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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAIIo5mIYzHc
273Please respect copyright.PENANA0ORBfGKXiF
273Please respect copyright.PENANARacw7n6YHo
273Please respect copyright.PENANA9aNEYZwF4K
273Please respect copyright.PENANA1V0paFGGgs
It was the afternoon of the 10th of January, a cold and windy day, when I was fixing a patient of mine.273Please respect copyright.PENANANLOkhZ4N6I
273Please respect copyright.PENANAfOUfWYudmi
"It is cold then, which depresses you?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAZcYVe9g824
273Please respect copyright.PENANAsNf0Kf0E5H
" Ah, what can I say," my patient began," It is cold. But it is the knee too."273Please respect copyright.PENANASK0ORjwrCs
273Please respect copyright.PENANAoFgdL3hKlC
"Knee?"273Please respect copyright.PENANA7iyDdQ0YCL
273Please respect copyright.PENANAC3tAWjE3oS
" Yes. I have been travelling much. From here to there. You comprehend?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAK4Jnm6GMZy
273Please respect copyright.PENANAiAErMtL9rb
I didn't. 273Please respect copyright.PENANAraAF4VnjYy
273Please respect copyright.PENANABfWRcssrBD
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAfeInS5QDEJ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAJcBsFarUvL
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAI7dV0F3dhE
273Please respect copyright.PENANAyQyUje9WAm
"You see mon ami, it is your friend who gave me this knee."273Please respect copyright.PENANAus9sSsw1R3
273Please respect copyright.PENANAIc1rQ7Ft5H
I looked at him. Trying not to laugh at his ridiculous face, I asked, " My friend?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAVeJXjgjuiM
273Please respect copyright.PENANAmIR0hAeGBl
"Oh yes. Vera."273Please respect copyright.PENANAQFvu9HAAMk
273Please respect copyright.PENANACkloXzMwLd
"Oh."273Please respect copyright.PENANA2ocpl1P5xg
273Please respect copyright.PENANAwk76b73G8G
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAVdg8T9tGry
273Please respect copyright.PENANAtSqaLDPtNz
273Please respect copyright.PENANALmsn3AzdVe
273Please respect copyright.PENANA7QBmkfqsiH
273Please respect copyright.PENANAC0jvRT1Scr
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. 273Please respect copyright.PENANAAJpB7DhQcq
273Please respect copyright.PENANAcJVdRHqLEf
273Please respect copyright.PENANAUAPBxjU4aJ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAI1ylUjH03R
273Please respect copyright.PENANAxKOUhajyAS
I unfolded the letter he had brought me. With sceptical eyes, I read:273Please respect copyright.PENANAiwdoLUHuNO
273Please respect copyright.PENANAHJ2TPQqweX
273Please respect copyright.PENANAw4d5o3t7do
273Please respect copyright.PENANA9nLe4VpQkC
273Please respect copyright.PENANArEenf6gA1t
Dear Jim,273Please respect copyright.PENANA22kc57SevQ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAAyh05WH70b
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAb30LNIoffA
273Please respect copyright.PENANAVOlW4oUEPC
273Please respect copyright.PENANAqbgnalZ9U3
273Please respect copyright.PENANAFJInvo5m0P
273Please respect copyright.PENANAC8Hb5zd6AJ
Yours, Vera.273Please respect copyright.PENANAzHKqYJPAWg
273Please respect copyright.PENANAHrAykeqVmZ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAblSpTXwcau
273Please respect copyright.PENANA7zYQTukgYO
273Please respect copyright.PENANA4aUlei5N3V
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAxlsPMaUZt9
273Please respect copyright.PENANALDW2fFHdCA
273Please respect copyright.PENANALXvv3RFYmH
273Please respect copyright.PENANAAZUmstOSnt
273Please respect copyright.PENANAyqDJAo5tzj
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAlfVDTfcdrR
273Please respect copyright.PENANAkaHyakafek
273Please respect copyright.PENANAmxsSDZHZBY
273Please respect copyright.PENANAmgjFW8o8oc
273Please respect copyright.PENANAoC9ox9Ld4U
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAIrouhoWiNn
273Please respect copyright.PENANA7s0tJdBvbd
I walked inside.
