Sulo was a wealthy but dishonest businessman who had amassed his fortune through importing and exporting, often of stolen goods. As he rode in a taxi to the airport with a briefcase containing $1 million in cash, patting it and thinking of the six zeros, he felt good about moving the money to a safe in Amsterdam that night. However, Yanni, a small and thin man that nobody ever noticed, was also in the taxi.

1. 1
Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata
Facultad de Humanidades
Laboratorio de Idiomas
Idioma Inglés
Booklet Inglés
Nivel 2
Año: ………………………………………
Docente:………………………………….
Comisión:…………………………………

2. 2
Learning Languages (track 01)
“I wanna talk about learning languages”
Answer these questions:
1- Where has he lived in?....................................................................................
2- Which two things does he do to learn a new language?.................................
3- What does he say about using newspapers and talking to people in the
street? …………………………………………………………………………….
4- Why were colloquial expressions a problem for the speaker?.......................
Sports / Free time exercises (02)
Listen to Tyrone calling his local swimming pool and do the exercises to practise and
improve your listening skills.
Preparation
Do this exercise before you listen. Write the words in the correct group.
badminton table tennis basketball water polo diving golf football sailing rugby
Water sports Indoor sports Outdoor sports
Water sports Indoor sports Outdoor sports
1. Check your understanding: gap fill
Do this exercise while you listen. Complete the registration form with Tyrone’s information.
BROWNTON SWIMMING POOL REGISTRATION FORM
Name: Tyrone
Surname:
Age:
Interested in (sport):

3. 3
Check your understanding: true or false
1. There are four different age groups that play water polo. True False
2. Tyrone wants to join the under 14s club. True False
3. The under 16s water polo team train three times a week. True False
4. The under 16s train on Monday and Thursday. True False
5. Water polo matches are played on Saturdays. True False
6. You have to pay to join the water polo classes for under 18s. True False
7. You need to bring a photo to register at the swimming pool. True False
8. Training for the water polo team starts this week. True False
EatingOut (03)
1. Check your understanding: true or false
1. The customers want two tables. True False
2. There are two customers eating together. True False
3. The two customers order the same starter. True False
4. Both customers order the Thai chicken for their main course. True False
5. The customers order soft drinks. True False
2. Gap fill
1.
A table _______________ two, please.
2.
Are you ready _______________ order?
3.
What would you _______________ for your starter?
4.
I’d _______________ French onion soup, please.
5.
What _______________ you like to drink?
6.
I’ll _______________ a fresh orange juice.

4. 4
Going to the cinema (04) Discuss the meaning of these words
action cartoon horror historical drama romantic comedy science fiction
1. Check your understanding: multiple choiceCircle the correct answers.
Which film are Mario and Tamara going to see?
Mr and MrsJones War Games Robot 2075 King Robert V Forever Midnight Moon
What time does the film they want to see start?
12.00 p.m. 2.30 p.m. 5.20 p.m. 7.00 p.m. 7.15 p.m. 7.30 p.m.
What time are Mario and Tamara going to meet?
12.00 p.m. 2.30 p.m. 5.20 p.m. 7.00 p.m. 7.15 p.m. 7.30 p.m.

