Chapter 4 : The First Case: Missing Husband

"So we have to go there today?" Alec was surprised.

"Of course, if you don't want to, it's OK." Vivian shrugged her shoulder. "Andrew, are you ready to go?"

"Yes, Viv." Andrew carried a heavy bag. "It's enough food for us to go straight there without stopping any where."

"Although I don't want to, I have to go with you now because I am your assistant." Alec said.

"I really don't need your help. I can handle the case. You can stay here or go back to your home." Vivian stood up and was limping to the horse stable.

"What happened to your leg?" Alec curiously asked.

"It's not your business." Vivian burst into angry words. "Don't ask me and Andrew anything that is not related to the cases. This is the first rule you should remember when being my assistant."

"I am your assistant, not your butler. Don't use that voice to talk to me." Alec opposed. "I was just concerned about your health. Why are you angry with me?"
Vivian glowered at Alec, "I'm not angry with you. I talk to anybody with that voice. If you don't like it, quit your job. I don't mind."

Alec felt very angry, but he tried to control himself, "I don't care about it any more. I will remember your rule, Prince." He thought, 'I know you want me to quit this position. I've never been trapped by you."

Glancing at Alec and Vivian a while, Andrew whispered into Vivian's ear, "Why were you mad at him? You look like a girl when quarreling with him, Viv. Try to control yourself."

Vivian abashedly nodded, "Andrew, thank you."

When reaching the horse stables, they saw the King, Princess, and several knights were already there. King Arthur gently said, "Vivian, I hope you solve this case successfully."

"I hope so, Uncle." Vivian smiled and walked toward her horse,

"What happened to your leg, Vivian?" King Arthur worriedly asked,

"I fell yesterday." Vivian answered.

"You should take some few days to rest." Vicki hesitated.

"I am fine. Thank you for your concern." Vivian smiled with Vicki. "I have to go there as soon as possible because I really don't want to be defeated by Lord McNeil."

"I know." Vicki's eyes sparkled. "Dad, can I go there with Viv? So I can take care of his wound."

King Arthur was surprised by Vicki's attitude, "I don't think it's a good idea, Vicki. You will make Viv busier because of taking care of you instead."

"But, he is wounded…" Vicki opposed.

"You should stay here Vicki." Vivian suggested gently.

Vicki bit her lower lip, "If you don't want my company, I will stay here."

"I will come back soon. See you later." Vivian jumped on the horseback.

"Viv, there are my brave knight, Raymond, Daniel, Dinky… Do you want to choose some of them to go with you?" The King supposed.

"Thank you very much. But I already have Andrew and Alec." Vivian refused. "Let's go." She asked Andrew and Alec

"Good luck." The King and Princess waved their hand toward Vivian.
While quietly observing the knights, suddenly Andrew recognized a familiar face who gazed at Vivian, 'Daniel? Why does he look like knight Jimmy exactly?' Andrew rode her horse next Vivian's.

Victor looked at the three young people sitting in the Court Hall carefully especially the Prince, "I am Victor and Lord McNeil's assistant." He politely said.

"Nice to meet you." Vivian smiled, "Are you examining the Baldwin's case?" Vivian glanced at the file on Victor's table.

"Yes, I am. What can I do for you?" Victor asked gently.

"I want to contact with Mr. Baldwin's wife as well as his family. Do you have anyone available to take us there."

"I'm afraid that you have to wait a while. My assistants just left here for their lunch. Do you want to drink something?"

"No thank. How long do they take their lunch?" Andrew asked.

"One hour." Victor monotonously said and returned to his work.

"One hour? We have to wait for your assistants for 1 hour?" Andrew frowned.

"I can take you there. But because we are in competition, I don't think it's a good idea." Victor explained.

"I know. Sorry." Vivian smiled, "Andrew, don't push him."

"I can lead all of you to the Mr. Baldwin's house if you don't mind." A young pretty girl standing at the main door gently said.

"Zoë, what are you doing here?" Victor gently asked.

"I just come here to give you your lunch. You forgot it, Vic. Don't call me Zoë again. I told you I am Mary." The girl walked inside.

Victor was abashed, "OK, Mary. I think they don't need your help. You should go back home."

"Why not?" The girl smiled happily, "I am Victor's fiancé. I will guide you there."
Vivian, Andrew, and Alec quickly exchanged their surprised looks together, 'Why didn't he remember his fianc's name?"

"Thank you very much, Mary." Vivian gently said, "I don't mind. How about you, Andrew and Alec?"

"It's doesn't matter to me." Alec coldly said.

"That's fine. I hate waiting." Andrew enjoyable said.

"Alright. Let's go." The girl turned to Vic, "Remember eat the soup. I made it for you."

After walking about 15 minutes, they stopped at a big jewelry shop. Mary pointed a beautiful woman standing behind the counter, "She is Kenya. And the man talking to the fat woman is Lawrence. I should leave now. Do you remember how to go back the Lord McNeil's castle?" She carefully asked before leaving there.

"Yes, we do. Thank you very much." Vivian gently answered. They entered the shop and walked toward Kenya. Vivian introduced herself to Kenya, "I am Prince Vivian. They are my assistant Andrew, and young lord Alexander. Can we talk with you privately?"

Kenya frowned, "You can talk with me here if you want to buy some jewelries."

"We aren't interested in jewelry. We come here to investigate your missing husband." Andrew looked at Kenya.
After hesitating a few seconds, Kenya nodded, "Alright. Follow me." She left her counter.

"What's wrong, Kenya?" Lawrence concerned when seeing she left with three strange persons.

