-Oxford - Thursday: Part 18-

Jia Mianju sat at his desk, his eyes downcast as if broke just a little more than normal, his normal happy, kind going face seemed to have shattered just a little as if this case about Alice Patterson was a personal hit against him. The truth couldn't be further from the way he carried himself. Yet no one around him seemed to know this. There was a difference between him and actors, actors tended to be known for their looks, they went out of their way to show the world there skills and that was a big mistake if you asked him. To the point that an actor couldn't hide in plain sight, he was a chameleon if you asked him could do just that. Hide from the world without anyone noticing was the big difference between them, no one would ever be able to really recall him, no one would be able to remember that Jia Mianju was anything but average looking, with average skills, kind perhaps but nothing would stand out about him and that took far more skill than some mere actor could ever do.

Even if he was playing the part of kind officer Jia Mianju he was also being the Snake. The young Alice Patterson would never see her family again, the chances were very high that the last people she saw would be him. It was only fair he supposed that he take her life seeing as he picked her to play the part of dear Lady Kyoko. She would need some work, her hair would need to be cut and dyed. Her eyes would be more than fine when her death happened they tended to the cloud over and her height and overall built was perfect. Actually, they could likely move on with their plans tonight. 'We just need records' he said tapping his fingers lightly on the desk as he looked over what seemed to anyone else was another sighting report, not that any of these were near to the truth. 'The sooner the better' he thought to himself as he ran a hand over his face. 'Heth is a wildcard and a dangerous one at that.'

That caused him to pause, Heth being who he was might attempt to train her and if he grew attached to her that would be a problem. Yet at the same time perhaps if he grew attached to her then they wouldn't need to take Lady Kyoko, 'Why her?' of course, he couldn't deny that she was a real diamond in the rough, more so when you saw those photos that had been printed. Someone like that would only get prettier, only draw more attention better now than later but she was perhaps the highest profile they had ever attempted to claim for themselves. They have taken models, actors, and actresses, hell singers even. People just assumed they retired but of course a lot of the time their bodies were found from an overdose, they were a lot harder to replace and hide but plastic surgery was a thing and most of all their doctor reports were a lot easier to get. Getting that sort of information about Lady Kyoko was hard, actually, it was a pain trying to get any information medically wise from anyone in her family, even her niece who might give them some clues was showing to be difficult to the point that they would likely need to step it up.

Apparently, her father was a very wise man and even though he no longer lived in the palace he had kept with the practice of safeguarding anything dealing with his family members. His son was just as bad and nevermind trying to dig up anything about Lina Takarada, not that she was much help but from the moment she was married into the Takarada family her medical records become a matter of national security here apparently. 'Bullshit' he said tossing another piece of paper from his pile of papers.

His eyes trailed towards the woman Gayle King. His weren't the only eyes that fell upon the woman, actually, many of the men in the office had paused even if for just a moment to look upon her. 'Perhaps...' he thought turning his eyes from her, 'The master would like a woman like that' the look this woman pulled off was clearly one that didn't do fieldwork, no she sat at a desk or would if she didn't work with those who did the legwork for her. It hadn't taken much to look her up not to say that Chief Inspector John Tyler aka Boss wanted information on her. 'Paranoid prick can't tell who the real wolf is' but it had given him access without him having to hide his tracks. Gayle King was the only daughter of John King and Garcia King, John King was well known to the cops back in the day for domestic abuse but nothing was ever filed. It was never her calling, her daughter had a handful of times but normally it was neighbors who did in hopes of protecting the non-English speaking woman and her daughter. That meant of course that Gayle King became a strong woman who was disgusted and maybe even hated men who tried to boost themselves like Tyler did. He left this information out, of course, there was no point in saying anything that his fake mask knew to these people.

Heth, on the other hand, didn't like those sort of women, well to put it correctly he didn't like women he couldn't break and those sort of women were much too hard for a man like him to break. She would not bend to Heth he was sure of at least that much, Gayle King might shatter before she bent to a man like Heth, but someone like the Master? Now she would end up begging him for attention 'They all do, men and women alike' he said thinking back to the fact that he had destroyed his elder brother by using his woman against him. Her cries and pleas for him to stop, for his brother to not look at her. It took longer mostly because he was playing he was sure but soon those cries and pleas were for him to not stop. She didn't even care that he was doing those things in front of the man she once loved, all she cared about was the young master's touch and then, of course, like any toy he got tired of he tossed her. She now laid in a coma and it wasn't the young master that was by her side, no it was her first love, the man she was to marry. Who broke and now followed without question his younger brother. No, if you asked him the Master had chosen wisely in picking the Young Master. That man would have no issue when the time came in destroying the Master and while it would be a sad day for them all, it was simply the way things were. The weak had no place but to serve the strong.

