literature

The Sterling Scandal: Chapter 1

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Literature Text

All original characters are copy-written by WingsOfASong

All other characters are copy-written by the Walt Disney Company and Even Titus

The name Sherringford Basil is copy-written and used with permission from Diane N. Tran

From the casebook of Basil of Baker Street:

I always have said that the case I am the most fond of was the Jubilee Job, and that fact remains true to this day. But I would be lying if I said there weren't other cases that equally held my interest. A liar makes a poor doctor, so I take pen in paw to relate to you, reader, one of the stranger cases of my life. You see, it started where most of our cases start, at the beginning, on a rainy night in September.

~~~~~

The parlour room at 221 1/2 B Baker Street was a peculiar sight for any mouse that walked in. The infamous tenant of the flat, one Sherringford Basil, was upside down in his favorite armchair, his newly repaired violin tucked neatly under his chin. It had been about a week since he'd had a truly harrowing case, and the boredom was taking its toll on the brilliant mouse. His friend and colleague, Major David Dawson, sat in the other chair across the room with a newspaper propped on his paunch.

"Now here's something interesting, Basil." The pudgier mouse said to his friend. "Lady Fenley's jewelry seems to have mysteriously disappeared."

"Gambling debts," came the curt reply. "Lord Fenley is a mouse with a very addictive personality, and he is almost always found at the rabbit tracks. It comes as no surprise that he would use his wife's jewelry to pay off his debts." Dawson simply shrugged off the rather clipped tone his friend spoke with. It was just how Basil was when he was bored and a client hadn't come to call. The good doctor scanned through the paper for other things that would catch his brilliant partner's interest, when all of a sudden there came the most wonderful sound. There was a frantic knocking at the door of the flat, and Basil sprung to his feet with a new energy.

"Saints be praised, a client at last!" He exclaimed startling both his friend and his poor landlady, Mrs. Judson who had come into the room armed with a tray of tea and her famous cheese crumpets. Setting down the tray on the side table, the much bemused landlady headed to the door, but Basil beat her to it. He flung the door open wide and was nearly nose to nose with a small mousette with snow white fur and a nervous look in her great brown eyes.

"Do forgive my intrusion, but..." she bit her lower lip, something she made a habit of Basil noticed, by the small indentations on her bottom lip where her teeth had worried the flesh."Is this the residence of the famous Basil of Baker Street?"Always a true gentleman, Dawson folded and put away the newspaper, standing up.

"Indeed it is, miss." The chubby mouse said with a kindly smile. "Are you quite all right?" Before the poor dear could answer, Basil immediately shuffled her in.

"No intrusion at all, my dear lady, no intrusion at all. In fact, you couldn't have come at a better time." He said politely and energetically, offering her a seat in his chair. She sat down, still looking quite nervously about, as if she were a scared rabbit rather than a society mouse of quality. "Now," he said with an airy sniff. "I assume you're here due to marital troubles? I see you worrying that lovely diamond engagement ring on your right ring finger. Be sure to tell us everything, and leave nothing out. The slightest detail could be important." Having said his piece, Basil ran for his pipe while Dawson sat back down again listened intently. Mrs. Judson, always matronly and warm, offered the poor young lady some tea which she accepted with a small thank you.

"Well," the frazzled young mouse started. "It all started when my fiancé Danny and I were discussing our wedding plans. He's always been such an energetic mouse, Mr. Basil." She said, worrying her engagement ring and her bottom lip again. "But lately, he's been so explosive. I just assumed it was nerves, but last week while I was cleaning house, I came upon a letter from someone named Ilene Relda." Basil's eyebrows shot up with interest. Mlle Relda's name was not unheard of in the household. Basil and Dawson enjoyed free tickets to some of the diva's shows as a show of thanks from the manager of the opera house. (Basil had gotten him out of a nasty little business with an equally nasty group of thugs he owed money to).

"The opera singer?" Dawson asked. "Why would she be writing to your fiancé, Miss...?"