The sight I saw did not surprise me.273Please respect copyright.PENANA6QJQfTXSqY
273Please respect copyright.PENANAKTSUVfqdX6
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAzHwlvpVhG3
273Please respect copyright.PENANA2dtge2hvq5
It was then that she took notice of me and, without looking up, greeted, " Hallo Jim."273Please respect copyright.PENANAR4eex6Fn8g
273Please respect copyright.PENANAS2uBjQaHWz
I went straight to the point.273Please respect copyright.PENANAwEecAyeC4p
273Please respect copyright.PENANANpWng4hZNN
" Vera, you didn't write that letter, did you?"273Please respect copyright.PENANA9iom6EiUdE
273Please respect copyright.PENANAowwuyrDz6q
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."273Please respect copyright.PENANAxC4ooXiRp0
273Please respect copyright.PENANA72AW5mCD3e
I laughed and sat on a chair.273Please respect copyright.PENANAtha5SgiJGp
273Please respect copyright.PENANAx9cXXGOhDy
"Was it so obvious though?", Vera asked after a while.273Please respect copyright.PENANAfRnrADP6aZ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAmm1DkZSOVF
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!"273Please respect copyright.PENANAX5CXOFGaV9
273Please respect copyright.PENANAFnhJ1rhavw
I advanced to calm her, but stopped as I realised it wasn't necessary.273Please respect copyright.PENANAANeRKfxIxK
273Please respect copyright.PENANAexh2x3dB4q
Instead, I asked," What's the experiment?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAuJ9MLZh1DG
273Please respect copyright.PENANAnRtbw88i0r
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."273Please respect copyright.PENANAFwLYqueU84
273Please respect copyright.PENANAj3hHhoDqit
"And?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAFBLxmsxReV
273Please respect copyright.PENANAGhTicpXNu5
" They turned out to be the fingerprints of the Sheriff himself."273Please respect copyright.PENANAUxTjNm3h0c
273Please respect copyright.PENANAm7xGoktwoF
"Isn't that good? You got your man."273Please respect copyright.PENANAeUoQDO89Dz
273Please respect copyright.PENANAECdhVObchI
"No. He can't have robbed."273Please respect copyright.PENANAF81m3LnqiQ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAmq82drsHug
"Why?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAaQQ3MFNMfZ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAFTAI2tzinw
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."273Please respect copyright.PENANAR2XCh6VJff
273Please respect copyright.PENANAFESm6zsJsU
I frowned and replied satirically," Well that makes perfect sense."273Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5fCDCeOBq
273Please respect copyright.PENANAcdwOzQzrSS
"Doesn't it?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAL2HHrzS9bY
273Please respect copyright.PENANAYiJGKVZecH
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?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAAWP36K3BAa
273Please respect copyright.PENANAn48o2T4cnq
"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."273Please respect copyright.PENANAcv23hNvZNU
273Please respect copyright.PENANAcXCZVm2zCV
"Few people take him seriously."273Please respect copyright.PENANAJgfC1ayCiB
273Please respect copyright.PENANASKx8MmRAjA
She went off into the kitchen, and I followed her.273Please respect copyright.PENANAymsUlJr8eV
273Please respect copyright.PENANAzFQdkjylIX
"Weren't you going to show me something interesting?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAhM9rbDX3NZ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAOgwMxxMzBG
She turned to me and smiled, excited.273Please respect copyright.PENANAHkqoPPhWZT
273Please respect copyright.PENANAMY28KBrkSJ
She said, " Glad you mentioned it."273Please respect copyright.PENANAn43FDlQodx
273Please respect copyright.PENANAlu5u0TBilX
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"273Please respect copyright.PENANACYHpxNwFN2
273Please respect copyright.PENANAhkBW8cnKTD
She frowned and said, " You didn't ask."273Please respect copyright.PENANAvUwJS0SRE9
273Please respect copyright.PENANAkRG4p8P8ix
Call me imprudent if you like, I thought.273Please respect copyright.PENANArmwDe2crDV
273Please respect copyright.PENANAerfbHZyxDd
"On my table in the hall, there's a package. Bring it."273Please respect copyright.PENANAo9xq7LwmYZ
273Please respect copyright.PENANA3zJfaMVC6s
I did so. 273Please respect copyright.PENANAAxtvnsc2kY
273Please respect copyright.PENANANW3bWG0FvY
