When All Must End

Chapter 3

“I’m telling you, my officers have been running around this bloody city like headless chickens for weeks now,” a stressed out Inspector Vole commented as he and Basil descended the stairs of St. Bart’s Hospital.

“So the murderer has yet to be found?” the detective questioned as he kept up with Vole’s frantic strides towards the morgue.

“I wish I could say he has, Basil. No one knows where to look or how to look. This bastard is tricky, probably more so than the late Professor Ratigan. But that’s not the most disturbing thing about these disappearances.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” the inspector answered. Without even knocking, both mice waltzed into the dank room. All around them were tables and on most of them were bodies covered with white sheets.

“Good evening, Inspector Vole, Detective Basil,” the young tan-furred mouse greeted them both.

“Ah, good you’re still here, O’ Connell,” Vole said, relieved.

“I live among the dead, inspector. What can I do you two for?”

“If you could, we’d wish to look at the few victims that were brought in here earlier today.”

“With pleasure, sir,” O’ Connell answered, not once bothered by the fact that he works with dead bodies for a living. “I should warn you though; these few are a bit ripe if you know what I mean.”

“I’m quite used to that,” Basil made aware as he and Vole followed him towards the back part of the room.

“Gents, I like to introduce you to, Marilyn Delums, Jessica Norwood, and our first Jane Doe,” he announced as he revealed each body one by one. Just as he said, both Basil and Vole were forced back by the harsh odour of the corpses.

While the inspector kept clear, Basil took a handkerchief from his trouser pocket, covering his mouth and nose as he stepped forward to get a closer look at them. “And exactly how long have these three been known as missing?” he questioned.

“Delums went missing around the fifteenth of last month and Norwood was just a week after,” Vole replied.

“And the unknown I would assume went missing around the same time as these two,” Basil declared, pointing to the two mice to the right of him.

“That is our basic assumption, for she smells just a vile as the other two. I had a couple of my officers question those around the area we found her, see if anyone knew who she was, but no such luck.”

Taking out his magnifying glass, Basil began to inspect the unknown mouse as closely as he could. “What else can you tell me about the ones who were identified.” While the detective continued his examination, Vole explained that the two known girls were of an upper-middle class community. Both were of sixteen years of age, but had no connections or affiliations whatsoever.

“What is extremely baffling though,” Vole continued, “is that Miss Delums here is paraplegic, has been for ten years.”

“But it says in your report that there was no sign of forced entry and only her footprints were found.”

“Which is correct, detective; but how can a young woman who, for a decade, had no ability of her own legs just suddenly get up from her bed in the middle of the night and walk out? Therein lays the mystery and one of the many I was hoping you could help me with.”

Looking up from the body, he gazed at Vole confusingly. “One of the many?” he questioned. “Exactly how many have gone missing, Vole?”

“Do you wish for me to give you the list from these last several days or the entire week?”