, I've tried to capture him and I've come close, so very close. But each time, he's narrowly evaded my grasp. Not a corner of London's safe while Ratigan's at large. There's not an 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..." Basil says.

A/N- (Hey Guys! Hope you enjoyed Chapter 4! I'll post Chapter 5 here soon! Hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy! Thank you for reading my story! Bye for now!)