"The Great Mouse Detective"

The Rat Trap

{221 1/2 Baker Street}

{Florence's POV}

Back at Basil's flat, the detective lights a lamp and studies the list with his magnifying glass for a little while, Dawson is on his right and I'm on his left. "Offhand, I can deduce very little. Only that the words are written with a broad pointed quill pen which has spattered, twice." I raise my eyebrows as he continues, "That the paper is of.." he tosses the paper on his fingertips for a moment, "...native Mongolian manufacture, no watermark. And has.." he puts the paper to his lips and smacks it around six or seven times, "...been gummed, if I'm not in much error.." He sniffs the paper, and I watch him keep that paper at an arm's length in disgust at the result, "...by a bat who has been drinking Rodent's Delight!" I chime in, "A cheap brandy sold at only the seediest of pubs!" Dawson mumbles in amazement as Basil rummages through his desk, "Hmm. Amazing."

"Oh, not really, Doctor. We still don't know where it came from!" He pulls out his microscope to get a closer look, "Perhaps a closer inspection will tell us something.." he focuses the lens on the paper and I can see the look on his face slowly change as he notices it, "Hmm-hmm. Hmm.. Coal dust. Clearly of the type used in sewer lamps.." Dawson tries to look at the dust, but Basil snatches the list from off the microscope and he lights the paper on fire. Dawson goes to say something.. "Uh, but Basil, I-I-" ...But Basil shushed him. "Shhh! Don't speak!"

Basil let the ashen remains of the list fall into a bowl, and he pats it down with a wooden masher. {He's impressing me again..} He pours the contents into a glass jar that's filled with a yellow chemical, it turns blue upon coming into contact with the ashes. {...Why is something like this..} Dawson stares at the liquid with his bifocals as Basil returns with a red chemical. {...This is insignificant, yet it isn't at the exact same time. It's significant to the case, but it's unnecessary for me to take this to heart..} "Excuse me, Dawson." He takes the blue chemical and holds the red chemical over it carefully, "Steady hand.."

{...For the love of God, what's the matter with me right now??} Basil lets a single red drop fall into the blue chemical, a puff of smoke comes out as the chemical becomes a vibrant violet hue. {He's just another random soul that I saw again, I could meet someone who acts almost just like him anywhere else!} Basil sets the jar below a glass spout and reaches to another part of the chemistry set to turn on a small flame. The green chemical bubbles up and slowly makes its way through the tubes, and I hear Basil encouraging it softly.. {Again, another something of his that's insignificant! It shouldn't matter to me that he encouraged the chemical, nor should anything that's happened before it!}

"Yes, yes. Good, good. Come along, come along, come along, come along. Come along, come along, come along come along.... Haha... Yes, yes, good, good. No, bad. Good, good, oh, no. Come along, come on. Yes, come on." {The way he looked at it, however.. Ahhhhh! What's the matter with me?!} Basil and Dawson watch intently as a single green droplet hangs over the purple liquid. {I was looking at Basil, oddly enough.} "Yes.. Yes.." The droplet falls, making the chemical turn red, much to Basil's elation. He chortles and puts an arm around Dawson in companionship, "Ah-ha! We've done it, old fellow! This reaction could have only been triggered by.." he glances over at me and I think for a second.. "...The paper's extreme saturation with distillation of sodium chloride!! Salt water!! Wait, wait-!"

Basil chuckles as I rummage through his maps for a moment, he takes his arm off Dawson as he looks at the now-clear chemical, "Salt water? Great Scott.." "This proves beyond a doubt.. Ah! This paper came from the riverfront area!" I pin a map to the wall with one of Basil's darts and Dawson walks over to us, "Now, steady on there, you two.." I interrupt Dawson, "No, no! Elementary, Mister Dawson!" I hand Basil another dart and allow him to pinpoint where we have to go. {Besides, I wanted to hear him talk again..} "We merely look for a seedy pub at the only.." He sticks a dart in a part of the map that even I know how to get to, "...Spot.. Where the sewer connects to the riverfront."