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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDVaJMEPzR
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzV2SRYBDOC
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"It is cold then, which depresses you?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnFNXLidk8
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" Ah, what can I say," my patient began," It is cold. But it is the knee too."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVtUL8UMOw
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"Knee?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pEHuPIgWI
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" Yes. I have been travelling much. From here to there. You comprehend?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ64KFhVYDt
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I didn't. 505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufSa9LDAit
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAkouMQmSz
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9pgs4kLbu
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"You see mon ami, it is your friend who gave me this knee."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBqTh5D8XD
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I looked at him. Trying not to laugh at his ridiculous face, I asked, " My friend?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDknS5lYhM
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"Oh yes. Vera."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpL0sKDwOh6
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"Oh."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LNxTVVBjE
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkQVqCWPvF
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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. 505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpAFPKzaEd
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I unfolded the letter he had brought me. With sceptical eyes, I read:505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtflEiiqVd
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Dear Jim,505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtviJv15Pet
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54Q1rEStQR
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Yours, Vera.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqUCUJHj0y
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWnN7UYqd6
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0ffftCTgK
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2JDHKN1sW
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I walked inside.
The sight I saw did not surprise me.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMJ7KzEYpE
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZZFNmxmOM
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It was then that she took notice of me and, without looking up, greeted, " Hallo Jim."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvRpZUz3Zg
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I went straight to the point.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCtpAGYTmw
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" Vera, you didn't write that letter, did you?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZn9agYoSW
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfAyHpGbg4
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I laughed and sat on a chair.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHeKdeO4Oz
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"Was it so obvious though?", Vera asked after a while.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoAue03mWz
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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!"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdqp3X4vKz
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I advanced to calm her, but stopped as I realised it wasn't necessary.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHzdWxYZXe
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Instead, I asked," What's the experiment?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFxjDMLkBi
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ585pCkJKZE
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"And?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtshAWcYBq8
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" They turned out to be the fingerprints of the Sheriff himself."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmItJ1xquQF
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"Isn't that good? You got your man."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZk0zMCWgn
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"No. He can't have robbed."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMnkG6WmNR
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"Why?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0x3k0Rzphi
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSsnx0eWWp
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I frowned and replied satirically," Well that makes perfect sense."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1YUnmdzgq
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"Doesn't it?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Cbou40FhT
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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?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4rH9bWZ8D
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLqxX8oVCJ
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"Few people take him seriously."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydY7GtMdfS
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She went off into the kitchen, and I followed her.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2AWh5rwcD
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"Weren't you going to show me something interesting?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PwTADwaC4
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She turned to me and smiled, excited.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBBHnZFvKW
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She said, " Glad you mentioned it."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZDTUtbz7l
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"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kLOJbTxFe
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She frowned and said, " You didn't ask."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QE7Mbo7GX
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Call me imprudent if you like, I thought.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC1zlmde5u
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"On my table in the hall, there's a package. Bring it."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92a6YWsKwG
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I did so. 505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggrrdi84Yd
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcoN4BW5eL
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Then I looked more closely at the package and notice a red tulip and gasped.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrNPUH2JjQ
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"Why, it's the....the....Royal Mark!"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OqHiiakDH
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My voice shook as I fluttered like a fish out of water.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0HcwqcSFk
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Vera smiled.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUcbMgnWqg
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"It arrived today, and I have a feeling I know what's in it."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVgXkySfXe
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At once, I opened the letter and found in my hand an inexplicable blank note, much to my amusement.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJB52fIrPj
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I laughed as I remarked," Well Vera. What do you make of this?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCt2Xml631p
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I half - expected her to frown and not chuckle as she did.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTCLRYqgUI
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" Blank note isn't it? How boring."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrba3dmHrD
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"What is it about?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUyvZTT76O
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"You shall know - now."
Right at that moment, a man appeared at the door.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciSWNzaci6
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"You knew he would come?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbI01p25sl
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rHoGnFa2c
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I went and opened the door.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkY6dfA1srb
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXjWJxLpOG
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0d23u7Zbpt
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBls0mVT6C5
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We nodded.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMzKyYyAHE
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Vera said:505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MUhwUpkv3
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" I believe, Monsieur, that you came by here a bit earlier today, say, a little after seven in the morning?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2g63bJ2lt0
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The Colonel said, " Yes I did. I saw M. Shepperd coming here, so I assumed you had returned."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7fI31J1yH
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" And is it safe to assume that you broke the plate over there?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfw2zuZ3u5N
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She pointed to a broken plate kept neatly on one of the chairs.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7rqV6tMgh
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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.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalQizJ5V4Y
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"How did-"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AsUg0SrJC
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Fhd9N7Z76
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Vera nodded.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBV0UNZL2uS
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOirPCMrK4l
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"Yes."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNpkJyXVj6
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"Well then, the Ball is on Thursday. Today is Tuesday. You have two days to prepare."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEzOk4l3PC
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Colonel Rose stood up.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8KrI78z15
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"I must be off now."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfOVDMSTcA
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He looked at Vera strangely again, eyeing me in the process too. Off he went.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJCZZZuMru
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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?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bTtU2WsxC
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She frowned.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxcrfEAKsL
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"Why, John? Of course I am."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkn99meVNNq
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRY62R6jmhp
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"Don't be silly, John. I do know how to talk."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2dF1DdRfE
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"No. No you don't ", I said simply.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAx0z9wXZAd
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"Well then, I'd just hover in the background."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRiqYqT56a
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQFr3wb0Ku
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I did.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgBJ0BeNqr
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She began, " John, do you know the Royal Family?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fjAm7WYfl
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I shrugged.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuEyEUEJ2Q
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"Well I have read about them in some magazines and journals."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9MmnhqeLM
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"That is not enough."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKEiCb5060
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"Tell me then."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVoozNyFav
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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. "505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMyHcGaP2d
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"That's some diversity."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmGN7xCW4X
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"And what happens when all such high - class diverse people are brought together under one estate?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUC3e57ckC
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"Let me guess, scandals, controversies?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVc2LU5EsS
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbWJJz4qkC
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I smirked.505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7qDRcSftI
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"But you aren't interested in that, are you?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOqaANfyyj
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"Of course not. No. I am interested about one particular thing. Only one. Something which may change the Family forever."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKEFAa8Zfb
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"And that thing is...?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCx47ZEH1n
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"John, do you know the patient who delivered to you my letter today?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetBKopwAjP
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuIDrEzrVS
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡManDRRIXBq
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"What?"505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DpOqc8mxk
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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."505Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0vmKWg2l3
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