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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3JDNyxQui
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf65i41G54u
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNWKL6BZs9
"It is cold then, which depresses you?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZVvotyPvb
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlMYkA1EMs
" Ah, what can I say," my patient began," It is cold. But it is the knee too."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuhwnZAx4r
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"Knee?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS881QnJFe7
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" Yes. I have been travelling much. From here to there. You comprehend?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHg28aay0Oo
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I didn't. 550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iAKlljrTv
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKEFIoAwJ1
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcarOIJh5Mg
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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqbMqzGQQk
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"You see mon ami, it is your friend who gave me this knee."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwE9xaUgo1K
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRChQ4SGb8
I looked at him. Trying not to laugh at his ridiculous face, I asked, " My friend?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBpGepQlrX
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMr4q0aLjr
"Oh yes. Vera."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5MLpBB5dz
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"Oh."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvebGUiQIW
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNCLShLOmr
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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. 550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdREIh2bDk
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I unfolded the letter he had brought me. With sceptical eyes, I read:550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8clM53pn5
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Dear Jim,550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAA6wm1bCeH
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouXJxjqGA1
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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JHWTFZQ7o
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Yours, Vera.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHzTNOSSLE
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaWXgaE9Jr
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zzgy7MqmS
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiH9p3sXTX
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I walked inside.
The sight I saw did not surprise me.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuak6vdouQm
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgl3ngUhk5
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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdr2N9Tt0t
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqB80Cqppy1
It was then that she took notice of me and, without looking up, greeted, " Hallo Jim."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpMX4L1CvM
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I went straight to the point.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFgBZ4rPjT
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" Vera, you didn't write that letter, did you?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYYExekNBK
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmQ3q3QqAv
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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6czWJDZ65
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I laughed and sat on a chair.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHIMLWVtHr
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"Was it so obvious though?", Vera asked after a while.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UmXe9UPkm
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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!"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMvdErT59y
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMENx9y963
I advanced to calm her, but stopped as I realised it wasn't necessary.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84q7s9m5oo
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Instead, I asked," What's the experiment?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XxgLJaAeT
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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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAg4aMqgdE
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"And?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnN2svjmOqC
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" They turned out to be the fingerprints of the Sheriff himself."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaL31KP9VDK
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2THXwjfF3U
"Isn't that good? You got your man."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCizeoJR0NX
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"No. He can't have robbed."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgL2bF7fRT
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"Why?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QZHCi615V
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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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1QoebAUOZ
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I frowned and replied satirically," Well that makes perfect sense."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJgHjogvEX
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"Doesn't it?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsHtaVW5oo
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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?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfxKXAsuzi
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrfh7ld4mw
"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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MEbJSOtS7
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"Few people take him seriously."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCw4cezPyc
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She went off into the kitchen, and I followed her.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRL80bPXk8
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"Weren't you going to show me something interesting?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkk0ZKRn1Fy
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She turned to me and smiled, excited.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jAcP0h1ZC
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She said, " Glad you mentioned it."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4qVoQIfaE
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"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZzK66tuMh
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She frowned and said, " You didn't ask."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8k41lsqGao
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Call me imprudent if you like, I thought.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6q6j8OcBH
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"On my table in the hall, there's a package. Bring it."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFaxBM0QVc
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I did so. 550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKqDpCncmf
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiu6RO7hfK
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Then I looked more closely at the package and notice a red tulip and gasped.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOp5nBKMqva
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"Why, it's the....the....Royal Mark!"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfV5VlNOSS
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My voice shook as I fluttered like a fish out of water.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VFVg3RqvM
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Vera smiled.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DKtqJMRmc
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"It arrived today, and I have a feeling I know what's in it."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCX09NVMsP
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TDdKTBAGm
At once, I opened the letter and found in my hand an inexplicable blank note, much to my amusement.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjf2FAEBv2
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsEIjt0aoz
I laughed as I remarked," Well Vera. What do you make of this?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHo9F9yXwp9
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I half - expected her to frown and not chuckle as she did.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUKY8MjoES
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" Blank note isn't it? How boring."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8hTYDngMt
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"What is it about?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEW6XQCzPkm
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"You shall know - now."
