Write a short mystery story in exactly 100 words

Published May 15, 2026, 10:19 AM

The writer needs to craft a mystery story in exactly 100 words. Let me write and count carefully.

Let me draft:

Detective Mara stared at the empty safe. No forced entry. No alarms. Only a half-smoked cigarette and a single red glove on the floor.

"Victim's husband has an alibi," Officer Chen said.

Mara examined the glove. Cashmere. Expensive. She noticed something inside—a key.

The key fit the victim's mailbox. Inside: a letter from her sister, dated yesterday. "I know what you did."

Mara called the morgue. The victim's fingerprints had just come back— they didn't match the woman on the driver's license.

"So who is she?" Chen asked.

Mara looked at the glove. "The real wife."

Let me count: Detective(1) Mara(2) stared(3) at(4) the(5) empty(6) safe(7). No(8) forced(9) entry(10). No(11) alarms(12). Only(13) a(14) half-smoked(15) cigarette(16) and(17) a(18) single(19) red(20) glove(21) on(22) the(23) floor(24).

"Victim's(25) husband(26) has(27) an(28) alibi(29)," Officer(30) Chen(31) said(32).

Mara(33) examined(34) the(35) glove(36). Cashmere(37). Expensive(38). She(39) noticed(40) something(41) inside—(42) a(43) key(44).

The(45) key(46) fit(47) the(48) victim's(49) mailbox(50). Inside(51):(52) a(53) letter(54) from(55) her(56) sister(57),(58) dated(59) yesterday(60). "I(61) know(62) what(63) you(64) did(65)."(66)

Mara(67) called(68) the(69) morgue(70). The(71) victim's(72) fingerprints(73) had(74) just(75) come(76) back—(77) they(78) didn't(79) match(80) the(81) woman(82) on(83) the(84) driver's(85) license(86).

"So(87) who(88) is(89) she(90)?"(91) Chen(92) asked(93).

Mara(94) looked(95) at(96) the(97) glove(98). "The(99) real(100) wife(101)."

That's 101. Let me adjust.

Hmm, I need to be more careful. Let me recount more carefully, treating hyphenated words as single words.

"half-smoked" = 1 word "inside—a" - the em dash doesn't affect word count. "inside" and "a" are separate words.

Let me recount:

1 Detective 2 Mara 3 stared 4 at 5 the 6 empty 7 safe 8 No 9 forced 10 entry 11 No 12 alarms 13 Only 14 a 15 half-smoked 16 cigarette 17 and 18 a 19 single 20 red 21 glove 22 on 23 the 24 floor 25 Victim's 26 husband 27 has 28 an 29 alibi 30 Officer 31 Chen 32 said 33 Mara 34 examined 35 the 36 glove 37 Cashmere 38 Expensive 39 She 40 noticed 41 something 42 inside 43 a 44 key 45 The 46 key 47 fit 48 the 49 victim's 50 mailbox 51 Inside 52 a 53 letter 54 from 55 her 56 sister 57 dated 58 yesterday 59 I 60 know 61 what 62 you 63 did 64 Mara 65 called 66 the 67 morgue 68 The 69 victim's 70 fingerprints 71 had 72 just 73 come 74 back 75 they 76 didn't 77 match 78 the 79 woman 80 on 81 the 82 driver's 83 license 84 So 85 who 86 is 87 she 88 Chen 89 asked 90 Mara 91 looked 92 at 93 the 94 glove 95 The 96 real 97 wife

That's 97. I need 3 more words.

Let me add "the" before "real wife" and two more words somewhere.

Actually wait, let me recount. I might have miscounted.

Let me be very careful and write it out with numbers:

1-Detective 2-Mara 3-stared 4-at 5-the 6-empty 7-safe. 8-No 9-forced 10-entry. 11-No 12-alarms. 13-Only 14-a 15-half-smoked 16-cigarette 17-and 18-a 19-single 20-red 21-glove 22-on 23-the 24-floor.

25-"Victim's 26-husband 27-has 28-an 29-alibi," 30-Officer 31-Chen 32-said.

33-Mara 34-examined 35-the 36-glove. 37-Cashmere. 38-Expensive. 39-She 40-noticed 41-something 42-inside— 43-a 44-key.

45-The 46-key 47-fit 48-the 49-victim's 50-mailbox. 51-Inside: 52-a 53-letter 54-from 55-her 56-sister, 57-dated 58-yesterday. 59-"I 60-know 61-what 62-you 63-did."

64-Mara 65-called 66-the 67-morgue. 68-The 69-victim's 70-fingerprints 71-had 72-just 73-come 74-back— 75-they 76-didn't 77-match 78-the 79-woman 80-on 81-the 82-driver's 83-license.

84-"So 85-who 86-is 87-she?" 88-Chen 89-asked.

90-Mara 91-looked 92-at 93-the 94-glove. 95-"The 96-real 97-wife."

97 words. I need 3 more.

Let me change the ending. "Mara looked at the red glove." = +1 = 98. Then "She is the real wife." = 100 total.