I took a quick shower and got dressed in a shirt and denim that the maids had laid out for me and descended down the stairs to meet the officers.

What information did they have?

Was dad really dead?

These questions continued to reel in my head as I reached the landing. The maids had shown the officers to a sitting room where they sat rather awkwardly, looking around the room. I couldn't blame them. People who first visited the mansion often had this effect; they couldn't stop staring at the vastness and the opulence surrounding them. One could look at the beautiful house and never guess the evils that lurked within it.

The house managed to fool people with their beauty, much similar to their owners did.

"Good Evening Officers, my butler told me you'd like a word."

"Tyler Lockhart..." the middle-aged man acknowledged me, offering me a handshake, "I'm Lieutenant Walter. This is Detective Hank." He pointed at the young lanky Detective. "We'd like to ask you a few questions if it's alright."

"No problem." I said as we shook hands and I indicated towards the couch, "please have a seat, gentlemen. Can I get you something to drink, tea, coffee, water?"

The officers declined politely.

"On second thought, you should try my cook's Darjeeling Tea, it's imported from India and is of the finest quality."

The officers shrugged but nodded. I snapped my fingers and a maid walked inside the room, who had been lurking somewhere behind the curtains.

"Tell Lola to make three Darjeeling teas, and some cakes to go with it."

"Yes, sir." She bowed and left the room.

One thing that I learned from my father was to always disarm the enemy with wit and charm, so when they try to attack you, they'd feel guilty doing it. It was ironic how I was using my dad's tactic when they were here to talk about him.

"Is there any problem?" I asked.

The older officer looked straight at me as if trying to see if there was something I was hiding. "Mr. Lockhart has disappeared for almost a month now. As you already know, the detectives and everyone on the task force are doing their best to see what transpired."

I gave him a nod, "I really appreciate all your efforts."

"Before he left, we have information that he had a brief fight with you."

I crossed my legs and sat back, "Are you insinuating that I had something to do with my father's disappearance, Lieutenant?"

The maid arrived with a trolley. She placed the tea, sugar, and cream on the table, along with a four-story silver stray consisting of different types of homemade cakes, imported biscuits, croissants, and toast.

I swear I saw the younger Detective's eyes glaze over. No matter how much control anyone would practice, it was still hard to look at the finer things in life and resist the urge to try it.

I put the tea powder into three cups and asked each how they liked theirs before preparing mine.

Lieutenant Hank's face had turned red, "we're not saying you were involved, but we have news that you may have been. I hope you understand that this is a mere formality."

A traitor had told them about the fights, and I could only guess who. I took a long sip of the tea.

Divine. My mood was lifted.

"I certainly do understand. It's your job." I said. I picked up a plate and placed one of each and handed it to Detective Hank who was still staring at the tray of cakes. "Please help yourself."

He took the plate from my hand and without a word began gobbling it down.

Meowww...

Meowmoine Granger, the grey Ragdoll named after Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter walked into the room, and after brushing over my legs she hopped up and settled down in my lap, staring at the officers like they had done a grave mistake by involving me in an unsavory chat.

I petted her slowly and the cat purred. The Lieutenant smiled, "I hear you have over a hundred different pets?"

I laughed, "Is that a question connected to my father's disappearance?"

The two laughed nervously. I said, "I have over one fifty-five pets. Some of which are dogs and cats, the others are exotic animals. I also have two very intelligent monkeys, and one elephant, Rosie, that I had to hand over to the wildlife sanctuary because the state wouldn't allow me to keep an elephant on the property."

The officers looked at me like I had been born on another planet.

"I had a tiger cub when I was seventeen, and it damn near ate one of the servants when he grew up to a certain age..." I laughed, "How I wish I could keep him. I do visit Mufasa when I can."

They smiled, inside they were probably thinking when they could finish the interview and get the hell away from here.

"We've heard you rescue snakes as well?"

"Yes, well, I enjoy camping in the forest in my leisure; and sometimes I happen to stumble upon snakes every now and then. Those poor misunderstood creatures. If they are, let's say injured or suffer from malnutrition, I trap them and bring them home. I have a sanctuary for exotic reptiles where I keep them until they are good to head back to the wildlife. If I like a particular snake, they stay with me." I smiled.

The Lieutenant's grey-green eyes met with mine as he took a long sip of the tea, "Do you use these snakes to play a prank on the members of your family?"

"Of course not. I'm not sure what you are implying, Lieutenant."

A look passed between the two officers. The detective was the one to speak this time, "We know that you like playing with danger. Do you have any Black Mamba snakes as pets?"

"I did, as a matter of fact, used to have one but the Reptile association took the snake away from me, they said they couldn't allow the world's deadliest and the most venous snake to be part of my sanctuary."

"A few years ago, you locked your father's room from the outside while he was sleeping in there and left the poisonous snake in the room."

"It's true that the snake was found in the room but I never left it there. I have a team of trained and specialized snake handlers, like myself and a lot of times when they clean the snake tanks, one or two get out without them noticing. It's quite common for a snake to escape and hide in the mansion. Buttercup probably hid in dad's room."