"Nothing Lawrence. Take care of the shop for me." Kenya led them to a small room in the back of the shop. The room was decorated simply with a small wood table and four chairs. A portrait of a young handsome man hung on the wall.

"Sit down, please." She nicely asked, "My husband isn't missing. I told Lord McNeil's officers many times. Why do you still investigate about it?"

"Because your husband's family asked. Furthermore, based on your statement, your husband is still in the Lord O'Brien's region, but we couldn't find him there." Vivian explained. "Sorry because we bothered you. But we have to ask you more question."

Kenya coldly said, "Ask me. But I think I told Officer Victor Spencer what I knew."

"Just some personal question, if you don't mind." Vivian gently said. "Your servants stated that you and your husband had some quarrels before he disappeared. Was it true?"

"Yes, but they were just indifferent quarrels." Kenya answered.

"If they were indifferent, why did you cry after these indifferent quarrels?" Alec asked.
Kenya kept silent instead of answering his question.

"Because his siblings' requirements. Kenya, why didn't you tell them about it?" Lawrence stepped into the room.

"Lawrence, what are you doing here? Please go back to the counter." Kenya urged.

"I'm worried about you." Lawrence concerned.

"What are their requirements?" Andrew curiously asked.

"They asked me divorce Frankie because I couldn't give him a child." Kenya bent her head down.

"How about him? Did he also ask you to divorce?" Vivian asked. She felt uncomfortable as if some one was watching her. 'But who?'

"No, but their requests hurts me." Kenya answered.

"I see. Thank you. Can we drop by your house tomorrow?" Vivian asked

"Of course." Kenya nodded.
Andrew suddenly asked, "Who is in the picture."

"My beloved husband." Kenya tenderly looked at the picture.
Glancing at the room and picture before leaving here, Vivian had a weird feeling about the eyes of the Frankie's portrait. But she couldn't analyze her feelings at that moment.

Vivian looked at Andrew and Alec, "What do you think about Kenya?"

"She is really beautiful. And did you see Lawrence seemed very concerned about Kenya very much?" Andrew gave her opinion.

"Of course, she is very beautiful. But I just want to ask you about her and her husband's relationship. She seems to love her husband very much." Vivian frowned.

"How do you know that she loves her husband?" Alec aggressively asked.

"I felt it through the way she talked about her husband and looked at his picture." Vivian answered.

"Don't you think she just pretended to be a faithful wife? Didn't you see Lawrence and Kenya were intimate?" Alec opposed. "Her beauty blinds both of you."

Vivian angrily looked at Alec, "I've never been affected by her beauty. My opinion is based on my observation and my sixth sense."

"Don't use your sixth sense to judge any body. It will deceive you." Alec mocked.

"My sixth sense's never deceived." Vivian opposed angrily.

"Can both of you stop fighting each other? Where are we going now?" Andrew looked around, "I am afraid that we lost."

They stopped quarreling, "Where are we now?" They were walking into the end of a strange pathway.

"We should ask some one about the way to get back the castle." Vivian supposed.

Andrew shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't see any body around here."

Alec said, "Why don't we get out of here first." But while finding the right way, they wandered into another isolated place instead.

"What can we do? I feel tired and hungry, Viv." Andrew sighed.
They looked around to find somebody's help. Finally, they saw a young pretty girl who was carrying a full basket of herbs crossing their sitting places. "Excuse me, can you help us?" Alec asked.

"What can I do for you?" The girl was surprised.

"Can you show us the way to come the Lord's McNeil's castle?" Vivian gently asked.

"You are Lord's McNeil's guests?" Her wonderful eyes observed three of them carefully.

"Yes, we are. How did you know?" Andrew asked.

"Because all of you look so strange, I've never seen you here before. Second because you ask my help." The girl smiled, "Call me Snow."

"I don't understand what is the clue between asking your help and your guess." Andrew curiously asked.

"Follow me." Snow didn't explain anything. She just led them to a crowded street.

"Victor." Andrew shouted when seeing Vic.

"What are you doing here? Lord McNeil is waiting for you in the castle." Vic was surprised.

"You met your friend. So I think you don't need my help anymore. Bye." The girl smiled. Both of Vivian and

Andrew looked at her until she disappeared at a corner of the street.

"How do you know that girl?" Vic frowned.

"We lost and asked her help. That's all. What's wrong, Victor?" Vivian was surprised by his attitude.

"All people here call her a witch. Nobody wants to be her friend or needs her help." Vic answered.

"Are you kidding? That beauty is a witch. If any witch is beautiful like her, I will get married with a witch in the future." Andrew put her hand on her abdominal, "Do you where we can eat?" Andrew asked.

"My house is near here. If you don't mind, drop by my house and take some food." Vic politely supposed.

They stopped at a big mansion and entered a large room. The room was decorated with many expensive things and big paintings. Most of these painting drew the landscapes and flowers except a portrait of young beautiful girls. After politely asking them to sit down, Vic stepped inside.
A few seconds later, a young maid brought some tea for them, "The meal will be served soon."

"Who drew these wonderful paintings?" Vivian asked,

"Our young master." She answered.

"Who is the beautiful girl?" Andrew curiously asked.

"His fiancée Mary, but she was drowned three years ago." The maid left the room.

"If Mary died 3 years ago, who is the girl we met at the court?" Alec asked.

A/N: To the people who reviewed - Thanks and I tried updating as soon as I could but sometimes I just can't be a multi-tasker. And I have short term memory so IF I forgot to reply back to your reviews, don't blame me. It's a family trait. )