Hugh Hamilton
"I could," replied Grace flatly.
"And will you?" continued Ben.
"I will."
"Good."
There arose a small, awkward and thoroughly disreputable pause before Ben, a man of means, spoke once more.
"Who was it who tried to hock you the opal?"
Grace had no choice but to respond.
"It was a strange man in the latter years with a well-groomed beard," she phrased. "Very much like him."
Hugh and Ben spun around to see what appeared to be a well-groomed beard attached to an elderly man.
"Humph!" exclaimed Hugh affectionately.
As Humphrey turned to see what the fuss was about, Hugh and Ben noticed, with mild shock, that half of his face was strangely droopy and lifeless.
"What happened?" asked Hugh.
"I had a stroke," replied Humphrey.
"Don't worry, we all do it," reassured Hugh.
"No, no, the brain thing," corrected Humphrey. "As in not enough blood therein."
"Or going in," added Ben.
"How?" asked Hugh.
"I don't know, but I suspect foul play."
"Ah, so something IS going on," said Hugh.
"Indeed it is."
"Anyway, what were you doing with that opal?" interrupted Ben.
"What opal?"
"This one." Grace held up a beautiful but disappointingly small opal.
"Oh, the monkey eye."
"Yes," said Ben.
"What about it?"
"Did you steal it?" asked Ben.
"God's Truth! Of course not."
"Then why did you have it?"
"I found it."
"Where?"
"Someone left it in my monkey shop."
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