B2 English Reading – Short Story & Vocabulary Quiz
The rain poured down, mirroring the gloomy atmosphere inside the small, windowless room. Detective Harding was about to interrogate Mr. Silas, the prime suspect in a recent devastating burglary.
Silas sat opposite him, looking nervous. Harding had been told that Silas was a master of deception, but he was determined to get the truth. He had prepared for this, reviewing previous cases where Silas had fooled investigators. “Mr. Silas,” Harding began, his voice kind but firm, “we just need a few answers about the missing sparkling necklace from the mansion on Elm Street.”
Silas was bombarded with questions, but he maintained a flexible behavior, thinking of his answers carefully. Harding knew he couldn’t be easily persuaded. This was a crucial moment. He had to infer the truth from the subtle shifts in Silas’s expression. The stolen jewels were valuable, and the pressure for a solution was demanding. Harding had committed himself to this case. He leaned forward, his gaze unwavering.
“Tell me, Mr. Silas,” Harding asked, his voice harder now, “when you made that old woman suffer terror by breaking into her home, did you ever consider the fear that you had caused her, whose only companion was a small dog?”
Silas’s flexible facade crumbled. His eyes dropped. He would rather have faced any other question. The heavy silence had cracked. Finally, he whispered, “No. I… I didn’t think about that.” The truth was revealed. Silas had come clean.