THE BODY IN THE GYM
The police inspector and Sergeant Watson looked at the body on the floor of Coogan’s Gym.
The blood was dry. ‘How long ago was he murdered?” asked the inspector. ‘The doctor says
he was killed at about midnight’, replied Watson. ‘And a man was seen leaving the building
at five past twelve. He had big shoulders, dark hair, and a beard “Mr. Coogan was a body
builder”, said the inspector, ‘Look at those
muscles. ’‘His killer was strong too”, said
Watson, “Coogan was killed with a sixty-kilo
weight!”
That evening, the inspector was watching TV.
There was news about a robbery at a 24-hour
pharmacy, and a video from the shop’s security
camera was shown. The robber was a big man
wearing a red football shirt and black jeans. His
head was shaved and there was a tattoo round
his neck. The time was shown in the video. It was midnight, “Exactly the same time as the
Coogan murder’, thought the inspector.
The next day at work, Sergeant Watson came into the inspector’s office. ‘Inspector, there’s a
man here’, said Watson, ‘He says he did the pharmacy robbery. His name is Maxwell’. ‘Send
him in’, said the inspector. Maxwell looked like the man in the video. He had enormous
shoulders and a tattoo round his neck. He had new black jeans and a red football shirt. The
price label was still on the shirt. ‘He’s bought that shirt today’, thought the inspector. ‘He
wants to look like the man in the video, but why?’
‘Why did you rob the pharmacy, Mr. Maxwell?’ asked the inspector.
‘I needed the money’, replied Maxwell. The inspector remembered the details of the
robbery. A lot of medicines were stolen, but no money was taken. ‘I see’, said the inspector.
‘So why have you come to tell us?’ Mr. Maxwell looked uncomfortable. ‘I was caught by the
security camera’, he said, ‘The video was shown on TV. I knew the game was over’. ”He’s
lying”, thought the inspector, “but why?”
The inspector looked at Maxwell’s head. The skin was very white where it was shaved.
There was a little blood coming from a shaving cut on his chin. There were a few pieces of
dark hair on his shoulders. Then the inspector noticed Maxwell’s neck. He was sweating a
lot and the tattoo was coming off. ‘That’s not a real tattoo’, thought the inspector. ‘You look
like a body-builder’, said the inspector, ‘Do you go to Coogan’s Gym?’
‘Ehm … yes’, replied Maxwell.
‘Mr. Coogan’s in hospital’, said the inspector, ‘He was hurt by a falling weight. Did you
know?’
‘That’s a lie!” Maxwell shouted, ‘I killed Coo …’ He didn’t finish his sentence.
‘How did you know Maxwell was the murderer?’ Sergeant Watson asked, later that day. ‘It’s
simple’, said the inspector. ‘Coogan was killed at exactly the same time as the pharmacy
was robbed. Maxwell wanted us to think he was the robber. Why?’
‘Ah!’ said Watson, ‘Because if he’s the robber, he can’t be the murderer!’
‘Exactly!’ said the inspector and she smiled.
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W
rite details about murder and robbery from the passage into the
correct place.
Details of murder
1-Time and Place
2- Description of murderer
3- Murder weapon
Details of robbery
1-Time and Place
2- Description of robber
3- What was stolen?
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A. Answer the questions below according to the text “The Body In The Gym”.
1. Who did visit the inspector and why did s/he visit?
2. Why did Maxwell say that he robbed the pharmacy?
3. Who is the murderer?
4. How did the inspector find out the murderer?
5. Do you think the inspector was good at her job?
6. What would you do if you were the murderer?
B. Complete the gaps with the correct words according to the text “The Body
In The Gym”.
The police inspector and Watson _________ the killed body on
the floor of Coogan’s gym, and they found out that the man
_____ killed with___________. In that night, the inspector was
watching news about _______________. And the video was
shown from security camera of the shop, he realized that
robbery had happened ____________ time with
_________________. The next day, __________ visited the
inspector’s office, and he told the inspector that he
__________. The inspector understood that the man wanted to
look like a robber, because if he is the robber, he can’t be
_________.
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