I will start my story with an apology to my daily journal readers. Though this account of mine is quite different from medical discoveries, it might clear up many theories and conspiracies regarding the famous case of the English Duke, which has been branded false by some and incredulous by many. As my dear friend Vera says, it is the conspiracy which interests people, far more than the truth. Yet I hope that this story will finally give rest to any other versions of it.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLKYKfAvt6
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It was the afternoon of the 10th of January, a cold and windy day, when I was fixing a patient of mine.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxC1nxTKaN
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"It is cold then, which depresses you?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTO2QtPOsV
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" Ah, what can I say," my patient began," It is cold. But it is the knee too."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyQb7Sxj5D
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"Knee?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoALrj60pSm
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" Yes. I have been travelling much. From here to there. You comprehend?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiBdoUuX9S
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I didn't. 417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ris9hy6rA
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Before I spoke anything, my patient stood up, and for the first time, I was able to see his face that was hidden under his hat earlier.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9MjiQE64p
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He had an egg shaped face, a glorious moustache and sparkling eyes. He reminded me of someone I had seen in the papers, but who, that I couldn't tell.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Hh9WmIC3f
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"You see mon ami, it is your friend who gave me this knee."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48icVnL6U4
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I looked at him. Trying not to laugh at his ridiculous face, I asked, " My friend?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1AmJjA8Ak
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"Oh yes. Vera."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzZnmXAUH8
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"Oh."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6qE7dsaNY
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Vera. My closest friend. She had a very odd job in this world. But her life was thrilling. Running here and there, chasing after this person and that person - oh what a life.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEt5aAEe3DQ
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The man put his hand in his pocket and clasped his cane with the other. As he turned around, he handed me a letter and bowed, signalling the end of our time and went out of my clinic.
I sat on my chair and gazed out of the door the man had gone out through. There was utter confusion on my face. 417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jrCTg1n3U
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I unfolded the letter he had brought me. With sceptical eyes, I read:417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwkf4mI1Vh
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Dear Jim,417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzbzL3bJU7
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How are you? I am fine. Listen. Come and meet me on the 27th of this month. I have a very interesting thing for you to look forward to. It might knock you off the chair you are currently sitting in and also change your sceptical look to a look of awe.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDMQglbHLN
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Yours, Vera.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLlbpqs7ks
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That was her. Vera Clay, a friend of mine. She was a detective. I had first met her when I had stumbled upon a murder case involving a relative of mine.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdloAxoTTd
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I knew of her smart brain and so didn't care to think how she had accurately written in her letter that I would be sitting on my chair, with a sceptic look.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7AkrQ8hFz
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The 27th arrived and I repaired myself to Vera's house in East London. It was a small flat, a rented one. I had lived in it with Vera for ten years before I had moved out to continue with my practice. The door was a little rusted and was unbolted.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7QSK6PNxX
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I walked inside.
The sight I saw did not surprise me.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBXNtNobqS
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Vera was leaning over her table, looking into her microscope, examining a sample.
I quietly walked over to her and placed my coat on the table beside her.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMkntprhAr
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It was then that she took notice of me and, without looking up, greeted, " Hallo Jim."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIUwq5N8UI
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I went straight to the point.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Nk6w1Ugcy
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" Vera, you didn't write that letter, did you?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOca2FSwlj
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She dived even deeper in her microscope and just replied impassively, "Hmm...what? Oh the letter. No i didn't. I just dictated it to young Dave living across the street. I fancy he might've added some of his own bits, considering i had just dictated him one line."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwb3s9K60B
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I laughed and sat on a chair.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcmq6A0FsC
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"Was it so obvious though?", Vera asked after a while.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡya7MbPPqAC
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I smiled and replied, " Of course. I've known you for ten years. I know your style."
None of us spoke for a few minutes after that. It was typical of her. She only spoke if the other person did. She was not the type to start a conversation.
The silence was unnerving me. She was so engaged in her scientific work that I thought she had forgotten that she had called me here.
Frustrated, I asked, anything to get her to talk, " How did you know that i would be "sitting on my chair with a sceptic look"?"
She replied in a bored voice, " It was so obvious. I have know you for ten years as you say so yourself. Even young Dave got it."
The silence continued.
She perched herself back and slammed her fist on the table. The action was enough to surprise me, but not much - I was used to it.
