The Copper Beeches pt 3
I hope you are anxious to hear the conclusion of the case of ‘The Copper Beeches’.
Yes. Yes I am. Because while it's now pretty certain that the Rucastles are not part of a sex-trafficking ring, they're still really fucking creepy and now I also have to worry about the poor dog who is also being abused.
Family of serial killers, I swear.
"Is there a cellar with a good strong lock?"
"Yes, the wine-cellar."
...
😈😈😈😈
"You seem to me to have acted all through this matter like a very brave and sensible girl, Miss Hunter. Do you think that you could perform one more feat? I should not ask it of you if I did not think you a quite exceptional woman."
Leeeeeeettle bit condescending there, Holmes. Although I feel like I am just more sensitive to that because modern perspective and experience. However, I do think think this section needs noting, if only because of all the people who are determined that Irene Adler is the only woman Holmes ever saw worthy of a compliment. Nothing against Irene, she's great, but Violet Hunter deserves better. She's been doing all the legwork herself this case, and she's made a pretty decent detective.
"If you could send her into the cellar on some errand, and then turn the key upon her, you would facilitate matters immensely."
...
heh
heheheh
...
"Of course there is only one feasible explanation."
I still want to know what the other six possibilities were, Holmes. I want to know.
"Miss Alice Rucastle, if I remember right, who was said to have gone to America. You were chosen, doubtless, as resembling her in height, figure, and the colour of your hair. Hers had been cut off, very possibly in some illness through which she has passed, and so, of course, yours had to be sacrificed also."
Miss Alice Rucastle is having the worst year. First she's sick so badly she has to cut her hair off. Then her father imprisons her in her own home. And on top of all of that her stepbrother is a serial killer in training. Worst. Year. Ever.
"The most serious point in the case is the disposition of the child."
Really? That's the most serious point? Like, I agree it's not good. He's clearly showing signs of anti-social behaviour, aggression, and a worrying taste of having the power of life and death over other living beings, but I'm not sure I'd say that was the most urgent thing right now. I think getting Alice out is the most important thing. You can get him some serious therapy later.
"This child's disposition is abnormally cruel, merely for cruelty's sake, and whether he derives this from his smiling father, as I should suspect, or from his mother, it bodes evil for the poor girl who is in their power."
Ah, okay, you're saying that it's serious because it indicates the level of danger involved. Sure, yeah, okay.
Can't disagree on this point. It's certainly not a good sign.
ALSO, one other thing that has been bugging me since part 2. Does the kid know where his half-sister is? Is he aware she's locked up? He can't be, right? Because there's no way he wouldn't have let something slip. But at the same time, he's just unaware of a whole ass person being imprisoned in his home? It's weird. He's weird.
Dear Little Edward the murderer in training is either oblivious or very good at keeping creepy secrets.
I'm not sure about the stepmother. On the one hand, the crying and the quiet indicate that she's also being abused. But on the other hand she was the one to catch Violet with the mirror and then use it to further the scheme. Although she didn't say 'she has a mirror', which would have made Mr Rucastle angry. That whole bit is weird. Was she trying to stop Violet from getting into more trouble, was she trying to save their scheme? I don't know. But then, if she's living with Rucastle and her darling son all day every day, she's probably been ground down pretty far.
A loud thudding noise came from somewhere downstairs. "That is Mrs Toller in the cellar," said she. "Her husband lies snoring on the kitchen rug."
Suddenly there came a clanging
As of someone wildly banging, banging at the cellar door.
And Mr Toller didn't even make it to bed? He's just passed out on the kitchen floor? He's lucky there's a rug in there and it's not just flagstones.
Then he tried the various keys in the lock, but without success. No sound came from within, and at the silence Holmes's face clouded over.
Not a particularly good sign...
"Now, Watson, put your shoulder to it, and we shall see whether we cannot make our way in."
It was an old rickety door and gave at once before our united strength. Together we rushed into the room. It was empty.
Breaking down doors! Love a bit of action with my mystery.
"Ah, yes," he cried, "here's the end of a long light ladder against the eaves. That is how he did it."
"But it is impossible," said Miss Hunter; "the ladder was not there when the Rucastles went away."
"He has come back and done it."
But why would he climb up a ladder when he could just open the door?
I mean we know of the existence of at least one other person who would want Alice Rucastle out of that house and who wouldn't have a key to her room.
I'm just saying, Holmes.
"He's gone for the dog!" cried Miss Hunter.
"I have my revolver," said I.
Oh no... poor doggo.
Please don't kill the dog, Watson. Please.
We had hardly reached the hall when we heard the baying of a hound, and then a scream of agony, with a horrible worrying sound which it was dreadful to listen to. An elderly man with a red face and shaking limbs came staggering out at a side door.
"My God!" he cried. "Someone has loosed the dog. It's not been fed for two days. Quick, quick, or it'll be too late!"
Two days?! Two fucking days? Seriously.
But it kind of sounds like the doggo is getting revenge. Good boy. Good boy! You eat the bad man.
There was the huge famished brute, its black muzzle buried in Rucastle's throat, while he writhed and screamed upon the ground. Running up, I blew its brains out, and it fell over with its keen white teeth still meeting in the great creases of his neck.
Holy fuck this action escalated quickly. That is graphic and also... poor dog. I mean... I doubt it could have been rehabilitated at this point, but still. Poor thing never had a chance.
I do not remember this story being this brutal. Holy shit that guy's throat was ripped out.
Can't say I'm sorry. Glad the dog got its revenge before it died.
"Ah, miss, it is a pity you didn't let me know what you were planning, for I would have told you that your pains were wasted."