'There is just too much to do still' he thought to himself, the list was pretty simple really it was making sure that the things happened. Gayle King if the Young Master who was here got ahold of her and broke her, made her willing to do whatever he wanted would give them the medical information, she was part of the Protection Command and high enough up there that it would work. Then there was keeping Heth away from Alice, mainly because even if he wanted to play with her, he had a habit of killing his toys and she was needed if they were to get Lady Kyoko. Then there was Lady Kyoko, well that could happen anytime she was alone, but it would be far easier if he could lure her under the idea that she was making a statement something she was refusing to do or more correctly something her guardians were refusing to allow her to do. 'Of all the damn people...' not that he didn't want to taste her, repeatedly at that. Yet he had Alice for the time and he knew that once he got home he would have a more than willing Cinderella as well. Most of all there was making sure Heth didn't have jail time, that he got off 'then again...' he thought before closing down on that thought quickly.

Pulling out his newest burner phone he texted his guy; How's my Renzao flower looking?

Renzao is looking good - Bee

Keep it that way, I don't want a Spider messing things up. - Snake

Of course. When you gonna be home? - Bee

Dunno yet might need to look into getting a new place soon though - Snake

Want me to look? - Bee

Just get me a list. Keep an eye on my flower, I mean it. A spider could ruin everything. - Snake

No problem - Bee

His eyes darted around the office for a moment, seeing as no one was paying attention to him he added another piece of paper he didn't even bother to look at into the rejected pile and pulled up his own head. While he could likely just reach out to the Young Master, he rather not without being directed or in case of an emergency. This was not the case of course.

Most honorable S.S, I may have an answer to our problem dealing with the records that are required for that Rose. - Snake

His eyes moved towards the door for a moment, the question was, how long would it take for her to break? For her to be nothing more than a puppet to the Young Master or even the Master himself?

Lory smiled from the table he sat at, soon there would be a crowd of people but this, this was the future. Kyoko in the kitchen, Maria perhaps helping with the watchful eyes of her Aunt and Ruto always there, reaching for anything that was too high for her to get or noting that something was needed some tool or whatever needs to be washed for use. 'Unless she says here' he wouldn't blame her of course, he had wanted to assure that she had the best possible life, didn't he? After everything she had been through, it would not surprise him for her to wish to stay within the Palace, to keep going to school here in England. It was hard to smile after that thought though, he could only hope that once she had finished her school year here, she would return to Japan. There had been a secondary reason one much more required than anything else, he wanted her to be safe. With what had happened in Tokyo, Japan he wanted to move her somewhere at least for some time to heal. Yet perhaps because of what had happened, that would change everything. 'I'll just have to travel more' he had stopped a year ago mainly because of Lina, her death had hit hard for Maria and the fear of anyone traveling for awhile had been bad, not just in planes but cars and trains. Yet his sweet granddaughter was healing, she was happier than he had seen her in some time, 'Perhaps this year we can celebrate her birthday' but he knew deep down that would not happen not without a miracle anyway.

His phone went off and he felt more than saw something grab ahold of him for a moment before quickly disappearing his eyes darting towards the clock before looking back up, there was no sign of Kyoko looking in his direction but he knew she had not been pleased. 'Still we are safe right now, she's still cooking and besides...' he accepted the call and cheerfully spoke, "Hello my boy!"

He could hear his son sigh on the other hand, "Hello Dad" he said pausing for a moment, "I know it's about dinner time, is it a bad time?"

"Not at all Kouki, Great Aunt's rule and your sister seems more than happy to have picked it up!" he grinned at Kyoko who narrowed her eyes at him before returning to the task at her hand, Lory didn't miss the way Maria shook her head at him "And I think your daughter might be picking it up too..." he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. "Now what can I do for you?"

"I... was just calling to see...if Maria wanted to talk to me." Lory didn't miss the way he seemed to pause as he spoke. It also meant that Maria had not yet responded to his emails and he was willing to take another step to try and reconnect with his daughter. Yet she wouldn't talk to him on the phone at least she hadn't in the last year, only when he was here in person and even then it wasn't like it used to be.

