C1 English Reading – Short Story & Grammar Quiz
Panic spread quickly among the city’s powerful elite. News of the missing documentation had just broken. This was no ordinary paper; it offered clear proof of their financial corruption. The files detailed secret deals and stolen public money. Inspector Anya Sharma had known a few cases like this before, but none involved such important people.
Anya would usually start with a careful search, but now doing so wasn’t possible. Someone had made the files, which exposed illegal money transfers, vanish from a highly secure room. This development was on the point of becoming a huge national scandal. Anya spoke to both the main librarian and the security guard. Yet, neither could offer a convincing explanation. Their stories were vague, almost as if rehearsed.
“Where could they be?” she wondered, staring at the empty cabinet. “How else could such vital papers simply disappear?” Anya felt sure it was bound to be an inside job, though proving it would entail great difficulty. She considered another copy of the files, perhaps a hidden backup. Still, no one would admit such a thing existed.
Hours passed by as Anya’s mind was racing. She was used to navigating complex cases. Then, a crucial idea struck her. The missing documentation wasn’t just about money; it was deeply connected to power. The elite clearly wanted to hide the whole truth, not just bits and pieces. This couldn’t be somebody else’s mistake; it had to be a deliberately planned act.
Suddenly, Anya remembered Old Mr. Henderson, a retired clerk. He would always make personal copies of crucial files, fearing corruption. He was used to keeping very detailed records. Indeed, he had known this particular corruption case was wrong from the start. Anya found him in his quiet apartment. With a shaky hand, he revealed a hidden box. Inside lay the duplicate documentation, perfectly preserved. The proof of the head councilor’s guilt was undeniable now. Justice, Anya knew, was on the point of prevailing.