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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAgikvdoQc9a
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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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAbHekukyCmu
489Please respect copyright.PENANAPyMUsW5Nv8
"It is cold then, which depresses you?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAI276ubcEhS
489Please respect copyright.PENANANnMCAJ1gyt
" Ah, what can I say," my patient began," It is cold. But it is the knee too."489Please respect copyright.PENANAWT0QmagDbd
489Please respect copyright.PENANAMawM8IujzD
"Knee?"489Please respect copyright.PENANA9GlTbVuAwg
489Please respect copyright.PENANAocfroHl7mO
" Yes. I have been travelling much. From here to there. You comprehend?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAqIJdOwRxap
489Please respect copyright.PENANAI6rd3Bl4g9
I didn't. 489Please respect copyright.PENANAHWnLJM1vLd
489Please respect copyright.PENANA2qCHjE3iGL
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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAxMXR9HiP0M
489Please respect copyright.PENANA5356rrZqSP
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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAzdsPfin7iW
489Please respect copyright.PENANAbJe0PNP55C
"You see mon ami, it is your friend who gave me this knee."489Please respect copyright.PENANAUaCx9tFL7C
489Please respect copyright.PENANA5YvG4ZKWHD
I looked at him. Trying not to laugh at his ridiculous face, I asked, " My friend?"489Please respect copyright.PENANA8HqbOvcH6Q
489Please respect copyright.PENANAORQwWklJlp
"Oh yes. Vera."489Please respect copyright.PENANA431iR1muEv
489Please respect copyright.PENANApFSMdTN9X7
"Oh."489Please respect copyright.PENANAgiyhuGxWKv
489Please respect copyright.PENANAwZIHt3P6KZ
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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAS2A0A7U6NU
489Please respect copyright.PENANAfw1J687j9N
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489Please respect copyright.PENANAoje5paW17K
489Please respect copyright.PENANA6wXqToMGwY
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. 489Please respect copyright.PENANATA8icQ5te8
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I unfolded the letter he had brought me. With sceptical eyes, I read:489Please respect copyright.PENANAtskKuBnLby
489Please respect copyright.PENANAxjooT6fSVk
489Please respect copyright.PENANARJtZnaoYHy
489Please respect copyright.PENANAXzfEKLBtFv
489Please respect copyright.PENANAOP813Uk8hy
Dear Jim,489Please respect copyright.PENANACVdqTkv4f6
489Please respect copyright.PENANA8kTF3ySA1c
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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAZWFgqGpjIv
489Please respect copyright.PENANADI1hXQuafI
489Please respect copyright.PENANA4DJzI2CE5H
489Please respect copyright.PENANAYsXrUXe4Le
489Please respect copyright.PENANAvkB2NJ6SMi
Yours, Vera.489Please respect copyright.PENANAtLHX4xccJL
489Please respect copyright.PENANAoRmStiaxkm
489Please respect copyright.PENANAwCLtjNJO2c
489Please respect copyright.PENANA9zy09eeFau
489Please respect copyright.PENANAsO8hQXiVVC
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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAmPbLqypvRV
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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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAOYwTLoxriD
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489Please respect copyright.PENANACgAkYMVHQN
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489Please respect copyright.PENANAx9mB88AW7H
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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAjDdl8evchO
489Please respect copyright.PENANAFfvfDFSIYg
I walked inside.