"Maria, your Papa is hoping to talk to you." He said holding the phone out for the girl. He noted the look of happiness cross her features before they seemed to dim and she shook her head before turning her attention to helping to cut the potatoes that she been tasked with. Kyoko sighed heavily as she wiped her hands on a towel.

"Maria" the little girl's head snapped towards Kyoko, "You could at least say hello to your Papa." She ran a hand through Maria's hair, "Can't you cast a special spell for your Papa by letting him hear your voice that he so dearly needs to hear right now?" She had been like that when it came to her mother, even if she was mean to her, even if she was harsh and uncaring, hearing her voice was enough to make her hope, to make her believe that her mother would one day love her. 'Not that it matters anymore' she thought but a small part of her knew that wasn't really true. It did matter and it would always matter.

Maria looked down at her feet, sighing heavily and nodding her head. Kyoko handed her the hand towel. Almost as if she was defeated before she even got there, Maria dragged her feet across the floor towards her grandfather and the phone.

Gayle King stared at Chief Inspector John Tyler, she looked down at her phone the text message that had come from General Brown: Lady Kyoko wants to question this. I looked into their files, they have more than just the one. It's time.

Only General Brown and herself knew exactly the number of listed young woman in the police database that was missing at the moment, not yet filed for some reason. True somewhere but many were for some unknown reason still not up in the UK database for missing persons. General Brown for some reason had made the choice that the time Lady Kyoko was to be left blind. 'I doubt that girl will remain as such' it was her who had texted General Brown about Alice Patterson, about how she was likely her replacement. It wouldn't take her long to figure out there were others not with how General Brown seemed to weaken towards the young woman. She mentally frowned as she looked towards Tyler allowing her dislike of the man to flash in her eyes as she smiled beautifully at him. She blamed the fact the Crown seemed to adore this adopted member of theirs. 'Takarada's always causing us problems' of course it wasn't unknown to them, while they only took orders from the Crown they knew the late King Phillip had always taken the council of the Queen Mother Leiko and it was the same when it came to Queen Mary, though in this case, she had her husband who she also leaned on. This wasn't a bad thing, actually, it was a wise move, but Kyoko was still a child and it already seemed like the Crown was making plans dealing with this child. 'Perhaps they will marry her off to Prince Charles now' it wasn't as though it would be unheard of either, age was as many said just a number. All that matter was that it was legally allowed.

Pushing her own thoughts she waited, she knew it was it was making Tyler mad that she had not said anything once she had sat down. It didn't take long for him to crack, "Can we get this over with Ms. King."

King looked down at her hand as though examing her nails for a moment, "Commander King please, Chief Inspector Tyler" she said looking at him as she uncrossed and recrossed her legs, "Unless you are trying to be disrespectful."

Tyler's face seemed to almost go red but the smile on his face was more than enough for her, "Of course not Commander King, it's just that we have one of our own needing our help."

King looked at him, "Yes, well that's why I'm here today actually." She said lifting up her briefcase and putting it on his desk, not caring that she was pushing things out of the way. It was after all how she was supposed to come off, a woman who disliked men. She noted how he was quickly trying to replace things but she would not budge and he growled under his breath didn't go unmissed, she looked up at him as she pulled out a folder, "Did you say something Chief Inspector Tyler?"

"No of course not," he said that smile still painted on his face but it was clear he was having a hard time doing so. "You said you were here due to Alice Patterson?"

"Yes." He waited but she said nothing more as she flipped through papers in the folder, not once looking at him, waiting for him to get close to his boiling point she looked back up him. "You see we have a list of people that seem to be missing and are not in the database." she closed the folder for a moment, her fingers holding something in place as she tapped it on her leg slightly.

Tyler, "It happens, we get a lot of missing people reports. Some are a bit harder to prove they are missing being adults they could simply refusing to make contact with people, or are homeless."

"Of course, and those who are children?" She watched as he shifted some in his seat.

"I'm failing to see how this has anything to do with Alice Patterson." King understood that he was deflecting and she knew of course exactly why that was.

"Of course..." she said opening the folder again and shifting some papers. If he wanted to play it that way she would allow it. The goal wasn't to help these missing girls, no she had a far different task and that was to meant pushing this man to force Heth to make his move because the police were no longer going to hide him. If they didn't hide him, then he would have no choice but to peak his head and that was where Lady Kyoko would come into play.

A/N: Thank again for reading and the reviews n.n all reviews help me improve in my storytelling!