Right at that moment, a man appeared at the door.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2f2g4e7F5v
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"You knew he would come?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqbLGHw3Py
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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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MGBNVTaz7
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I went and opened the door.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhb62nLRblQ
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuIx7VkcXw
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gkNzEj742
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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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IUZ54oMvL
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We nodded.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3LGhqu8cN
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Vera said:550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8nJt2e4A5
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" I believe, Monsieur, that you came by here a bit earlier today, say, a little after seven in the morning?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQRw6O80Or
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The Colonel said, " Yes I did. I saw M. Shepperd coming here, so I assumed you had returned."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0Ktfa2ndB
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" And is it safe to assume that you broke the plate over there?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVT67tLNAL
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She pointed to a broken plate kept neatly on one of the chairs.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjMpT0J5BW
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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.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghpHuoc1km
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"How did-"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUzxITZZcq
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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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcd1Tj5oyYN
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Vera nodded.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKHoh9v81s
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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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QtZvp4RUx
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"Yes."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0UjvuUTuf
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"Well then, the Ball is on Thursday. Today is Tuesday. You have two days to prepare."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYTDUPKAKy
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Colonel Rose stood up.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKdsMu9cB5
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"I must be off now."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQFqIJk8ej
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He looked at Vera strangely again, eyeing me in the process too. Off he went.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSd88NYymM
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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?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVt8EdD5XBM
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSX7NNUpGHQ
She frowned.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC53tAQNe4d
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"Why, John? Of course I am."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdeMH8peXD
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUIypS4nWz
"You do understand that there are going to be real people there. People you are going to have to talk to."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84b7q6CGLS
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBU3slzD2w
"Don't be silly, John. I do know how to talk."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgQwPkyerU
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMoYQgttkm
"No. No you don't ", I said simply.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWerd3lE7Eg
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"Well then, I'd just hover in the background."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtH69S9Lhm5
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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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrn0UyKkhJ
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0GXceE0yD
I did.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdw1ybt8gte
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJtDqcLass
She began, " John, do you know the Royal Family?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VSZWwYMI3
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfox0lVxgV
I shrugged.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KSkl6G8MT
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5s5n90D25y
"Well I have read about them in some magazines and journals."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzRz6LWTMX
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PUjW1CVL5
"That is not enough."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjokswmW0Vo
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡru6xi3YBvM
"Tell me then."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW6Bu7vZOV
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20qa0SshfE
" 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. "550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMKV17kCpB
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr74SqypZbt
"That's some diversity."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpMSSeU6uI
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnmvNNEXTk
"And what happens when all such high - class diverse people are brought together under one estate?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtvvXCFpFQ
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpcbAuT9y8
"Let me guess, scandals, controversies?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBU3fPz4M7o
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgczUL2MuwR
"Exactly. But more so. A violent clash of egos. Fights. Rivalries in everything - sports, poetry, music, women - you name it. Especially between the twins."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWsC6gsPFJ
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigvlkf8eKc
I smirked.550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvbcOQR6r6
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9IQKxj4VY
"But you aren't interested in that, are you?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAcmZYuhhB
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaSZjHpWFd
"Of course not. No. I am interested about one particular thing. Only one. Something which may change the Family forever."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwr2FMmyJo8
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NNQXAY4QW
"And that thing is...?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPalvnqXAVe
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nC0nkpwiA
"John, do you know the patient who delivered to you my letter today?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvP7RSDbe4
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJgAulebe6
"The egg faced, old man with that glorious moustache? I don't know him, but I fancy he's a hairdresser."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdKIRG99z9
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlHuQv4HZ5
"He's a world famous Belgian detective. Earlier this morning, I answered a summons from him and he told me about this matter."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfwQwR9g37
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dLgeBVgs0
"What?"550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZP3QrELLOy
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡga0yhmcwdR
"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."550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgq3ah0zeR
550Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQMpgt19Jn
