The Vanishing Vase

Detective Lila Sharma arrived at the mansion of the wealthy art collector, Marcus Blackwell, who had reported a theft. A valuable antique vase had vanished from his study, and the only people present were his wife, Evelyn, his son, Daniel, and the maid, Sofia.

Marcus led Lila to the study, where she noticed the empty pedestal. She questioned each person individually. Evelyn claimed she was in the garden, Daniel said he was in his room, and Sofia stated she was cleaning the kitchen.

Lila searched the house and found no sign of forced entry. She then examined the study closely and discovered a small piece of fabric snagged on the window latch. Upon further inspection, she realized it matched the fabric of Daniel's jacket.

Confronting Daniel, Lila revealed her deduction. Daniel had staged the theft to pay off his gambling debts, knowing his father would suspect an outsider. He had planned to sell the vase and replace it with a replica before Marcus noticed.

Daniel confessed, and Lila located the hidden vase in his room. Another mystery solved by Detective Lila Sharma's keen eye for detail and deductive reasoning.