5. 5
2. Check your understanding: gap fill
1. Tamara: Hi, Mario. Do you want to go and watch a _______________?
Mario: Hi, Tamara. Sure, what’s _______________?
2. Tamara: Well there are two action films, Mr and Mrs Jones and War Games, and
they’re both in_______________.
3. Mario: I’ve already seen Mr and Mrs Jones. I haven’t seen War _______________ but I
don’treally want to see an _______________ film. What else is _______________?
4. Tamara: There’s that science fiction film, Robot 2075, but I’ve already
_______________ it.
Mario: Is it _______________?
5. Tamara: Yes, it is, but I don’t want to see it _______________. There’s a
______________comedy called Forever.
6. Mario: Mmm, I’m not sure. Are there any _______________ films on?
Tamara: Yes, there’s Midnight Moon. It’s got _______________ in it.
7. Mario: OK, sounds good. Let’s go and watch Midnight Moon. What _______________
is it on?
Tamara: It’s on at 12 o’clock or at half past _______________.
Mario: Is it on this _______________?
Yes, at 7.30.
Mario: Perfect. Let _______________ at 7.30.
8. Tamara: OK, shall we _______________ at the cinema at 7.00?
Mario: Great! Seeyou _______________.
Tamara: Bye.
A tour around London (05)
Do this exercise while you listen. Write a number (1-8) to put theseplaces in order that the
tour bus willvisit them.
…………. Oxford Street
…………. Madame Tussauds, Museum
…………. Tower of London
…………. London Eye
…………. Houses of Parliament
…………. Buckingham Palace
…………. Big Ben
…………. Tower Bridge
2. Multiple choice
1. The tour takes 2 / 3 / 4 hours.
2. At Madame Tussaud’s you can see maps of London / models of famous people /famous
shops .
3. Oxford Street is a famous street for drinking tea / eating / shopping .
4. The Queen lives at Buckingham Palace / the Tower of London / Tower Bridge .
5. Big Ben is a tour guide / clock / bridge .
6. You can see great views of London from Oxford Street / the Houses of Parliament /
London Eye .

6. 6
Trains and travel (06)
Preparation Do this exercise before you listen. Match the vocabulary with the correct
definition and write a – d next to the number 1 – 4.
1…….. platforma. A small piece of paper to allow you to use a train or bus.
2…….. ticket b. The place in a train station where people get on and get off trains.
3…….. single (ticket) c. A ticket to travel to a place, but not to travel back
4…….. return (ticket) d. A ticket to travel to a place and back again.
1. Check your understanding: matching
Do this exercise while you listen. Complete the gaps with the correct place.
Oxford Manchester London Exeter
Listening A
The speaker wants to go to _______________
Listening B
The speaker wants to go to _______________
Listening C
The speaker wants to go to _______________
Listening D
The train is going to _______________
Listening E
The passengers want to go to _______________
2. Check your understanding: question and answer
1. Which platform does the 10.15 train to Cambridge leave from? _______________
2. How much is a single ticket to Manchester? _______________
3. Which platform does the 12.30 train to Manchester leave from? _______________
4. What time does the train arrive at Exeter? _______________
5. What time is the train back to London? _______________
6. Which platform does the train back to London leave from? _______________

7. 7
Travelling abroad (07)
Preparation
Do this exercise before you listen. Write a number (1-6) to put these sentences in order.
…………. Wait at the boarding gate
…………. Go to the checking-in desk.
…………. Board the plane.
…………. Go through immigration.
…………. The plane takes off.
…………. Arrive at the airport.
1. Check your understanding: gap fill
Do this exercise while you listen. Complete the gaps with a word.
New York Athens Amsterdam Rome Tokyo
1. Speaker A: The plane is going to _______________.
2. Speaker B: The plane is going to _______________.
3. Speaker C: The plane is going to _______________.
4. Speaker D: The plane is going to _______________.
5. Speaker E: The plane is going to _______________.
2. Check your understanding: gap fill
Do this exercise while you listen. Complete the gaps.
1. The 9.25 flight to Rome is delayed by _______________ hours.
2. Passengers gong to Tokyo should go to boarding gate _______________.
3. Passengers gong to Athens should go to boarding gate _______________.
4. The flight number of the plane going to Amsterdam is _______________. It will leave
from gate_______________.
5. The time in _______________ is 18.30.
6. The temperature in New York is _______________ ºF.
Life in the UK I wanna talk my life in the UK (08)
Listen and decide if the sentences are true or false
1- The speaker spent Christmas with her family…………………
2- She spent two hours in New York………………………..
3- She enjoyed her Christmas Holiday……………..
4- In Oxford she studied Cantonese…………………..
5- Her flatmates really liked her cooking………………
6- She enjoyed her free time in the UK………………
7- She is still in contact with the friends she made in the UK…………….