"You named the deadliest snake on this planet Buttercup?" Detective Hank asked.

Lieutenant Walter gave him a look of warning and continued, "One of your snake handlers, Koby Peters told us that none of the members of your team dared touch the Black Mamba. It was only you who handled and cared for the snake."

I know where he was getting at. And the Lieutenant was good, I'd give him that much.

"Yes, that's true. Handling that snake is like signing a death warrant."

"Which is exactly why you left that snake in your father's room because you wanted him dead. If the snake had bitten Jasper Lockhart, he would be dead in a matter of seconds and it would have been ruled out as an accident."

I laughed. "If I wanted to kill my father, I didn't need help from a snake. It seems to me like you're adamant about making it seem like the disappearance is my fault. I was in London when my mother called informing me that dad had disappeared, and there was no one to take over the operations of Lockhart Enterprises. I naturally had to come back. How do you suggest I planned his disappearance from another country?"

"You did not file the case, your uncle did. Why didn't you want to talk to the police or the media?"

"I'm a very private man; I like to keep my business and my personal life away from the spotlight. I knew dad left with his own free will. He'll come back when he wants to." I said.

"Can you show us your snake bites, Mr. Lockhart?"

I folded up my sleeves and showed them my arm that had scars from snake bites. It wasn't even about the investigation now; they were merely fascinated by the man who was still alive after having bit so many times but they just didn't want to admit it.

"I've been bitten by several venous snakes in the past. The Indonesian King Cobra was one of them."

"How didn't you die?" Detective Hank asked, inspecting my scars.

"I could have died if my family hadn't taken me to the hospital on time. The anti-venom was administered quickly. I've been bitten so many times, that if I'm bitten by a venomous snake now, I don't even need the anti-venom. My body's immune to snake bites."

Again there was a look they shared with each other. I knew what they were thinking 'If he's immune to snake bites, surely it's easy for him to sneak the reptile into his father's room to get him killed.'

People were so transparent sometimes, it made me laugh. I'm not saying the Officers' are stupid, they are smart, but their direction of the investigation was wrong.

The officer's stood up, "Well, thank you for giving us your precious time and for the wonderful tea."

I smiled, "It's my pleasure, Lieutenant, Detective." I shook hands with them again. "Would you like to stay for the luncheon? We have Italian; Pasta Primavera and Bruschetta. Please do join me."

Just say NO.

I didn't think I could manage to sit a few more minutes under their scrutiny. Tea was one thing, lunch was a totally different subject.

Thankfully they shook their head, not wanting to stay for lunch at a house that accidentally slipped in poisonous snakes. "We do appreciate the offer, Mr. Lockhart, but duty calls. If you get any information about your father, please don't hesitate to call us."

"I will."

When the Officer's left, only then my smile vanished. I was getting so mad, I probably ruptured a vessel. "Morgan!" I barked.

Morgan walked into the room, while I carried Meowmoine in one arm while poured myself French brandy with the other, it was Pinet Castillo Cognac Vintage brandy worth of three thousand dollars. The liquid burned down my throat.

"Yes, Young Master Tyler."

"Who the fuck told them about the Black Mamba incident?"

Morgan stared at me, tight-lipped.

"Loosen up, will you? Do you want me to put you in the reptile sanctuary with the tanks having the locks missing?"

"Young Master Tyler, I do not appreciate your sense of humor, and you might want to stop drinking at this hour of the day. You haven't even had breakfast." Morgan said in the kind of tone that was more suited to a Master of the house rather than a Butler.

Since Dad had left, Morgan somehow had assumed the role of talking quite rudely to me much like my father did.

"Well, are you going to answer my question?" I asked, letting Meowmoine go. "Who told them about the Black Mamba? Remember, Morgan, your loyalties lie with us first, not with Uncle Vincent or his family."

"I'm not very sure who but I'd seen Young Master Phoenix speak with the Detective. He may have opened his mouth accidentally."

I chuckled, "You know, Morgan, nothing in this house happens by accident. Sure they all look that way, but that's mostly not the case."

To think my own cousin would betray me.

I placed the empty glass of brandy on the table with a loud clank. "Please ask them to have my brunch ready, I'm going upstairs to the study."

"The boy is your cousin and still young. Go easy on him."

"I'm not a monster as most people seem to believe," I told him.

"Of course you're not."

"Not sure why you're still serving such a self-absorbed family when you could be doing far better."

Morgan smiled, which was quite rare. "You do know why I'll still here."

For me.

I looked at him, and if I did possess a heart, it squeezed. If there was anyone who knew me well apart from my mother and Vicky, it was Morgan. He'd stayed here for me.

I blinked, not letting my emotions show. "I have to make preparations for Maya's birthday. It's tomorrow. I'm meeting Vicky today to arrange everything."

"Of course," Morgan seemed amused as I ran upstairs.