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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnkoqRbQil
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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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEXR2HQN6c
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"It is cold then, which depresses you?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvVX52G6TN
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" Ah, what can I say," my patient began," It is cold. But it is the knee too."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOhQ7mlesA
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8DxC7nhqe
"Knee?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VyNJOSY24
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" Yes. I have been travelling much. From here to there. You comprehend?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZhWKqmwF2
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I didn't. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGJZ1JmsQL
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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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeK89SfQA6
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebANq1aijR
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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3RwcqHBYy
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmItybuHLVs
"You see mon ami, it is your friend who gave me this knee."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HR7XDTLe1
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TgRRu4DKq
I looked at him. Trying not to laugh at his ridiculous face, I asked, " My friend?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXug77XO466
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHXDo1k2JY
"Oh yes. Vera."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbKgyts0H8
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"Oh."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxHeGZpZ8H
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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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsdMbatj9I
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549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPLL25waRs
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. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSifFPL6CHD
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I unfolded the letter he had brought me. With sceptical eyes, I read:549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuLCKYz1rB
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Dear Jim,549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YX9OQ2653
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDrzZzfwfX
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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdS9HS5B9r
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Yours, Vera.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcGcT1uYgt
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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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpuyY0xI9P
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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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrU4cY2vjy5
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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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0KviaOwpX
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CepDfZWvs
I walked inside.
The sight I saw did not surprise me.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8szJzlKIF
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHDTWyVb91
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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NHm4IMHrh
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4YEAmJFso
It was then that she took notice of me and, without looking up, greeted, " Hallo Jim."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkyq61sHfA
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I went straight to the point.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYkz2LhY4l
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" Vera, you didn't write that letter, did you?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikYBsIUW4L
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMoWkct2HX
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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nCxJBqcC5
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLusp6KTQv
I laughed and sat on a chair.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjG91bpGFd
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"Was it so obvious though?", Vera asked after a while.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvzoDBPP9y
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqTxVssFDi
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!"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2Or8gCh1r
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKqK4UKoBT
I advanced to calm her, but stopped as I realised it wasn't necessary.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl40mGq5U5h
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Instead, I asked," What's the experiment?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfL59RMkcE
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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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwr0BO7wS3
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"And?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5oA47XX2L
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" They turned out to be the fingerprints of the Sheriff himself."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBn4O6v7hn
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvuJQ9ftZU
"Isn't that good? You got your man."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvPTuXmTAV
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"No. He can't have robbed."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8URTd2gS0D
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"Why?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi88oefsgnD
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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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudpOq3fFU7
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I frowned and replied satirically," Well that makes perfect sense."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjWFURg959
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"Doesn't it?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ooRBMz3Y4
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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?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsdGucAtDw
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0NDmQxydN
"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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWQrqIGvqu
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"Few people take him seriously."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOb9dKbMCo
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She went off into the kitchen, and I followed her.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUftsmibv29
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"Weren't you going to show me something interesting?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHLeJVy5jT
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She turned to me and smiled, excited.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1usGzJtmD
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She said, " Glad you mentioned it."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfyBF4mMzk
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"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvtyUaepHa
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She frowned and said, " You didn't ask."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DaXMrizAW
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Call me imprudent if you like, I thought.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiL9DD8uT8F
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"On my table in the hall, there's a package. Bring it."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qhpvffpvU
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I did so. 549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoHT4Q95HZ
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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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfR0XPcmbhA
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Then I looked more closely at the package and notice a red tulip and gasped.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mEhes9LCx
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KyzdjbKm1
"Why, it's the....the....Royal Mark!"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡez9aEQ7Mk2
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My voice shook as I fluttered like a fish out of water.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntVsxL04Wn
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Vera smiled.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1d4ypYUxWT
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"It arrived today, and I have a feeling I know what's in it."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQGdQEtM0E
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bYdSSn9GB
At once, I opened the letter and found in my hand an inexplicable blank note, much to my amusement.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerpsHrGbn5
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuHN31Rehr
I laughed as I remarked," Well Vera. What do you make of this?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpR6TuyNrOf
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I half - expected her to frown and not chuckle as she did.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKeKGJsZ2C
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" Blank note isn't it? How boring."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaq2CPL03aM
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfs3MnVySKU
"What is it about?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvGNiucA1L
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"You shall know - now."
