Private Life of Basil Pt.14

Chapter Fourteen

Dawson and I were more than happy when they told us they were together. Though Dawson was kind of shocked because of their ages’ difference, he accepted it with no doubt and wished them happiness for a living.
For days, we were left in peace and Basil and Olivia were happier than ever.
Basil and his lady were holding each other tight, talking about their future together.
“Oh, Basil, I love you so much… I hope we stay together forever!”
“Yes… But I’d love if your father accepted me, Olivia. It makes me feel sad that you’re unhappy because of me.”
“He should accept you, after all, you saved us. I’m also worried about him.”
“Don’t be, my dear. I’m sure he’ll be happy when he sees us together.”
“No, Basil. It’s not just that. Ten years ago, my father was taken from home in front of my eyes. I did whatever I could to find him and now I left him alone… It’s strange… I’m afraid something bad can happen to him. I love my daddy!”
Olivia hugged Basil.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure he’s fine.” Basil said.
Dawson came home with a newspaper in his hand and he seemed to be worried.
“OLIVIA!” he screamed.
“Dr. Dawson, what happened??” she asked.
Dawson hugged Olivia and then looked into her eyes.
“I don’t know how to tell you this, my dear. You’ll have to be strong.”
“Dawson, your mysteries are worrying me!! It’s only bad news when you come home like that!” Basil said, worried.
“It’s Flaversham. He was kidnapped by Ratigan!” Dawson said.
“WHAT?????? NOOOO!” Olivia screamed.
Basil hugged her.
“Calm down, sweetheart. Dawson, how do you know that?” Basil asked.
Dawson gave him the newspaper.
Basil read it, while Olivia was crying.

RATIGAN’S FIRST VICTIM

Ratigan and some of his henchman were seen in the street kidnapping the famous toymaker Mr. Flaversham. They escaped to the police and ran away from the toy shop with his victim.