The sight I saw did not surprise me.489Please respect copyright.PENANA1chRGDhGs8
489Please respect copyright.PENANATEpubYSJVc
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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAF2Xhl6TzAp
489Please respect copyright.PENANA8w0SgRZ70b
It was then that she took notice of me and, without looking up, greeted, " Hallo Jim."489Please respect copyright.PENANAqVOFFLUumk
489Please respect copyright.PENANAilpUfM8vab
I went straight to the point.489Please respect copyright.PENANADqzhRmVwth
489Please respect copyright.PENANAm7PbnkFUCi
" Vera, you didn't write that letter, did you?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAdCiO70D6Fk
489Please respect copyright.PENANA9oqSqePQgK
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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAoi4jJlrCoG
489Please respect copyright.PENANAiNyGcoC5rZ
I laughed and sat on a chair.489Please respect copyright.PENANAQYmUrQv6dv
489Please respect copyright.PENANAhMIej0faJ8
"Was it so obvious though?", Vera asked after a while.489Please respect copyright.PENANA6oyZioe9vj
489Please respect copyright.PENANAXi2yqW2pPB
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!"489Please respect copyright.PENANArIxsCtiuFW
489Please respect copyright.PENANAja8yvRqovr
I advanced to calm her, but stopped as I realised it wasn't necessary.489Please respect copyright.PENANAxl6OTIGZ4e
489Please respect copyright.PENANAqh9VSKegf1
Instead, I asked," What's the experiment?"489Please respect copyright.PENANA12gawqOaf4
489Please respect copyright.PENANApeqF5iLHuU
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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAyMBYg7O9Jv
489Please respect copyright.PENANAzNKRs5r3B1
"And?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAyLUeu5z7ct
489Please respect copyright.PENANARV3yAZvSlG
" They turned out to be the fingerprints of the Sheriff himself."489Please respect copyright.PENANAm5mCQGUpBP
489Please respect copyright.PENANA9mlwrc7XCz
"Isn't that good? You got your man."489Please respect copyright.PENANAAdYo0Exqn5
489Please respect copyright.PENANAIxOa8CIKRo
"No. He can't have robbed."489Please respect copyright.PENANAPVYhZVth4w
489Please respect copyright.PENANAuyibSJt36y
"Why?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAAPzdRgl3LM
489Please respect copyright.PENANAc4WIHclP1H
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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAtVuiUHTOFG
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I frowned and replied satirically," Well that makes perfect sense."489Please respect copyright.PENANAh1jGsAfnIN
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"Doesn't it?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAX8G7WNb8c7
489Please respect copyright.PENANA22qXHj1xXy
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?"489Please respect copyright.PENANANsCQlyEX7i
489Please respect copyright.PENANA1yw6OaERpt
"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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAirhzKsVkyL
489Please respect copyright.PENANAD6t9rK5Nym
"Few people take him seriously."489Please respect copyright.PENANAGO9BlrllZO
489Please respect copyright.PENANAYVSxV0h6fy
She went off into the kitchen, and I followed her.489Please respect copyright.PENANAMThIigft9p
489Please respect copyright.PENANA3CsJ0felKl
"Weren't you going to show me something interesting?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAGlonHX4ndD
489Please respect copyright.PENANAkkUJYzRJuf
She turned to me and smiled, excited.489Please respect copyright.PENANAPDaVp52hmC
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She said, " Glad you mentioned it."489Please respect copyright.PENANApFv1AKgTNP
489Please respect copyright.PENANAIw4SvyAkEE
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"489Please respect copyright.PENANABFZ1kUWPNY
489Please respect copyright.PENANAT59YTi2rSG
She frowned and said, " You didn't ask."489Please respect copyright.PENANATSGXtThF4E
489Please respect copyright.PENANAz3QaSKw3s1
Call me imprudent if you like, I thought.489Please respect copyright.PENANA2tXxbk2c9j
489Please respect copyright.PENANAlLtZI0HPuG
"On my table in the hall, there's a package. Bring it."489Please respect copyright.PENANA0fenZQ43yb
489Please respect copyright.PENANA2m6GzSbnr8
I did so. 489Please respect copyright.PENANAHqk3vkiJgf
489Please respect copyright.PENANAYU9AiEXlEj
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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAdKfU8vySpy
489Please respect copyright.PENANAyD6yKLv4Ky
Then I looked more closely at the package and notice a red tulip and gasped.489Please respect copyright.PENANAMte7fsHkuq
489Please respect copyright.PENANAuY2zYBj8RJ
"Why, it's the....the....Royal Mark!"489Please respect copyright.PENANAHGuSguyPU9
489Please respect copyright.PENANArPYf0dl8cj
My voice shook as I fluttered like a fish out of water.489Please respect copyright.PENANAQ07qZJD134
489Please respect copyright.PENANAMU3KC4GnRo
Vera smiled.489Please respect copyright.PENANAZ63kBUNkQ3
489Please respect copyright.PENANAIvU90OTDRH
"It arrived today, and I have a feeling I know what's in it."489Please respect copyright.PENANAQFlPfTR5l9
489Please respect copyright.PENANA9D9TktN73q
At once, I opened the letter and found in my hand an inexplicable blank note, much to my amusement.489Please respect copyright.PENANAOaBksTPQdc
489Please respect copyright.PENANAiC6wvLeMLQ
I laughed as I remarked," Well Vera. What do you make of this?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAJUpoHLg9UA
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I half - expected her to frown and not chuckle as she did.489Please respect copyright.PENANAdkB58En4lX
489Please respect copyright.PENANAeVOZtMOMXw
" Blank note isn't it? How boring."489Please respect copyright.PENANACtsly7FXG2
489Please respect copyright.PENANARLmcZZrwv2
"What is it about?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAAHlRqfFMeE
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"You shall know - now."
