It was the first big party of the semester Welcome Week at the university. Tom and Emma, both close friends of Nathan, were excited to attend the event at his house. They arrived with an ice cooler packed with snacks, drinks, and a sense of excitement. The music was loud, the atmosphere electric, and everyone was ready to let loose. After all, it was a time to celebrate new beginnings, and they had been looking forward to this night for weeks.
However, what should have been a fun night took a terrifying turn. Just hours after they arrived, tragedy struck. Tom was found dead in a corner of the living room, and Emma was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Thankfully, Emma survived, but Tom did not. The mystery of why only one of them died was soon to unfold.
The police began their investigation and questioned five key individuals:
1. Nathan (The Host): A business administration major Nathan, who had invited everyone to the party, confirmed that both Tom and Emma had received identical drinks, mixed from the same batch of punch. He didn’t think anything was unusual about the drinks, and he didn’t notice anything odd about the evening until things took a darker turn.
2. Jake: A computer science major Tom’s roommate recalled that Tom had seemed “a bit off” that day, perhaps a little distracted or irritable, but he didn’t think much of it at the time. He didn’t suspect anything was wrong, and Tom seemed fine when he left for the party.
3. Emma: A chemistry major, when questioned, Emma mentioned that Tom had been unusually fidgety and distracted earlier in the evening, but she didn’t think it was anything serious.
4. Claire (The Best Friend): Claire, a psychology major, was a longtime friend of Emma’s and had spent most of the night chatting and laughing with her. She seemed completely unaware of any issues but was the last person to leave the party, raising questions about whether she saw anything unusual before the tragedy unfolded.
5. Mark (The Quiet Neighbor): Mark, an accounting major and a neighbor of Nathan’s, had been at the party but was known for staying in the background and not interacting much with the others. He had a reputation for being a bit of a loner.
As the investigation progressed, a subtle but critical detail emerged. The police noticed that Emma’s drink had more liquid remaining from the melting ice, whereas Tom’s drink had noticeably less liquid in it. This was odd—both drinks had been made and served at the same time, so why the difference?
Upon closer inspection, the truth became clear. The poison had been hidden in the ice. As the ice in the drinks began to melt, it slowly released the toxin into the liquid. Emma, who drank her beverage quickly, had consumed most of it before the ice had a chance to melt significantly and release the poison. Tom, on the other hand, had taken his time, drinking more slowly. This gave the ice more time to melt, releasing the poison into his drink, which ultimately led to his death
