"And she didn't take me?" Richie asked, surprised. "I'm better than an antique!"
The man laughed good-naturedly and hugged his son warmly. He said:
"Definitely better! Laurie took the trinkets and left me the best. That's why I didn't even bother going to Scotland Yard."
- What was your mother's last name? What did she do before you got married?
- Good question.
The man sat down on a chair next to his son on the right hand and continued:
"You see, Richie, while I was taking Laurie's drugs, the ones she slipped into my drinks, I didn't question that at all. It was enough for me just to have her by my side. But then I asked myself the exact same question. And then I hired detectives to find any information about your mother."
- And what?
"It all turned out to be very complicated, son. All I knew was your mother's maiden name-Cabot. Laurie Cabot. The detective discovered that no such person existed. Or rather, didn't exist before 1979. Then suddenly, records of a Ms. Cabot appeared in the archives. It seemed as if she had bought the documents. But the investigation revealed that none of the officials with access to such documents had accepted bribes or even known about Laurie.
- So, it turns out that your mother is an immigrant who bought documents and seduced you with the help of special drugs?
"I'm afraid it's much worse, Richie," the Duke shook his head. "Such drugs are impossible to find in the public domain. A sophisticated chemical laboratory is required to create them. Besides, an ordinary person can't produce documents without leaving traces. The detective has come to the conclusion that Laurie Cabot is an operative for a foreign intelligence agency. Perhaps the CIA or the KGB. After all, we Richs aren't just among the richest people in Britain. We're also members of the royal family and wield considerable political clout due to our reserved seats in the House of Lords.
Richie's eyes widened and he exclaimed:
- Wow! Just like in a detective story. I hope they don't pull the same trick on me.
- I hope so too, Richie.
- Dad, couldn't the detectives find Mom?
"They couldn't, even though they're the best in their field. And that indirectly confirms the involvement of the secret services. Otherwise, Laurie would have left at least some clues that could have been used to find her. She vanished without a trace, as if she'd vanished. The stolen valuables weren't found anywhere either. Just in case, I've beefed up security at the estate."
"Why?" Richard asked in surprise.
"I'm worried Mom might kidnap you to blackmail me. So, Richie, be careful. If you happen to see Mom, don't get too excited and don't go anywhere with her. Call John and Stephen right away."
"Who is Steven?" Richie asked.
"Baby, it's very rude to forget the servants' names," the Duke said with a hint of displeasure. "Stephen is your driver and part-time security guard."
"He doesn't look like a security guard," the boy said. "Well... He's kind of... Inconspicuous, I guess. Ordinary."
"Exactly!" the Duke raised his index finger. "That's because Stephen is a top-level specialist. He's supposed to be inconspicuous and look ordinary. But in reality, he served in a special unit of the British Special Forces and at one point worked in the Queen's security service. So don't be dismissive of people of such qualifications; they are extremely rare. If you insult Stephen, it will be very difficult to find another security guard like him."
- Got it, I'll be polite to him.
"Son, you must be polite to everyone," the Duke said in a didactic tone. "You're an aristocrat, which means you must be impeccable and treat those of your own class with equal courtesy, as well as to ordinary workers and servants. But at the same time, you mustn't be overly familiar. You must maintain a distance between yourself and the servants."