Right at that moment, a man appeared at the door.489Please respect copyright.PENANAI5PASwjfa8
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"You knew he would come?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAqFL4sF5g0Q
489Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7WTu0VOtw
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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAMbRUQJe6Cd
489Please respect copyright.PENANAttx0IxNJvd
I went and opened the door.489Please respect copyright.PENANAhMmqtrcuKz
489Please respect copyright.PENANAtfbRHHfeXx
"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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAYlN3yRqozp
489Please respect copyright.PENANAhrEU3h7ufX
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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAzex7miO3Q6
489Please respect copyright.PENANAIdKtOsGf15
"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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAyFawTkwqUz
489Please respect copyright.PENANAGH8TPSDUyY
We nodded.489Please respect copyright.PENANAtZeGBQHpzT
489Please respect copyright.PENANAId2xC2XQCC
Vera said:489Please respect copyright.PENANAZvrvPLWSPc
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" I believe, Monsieur, that you came by here a bit earlier today, say, a little after seven in the morning?"489Please respect copyright.PENANADMRqF3fyBd
489Please respect copyright.PENANAkk8nTzmwPU
The Colonel said, " Yes I did. I saw M. Shepperd coming here, so I assumed you had returned."489Please respect copyright.PENANAJXQvRzvhgB
489Please respect copyright.PENANAO2LFGXiAx2
" And is it safe to assume that you broke the plate over there?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAdzZPJtunCI
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She pointed to a broken plate kept neatly on one of the chairs.489Please respect copyright.PENANAgDxEyaiY47
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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.489Please respect copyright.PENANAJdWGjm8zEy
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"How did-"489Please respect copyright.PENANANnS7C3YQIn
489Please respect copyright.PENANA6rvM7sU0zm
"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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAhLItzeKdl3
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Vera nodded.489Please respect copyright.PENANAZrMbW3swgy
489Please respect copyright.PENANAts0ud9B2DF
"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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAf91LaVGQbT
489Please respect copyright.PENANAC2qKKsOawa
"Yes."489Please respect copyright.PENANA6lWqs6Rrg3
489Please respect copyright.PENANAGXUu7l8ui6
"Well then, the Ball is on Thursday. Today is Tuesday. You have two days to prepare."489Please respect copyright.PENANAEFFMmWvULK
489Please respect copyright.PENANAl1nB3KOG3I
Colonel Rose stood up.489Please respect copyright.PENANAisbSoTadtF
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"I must be off now."489Please respect copyright.PENANAl4f4ywm7Zc
489Please respect copyright.PENANAEsVYep8jIa
He looked at Vera strangely again, eyeing me in the process too. Off he went.489Please respect copyright.PENANAxdoXGakpT2
489Please respect copyright.PENANAe6knaTUpm5
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?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAwWymARxzPs
489Please respect copyright.PENANAIwqoX5tbMr
She frowned.489Please respect copyright.PENANAFyv6gOmJXU
489Please respect copyright.PENANAcvkEwYdy7K
"Why, John? Of course I am."489Please respect copyright.PENANApBQambaSms
489Please respect copyright.PENANARIdH6NAEdY
