Resources
This switcher only changes the instructions — the reading is always in English.
In bold: key vocabulary. Tap any word in the text to see its definition.
Detective Laura Reyes arrived at the Whitmore mansion just after sunset. Mrs. Whitmore's diamond necklace, worth more than a hundred thousand dollars, had disappeared from her bedroom sometime during the dinner party. Six guests had been in the house that night, and any one of them could be the thief.
Laura examined the bedroom carefully. The window was locked from the inside, which meant the necklace hadn't been taken from outside. She noticed a small scratch near the jewelry box, as if someone had opened it in a hurry. A faint smell of perfume still hung in the air, one she didn't recognize from the guest list she had memorized.
She questioned the guests one by one. The butler seemed nervous but had a solid alibi. The housekeeper avoided eye contact but claimed she never entered the room. It was Mrs. Whitmore's niece, Claire, who caught Laura's attention. Her perfume matched the scent in the bedroom exactly, and her hands trembled slightly when Laura asked simple questions.
Laura searched Claire's coat and found nothing unusual, but she noticed a loose thread on the lining. She carefully tore it open and found the necklace hidden inside, wrapped in a handkerchief. Claire finally confessed: she needed the money to pay off a debt, and she never imagined anyone would suspect the family.
As the police took Claire away, Mrs. Whitmore thanked Laura for solving the mystery so quickly. "It wasn't luck," Laura said with a small smile. "It was paying attention to the small details that everyone else ignored."
