The Missing Necklace
It is Monday morning. Detective Kim is in her office. Suddenly, Mrs. Lee comes in.
“My necklace is gone!” she says. “It was on the table in my living room.”
Detective Kim asks some questions.
“Who was in your house yesterday?”
Mrs. Lee thinks. “My son, my daughter, and the neighbor came.”
Detective Kim goes to the house. She sees three people:
- The son says, “I was in my room all day.” He looks nervous.
- The daughter says, “I helped my mother in the kitchen.” She smiles.
- The neighbor says, “I was reading in the garden.” She looks calm.
Detective Kim looks at the table. She sees:
- A cup of tea.
- A small footprint.
- A pen.
Detective Kim asks, “Who is the necklace for?”
Mrs. Lee says, “It is very small. Only a woman can wear it.”
Detective Kim thinks. She asks one question again: “Who wears shoes in the house?”
- The son always wears shoes.
- The daughter does not wear shoes.
- The neighbor wears shoes.
Detective Kim smiles. She knows who took the necklace.
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Vocabulary:
- A purse – a small bag for money, keys, and small things.
- To get a call – someone phones you.
- A cleaner (person) – a person who cleans houses or rooms.
- To look calm – to not show worry or fear; to look relaxed.
- To drink (past: drank) tea – to take tea into your mouth and swallow [to make food or drink go down your throat into your stomach] it.
- To smile – to make your mouth curve up because you are happy.
- To look busy – to look like you are working or doing something important.
- A pen – a small thing to write with.
- A scarf – a long cloth to wear around the neck.
- To wear rings – to have rings on your fingers.
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Solve the case:
The thief is the daughter.
Detective Hana thinks carefully:
- The sofa is in the living room. The daughter says, “I was reading in the living room.” This is the same place as the purse. She had the opportunity.
- The friend is in the kitchen. She drinks tea. She is far from the sofa. She cannot take the purse easily.
- The cleaner cleans the bathroom and kitchen. She does not touch the living room much.
- The pen is on the floor. The daughter writes sometimes. The friend and cleaner do not write. This is a clue that the daughter was near the sofa.
- The rings: Only women wear rings. The cleaner does not wear rings, so she is less likely to take something from Mrs. Park, who is a woman.
- The daughter looks calm. But sometimes, when people are nervous, they try to look calm.
All the clues together show:
- The daughter was near the purse.
- She can write, like the pen clue.
- She wears rings, like Mrs. Park mentioned.
- The other people cannot reach or do not match the clues.
Detective Hana asks the daughter again. She admits: “I took the purse. I wanted to see the phone. I am sorry.”
The case is solved. The purse goes back to Mrs. Park.
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Vocabulary:
an opportunity → a chance to do something
easily → without difficulty
to touch something → to put your hand on something
sometimes → not always, now and then
a clue → a sign or hint to help you understand
to be less likely to take something → to avoid taking something
calm → relaxed, not angry or worried
to match a clue → to be the same as the hint
to admit → to say that something is true
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