8. 8
Work (09)
1. Check your understanding: gap fill. Complete the gaps with a word.
Pilot dentist shop assistant tour guide nurse
1. Speaker A works as a _______________.
2. Speaker B works as a _______________.
3. Speaker C works as a _______________.
4. Speaker D works as a _______________.
5. Speaker E works as a _______________.
2. Check your understanding: multiple choice. Circle the best answer for these questions.
1. Does speaker A enjoy his job?
Yes. Sometimes.No.
2. When does speaker A work?
When he is at university.Weekends.Summer holidays.
3. When does speaker B work?
Weekdays.Weekends and holidays.Summer holidays.
4. What does speaker B say tourists love doing?
Visiting universities.Taking a boat trip.Swimming in the river.
5. Does speaker C like his job?
Yes. Sometimes.No.
6. What does speaker D say is difficult about being a pilot?
Travelling to many countries.Learning many languages.Flying planes in bad weather.
7. What does speaker D say is the best thing about his job?
Visiting different places .Meeting different people.The different weather.
8.
What does speaker E not like about her job?
The doctors.The sick people.The uniform.
Football (10)
Listen to a talk about football and answer the questions
1. Where and when were the rules of football invented?
2. How many football players (amateur and professional) are there in the world?
3. How many people watched the 2010 World Cup Final between Spain and Holland?
4. What is the typical style of football in England?
5. What are the two ¨big¨ South American football nations?
6. Which country has won the World Cup five times?
7. Which supporters sing You´ll never walk alone?
8. How many female football players are there in the world?

9. 9
 Write the full name of FIFA in English.
 Give the main characteristics of football in:
Italy/Spain/Germany____________________Argentina/Brazil__________________
 People in Brazil play football in__________________________________________________
 English fans in the 1970s & 1980s were______________________________________________
 The percentage of women playing football has increased by _________% since_________(year)
Complaining (11)
Listen to two conversations. Match the people (1-4) with the things they have to do tonight (a-d)
1. Jane
2. Kevin
3. Tom
4. Martha
a) Writeanessay
b) Practiceplayinganinstrument
c) Workon a project
d) Revise for a test
Listen again and answer:
1. Whatdoes Jane play?
2. How much does Jane practiseeveryday?
3. What is the essay about?
Visiting (12)
1. Who is speaking? Who is answering the phone?
2. What´s his occupation? Describe his project at the moment.
3. What is Judy´s plan?
4. Wheredoes he live?
5. When is she planning to visit him?
6. Where is she staying? How long is she staying?
7. Who is she traveling with?
8. Whatdoes he offer?
9. What´s the event on the June 5th
?
10. Why is she so happy at the end of the conversation?
Music (13)
1) Where do you get music from?
2) What´s your favorite song?
3) When do you listen to music?
4) How often do you go to concerts?
5) What sort of music do you like?
6) Do youlikedancing?
Now, Listen again and write key words which helped you deduce the answers.