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAlvNAPazYaj
273Please respect copyright.PENANAmT37AuktZw
Then I looked more closely at the package and notice a red tulip and gasped.273Please respect copyright.PENANAjbukeLuI5t
273Please respect copyright.PENANAHeHLXj4lQn
"Why, it's the....the....Royal Mark!"273Please respect copyright.PENANARAwmVJNtmc
273Please respect copyright.PENANAnimS3lqY8k
My voice shook as I fluttered like a fish out of water.273Please respect copyright.PENANAUmfcvXQ7Bj
273Please respect copyright.PENANAy3Mk0cDWdm
Vera smiled.273Please respect copyright.PENANAeS9rMT2Bzv
273Please respect copyright.PENANAAFqkHz8LmQ
"It arrived today, and I have a feeling I know what's in it."273Please respect copyright.PENANA56NYEjYjm7
273Please respect copyright.PENANAeFPRxkj563
At once, I opened the letter and found in my hand an inexplicable blank note, much to my amusement.273Please respect copyright.PENANAYjbYmUhak9
273Please respect copyright.PENANAgelqV6PIXe
I laughed as I remarked," Well Vera. What do you make of this?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAbozDE9l8kt
273Please respect copyright.PENANAdrueLPxBdh
I half - expected her to frown and not chuckle as she did.273Please respect copyright.PENANAxluoCOd6H4
273Please respect copyright.PENANApsKG8t8MQI
" Blank note isn't it? How boring."273Please respect copyright.PENANAFJ9rfydkZh
273Please respect copyright.PENANALVy1h0KtwM
"What is it about?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAZVhlG1ZAA9
273Please respect copyright.PENANAYTPALyr37p
"You shall know - now."
Right at that moment, a man appeared at the door.273Please respect copyright.PENANA5Z7HcKR6jG
273Please respect copyright.PENANAOFhNy8vSIa
"You knew he would come?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAcJODNW3BOc
273Please respect copyright.PENANAUebIJoAT7u
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."273Please respect copyright.PENANAJJhHxwbNbQ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAkHkqqfZbcQ
I went and opened the door.273Please respect copyright.PENANADkzORh9W6Z
273Please respect copyright.PENANAiYz0D0SfjI
"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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAm3OnnGBoOX
273Please respect copyright.PENANAHLnUL3gJhU
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAMVGoFqvA4t
273Please respect copyright.PENANA3OAMbZrcJ2
"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."273Please respect copyright.PENANARWgimlqU9z
273Please respect copyright.PENANA90Oo7FPRq8
We nodded.273Please respect copyright.PENANATI7huTvyRp
273Please respect copyright.PENANA6UTJ5kUuqW
Vera said:273Please respect copyright.PENANAXpiykzFttE
273Please respect copyright.PENANAJLMHqqTQC5
" I believe, Monsieur, that you came by here a bit earlier today, say, a little after seven in the morning?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAY5nO6088ep
273Please respect copyright.PENANAWOy7jNgGw9
The Colonel said, " Yes I did. I saw M. Shepperd coming here, so I assumed you had returned."273Please respect copyright.PENANATZbtG2WgvM
273Please respect copyright.PENANAS4bwpO2YNo
" And is it safe to assume that you broke the plate over there?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAvESYgtQOoD
273Please respect copyright.PENANAcUJdU2XRF3
She pointed to a broken plate kept neatly on one of the chairs.273Please respect copyright.PENANAArwff3RexD
273Please respect copyright.PENANAiJTSSUPAvU
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.273Please respect copyright.PENANAvDwnM19rQ9
273Please respect copyright.PENANAkQLpkKfOZu
"How did-"273Please respect copyright.PENANAJPVpT5BzRJ
273Please respect copyright.PENANAXfZZtAHXxJ
"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."273Please respect copyright.PENANAv5tjE6D7xc
273Please respect copyright.PENANAm2zoLYUOMl
Vera nodded.273Please respect copyright.PENANAnlMkpFIVEP
273Please respect copyright.PENANAA4lha5M5MB
"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."273Please respect copyright.PENANAZaB1pIwhAe
273Please respect copyright.PENANApnvUMWDfpL
"Yes."273Please respect copyright.PENANA0uSb83cGdU
273Please respect copyright.PENANAkcFigR5SPp
"Well then, the Ball is on Thursday. Today is Tuesday. You have two days to prepare."273Please respect copyright.PENANAfdxb4gWmW1
273Please respect copyright.PENANAAQNtL4QEIs
Colonel Rose stood up.273Please respect copyright.PENANARrV8j8Inhe
