The Locked Room Mystery
Detective Sarah Pearson arrived at the luxurious mansion of the late billionaire, Robert Vanderbilt. The crime scene was puzzling – Vanderbilt was found dead in his study, with the door locked from the inside and no signs of forced entry. The only clues were a shattered glass of scotch and a cryptic note that read, "The key to my demise lies within my legacy."
As Sarah investigated, she discovered that Vanderbilt had recently changed his will, disinheriting his children and leaving his entire fortune to his young secretary, Olivia. The detective interviewed the family members, each with a motive for murder. The eldest son, James, had a gambling problem and desperately needed money. The daughter, Sophia, was furious about being cut off. And the wife, Evelyn, had grown resentful of her husband's infidelity.
However, the case took an unexpected turn when Sarah found a hidden passage behind a bookshelf in the study. It led to a secret room where she discovered a video recording of Vanderbilt himself, confessing to embezzling millions from his company and framing Olivia for the crime. He had planned to fake his own death and escape with the money, but someone had beaten him to it.
Sarah realized that the killer had to be someone who knew about the secret room and Vanderbilt's plan. She gathered the family and played the recording, watching their reactions closely. It was then that she noticed Evelyn's expression of guilt. The wife confessed to poisoning her husband's scotch, knowing he would retreat to his study and lock the door, ensuring her alibi.
The mystery was solved, but Sarah couldn't help but feel a sense of tragedy for the Vanderbilt family, torn apart by greed and betrayal.