10. 10
Internet Expert (14)
1) Don´t be nasty and aggressive online.
2) Think before you post personal photos online.
3) Don´t worry. You can always delete things online.
4) You should reply to messages from cyber-bullies.
5) You shouldn´t get friendly with strangers.
6) It´s okay if everybody can view your personal information.
7) Use a sentence to remember your password.
8) Give your password to your best friend.
Then, listen and write T-F according to the interview. Later, complete these sentences with
advice from the internet expert.
 When applying for college or a job, authorities ____________so you should____________.
 If you receive aggressive messages, you should_______ and __________. Ifithappensagain,
youshould ___________.
 You shouldn´t_______________because sometimes people lie about who they are.
 As for personal information, you shouldn´t give_______, __________, _________ or _______.
 Your password should contain_______and _________. Youshouldalsohave _____________.
Heathrow Airport (15)
Listen to a documentary about HA in London. Are these sentences T – F? Correct
false (F) sentences.
1. Heathrow has nearly seventy million passengers a year.
2. There are six passenger terminals.
3. A hundred and ninety airlines take off and land from Heathrow.
4. The airport is crowded because it is designed for fifty-five million passengers.
5. Airlines have short times to load and unload.
6. There trains to London every five minutes.
Answer:
a) List three important cities around the world the documentary will talk about.
b) Which is the newest terminal? When was it open?
c) Which is the most popular destination? How many passengers go there every year?
d) How many people are using Heathrow nowadays?
e) How is Heathrow connected with the center of London? Mention different ways.

11. 11
Likes&Dislikes (16)
 Listen and complete the likes/dislikes of three different people:
Person 1 Person 2 Person 3
Name……………
What does she/he like?
What does she do…?
In the afternoon…
OnSaturday …
OnSunday…
Name……………
What does she/he like?
What does she do…?
In the morning
In the afternoon…
On Saturday …
OnSunday…
Name……………
What does she/he like?
What did she get…?
In the evening…
OnSaturday …
OnSunday…
 Speaking: now, in pairs, answer the same questions about yourself. Then, listening to your
partner. You can make questions to know more!
Beating Stress (17)
 Is your everyday life tense and stressful? How do you relieve and reduce stress?
 Do you find the 'STRESS' theory helpful? Which action is the easiest for you to practise
and why?

13. 12
SHORT
STORIES

14. 13
All Those Noughts
Jake Allsop
Sulo was a man that everybody noticed. He was a big man. He had the fat smooth
face of a man who ate very well. He had a wonderful head of white hair. You knew he
was someone important. And his clothes told you that he was a rich man.
But he had not always been rich. He came from a poor family. He was Latvian or
Estonian (nobody really knows: he had several passports which said he was Greek or
Brazilian). He decided that he wanted to make money, and became very good at it.
Before he was twenty, he had his own 'Import and Export' business in Rio, with
branches in several other countries. He had two sayings. The first was: 'Buy cheap
and sell dear'. The second was: 'Never look back'.
Yes, Sulo was rich - and dishonest. He often bought stolen goods at a low price and
sold them at a high price. He used cash, never signed anything, and never paid taxes.
As he left his Zurich hotel in a taxi to go to the airport, he patted the briefcase on his
lap. What would people say, he thought, if they knew I had a million dollars in this
briefcase! A million US dollars. He thought of their pretty green colour, of their pictures
of the US Presidents and he thought of the number. All those noughts: USS 1.000.000.
Six beautiful noughts!
Beautiful! He held the briefcase close to his body. Tonight, he thought, this money will
be in a safe in Amsterdam. Sulo felt good.
Yanni was a man that nobody noticed. He was small and thin He did not look
important. Nobody could ever remember his face. Yanni was Mr Nobody, always
overlooked: he was invisible. He had Swiss identity documents, but he came from
another country, Latvia or Estonia perhaps. He came from a poor family. When he was
older, Yanni was glad that he was 'invisible', because it was useful for his work. His
work? Yanni was a thief. And he was very good at it. Before he was twenty, he came
to Zurich and got Swiss papers (nobody knows how).
He became a specialist in picking pockets and stealing purses from handbags. He had
only one saying: 'Little and often'. He used to spend a lot of time at the main railway
station, looking for 'customers'. Sometimes he liked to walk up Bahnhofstrasse and
into one of the big department stores like Globus. Here it was easy to steal purses
from open shopping bags. One day, his friend Dix, a specialist in stolen credit cards
and foreign money, asked him: 'Yanni, have you ever thought of trying the Airport?
There are lots of fat rich tourists there. Much better than the Railway Station, if you ask
me.'
So, one day, Yanni took the bus out to the airport and went into Departures to see
what he could find. At the KLM desk he noticed a big man with a fat face and a lovely
head of white hair. He noticed that the man was having some trouble with the girl

