The Poisoned Pen
Detective Lila Novak arrived at the luxurious mansion of renowned author Victor Blackwell, who had been found dead in his study. As she entered the room, she noticed the ornate fountain pen lying beside his body. The coroner confirmed that Blackwell had been poisoned, and the pen was the likely source.
Novak questioned the three suspects present at the time of the murder: Blackwell's wife, Evelyn; his assistant, James; and his editor, Sophia. Evelyn claimed she was in the garden, James said he was running errands, and Sophia stated she had just arrived for a meeting.
Upon investigating the study, Novak discovered a hidden compartment in Blackwell's desk, containing a vial of poison and a note that read: "I know what you did. Meet me in the study at 8 PM, or I'll expose your secret."
Novak confronted the suspects with this new evidence. Evelyn broke down, revealing that she had been embezzling money from her husband's accounts. James, however, had an airtight alibi—he was captured on security footage at a nearby store during the time of the murder.
Suddenly, Novak realized the truth. She turned to Sophia and said, "You killed him, didn't you? You knew about Evelyn's embezzlement and blackmailed Victor. When he threatened to expose you, you poisoned the pen, knowing he would use it to sign documents during your meeting."
Sophia smiled coldly. "Clever, Detective. But you can't prove it."
Novak held up the fountain pen. "On the contrary, the lab found your fingerprints on the hidden compartment. You made one fatal mistake, Sophia. You forgot to wipe the poison off the pen after you used it."
As the police led Sophia away, Novak couldn't help but think that this case, like one of Blackwell's novels, had a twist that no one saw coming.
