Short Stories

The Hotel Mystery

Detective Roy was called to the Grand Hotel, where a body was found in room 101. The victim was a young woman who had checked in the previous night. She had been stabbed multiple times in the chest, and there was blood everywhere. The room was locked from the inside, and there was no sign of forced entry. The only clue was a note on the bedside table, which read:

To whom it may concern,

I have done what I had to do. Don't try to find me. I am sorry.

Yours sincerely,

A

Detective Roy was puzzled by the note. Who was A? Why did he or she kill the woman? How did he or she escape from the locked room? He decided to investigate further.

He asked the hotel manager for the guest list and found out that the woman's name was Anita. She had come alone and had paid in cash. She had not given any contact details and had not interacted with anyone in the hotel. She had ordered room service for dinner and had not left her room since then.

Detective Roy then interviewed the staff who had worked that night. He learned that the room service waiter delivered the food to Anita around 8 pm. He had knocked on the door, and Anita had opened it. She had taken the tray and had tipped him generously. She had seemed calm and cheerful and had thanked him for the service. She had then closed the door, and the waiter had left.

The waiter was the last person to see Anita alive. He had a solid alibi, as he had been in the kitchen for the rest of the night. He had no motive to kill her, and he had no connection to A.

Detective Roy then checked the security cameras and found out that no one had entered or exited room 101 after the waiter. He also checked the windows, and found out that they were locked and sealed. There was no way for anyone to get in or out of the room, except through the door.

Detective Roy was baffled by the mystery. He had no suspects, no motives, and no evidence. He wondered if A was a ghost, a mastermind, or a figment of Anita's imagination. He decided to examine the note again and look for any clues.

He noticed that the note was written in neat handwriting with a blue pen. He compared it with the hotel's stationery and found out that it was different. The note was written on thick, glossy paper, with a watermark of a swan. He recognized it as the paper used by the Swan Hotel, a rival of the Grand Hotel.

Detective Roy had a sudden realization. He rushed to the Swan Hotel and asked for the guest list. He found out that there was a guest named Alex, who had checked in the same night as Anita. He had also paid in cash, and had not given any contact details. He had ordered room service for dinner, and had not left his room since then.

Detective Roy went to room 201, where Alex was staying. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He used his master key, and opened the door. He saw Alex lying on the bed, with a knife in his hand, and blood on his chest. He was dead.

Detective Roy looked around the room, and saw a note on the bedside table, which read:

To whom it may concern,

I have done what I had to do. Don't try to find me. I am sorry.

Yours sincerely,

A

Detective Roy was shocked by the scene. He realized that Alex was A, and that he had killed Anita. He also realized that Alex and Anita were lovers, who had planned to elope together. They had booked rooms in different hotels, and had exchanged notes through the room service waiters. They had agreed to meet at midnight, and run away together.

However, something had gone wrong. Alex had changed his mind, and had decided to kill Anita. He had written a note, and had given it to the waiter, along with a tip. He had then waited for Anita to read the note, and had called her on the phone. He had pretended to apologize, and had asked her to forgive him. He had then told her to look under the pillow, where he had hidden a knife. He had then instructed her to stab herself in the chest, and join him in death. He had said that it was the only way for them to be together.

Anita, who was madly in love with Alex, and who was heartbroken by his betrayal, had obeyed him. She had stabbed herself multiple times, and had died. Alex, who was also madly in love with Anita, and who was overcome by guilt and remorse, had done the same. He had stabbed himself once, and had died.

Detective Roy was saddened by the tragedy. He wondered why Alex and Anita had chosen to end their lives, instead of living happily together. He wondered what had driven them to such a desperate and violent act. He wondered if they had found peace in death or if they had regretted their decision.

He decided to close the case and report his findings. He wrote a note, and left it on the table, which read:

To whom it may concern,

I have solved the mystery. It was a murder-suicide pact. They were lovers who had planned to elope, but one of them had a change of heart. They killed themselves and left notes. They are sorry.

Yours sincerely,

R

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That's it for today.

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