15. 14
behind the counter. He noticed, too, that the man had put his briefcase on the ground.
The man was too busy arguing with the girl to think about his case. It would be easy …
Sulo was angry. 'I booked the flight a week ago. 1 told your office in town that I would
pick my ticket up at the airport today. So where is it?'
'I'm sorry, sir, but I have no record of the booking. Could you spell your name again?'
'Really! This is not good enough.'
He spelled out his name to her in the kind of loud slow voice that you use when talking
to idiots:
'My name is Sulo. S-U-L-O. Now hurry up or I'll miss my flight to Amsterdam.'
After some more minutes, the girl finally found Sulo's booking; it was listed under Solo,
an easy mistake to make. She gave Sulo his ticket.
'If you have only hand luggage, sir, you can go straight through now.'
'Good. Yes,' Sulo said, 'I only have my br .. .'
He looked down. The briefcase had disappeared. He looked round, his eyes wild. For
a moment he thought he was going to faint. His face was white. It wasn't
possible! It just wasn'tpossible! He stared at the place where he had put the case
down, as if he expected it to reappear. Suddenly, he felt as if he was going to be sick.
He had to go to the toilet. quickly.
While Sulo was arguing at the KLM desk Yanni went downstairs to the toilet. He went
into the nearest cubicle and closed the door behind him. He was quite excited. A
briefcase could contain all sorts of useful things: a calculator perhaps, or some
expensive pens. Or some foreign money. Dix would buy that from him. Or there would
be some credit cards. Dix would be happy to take them too.
'Little and often,' he said to himself, smiling. 'Steal a little, steal often.' He began to sing
softly, because Yanni was happy in his work, unlike most people.
He sat on the toilet, put the briefcase on his knees, rubbed his hands and opened the
case. He cried out when he saw the piles of green banknotes. Millions and millions of
US dollars!
He felt afraid. His face went white and he felt sick. Big money like this was big trouble,
and he didn't want any trouble.
'What shall I do? What shall I do?'
He wished that Dix was there to help him. Dix would know what to do.
'Perhaps I should put it down the toilet,' he thought. 'No, that would take a long time.
No. Just leave it! Leave it and get out, fast!' He felt angry now. He hated the big man
with the fat face and the white hair. Why couldn't he just carry a few credit cards and
a small quantity of cash like normal people? Why didn't he have something that an
honest thief could steal. Not millions and millions of dollars like this. This was stupid.
Too much money. No good for anybody. Yanni closed the case and

16. 15
hit the lid with his fists.
'It's just not fair!' he said out loud. He put the briefcase out of sight behind the toilet. He
hoped that nobody would find it before he had got away from the airport.
'Let's get back to Bahnhofstrasse and steal a few purses, purses that
have normal amounts of money in them. A few francs here, a few francs there ... '
As he went up the stairs, he saw the big man with the white hair coming down. Yanni's
heart stopped. He looked away quickly. Sulo did not even notice him. Sulo went
downstairs and ran into the nearest cubicle. He closed the door and sat on the toilet,
his head in his hands. 'How could I have been so stupid?' he asked himself. 'A million
dollars! A million dollars! And some dirty little thief has stolen it! Well, if I ever catch
him, I'll kill him. There are thieves everywhere nowadays. The world isn't safe for
decent people any more. ' It was good to get angry. It made him feel better. But not
much better. He realized that. there was nothing he could do about the lost money. He
got up and went out of the cubicle.
The briefcase was still behind the toilet, but Sulo did not look back. Sulo never looked
back.
IMAGINE that you are Yanni. You will be thinking for him and talking for him in the first
person. A few days after the incident, he is giving it some thought. What would be his
reflections?
Choose one of the beginnings below and continue consequently:
A. I think what I did was right because …......................
B. I think I made a big mistake leaving the money because …......................
C. Really, the more I think about it the more confused I am because ….....................

