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Extract from the Story
“Nolan and Davenport had met,” Chief Brown said, “while both were in prison in South Carolina. They became friendly because of shared interests. Nolan was let out first. He settled in Idaville and started a small palm-tree nursery. It barely yielded him a living.”
“Davenport came to live with Nolan a week before the jewellery store hold-up. During the hold-up, one gunman’s mask slipped. A clerk thought she recognised Nolan. But she wasn’t absolutely sure.”
“I remember now,” Mrs. Brown said. “The clerk refused to testify against him, and no trace of the stolen jewellery ever turned up.”
“Davenport hasn’t been seen since the hold-up,” Chief Brown said. “My hunch is that he and Nolan decided to hide the loot until things cooled down.”
“Didn’t you search Nolan’s house, dear?”
“I got a court order this morning,” Chief Brown said. “Officers Lewis and Maloney just about took Nolan’s house apart. They didn’t find one piece of the stolen jewellery.”
“Is there some mystery about Nolan’s death yesterday?” Mrs. Brown inquired.
“Yes and no,” Chief Brown answered. “Nolan suffered from a bad heart for many years. Yesterday morning he had a stroke. He must have realised he was dying. With his last strength, he managed to put his will on the kitchen table. It leaves everything he owns, including his palm-tree nursery to Davenport.”
“Davenport came to live with Nolan a week before the jewellery store hold-up. During the hold-up, one gunman’s mask slipped. A clerk thought she recognised Nolan. But she wasn’t absolutely sure.”
“I remember now,” Mrs. Brown said. “The clerk refused to testify against him, and no trace of the stolen jewellery ever turned up.”
“Davenport hasn’t been seen since the hold-up,” Chief Brown said. “My hunch is that he and Nolan decided to hide the loot until things cooled down.”
“Didn’t you search Nolan’s house, dear?”
“I got a court order this morning,” Chief Brown said. “Officers Lewis and Maloney just about took Nolan’s house apart. They didn’t find one piece of the stolen jewellery.”
“Is there some mystery about Nolan’s death yesterday?” Mrs. Brown inquired.
“Yes and no,” Chief Brown answered. “Nolan suffered from a bad heart for many years. Yesterday morning he had a stroke. He must have realised he was dying. With his last strength, he managed to put his will on the kitchen table. It leaves everything he owns, including his palm-tree nursery to Davenport.”
testify
— make a statement in court to prove that something is true
hunch
— a strong feeling about something
loot
— stolen goods
stroke
— a sudden serious illness causing inability to move
Summary in Bullet Points
- Nolan knows he is dying. He uses his remaining strength to leave his will where it will be found.
- Davenport is the beneficiary. This matters because Davenport is also the missing robbery suspect.
- The will itself is ordinary. The suspicious item is a calendar sheet clipped to it.
Questions from this Section
Why does Nolan’s will make Davenport important again?
2 Marks
How to answer:
Give the direct reason and one supporting detail.
View Answer
Answer: The will leaves Nolan’s property, including the nursery, to Davenport. Since Davenport had vanished after the robbery, this new link gives the police a reason to find him again.
How does the story turn an ordinary legal document into a mystery clue?
3 Marks
How to answer:
Explain the reasoning and why it matters to the mystery.
View Answer
Answer: The will itself is not suspicious. The mystery comes from the separate calendar sheet clipped to it. By attaching an unexplained note to a normal document, the writer directs attention towards a hidden message.