Olivia read it as well and saw the photos in the newspaper of her father in Ratigan’s hands, being violently taken from home.
“No, that’s not possible! NOOO! They took him, Basil! What can I do now? He’s gone, they’re going to kill him this time!! DADDY!!!!”
She was suffering and crying out loud. I tried to calm her down, but her tears could not stop running through her face.
“That’s enough! Olivia’s right! If we don’t do anything, they’ll kill him. Ratigan is not man for games, he has no mercy and will certainly kill Flaversham if we don’t stop him!” Basil said, angry.
“But, Basil, do you suppose he’s in the same place he used to be years ago?” Dawson asked.
“He might be. We never told police where was his hiding place. We have to go there. Olivia, stay here. I promise I’ll bring your father and I’m sure he’s fine.”  
“Mr. Basil.” I said.
“Yes, Mrs. Judson?”
I hugged him.
“Be careful. I don’t want your feelings for him to ruin everything. He doesn’t has any mercy, you know it. Don’t hesitate in killing him this time. Be careful, my child.”
“I can do it, Mrs. Judson. I swear I won’t fail. Come on, Dawson. We’ll have to be quick before anything bad can happen. And I need your help.”
Dawson nodded. Olivia ran to Basil.
“And what about me, Basil? Don’t you want my help?”
“Olivia, believe me, your presence there won’t make things easier. You stay here with Mrs. Judson. She’ll take care of you.”
“But, Basil, I want to go with YOU! We’re in this together, remember? And it’s my dad! I want to see him!”
“No, Olivia! It’s dangerous! This time it’s important that you do what I say. This time I won’t make the same mistakes I made years ago. You stay here.”
“Please, Basil, let me go with you!”
“No, my love. Everything will be fine. Stay here, please.”
Olivia accepted it but cried in my shoulder.
“Take care of her, Mrs. Judson. Don’t let her do anything precipitated.” Basil said to me.
“Take care of yourself too, Mr. Basil. And don’t worry, your girl will be just fine in my hands. Come on, sweetie. I’ll bring you some tea and crumpets. I know you love it.”
Basil hugged Olivia.
“Whatever it happens, my heart will always be with you. Don’t forget.” He said.
“I never forgot you, Basil. Of course I’ll never forget you. Please, bring my father and be careful. I don’t want you hurt.”
“Don’t worry about me. You’re my precious jewel and Flaversham’s as well. I’m sure he would never forgive me if he saw you there, in the middle of criminals.”
“But I don’t want to lose you. And Ratigan will do awful things to you.”
“Trust me. I’ll be fine. Promise me you’ll be a good girl and won’t give too much work to our good Mrs. Judson.”
Olivia laughed.
“I promise.”
Basil gave her a little kiss in her mouth.
“I love you, my princess.”
“I adore you, my prince charming…”
“Basil… I’m sorry to be interrupting, but we should be going… Won’t we be disguised so nobody can recognize us in that awful bar?” Dawson asked.
“Disguised? For what? Ratigan recognizes me even if I’m under gold.”
“But in the bar they could not recognize us… But this time I won’t go in that ridiculous sailor disguise!!”
“Alright, but this time we’ll be armed. And we’ll find a perfect disguise for us.”
“Well, I’m glad I won’t look ridiculous again!”
“No, Dawson. This time you’ll certainly look ridiculous.”
“WHAT?”
Basil changed clothes and appeared in front of us dressed like Captain Hook, with a moustache and black long hair. This time nobody would recognize him, because he was very different from usual.
“Mr. Basil, I wouldn’t recognize you!” I said.
“I would.” Olivia said. “You look perfect, but I prefer you as a detective, not as Hook.”
“Thank you, dear. But look at Dawson, doesn’t he look great?”
Basil looked at where Dawson should be, but he noticed Dawson wasn’t there.
“Where is Doctor Dawson?” Olivia asked.
“Dawson!! Come on, don’t be ridiculous!” Basil called him.
“I LOOK COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS!!!” Dawson’s voice said.
“Don’t be a fool. You look perfect.”
“A PERFECT IDIOT! YOU AREN’T THINKING THAT I’LL WALK IN THE STREETS LIKE THIS, DO YOU?”
“Dawson, you will. Nobody will recognize you. And remember, your voice has to be softer.”
When Dawson appeared, we started laughing.
He was dressed as a woman, with curly blonde hair, the same red accessory Olivia used to have in the head, blush all over his face, red lipstick on his lips, his eyes were exaggeratedly painted in red, he wore a black necklace, silver earrings, and a sensual and long red dress. He wore black high heels. We were also surprised because he even had breasts!
“Don’t laugh! I look horrible!” Dawson screamed.
“No, Dawson! You look gorgeous! You’re playing my girl in this acting. I’m sorry, but I can’t stop laughing!” Basil said.
He was laughing like us. But suddenly Olivia stopped laughing and looked at Basil.
“What, my dear?” he asked.
“Basil, where did you get all those female things?”
“Indeed! Good question, Olivia.” Dawson agreed.
“Well, you know. I’m detective, I obviously need every kind of disguises. Even a woman’s. What, you’re not thinking that this belonged to a woman, right?”
Olivia looked serious to him, as if she wanted to kill him with her own eyes.
“Basil of Baker Street, don’t you lie to me! This belongs to who????”
I interfered before things could go bad.
“Mr. Basil doesn’t have a woman since he was 22. He bought this in a shop as a disguise and bought it with me, my dear. Not to worry.”
Olivia felt relaxed.
“Alright, but I just needed to check.” She said.
“Don’t worry, Olivia. No need to be jealous.”
Basil kissed her in the cheek and she laughed while looking at Dawson again.
“Now, we have to solve the moustache problem, Dawson.” Basil said.
“NO! I won’t take off my moustache and that is final!”
“Don’t worry, Dawson. I’ve seen women on the Mousetrap bar with moustache. Nothing to worry about.”
They left home and we were still laughing.
Then, Olivia got worried while she was drinking her tea.
“Oh, Mrs. Judson. I love Basil so much. What if he doesn’t come back?”
“He will come back, sweetheart. I know he will. Your boyfriend is a very intelligent boy.”
“I know… But Ratigan’s too cruel and he’s too sensitive. I know he is, Mrs. Judson. I know everything about their past now. Basil won’t have courage to kill his biggest enemy because once he was his biggest friend.”
“More than a friend. A brother, he was.”
“I’m afraid that beast can hurt him. I should have gone with him!”
“No, you shouldn’t! Mr. Basil did the right thing. Remember what happened ten years ago? You were kidnapped by Fidget. What if something like that happened now, if you had gone with them?”
“It was different, Mrs. Judson. I was too young and too innocent. I was eight years old. Now it would be different.”
“Maybe, but Mr. Basil loves you way too much to put you in such danger. He wants you safe and your father wants it too!”
“I trust Basil. He’ll bring my father as he brought ten years ago, won’t he?”
“Yes, dear. Sure.”
I smiled. She was still afraid. Even I was afraid of what that evil rat could do to my Basil… The one that I created as a son.