17. As The Inspector Said
and Other Stories
Stage 3 (1000 headwords)
Retold by John Escott
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS

18. 1
AS THE INSPECTOR SAID ...
Cyril Hare
It is impossible to say when Charles Darrell and Sonia French
first decided to murder Sonia's husband, Robert. Robert was
nearly twice as old as Sonia, and he married her ten years before
Charles Darrell came into her life. For eight of those years,
Sonia was bored with her husband, although he did not seem to
realize this. He was more interested in his books, and the silver
which he bought.
Sonia and Charles were lovers for six months before things
became difficult. People were beginning to talk, and it could not
be long before Robert found out about them. 'Robert will never
give me a divorce,' thought Sonia. 'And Charles and I have no
money of our own.' But Sonia knew that Robert's silver alone
was worth enough money to make life very comfortable for her
and Charles.
By a strange accident, it was a policeman who gave them the
idea for their murder plan. The inspector made a surprise visit
to the Frenches' house one evening. Charles was also there. He
often came in for a drink.
'There have been several burglaries near here,' the inspector
told Robert, 'and we haven't caught the burglar. We know who
he is, and it can't be long before we catch him, but we're very
worried. He carries a_gun, and we're almost sure he has killed a
man. Now this house is in a very lonely place. Mr Darrell is
your only neighbour. You also have a lot of valuable silver.'
'What are you trying to say?' asked Robert.

19. 2
As The Inspector Said and Other Stories
'I'm saying that it's sensible to be careful,' said the inspector.
'Very careful. Why not put your silver in the bank, until the
burglar is caught?'
'I don't want to do that,' said Robert.
The inspector tried not to sound angry. 'Well, I have warned
you, sir,' he said. 'Please remember that.'
The inspector left, and Charles said, 'The inspector didn't
warn me. He knows I've nothing worth stealing. But if this
gunman does visit me, he'll be sorry. I have a gun, and I won't
think twice before using it.'
He was tall and strong, and Sonia thought he was very
good-looking. And she did not try to hide her feelings.
'I feel sorry for the burglar who tries to frighten you, Charles,'
she said.
Three nights later, Sonia was lying awake in her bed. Robert was
asleep. It was ten minutes to two.
Sonia was excited. 'Ten minutes before Charles enters the
house,' she thought. It was ten long minutes.
And then she heard a noise. Glass breaking, followed by the
sound of a window as it was pushed up.
Robert did not wake up. Sonia waited until she heard the
sound of Charles climbing through the open window, then she
reached across to Robert's bed.
'Robert!' She was shaking him. 'Wake up. There's somebody
downstairs!'
Robert woke slowly. 'What? Someone downstairs? No, I'm
sure you're?' He sat up in bed, awake now. 'There is someone!

20. 3
I'll have to go down, I suppose.'
He put on his old grey dressing-gown, and went out of the
room. Sonia waited in the dark. It seemed a very long wait, but
it was less than half a minute. Then a thin line of light appeared
under the bedroom door. Sonia heard her husband give a
sudden cry, then she heard a gun explode. Something ? or
someone - heavy fell to the floor, then a door was banged open,
and there was the sound of running feet outside the house.
Sonia waited. 'Charles must have time to escape before I call
the police,' she thought.
She put on her bedside light and got out of bed. Now it was
all over, she felt strangely calm. She knew what she was going to
say to the police. How soon could she marry Charles? Six
months from now? They could go to Venice for a holiday, after
they were married. She had always wanted to see Venice ...
Then the door opened.
And Robert walked in.
For a long moment, Sonia could only look at him, her
stomach sick with fear. He looked back at her, silent,
white-faced and untidy. But alive.
'What - what happened?' she said.
'He got away,' said Robert. 'I'm afraid he's taken some of my
best silver with him. I wish now I had listened to the inspector
and sent it to the bank.'
'But I heard a gun,' said Sonia. 'I thought you ? you're not
hurt, Robert?'
'No, Sonia, I'm not hurt,' said Robert. 'But I have some bad
news. It's Charles. I think the dear, brave man was watching the