Vera yelled, " Awful! Amazingly, brilliantly, boringly awful!"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzn5hi5cc8y
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I advanced to calm her, but stopped as I realised it wasn't necessary.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKE4PYIMV8T
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Instead, I asked," What's the experiment?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqDbvBUPyZ
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She looked at me for the first time and replied, " Oh Jim. You're still here. I thought you were off. The experiment? Nothing. Just the old sheriff who commissioned me to match fingerprints for a robbery case."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YPMPhVYLA
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"And?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUJtZoNWCX
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" They turned out to be the fingerprints of the Sheriff himself."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl65vQfmH2k
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"Isn't that good? You got your man."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQ0jUizdUJ
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"No. He can't have robbed."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2LBnX0zpX
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"Why?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXk13eTSwg2
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She frowned and replied, Oh why can't you just think Jim? He can't have robbed. That's because identifying fingerprints is something which is fairly simple. Surely a man as intelligent as the Sherrif won't turn himself in. Also, he was wearing boots on the day of the robbery."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVO1AJQ4wWX
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I frowned and replied satirically," Well that makes perfect sense."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWG77A1rxE
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"Doesn't it?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj38D3bsqMt
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I have to say, sarcasm is wasted on Vera. All she wants is talk of business. Nothing else.
So I asked, " Who was that man you sent the letter with?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoOd5LHP8p
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"Oh just an old friend of mine. He is a detective too. Might be the greatest detective of today's times."
" He looks rather ridiculous to me."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ684iN8rKNt
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"Few people take him seriously."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazP0eXJoQy
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She went off into the kitchen, and I followed her.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAmgGY0ipP
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"Weren't you going to show me something interesting?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPChOtULXWK
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She turned to me and smiled, excited.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQWTbbCVZV
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She said, " Glad you mentioned it."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIbIsUh4Kb
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"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jB5AG3tES
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She frowned and said, " You didn't ask."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4EKJ7qr6f
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Call me imprudent if you like, I thought.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTZJdlV1lt
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"On my table in the hall, there's a package. Bring it."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrkVILY4ma
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I did so. 417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJsLN6wS6c
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I handed it over to her, expecting a reaction, but all I got was nothing. Her eyes were uninteresting and bored, as if it was obvious what she was going to say next. Knowing her, she wouldn't say it in such a case.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmgmo6daWN
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Then I looked more closely at the package and notice a red tulip and gasped.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9trQzgnxt
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"Why, it's the....the....Royal Mark!"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12J3dbPQuS
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My voice shook as I fluttered like a fish out of water.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDPuqSHBiD
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Vera smiled.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgsGEeDGMi
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"It arrived today, and I have a feeling I know what's in it."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCi9TWZGKRH
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At once, I opened the letter and found in my hand an inexplicable blank note, much to my amusement.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPPq9pNCJq
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I laughed as I remarked," Well Vera. What do you make of this?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqN3HFOXZZ
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I half - expected her to frown and not chuckle as she did.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oYHJEft4n
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" Blank note isn't it? How boring."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpzb4gCVHY
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"What is it about?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8E2BGs1n01
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"You shall know - now."
Right at that moment, a man appeared at the door.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzuKMP6VgG
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"You knew he would come?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcRFcV740H
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Vera looked away to her work and said," Indeed. I see that you didn't notice the walking stick our visitor has left in the corner of the room. Indeed, our man has come back."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1zkAYbMpA
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I went and opened the door.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWg1XxGRtn2
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"Good morning sir," said the man, scratching his faint beard," You must be Vera Clay, the detective..."
I corrected my identity and assured him that he had indeed come to the right place.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwGvmRbliz
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When he met Vera, his face shined with surprise. It was not unusual. People hardly believed that she was the detective and I was not, owing to the fact that she was a woman, a fact that I found mildly absurd.
Nevertheless, our man sat down.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX23ydDairZ
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"Madamoiselle, I have come to you on strict orders from the Royal Family. My name is Sanders Roy. That's Colonel Roy to you two."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaChnUXZKq
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We nodded.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgmCIM9erb
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Vera said:417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqo4073oVnM
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" I believe, Monsieur, that you came by here a bit earlier today, say, a little after seven in the morning?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdreQ8iD0KJ
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The Colonel said, " Yes I did. I saw M. Shepperd coming here, so I assumed you had returned."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yGuETMUaB
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" And is it safe to assume that you broke the plate over there?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeuKqQXqWV
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She pointed to a broken plate kept neatly on one of the chairs.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pmeQ2r4lJ
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Colonel nodded," My apologies."