Right at that moment, a man appeared at the door.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRm8bHDnBG6
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWgygoOBll
"You knew he would come?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7aCfL1y4y
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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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnC6trY4Zv
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I went and opened the door.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQhs3OGWcM
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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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRvSdne0qt
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6EPvbobcs
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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqxkp3ttnY
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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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JZsmiIe0p
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We nodded.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRgBxI3DDY
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Vera said:549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVZq15o9Z6
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" I believe, Monsieur, that you came by here a bit earlier today, say, a little after seven in the morning?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGCeJytvIp
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The Colonel said, " Yes I did. I saw M. Shepperd coming here, so I assumed you had returned."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX75UprqcfL
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" And is it safe to assume that you broke the plate over there?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcTtm59p0m
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She pointed to a broken plate kept neatly on one of the chairs.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VlsDJD57Y
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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.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRc0iSLPao4
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"How did-"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMLnaSW9a1
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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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgN3L7sP8z
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNyPtbHeA2
Vera nodded.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOqn5MYdNc
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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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAp3hD4mq8
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"Yes."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLCyTXSa6C
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcie8W51UIF
"Well then, the Ball is on Thursday. Today is Tuesday. You have two days to prepare."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCCtZZxTTE
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSYXnobmkf
Colonel Rose stood up.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWtyu2vSQ5
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"I must be off now."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPN27H2N31
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He looked at Vera strangely again, eyeing me in the process too. Off he went.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamJVMc5ui2
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmO01BuMCNT
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?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUH8izYenQ
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She frowned.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAdXD3NerH
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxZFtlfxpP
"Why, John? Of course I am."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKI6x1Ol5QH
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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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IMvC4U07r
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAj19z1p8nZ
"Don't be silly, John. I do know how to talk."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgirs7J44A
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerNWPckxlL
"No. No you don't ", I said simply.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJA4GszOokB
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"Well then, I'd just hover in the background."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFvw3V8rvp
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6Z1XMmSlF
"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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYYwXXy4co
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I did.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqJfziRTSx
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She began, " John, do you know the Royal Family?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnwB53XeEs
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I shrugged.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2zGUKfcWH
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"Well I have read about them in some magazines and journals."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkgEivBrbh
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBNwbSEj2h
"That is not enough."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlO3o9Bxx4C
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"Tell me then."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV27W4S4IHG
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjlEkQqaJk
" 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. "549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthu6G3SKXs
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZ6xCV6pZr
"That's some diversity."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVBeqa9pGB
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"And what happens when all such high - class diverse people are brought together under one estate?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTWOez98XB
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJ39lY2QsP
"Let me guess, scandals, controversies?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOzDFlOPVE
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg84GAucQOf
"Exactly. But more so. A violent clash of egos. Fights. Rivalries in everything - sports, poetry, music, women - you name it. Especially between the twins."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRat608XiV
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I smirked.549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJbuXcCH27
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwcdeg9Nhl
"But you aren't interested in that, are you?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFHk2xFDFj
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlmikvQVmj
"Of course not. No. I am interested about one particular thing. Only one. Something which may change the Family forever."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zwn0MtzlP
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwJ7WMzaH7
"And that thing is...?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ856hvfCoq3
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKxFbZl2jY
"John, do you know the patient who delivered to you my letter today?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCRMH5oTSz
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw25yoyigUQ
"The egg faced, old man with that glorious moustache? I don't know him, but I fancy he's a hairdresser."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCo2ESzGQ39
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICYYcyX33X
"He's a world famous Belgian detective. Earlier this morning, I answered a summons from him and he told me about this matter."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TMtuJRkEr
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"What?"549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx204EQlLKW
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAsAI32ab5
"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."549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrKdRAJv9q
549Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTj6xXMKtc
