When All Must End

Chapter 4

What has she done to deserve this? Basil questioned inwardly as he sat by Paula’s bedside feeling helpless. Two weeks had come and gone, and as predicted her health became worse, however more so than even Paula herself could have foretold. It seemed that what was once a horrible cause of influenza had soon turned into pneumonia, exactly what Basil feared. She had become so weak that she could hardly speak without going into another harsh coughing fit. When that occurred, it caused a panic for occasionally she would cough up blood though not much.

She had become thinner since whatever food she ate, her body simply would not let it stay down. That still did not stop the detective as he gave her broth since that was all she was able to really eat. Though Basil always considered Paula as delicate due to her tiny form, she seemed so fragile to him now since she was practically skin and bones.

As another harsh coughing fit snuck up on them, Basil delicately sat Paula up, patting her back carefully. He whispered in her ear, ensuring her that everything would be all right. But he knew better. Nothing would ever be the same if or when he’d lose his precious Paula. Finally, after several dreadful minutes passed, he took a small glass of cool water from the bedside table and perched up to her lips so she could drink.  

Regardless of how refreshing the water was as, it was not enough to douse the searing fire in her throat as she swallowed. It pained Basil as he was forced to witness the heart-aching scene. When she had enough, he placed the glass back on the table and gently laid her back down. He soon noticed beads of sweat across her forehead and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, he dunked his hands into the fresh hot water that was brought up by Mrs. Judson only ten minutes earlier. Squeezing any extra water from the cloth, he lightly dabbed the cloth over her face.  She sighed at the touch, which caused a small grin to form across Basil’s lips. Broken out his peaceful trance, he was became slightly annoyed when he heard a light knock on his bedroom door, followed by Mrs. Judson appearing from behind.

“Inspector Vole is here to speak with you, Mr. Basil,” the landlady answered to her tenet’s silent question. “He says that it’s quite urgent.”

Sighing, making his irritation known, he placed the wet cloth back into the water before bending over to place a soft kiss on Paula’s forehead. “I’ll return to you soon, darling,” he promised lovingly and then rose from the chair he had placed by the bed earlier. Without having to request it, the elder mouse walked passed Basil and took his place to care for Paula as the detective rushed downstairs to meet a rather nervous inspector waiting in the middle of the sitting room.

“Good, God, Vole,” Basil exclaimed when he saw how pale the mouse’s face was.

“Well, you asked for more bodies to turn up and turned up they have,” Vole stated as he held up a bunch of files. “And these are just the ones that were found…”

~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was just beginning to set as both mice continued to look over the many files Vole had managed to haul when he arrived around three that afternoon. When Basil was expecting the inspector to come to him when more bodies were found, he was not expecting as many as there was.

“And you found all these women today?” Basil asked as he looked through all the photos scattered across the floor.

“Yes and every single one have the precise mark on either the left or right side of their necks,” Vole answered, his voice shaky at the horror before them. “Forty-seven women were reported as missing and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more while I am here. The thing is, as you see here, only twenty of them have been found in this condition.”

“Good lord…”

“Around midnight, two patrol Bobbies heard a loud shriek only a few yards away from them, but the fog was too thick for them to see anything. When they went to investigate it, they found twenty year old Angela Dickens.” Vole pointed to one of the pictures closest to Basil as he continued his narrative, “We have already notified her husband of her death this morning.”