"Hodges. Anne Hodges," she replied with a polite smile. "And I haven't any idea. At first, I thought the worst that Danny might be having an affair with this Ilene Relda, but when I read the letter, I came to the conclusion that she was blackmailing him. She said something about being in possession of a compromising photo of herself and my Danny, and she's threatened to go to the London Mouse with it. By my poor Danny's reaction, it must be something he doesn't want anyone to see."

"Do you still have this letter by any chance?" Basil asked, lighting his pipe. Miss Hodges nodded.

"I do, Mr. Basil, but it is not in my possession at the moment. I didn't want Danny to worry that she had taken the letter as evidence, so I left it where I found it." She replied, clasping her hands in her lap. "My fiancé doesn't know that I have come to you, actually. He thinks I am visiting my sister up at Addingham. I know he said he'd handle it, but sometimes he doesn't think things through and-" she sighed. "Oh, I just don't want him hurt. Is there anything you can do?" Dawson patted the mouse's hand comfortingly and he looked up at his friend.

"Well? What do you make of it, Basil?" The great mouse detective paced around the room, puffing contentedly on his now-lit pipe.

"Well, without that letter of yours, I can deduce very little. From what you have told me, it seems that your future husband must have had an affair with Mademoiselle Relda before or perhaps even during his courtship of you, Miss Hamburg." He said, pacing a well-worn path in the rug in front of the fire place. "Is there any way you would be able to obtain that letter for me without him knowing?" He asked her, ears perked. She shook her head.

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Basil. He keeps it in a locked drawer of files. He would know that someone had made off with the letter. I have seen him meticulously keep it neat and organized." She replied, dabbing her dewing eyes with a handkerchief.

"Perhaps we ought to pay a visit to the manor ourselves when the chap is out on business?" Dawson suggested to Basil. "That way we could get a look at the letter, and keep him in the dark about this visit at the same time."

"Oh, would you really?" Miss Hodges said, her eyes blown wide. "Oh thank you ever so much for this! He leaves for a business meeting on Wednesday at noon. He should be back in about three hours!" She threw her arms around Basil and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Basil, looking disgruntled and a bit embarrassed, straightened out his maroon dressing robe.

"Yes, er, you're quite welcome, Miss Hanning. We shall call on you on Wednesday, then. Oh, before I forget, at which estate are my associate and I to meet?" Miss Hodges didn't bother to correct his misuse of her name.

"Oh, you can't miss it. It's in Belgravia. It's called Sterling Manor. Oh thank you again! Thank you both!" With that said, she closed the door behind her. Basil thoughtfully stroked his chin, and headed to his favorite chair and sat down (being sure to move his precious instrument this time round).

"Sterling, where have I heard that name before?" Dawson mused as he sat back in his own chair, helping himself to a crumpet. Basil took his violin up, tuning it.

"Daniel Sterling is one of the leading spice tycoons in London," he replied. "He's considered one of the richest mice in Europe. Stands to reason why someone like Mademoiselle Relda would want to blackmail him. The only question is why on Earth she would be involved in the first place."

"Well, perhaps a fresh look at the case in the morning will help, hmm?" Dawson said with a yawn. "I for one do not fancy waiting up all night for answers that will not come without that letter. Goodnight, Basil." Basil grunted in reply, still fine-tuning his instrument. Letter or not, the case in itself presented a very interesting premise. Basil smiled to himself. Maybe things were looking up for him after all?
So, I've finally done it. This is the beginning of my Scandal in Bohemia spin-off starring Basil of Baker Street, Dr. Dawson, and a slew of other characters from both Disney and my own imagination. This story takes place after the Diamond Jubilee Incident (often called the Flaversham Failure), which of course is after the movie.

The chapter here introduces our lady in distress and of course our heroes. ^^ We'll be seeing more of them in the next chapter and possibly a look into Daniel Sterling as well. Is he really at a business meeting? Or is he off to confront the mysterious Ilene Relda herself? Find out next time!
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BrightBlueHearse's avatar
Curious... :) the makings of a good mystery so far.