The Great Mouse Detective And His Little Apprentice

Chapter 2 Case begins

As soon as Mrs. Judson helped take Elizabeth's belongings to her room, Elizabeth listened to Basil's recent cases.

"...And that's how we solved the missing emerald ring case." Basil finished.

"Amazing!" Elizabeth cheers. "I wished I could have been there."

"I hope you are referring to the emerald ring case," Dawson said. "That case on Queen's Jubilee was very dangerous."

"One of the reasons I sent her to my parents," Basil said as he lit his pipe. "Elizabeth has a habit of wondering who knows where like her mother does."

"That's because no one listens to me." Elizabeth pouts.

"Oh, you know how Inspector Lawless is."

"Him and some others," Elizabeth mumbles.

"If you're referring to the kidnapping case in Victorian Grove, that's already been settled," Basil said.

"A kidnapping case?" Dawson wondered.

"Our first case together," Elizabeth said. "A little boy was kidnapped in Victorian Grove, and I found the clue to who did it. But no one listened to me. Not even Uncle Basil." She pouted.

"I was going to after I interviewed the boy's father," Basil said. "That didn't mean you should take Toby and run alone by yourself."

"Oh my… did she find the boy?" Dawson asked.

"Did and got captured," Basil explained.

"But I at least saved the boy." Elizabeth cleared. "I trusted you to come to rescue me."

"You got yourself captured by Professor Ratigan! Do you know how afraid I was?" Basil reminds.

Dawson spits his tea as he hears that. "Ratigan?"

"Yes, he was planning to rob every rich house in Victorian Grove, but the little boy had a habit of going outside the draw. He has seen him and Fidget passing by and drawing them in his sketchbook. Professor discovered this, so he kidnapped the boy so he wouldn't speak to anyone. But he forgot his sketchbook, which I found and saw the pictures of Professor and Fidget." Elizabeth explained.

"I learned about the book afterward, but right then, Elizabeth was already gone, and some moments later, Toby came with the boy."

"What then happened?" Dawson asked.

"I went there with the police and Ratigan threatened her life if I came any closer. It was lucky enough that she used her mother's hat pin to get free. But that one was one of those times Ratigan got away." Basil finished.

"But we stopped his plan, didn't we?" Elizabeth said.

"Now you see why I sent her to my parents," Basil mumbles to Dawson. Dawson didn't know how to answer that. In one way, he understood that Basil sent her away to protect her, but was that all?

Suddenly, someone knocks on the door, and Mrs. Judson goes to open the door. In the door stood a worried-looking mouse couple. The lady mouse seems to be close to crying while the gentlemouse holds her close.

Elizabeth recognizes them and goes to them. "Mr. and Mrs. Dawnmouse! What brings you here?"

"You know them?" Dawson asked.

"Of course she does," Basil answers on her behalf. "Her grandfather Captain Charles T. Andermice goes to the same gentlemen's club as Mr. Dawnmouse. The Diammonium Club is only for rich and noble families. Sure, my brother-in-law is a member as well, but he rarely goes there because of all the traveling."

Elizabeth helps them forward and leads Mrs. Dawnmouse to sit down on the couch while her husband talks with Basil and Dawson.

"Mister Basil, We desperately need your help. Our son was kidnapped." Mr. Dawnmouse explained.

"John was kidnapped?" Elizabeth asked in shock while standing near Mrs. Dawnmouse.

Basil wasn't sure if it was ironic that this was the second time he got a kidnapping case when Elizabeth arrived. "Have you informed the police?"

"No! Not the police! We were informed not to tell them." Mr. Dawnmouse said in fear.

"So you received the letter." Basil figured. "May I see it?"

Mr. Dawnmouse picks the letter from his jacket's pocket and gives it to Basil. Basil first examines the folder of the letter. It's clean yet simple with no watermark. The address was written with ink. When he opens the letter, there is a clean white paper which has been crumpled to make it look used or hide where it came from, written with the same ink. This is what was written to it:

"If you want your son back, you give up your seat as the chairman of the Diammonium club!"

"So, you're the Chairman of the Diammonium club, Mr. Dawnmouse?" Basil asked.

"Yes, about a week ago. As you already know, Captain Andermice was the former chairman of the club, but there was a selection, and I was voted as the next chairman." Mr. Dawnmouse explained.

"Yes, it was in the paper," Dawson said. "It also said he suggested that there would be little change in the selection."

"I take it that not everyone wasn't pleased with the choice," Basil said.

"Well, besides me, there were two more candidates. One came second by two votes, Mr. Mussen, but he wasn't feeling bad about it. Captain Andermice was there to prove it." Mr.Dawnmouse explained.

"What about the third candidate?" Basil asked.

"I don't remember much of him." Mr.Dawnmouse said.

"I could ask my grandfather," Elizabeth suggests.

"Good idea. Arrange a meeting with him. Meanwhile, I go look at the crime scene. Where was your son taken?" Basil asked.

"From our backyard." Mrs. Dawnmouse said while sobbing.

"One of the servants was with him before he was knocked out. A maid heard our son screaming and saw someone carrying him away." Mr. Dawnmouse explained.

"I like to talk with both of them as well. Every detail could be important." Basil said as he changed from his robe to his jacket and deerstalker hat. 

The case just opened.