I mean, you didn't exactly give her reason to trust you? Why on earth would she? This is the most ridiculous 'you should have talked to me' ever.
"If there's police-court business over this, you'll remember that I was the one that stood your friend, and that I was Miss Alice's friend too."
I mean, were you? Were you? Alice's friend, sure. But were you Violet's friend in all this?
"He knew he was safe with her; but when there was a chance of a husband coming forward, who would ask for all that the law would give him, then her father thought it time to put a stop on it. He wanted her to sign a paper, so that whether she married or not, he could use her money."
It's Mary Sutherland all over again, just with more violence. Hey, Holmes. Holmes! You remember how you sent Mary Sutherland back into that life and didn't warn her about it? Huh? You remember that? Maybe thinking that wasn't such a good idea now? Huh? Are you?
I've had it with these men and their refusal to let their daughters have their own goddamn money.
"When she wouldn't do it, he kept on worrying her until she got brain-fever, and for six weeks was at death's door."
I know this is like a common Victorian cause of illness and all that, but I'd be real suspicious about that brain fever, because it feels like poison is a real possibility rn.
"...that didn't make no change in her young man, and he stuck to her as true as man could be."
Good for him. Basic minimum achieved. I mean, also he's been trying to get her out of this house, so he's also gone above and beyond. I'm glad he and Alice got away in the end.
"But Mr Fowler being a persevering man, as a good seaman should be, blockaded the house, and having met you succeeded by certain arguments, metallic or otherwise, in convincing you that your interests were the same as his."
"Mr Fowler was a very kind-spoken, free-handed gentleman," said Mrs Toller serenely.
Oh, she did it for the money. Not such a good samaritan. But then if she were, she would have just smuggled the girl out.
Mr Rucastle survived, but was always a broken man, kept alive solely through the care of his devoted wife. They still live with their old servants, who probably know so much of Rucastle's past life that he finds it difficult to part from them.
I will admit I am sad the guy survived that. I'm not sure how he survived it. He had a mastiff's teeth 'buried in his throat'. He's insanely lucky his carotid wasn't torn open. But I suspect he doesn't do a lot of laughing anymore. So sad.
You couldn't have waited a little longer before shooting the poor dog, Watson? Let it get its revenge?
Also, that household sounds utterly terrible to live in still. Just a lot of horrible people being horrible to each other because they literally can't get away. And what about the child? What about dear little Edward? Is he still in there with them? I can't imagine that this made him less of a serial killer.
And the man doesn't get arrested for imprisoning his daughter?
Justice has not been served this day.
And that kid is going to grow up and kill a lot of people. I'm just saying. This isn't so much an ending as a 'to be continued'.
As to Miss Violet Hunter, my friend Holmes, rather to my disappointment, manifested no further interest in her when once she had ceased to be the centre of one of his problems, and she is now the head of a private school at Walsall, where I believe that she has met with considerable success.
Good for her.
Also, Watson, leave Holmes alone. He doesn't need a wife. He's fine. It is amusing to see that commentary, though. Like... there were 0 vibes of Holmes being into her. He complimented her a couple of times and was concerned for her safety. But he kept comparing her to a sister and there was no hint of romance in the whole thing. Watson is a bit delusional sometimes.
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ALRIGHT BUT
I’ve been having flustered Steve thoughts.
The Party has NEVER seen Steve flustered. Steve’s always the one flirting and no one ever flirts back anymore so Steve’s never actually flustered.
But then Eddie Munson comes slithering along and he flirts with everyone just cause he can but nobody’s flustered by his attempts because he’s not trying to actually fluster them.
But for some reason he really flusters Steve.
Eddie uses this to his advantage and actually puts forth effort when he flirts with Steve.
Steve is flustered, bashful, embarrassed. He’s twirling his hair and giggling and he does this thing where he taps his fingernails on his front teeth when he gets distracted.
The Party was NEVER seen Steve like this.
Not even Nancy when they were dating.
Steve has described what he was like when he was flustered to them, calling himself stupid and saying he acted like an idiot to try and get them to just lay off.
All anyone sees is an absolute sweetheart.
Steve blushes really bright, starting with his ears and it just travels down from there. And also he’s really bad at hiding his smiles and he smiles so BIG when Eddie flirts with him. Like you can see every tooth and his eyes crinkle so much they basically close and his nose scrunches up.
And Eddie fucking THRIVES in it.
Because NO ONE else gets Steve like that.
Eddie’s witnessed Steve flirting with the girls of Hawkins. Has seen them all flirt back with varying degrees of bluntness.
None of them have gotten Steve nearly half as flustered as Eddie has.
UNTIL.
Eddie has Steve come over to the trailer to hang out. Steve by some turn of events ends up cooking and making grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Wayne comes home right as Steve is playing everything and Steve is DISTRAUGHT. Like “no Wayne it’s alright, really. I can make you some to it’s ok I like cooking you’re really doing me a favor.”
So Steve makes Wayne a grilled cheese to and refuses to let Eddie eat until they can eat together.
So they’re all sitting and then they start eating. And obviously it was a damn good grilled cheese— Eddie knew Steve could cook but good GOD.
And then Wayne puts his grilled cheese down, looks between Steve and Eddie, and tells Eddie “If you don’t marry ‘im I’m adoptin ‘im.”
And Steve BEAMS.
It’s that same smile he gets when Eddie flirts with him and Eddie is only somewhat livid.
Cause he totally gets the rush of having Wayne compliment you for the first time. He’s just such an honest man.
And it goes from there that the only people who can fluster Steve are Eddie and Wayne (Eddie romantically and Wayne platonic-fatherly).
They both go out of their way to compliment him constantly just to see him smile like that :)))
Aaahhhhh this makes me so happy!!!!
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