The Locked Room Murder

Detective Sarah Pearson stood outside the locked room, her heart racing. Inside lay the lifeless body of millionaire businessman, Victor Blackwell. The door was bolted from the inside, and the windows were sealed shut. It seemed impossible for the killer to have escaped.

Sarah surveyed the room, her keen eyes taking in every detail. The only other person in the room was Victor's wife, Olivia, who had discovered the body and called the police. She sat in the corner, her face pale and her hands trembling.

As Sarah examined the scene, she noticed a strange detail. Victor's watch had stopped at precisely 8:15 PM, yet Olivia had called the police at 8:30 PM. How had she known her husband was dead if she couldn't enter the room?

Sarah approached Olivia, her suspicion growing. "Mrs. Blackwell, can you tell me what happened this evening?"

Olivia's voice shook as she recounted the events. "I was in the living room when I heard a gunshot. I ran to the study, but the door was locked. I called out to Victor, but there was no response. That's when I called the police."

Sarah nodded, but something didn't add up. She examined the door and noticed a small hole near the lock. Suddenly, it all clicked into place.

"Mrs. Blackwell, I believe you killed your husband," Sarah said calmly. "You used a long, thin object to push the key out of the lock from the outside, then retrieved it and locked the door from the inside. You shot your husband, then waited a few minutes before calling the police, giving yourself an alibi."

Olivia's face crumpled, and she began to sob. "He was going to leave me," she cried. "I couldn't let him go."

As the police led Olivia away, Sarah couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Another mystery solved, another killer brought to justice. It was just another day in the life of the world's greatest detective.