Category: Mystery Stories

— What do you mean “he is the killer”? That was the question Durval asked Dolores as soon as they entered the house. He accompanied her to the kitchen where she was preparing a cheese and tomato sandwich for him. — Do you want milk too? — Yes, half a mug — he replied. At…

When Durval crossed the entrance gate of the house, a shiver ran down his spine. He simply didn’t know what he would do if Dolores hadn’t returned home yet. He couldn’t live without the woman who had been his inseparable companion for almost fifty years. The only one who had stood by his side through…

— Look at this… look at this! — The coroner kept repeating as he dissected the leg of the deceased. Durval and Botelho stared intently at the coroner’s work, who made quick and precise movements with the scalpel; the guy seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Durval kept his face slightly contorted, turned…

  — As you can see, the face is disfigured — said the coroner, pointing to the corpse stretched out on the steel table. Durval kept his head turned as far as he could to the other side, but his eyes were glazed on the dead body. — The murderer used a type of acid…

So you confirm that the knife is yours? — asked the delegate. On the table, inside a transparent plastic bag, lay the knife with a carved wooden handle. — Yes, I already said! It was my fishing knife… — Durval reached out towards the knife. But Moreira, the delegate, pushed his hand away. — I…

Durval’s wide eyes did not blink when Botelho unlocked the two metal latches on the side of the coffin and opened the lid with a creak. Twisted like a thick rope, the corpse looked more like a ghost due to its pallor. The clothes, so tattered, resembled a white veil covering the body, with thin…

The trail through the forest was narrow, and Durval kept one hand in front of his face to prevent branches from poking his eyes. The other hand held his cane; he wanted to be extra careful, not wanting to break his other leg in a fall. Dolores was behind him, groaning with irritation and impatience.…

Botelho’s pickup truck bounced up and down with every pothole on the dirt road. Durval tried to keep his casted leg resting on the vehicle’s floor, but it jumped up with every jolt. He looked at Botelho, who kept his eyes fixed on the road, both hands on the wheel, and a grim expression on…

Durval turned and saw Botelho standing at the beginning of the hallway. The biology teacher was panting, mouth open, tongue out, and wide-eyed, as if he had seen a ghost. One hand resting on the wall, his tall and thin body half-leaning forward as if he were about to faint at any moment. Durval hurried…

“If you don’t want to die, stop getting involved where it’s none of your business.” That was all that was in the letter. Written with letters cut out from a newspaper and glued misaligned on the sulfite paper. Before Inspector Moreira arrived, Dolores had started to feel unwell while reading the message. Durval wondered why…