"You do understand that there are going to be real people there. People you are going to have to talk to."489Please respect copyright.PENANAgpYztqSGzK
489Please respect copyright.PENANAyTclfFLbw7
"Don't be silly, John. I do know how to talk."489Please respect copyright.PENANAcJ35MeLyV3
489Please respect copyright.PENANAbMfxYhvnQZ
"No. No you don't ", I said simply.489Please respect copyright.PENANArwCWOCsCQr
489Please respect copyright.PENANAdzNMJ6QokP
"Well then, I'd just hover in the background."489Please respect copyright.PENANAGFK9N9griE
489Please respect copyright.PENANAltVLqlnwvi
"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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAR7WAzKjhkq
489Please respect copyright.PENANAGsretlcsCf
I did.489Please respect copyright.PENANABU24FhAKbY
489Please respect copyright.PENANAgXHH2Eu5yb
She began, " John, do you know the Royal Family?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAnk3vkhj7ow
489Please respect copyright.PENANAoHOw2mHIFC
I shrugged.489Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8fuPJCB3g
489Please respect copyright.PENANA8BTjUZ4sPD
"Well I have read about them in some magazines and journals."489Please respect copyright.PENANASsvSbikYHf
489Please respect copyright.PENANAVFLjR8kaVo
"That is not enough."489Please respect copyright.PENANAgxwEQdUm6W
489Please respect copyright.PENANAqEy4yRaWTi
"Tell me then."489Please respect copyright.PENANAilpMbxMo6i
489Please respect copyright.PENANANHrjv1Wp00
" 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. "489Please respect copyright.PENANA7HE5iXmaTJ
489Please respect copyright.PENANAwYEJfUZj0K
"That's some diversity."489Please respect copyright.PENANAYg3UAyLWZp
489Please respect copyright.PENANAWdZrAQAZPe
"And what happens when all such high - class diverse people are brought together under one estate?"489Please respect copyright.PENANA7Xb3HOkTr5
489Please respect copyright.PENANAdpwepsjm2O
"Let me guess, scandals, controversies?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAAxr5XfJbNp
489Please respect copyright.PENANA0rVbwiRVnZ
"Exactly. But more so. A violent clash of egos. Fights. Rivalries in everything - sports, poetry, music, women - you name it. Especially between the twins."489Please respect copyright.PENANAeoGyZ5jmuR
489Please respect copyright.PENANAbyGNTUbBct
I smirked.489Please respect copyright.PENANAB7624MePAw
489Please respect copyright.PENANAblwvGmbaE4
"But you aren't interested in that, are you?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAuzsH2u49Lo
489Please respect copyright.PENANASr8weCJoNO
"Of course not. No. I am interested about one particular thing. Only one. Something which may change the Family forever."489Please respect copyright.PENANAInqZFjnR19
489Please respect copyright.PENANAjArSDVHAgH
"And that thing is...?"489Please respect copyright.PENANA4wqNwnasFd
489Please respect copyright.PENANAxzdDJEjWc0
"John, do you know the patient who delivered to you my letter today?"489Please respect copyright.PENANA3i5WboRJIS
489Please respect copyright.PENANAbpcBLeXujt
"The egg faced, old man with that glorious moustache? I don't know him, but I fancy he's a hairdresser."489Please respect copyright.PENANA0saYhpEtfS
489Please respect copyright.PENANALCcjaBhgHo
"He's a world famous Belgian detective. Earlier this morning, I answered a summons from him and he told me about this matter."489Please respect copyright.PENANAfPnn9Fpk3L
489Please respect copyright.PENANAzAyk9guOky
"What?"489Please respect copyright.PENANAjG8GAsUs5B
489Please respect copyright.PENANAOU0SMulrFe
"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."489Please respect copyright.PENANAcFqDchi79M
489Please respect copyright.PENANA2C9arfSVUb