21. 4
As The Inspector Said and Other Stories
house, and followed the burglar in, to try and help us. He's at
the bottom of the stairs. I'm afraid there is nothing that we can
do for him.'
Sonia fell forwards, her eyes closing, and Robert caught her.
He carried her to the bed, then went downstairs. When he
reached the bottom, he had to step over the body. He did this
calmly, stepping around the blood on the carpet. But when he
walked into the room where he kept his silver, he wanted to cry.
All of the best pieces were gone.
He closed the door and went into his study. But before he
telephoned the police, he was careful to clean the small gun that
was in his dressing-gown pocket. Then he locked it inside his
desk. He had taken care of the one problem in his usually very
tidy life, and he wanted to make sure he would have no more
trouble.
As the inspector said, it was sensible to be careful.

22. 26
CASH ON DELIVERY
Edmund Crispin
Max Linster went through the small side gate and saw the large
house in front of him. Not far away, a church clock told him
that it was ten o'clock. He had half an hour to do the job. At
midnight, a private plane would take off for Europe from a
lonely field in Norfolk, and Linster planned to be on it even if
his last job in England was not successful.
He walked towards the house and saw a room with a light on.
He looked quickly through the window and saw that it was the
servants' room. Then he moved round the building and climbed
to the upstairs room that his orders had described. It was not
difficult to reach, and the window was unlocked, as promised.
He stepped inside, and waited.
After a moment, he heard someone coming and moved
quickly and silently across to the door. He hid behind it. It
opened slowly. Someone put on the light. The man who came in
was about thirty-five years old. He had fair hair, and the right
arm of his coat was empty.
'Mr Elliston?' Linster said from behind him.
Jacob Elliston turned quickly. He looked at Linster for a
moment, then said, 'So you're the person they sent.'
'I'm who they sent,' agreed Linster.
Elliston closed the door. 'We have to be quick,' he said. 'You
have guessed that this is my wife's bedroom. She's downstairs
with her brother, but he'll leave to catch his train in a minute or
two, and she'll come up to bed.'
As The Inspector Said and Other Stories

23. 27
Linster looked at his watch but said nothing.
'Please understand,' Elliston went on, 'that you will get no
money if you don't succeed ...'
'In killing the lady,' Linster finished for him, with a smile.
'Yes, I understand, Mr Elliston. It's cash on delivery.' He stepped
forward - carefully, because this was the first part of his plan.
He was not like some other men he knew. He was not interested
in murder if robbery could do the same job ...
'You have the cash ready, I hope.'
Elliston took a gun from his pocket. 'Don't try that,' he said.
'The money is safe in my bedroom. If you want it, you'll have to
finish the job.'
'Of course,' said Linster, smiling.
'You must use both hands,' said Elliston.
Linster looked at the empty arm of the other man's coat. 'Yes,
that's sensible,' he said. 'They always look for clues like that.'
'And you must pretend there was a burglary,' said Elliston.
'Take that jewel-box. There's nothing valuable in it, but you
could not know that because it's locked.' Still holding his gun,
Elliston moved towards the door. 'I'm going to my bedroom
where I shall turn my radio on loud.' He opened the door a
little. 'That's my wife's brother leaving now. She's tired, and will
come up almost at once. I'll return with the money in ... twenty
minutes.'
Elliston left, and soon the sound of music came from another
room. Linster looked around for a good place to hide and saw a
clothes cupboard. He would not be able to see anything from
inside it, but he could still hear. He turned off the light and

