Mystery for 2025-01-30T04:07:31.549Z

The Locked Room Mystery

Detective Lila Holms stood outside the locked room, her heart pounding. Inside lay the lifeless body of billionaire James Prescott, a single gunshot wound to his temple. The room had been locked from the inside, and the only window was sealed shut. No one could have entered or exited.

Lila examined the scene, her keen eyes taking in every detail. The gun, a vintage revolver, lay beside Prescott's body. A half-empty glass of whiskey sat on the desk. A crumpled note, barely legible, was clutched in Prescott's hand.

As Lila questioned the staff and family members, a picture began to emerge. Prescott had been a ruthless businessman, with no shortage of enemies. His wife, Olivia, had recently filed for divorce. His son, Alexander, had been cut out of the will. And his business partner, Marcus, had been embezzling company funds.

But none of them could have entered the locked room. Lila turned her attention to the note in Prescott's hand. It was a confession, admitting to a lifetime of sins and a final act of atonement. The handwriting was shaky, but it matched Prescott's.

Just as Lila was about to declare it a suicide, she noticed something strange. The glass of whiskey had lipstick on the rim, a shade that matched Olivia's. And the gun, upon closer inspection, had been wiped clean of prints.

Lila confronted Olivia, who broke down in tears. She had been having an affair with Marcus, and they had conspired to kill Prescott. Marcus had slipped into the room earlier, hiding in the closet. When Prescott was distracted, Marcus had emerged, forced him to write the note at gunpoint, and shot him. Olivia had then locked the door behind Marcus, staging the perfect locked room mystery.

As Lila handcuffed the guilty parties, she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Another mystery solved, another killer brought to justice. Just another day in the life of the world's greatest detective.