273Please respect copyright.PENANAikKS615DoS
"I must be off now."273Please respect copyright.PENANARqFQGyuOdU
273Please respect copyright.PENANAjssUKjTKf2
He looked at Vera strangely again, eyeing me in the process too. Off he went.273Please respect copyright.PENANANeIrNkDTgT
273Please respect copyright.PENANAVTkhHp5dWg
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?"273Please respect copyright.PENANA544yIdUHU8
273Please respect copyright.PENANAvLsOKGKR9a
She frowned.273Please respect copyright.PENANAvgy2gTqeL4
273Please respect copyright.PENANAlrOQemDpqv
"Why, John? Of course I am."273Please respect copyright.PENANAqTFZIQ74ly
273Please respect copyright.PENANAzFOwhBAiGh
"You do understand that there are going to be real people there. People you are going to have to talk to."273Please respect copyright.PENANAPPFPkPrUb2
273Please respect copyright.PENANA7YlATfSZ3H
"Don't be silly, John. I do know how to talk."273Please respect copyright.PENANAUM9nUNrlGv
273Please respect copyright.PENANAvxhBDJNAkO
"No. No you don't ", I said simply.273Please respect copyright.PENANAkGASyOQX7M
273Please respect copyright.PENANAMYwWxh3QTO
"Well then, I'd just hover in the background."273Please respect copyright.PENANAolTjqL8ghh
273Please respect copyright.PENANAmkudtssD7N
"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."273Please respect copyright.PENANABs1ydegiMX
273Please respect copyright.PENANAnMTtJava7C
I did.273Please respect copyright.PENANAVyXauNadmw
273Please respect copyright.PENANAQ9MjM4nqCB
She began, " John, do you know the Royal Family?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAbxNwRSmiyt
273Please respect copyright.PENANALFdQRSp2Yq
I shrugged.273Please respect copyright.PENANAZqGqxpKeZU
273Please respect copyright.PENANAg5sg0LDNrL
"Well I have read about them in some magazines and journals."273Please respect copyright.PENANAFOUpWCmtnw
273Please respect copyright.PENANAZuUmFKXMWY
"That is not enough."273Please respect copyright.PENANAxTeNZDmOcj
273Please respect copyright.PENANAO2ARZBs2rp
"Tell me then."273Please respect copyright.PENANA88HGuto48t
273Please respect copyright.PENANA4Lawd78z32
" 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. "273Please respect copyright.PENANA2F0MzBraOz
273Please respect copyright.PENANA2R7MV4sVxD
"That's some diversity."273Please respect copyright.PENANAsq7N3WKfFW
273Please respect copyright.PENANAOTkFAlcUpg
"And what happens when all such high - class diverse people are brought together under one estate?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAR1fl5dYqYS
273Please respect copyright.PENANATVotlO9qvA
"Let me guess, scandals, controversies?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAjMlENHAbAH
273Please respect copyright.PENANAdjnylHULjv
"Exactly. But more so. A violent clash of egos. Fights. Rivalries in everything - sports, poetry, music, women - you name it. Especially between the twins."273Please respect copyright.PENANAQb3YfLq2DD
273Please respect copyright.PENANAIdv6tMozx8
I smirked.273Please respect copyright.PENANATQcoP447Q1
273Please respect copyright.PENANA70huibRghP
"But you aren't interested in that, are you?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAWZD7bvU229
273Please respect copyright.PENANAELKRPnf7BG
"Of course not. No. I am interested about one particular thing. Only one. Something which may change the Family forever."273Please respect copyright.PENANAplsmRpsWa5
273Please respect copyright.PENANAtBHMNEzyjc
"And that thing is...?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAa1FBnUuQFl
273Please respect copyright.PENANAM4ZjueYfIJ
"John, do you know the patient who delivered to you my letter today?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAEu2AjzY6Kd
273Please respect copyright.PENANAmT6m1UjyVJ
"The egg faced, old man with that glorious moustache? I don't know him, but I fancy he's a hairdresser."273Please respect copyright.PENANAHqlCM0Z5a3
273Please respect copyright.PENANAjUwJbcDt5v
"He's a world famous Belgian detective. Earlier this morning, I answered a summons from him and he told me about this matter."273Please respect copyright.PENANAgdSL5Uvvuy
273Please respect copyright.PENANAHPBUDD0tSi
"What?"273Please respect copyright.PENANAc8OUrrr5ez
273Please respect copyright.PENANAEFwV8aRppa
"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."273Please respect copyright.PENANAeHGin3GubN
273Please respect copyright.PENANAMHz0Z2Prc0