World's Greatest Criminal Wife

Chapter 5

     Now I wish he had not said anything...
Monica blinked with surprise. She had not expected such a deep, elegant voice to come from her stalker. The surprise made her wish she could turn and run, but her legs would not move. Seeing her horrified expression made him snicker. "Is something the matter, darling?" he asked with a smile.
"N-No." She took a step back as she pocketed her payment. "I just did not think you would have such a... suave sounding voice." She continued to back away as he approached her.
"Oh, there is no need to be afraid of me, dear," he cooed, sounding oddly reassuring. "I do not bite. Besides, even if I did bite, I have no interest in hurting you." She watched as he finally revealed himself, stepping out of the shadows. She was much larger than she had originally thought, making her feel even smaller by comparison. He wore a black suit adorned with a long black cape, explaining how he was able to blend in with the shadows and avoid being spotted. A high white collar covered his neck with a pink and purple striped cravat emerging from his blouse. His head was covered with slick black hair, the fur on top of his head seemingly shaved off. He smiled politely at her, revealing a set of sharp white teeth.
Observing him, she felt her blood go cold. She recognized him. She had seen him multiple times in the newspapers her mother brought home every week. His name was known by everyone in the city and they feared him. He was the subject of many horror stories. And now, somehow, she was standing right in front of him, the most evil, depraved mind in all of London.
"Professor Ratigan..."
Ratigan nodded with a soft chuckle. "Quite a smart young woman you are, my dear. However, I can not help but laugh at how you utter my name as if I am some sort of horrifying monster."
     "Well, you can not blame me," she retorted, trying to keep her voice calm. "You have made the headlines in every newspaper in Mousedom. Can you really expect me to not be terrified of the fact that you are standing right in front of me?"
     He shrugged. "You have a good point, however I seem to be sharing this week's front page. I wonder if you happen to know who this may be?" Reaching into his suit coat, he pulled out a newspaper and handed it to her. As expected, the paper spoke about the professor's latest scheme, this one being about the burning of the Carlson Orphanage and the dead orphans found near the river. However, in a smaller box below the headline, another article spoke of the slaughter of a small group of police officers. The picture displayed a dark, narrow alleyway coated in blood with four dead bodies strewn around the area. According to the article. The cops had been found with claw and teeth marks as well as stab wounds and a single bullet hole from the fight with their killer.
     This was her crime!
     Monica nearly dropped the paper. "No way," she whispered, scanning the image for any sign of her, but, luckily, she could not find herself with the heavy shadows. She handed the paper back. "How? How could this happen?! I am going to be in so much trouble!"
     "Why are you so worried?" Ratigan asked. "I would be proud rather than worried. You made the front page! You are on par with the worst criminals in the city! Why is this article such an awful thing?"
     "I am not sure if you are aware of this, however I AM AN ASSASSIN!" she screeched, pulling him in by his cravat. "I am supposed to stay hidden! I cannot make the front page like this! This paper could being an end to our entire business! When my mother sees this article, she is going to freak out!"
     Ratigan pulled away, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Please, darling, relax. You seem to have skimmed over one important detail." Leaning closer to her, he pointed at a sentence near the middle of the paragraph. "Apparently, the police believe that this crime was my doing. It seems you got lucky today."
As he placed the newspaper back in his suit coat, she felt a wave of embarrassment rush over her. I just had a panic attack over nothing? I really need to learn to control my temper. She snarled to herself, hiding her red face in her hands for a moment. "Wh-Whatever," she muttered as she lowered her arms, trying her hardest to seem calm despite her disappointed scowl. "My work here is done; there is no reason for me to stay. You are welcome for the service. Now, if you will excuse me, I will be on my way." She quickly turned to leave, but as she padded away, he spoke again.
"Very well, however I really was hoping to recruit you..."
Monica stopped mid-step, looking over her shoulder with her eyebrow raised. "I beg your pardon?"
"I feel like you would be a good fit for my team," he answered, giving her a smirk. "I have been stalking you for so long so I could accurately judge your skills. Your stealth and your strength are extraordinary as well as your high intelligence. These are valuable skills for someone of your profession to have. I could use someone as brilliant as you on my side. Besides, I am going to need to find someone to replace him." He kicked the dead body beneath him into the water, letting it sink to the bottom of the river.
     "He worked for you?" she questioned as she watched the corpse disappear under the slow waves. "Why the hell did you hire us to kill one of your own men?"
     He glanced down at his gloved hand, flexing his claws with an unbothered stare. "He was the most... disposable member I could sacrifice. To be honest, he is not the only one of my men I have gotten killed."
Oh, so I really am dealing with a psychopath. How lovely...
     Monica sighed, massaging her wrist. "I suppose I will consider your offer. However, I must return home. I don't wish for my mother to rip my head off for being gone too long." She softly scoffed and went to head home, but Ratigan stepped in front of her with a confused look.
"What is the matter, dear?" he asked. "You sounded quite annoyed when you said that. Is there, perhaps, something bothering you back home?"
"Why are you asking ME this?" she snapped back. "If you have been following me around for so long, you should very well know about my familial situation, should you not?"
The professor raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly. "Touché. I, indeed, am aware of your relationship with your family, especially your mother. After everything I have heard, I cannot help but wonder." He gently grabbed her chin, lifting her head to force her to look at him. "Why are you still living with them?"
Monica stared at him for a moment before lowering his hand with a sigh. "I am not completely sure. It is most likely because it has been easier for me, but... not even I am confident that I made the right choice to stay."
     "You are a grown woman, darling," he pointed out. "You always have the choice to move out. If you know what is best for you, you could stay with me and my men."
     "Perhaps, but for now, I must go." She nodded as she walked away. "I bid you good night, Professor."
Ratigan chuckled darkly as she turned her back on him, striking a small bow in her direction. "And good night to you as well, my dear."