Chapter 1 - The Case of the Vanishing Heiress
The Case of the Vanishing Heiress
Detective Mehul adjusted his trench coat as he stepped out of the car, the rain drizzling lightly on the cobblestone driveway. Beside him, Detective Aalia flipped open her notebook, her sharp eyes scanning the grand mansion ahead.
“Sir, the heiress, Ms. Evelyn Harper, vanished last night from her bedroom,” Aalia said, her tone light but professional. “The family is waiting inside. And, uh, try not to scare them with your ‘intense detective stare.’ They’re already on edge.”
Mehul raised an eyebrow, his expression unamused. “Aalia, focus. This isn’t a comedy show.”
She grinned. “Just saying, sir. A little charm wouldn’t hurt.”
He sighed. “Let’s see what the scene tells us.”
The Scene of the Crime
The bedroom was a mess. The curtains fluttered in the breeze from an open window, and a shattered vase lay on the floor. Aalia crouched to examine the shards. “Sir, the water is still fresh. This happened recently.”
Mehul’s eyes fell on the desk. A diary lay open, the last entry reading:
“I can’t trust anyone anymore. He knows.”Aalia leaned over his shoulder. “Ooh, cryptic. Who’s ‘he’? The butler? The gardener? The mysterious stranger who always lurks in the shadows?”
Mehul ignored her teasing and glanced at the family portrait on the wall. It showed Ms. Harper with her father, stepmother, and younger brother. One corner of the photo was torn, and the stepmother’s face was scratched out.
“Interesting,” Mehul said, his voice low and thoughtful.
Aalia tilted her head. “Drama in the Harper family? Color me shocked.”
“Let’s talk to the family,” Mehul said, ignoring her sarcasm.
The Suspects
In the drawing room, the family waited nervously.
- Mr. Edward Harper, the father, sat stiffly in an armchair. “Evelyn was always reckless, but this… this is unlike her.”
- Mrs. Clara Harper, the stepmother, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “I loved her like my own. I don’t know why she’d run away.”
- Thomas Harper, the younger brother, paced the room. “She’s always been dramatic. Maybe she staged this for attention.
”Mehul observed them carefully. “Did anyone hear or see anything unusual last night?”
Thomas stopped pacing. “I heard the clock strike twelve, but it was odd. The clock hasn’t worked in weeks.”
Aalia perked up. “A broken clock striking twelve? That’s either a ghost or a really bad alibi.”
Mehul shot her a look. “Aalia, check the clock.”
The Puzzle: The Broken Clock
Aalia examined the grandfather clock in the hallway. It showed 12:00, but the hands weren’t moving. She opened the back panel and found a small key inside.
“Sir, there’s a key here,” she called out. “But it doesn’t fit the clock.”
Mehul took the key and studied it. “This isn’t for the clock. It must open something else.”
Aalia smirked. “Or it’s just a really useless key. Maybe the killer collects them.”
Mehul ignored her and returned to the bedroom. He noticed a locked drawer in the desk. He inserted the key, and it clicked open. Inside was a letter addressed to Evelyn:
“Meet me at the old oak tree at midnight. Come alone. – J.”
Aalia leaned in. “J? As in… James Bond? Jack the Ripper? Or just someone who really likes the letter J?”
Mehul sighed. “Focus, Aalia. This could be our lead.”
The StepMother’s Secret
They confronted Mrs. Harper. “Do you know anyone with the initial ‘J’?” Mehul asked.
She hesitated. “My… my former husband, James. But he died years ago.”
Aalia raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Because ghosts don’t usually send letters.”
Mrs. Harper’s hands trembled. “I… I don’t know. Evelyn always blamed me for her mother’s death. Maybe she found out something.”
Mehul’s gaze hardened. “Found out what, exactly?”
Mrs. Harper looked away. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”
Aalia whispered to Mehul, “She’s hiding something. And not very well.”
The Puzzle: The Torn Photo
Mehul examined the torn photo again. The stepmother’s face was scratched out, but the edge of the photo had a faint watermark: “Harper & Co. Photography – 2005.”
“Aalia, look this up,” Mehul said. “Find out who took this photo.”
Aalia quickly searched and found that Harper & Co. was a photography studio owned by James, Mrs. Harper’s ex-husband.
She grinned. “Sir, James isn’t dead. He’s alive and taking family photos. Awkward.”
Mehul nodded. “Which means Mrs. Harper lied.”
The Final Clue
Mehul and Aalia returned to the bedroom. The open window caught Mehul’s attention. He noticed muddy footprints leading to the garden. “Someone came in or went out this way.”
Aalia followed the trail to the old oak tree. Beneath it, she found a locket with a photo of Evelyn and a man who looked like James.
“Sir, James might still be alive,” Aalia said. “And he could have taken Evelyn.”
Mehul’s expression darkened. “We need to find him. Now.”
The Revelation
Back at the mansion, Mehul confronted Mrs. Harper. “Your ex-husband isn’t dead, is he? He’s been blackmailing you, and Evelyn found out.”
Mrs. Harper broke down. “Yes… James threatened to expose my past. Evelyn must have gone to confront him.”
Aalia crossed her arms. “So, let me get this straight. Your ex-husband faked his death, blackmailed you, and now he’s kidnapped your stepdaughter? That’s… a lot.”
Mehul turned to Aalia. “Let’s find James and bring Evelyn home.”
The Solution
The key opened the locked drawer, revealing the letter from James. The torn photo and watermark exposed Mrs. Harper’s lie about her ex-husband’s death. The muddy footprints and locket confirmed James’s involvement.
Answer: James, Mrs. Harper’s ex-husband, kidnapped Evelyn to silence her. The clock striking twelve was a red herring, as it hadn’t worked in weeks, indicating someone tampered with it to create a false alibi.
As they walked back to the car, Aalia grinned. “Another case solved, sir. You know, you’re not so bad at this detective thing.”
Mehul rolled his eyes. “Just get in the car, Aalia.”
She laughed. “Yes, sir!”