Vera smirked and said, " Don't be sorry. As it is, I am going to take my money from you. I believe you still have your change of €2 from the coffee you just had in the coffee shop opposite this flat?"
Colonel gasped.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfubwG3LZSh
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"How did-"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGjx7wIcsD
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"You came here two hours ago and left your cane. I assumed it was purposely done so as to notify me of your visit. You belong to the Royal Family meaning you'd have a long way to go back. So I assumed that you were taking lodging nearby. Look at the time now. It's 9:30. Most people would pass their time drinking a beverage. So I thought you'd be having coffee at the shop opposite. You mentioned just now that you saw my friend Jim coming here, confirming my assumption that you were at a place nearby. The cost of the coffee is €5 and I thought that you wouldn't take much money out with you, to not attract much attention. The €2 was just a wild guess."
For a moment there was silence. I, who knew of Vera's methods gave no reaction but just looked at the Colonel. He was speechless. His mouth was open as he looked at Vera as if she were an alien.
He cleared his throat and destroyed the silence.
"Well", he said with dignity," let us go back to our purpose of the conversation. I, as you know, am from the Royal Family and I have brought with myself a letter from them - which you have already received."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjunjMWQul
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Vera nodded.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRQdZFSPR0
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"On behalf of Duke George, I would like to invite you, Madamoiselle Vera Clay, to the Royal Ball. You may invite a companion to come with you, and I assume it's going to be M. Shepperd here."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiuwxYwVl4
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"Yes."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFf4TO5uekZ
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"Well then, the Ball is on Thursday. Today is Tuesday. You have two days to prepare."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVr0MBHFlj
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Colonel Rose stood up.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPEAOAzkLo
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"I must be off now."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnZj05ebJ0
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He looked at Vera strangely again, eyeing me in the process too. Off he went.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqbmMAHSwO
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Vera, being herself, went into the kitchen without saying a word to me. I followed.
"Vera," I beckoned,"you aren't seriously going to the Ball, are you?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUg7oTXnSKz
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She frowned.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tbeftwpJv
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"Why, John? Of course I am."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Hcnn84kgl
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"You do understand that there are going to be real people there. People you are going to have to talk to."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILwu3uPN8y
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"Don't be silly, John. I do know how to talk."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGA4D1l2Me4
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"No. No you don't ", I said simply.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UA3AlJ6xR
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"Well then, I'd just hover in the background."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwWWetelkU
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"Vera," I said," why do you want to go to this party? You don't usually go to such things. Why a sudden interest?"
Vera sighed. She pulled out a chair and ordered," Sit."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQv4eZl28F9
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I did.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGcUxqnSfc
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She began, " John, do you know the Royal Family?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGOaDxcvSQ
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I shrugged.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4Z3tPgKDf
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"Well I have read about them in some magazines and journals."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWTqORhlmK
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"That is not enough."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaEEsRbRkV
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"Tell me then."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGoi5ilDUq
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" John, the Royal Family is large. There's the Duke, the twin sons - Micheal and Roger, the mother, the Aunt, the Colonel, the governess, the hunter, the writer, etc. "417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71zUXaV7Mq
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"That's some diversity."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmylHRo7vq
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"And what happens when all such high - class diverse people are brought together under one estate?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqP0klUpTy
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"Let me guess, scandals, controversies?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJxOOGLvYt
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"Exactly. But more so. A violent clash of egos. Fights. Rivalries in everything - sports, poetry, music, women - you name it. Especially between the twins."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaM3yhpPXsh
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I smirked.417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyAC7aMInK
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"But you aren't interested in that, are you?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWefHLwCwpt
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTH8alf9U1X
"Of course not. No. I am interested about one particular thing. Only one. Something which may change the Family forever."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkOZ3JiCyf
417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWBrFJBT9X
"And that thing is...?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvaAeBVY1U
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"John, do you know the patient who delivered to you my letter today?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLFWf4sPBq
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"The egg faced, old man with that glorious moustache? I don't know him, but I fancy he's a hairdresser."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TpxebKBix
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"He's a world famous Belgian detective. Earlier this morning, I answered a summons from him and he told me about this matter."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WxtyAoxHE
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"What?"417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVu7KdBTAq
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"The Royal Family is a plethora of secrets and controversies. According to the great detective, whom you just met in your clinic, one such secret is the planned murder of one member of the Royal Family."417Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTAXwZLrQd
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