24. 28
disappeared into the cupboard like a shadow.
Josephine Demessieux, the young and pretty French servant,
came into the bedroom and closed the door. In a bored and
careless way, she got the bed ready for Mrs Elliston. There was
plenty of time because Mrs Elliston was walking to the railway
station with her brother. It was something which she had
decided to do at the last moment.
Josephine looked around at the beautiful things which Mrs
Elliston owned. She put on one of the rings, then a pretty
brooch. Next, she put on a short fur coat which made her look
very different when she saw herself in the mirror. 'I'm like a real
lady,' she thought.
It was then that Linster moved out of the clothes cupboard.
He went silently up behind her. He watched her face in the
mirror and was still a metre or two away when she saw him and
turned. But his left hand was large and fast. It closed around her
narrow throat. She made no sound as she died ...
Linster gently put her body on the bed, then covered her with
a blanket. It took only a few minutes to open cupboards and
make them look untidy. He looked at the little jewel-box, then
threw it under the bed.
When Elliston entered the room again, still with the gun in
his hand, he looked at the shape under the blanket. He said, 'It ?
it's done?'
'Yes,' said Linster. 'It's done.'
'You're sure she's ... ?'
'Yes, Mr Elliston, she's dead.' Linster pulled a white hand
As The Inspector Said and Other Stories

25. 29
from under the blanket. 'If you don't believe me, feel this.'
But Elliston jumped back, shaking. 'That ring,' he said slowly.
'It's one she almost never?'
Linster dropped the hand. 'The money, Mr Elliston. Five
thousand.'
The money was silently put into his hands.
'I'm going now, Mr Elliston,' said Linster. And then, with a
smile, said, 'Sorry I can't stay and talk to that pretty little
servant that your wife has.'
Elliston looked surprised. 'The - the girl?'
'The girl,' said Linster. 'I looked through the window of your
servants' room before I climbed up here, and there she was.
Dark. A soft-looking mouth. A pretty girl. I'd recognize her
again, anywhere. But I had this job to do. And you don't get
paid until you've done the job, do you? It's cash on delivery.
And a man must live.'
'I don't understand what you're talking about,' said Elliston.
But Linster was already climbing out of the window. 'You will,
Mr Elliston,' he said. 'You will.'

26. 30
GLOSSARY
alarm hell a bell to warn somebody of danger
alibi something to show you were not there when a crime happened
blackmail getting money from somebody by saying you will tell bad
things about them
brooch a pretty pin or piece of jewellery to wear on clothes
burglary breaking into a house to steal
cash money in coins or notes
cloakroom a place to leave coats, hats, etc.
clue something that helps to find the answer to a mystery or crime
cottage a small house
deaf not able to hear
delivery the arrival of something that you are waiting for
divorce to finish a marriage by law
dressing-gown a piece of clothing like a coat to wear over night-clothes
dumb not able to speak
freight things (to sell or buy) that are taken by train or ship
fur coat a coat made from the soft, thick hair or skin of an animal
hammer a tool with a wooden handle and a heavy metal head
handle the part of something (e.g. a knife) which you hold
jewels/jewellery rings, etc. with valuable stones in them
joke something said or done to make people laugh
lover a person you have sex with, but who is not your husband or wife
melt to make soft by using heat or fire
myrtle tree a kind of tree with white flowers
nut the hard fruit of a tree or bush
overcoat a long thick coat to wear in cold weather
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27. 31
parcel something with paper round it, carried or sent by post
priest a man who looks after a church and its people
railway crossing a place where a road and a railway line cross each
other
rope very thick strong string
salt-cellar a small container for salt
servant somebody who works in another person's house
shilling an old English coin (there were 20 shillings in a pound)
simple not very clever
sleeping powder something taken to help you sleep
soup a liquid food, made by cooking meat, vegetables, etc. in water
stain a dirty place on something
throat the front part of the neck
tie to put a piece of rope around something or someone
torch a small electric light which is carried in the hand
whisky a strong drink
whisper to speak very quietly