⭐ **CRIMINAL MYSTERY #1: "THE HOUSE THAT HEARD WHISPERING"*

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## **CHAPTER I — RETURN TO 17 VISTULA STREET**

When detective **Lena Jastrzębska** first saw the house at 17 VISTULA STREET, she felt as if she were standing in front of something that had been watching her for years. The two-story villa, dating back to the early 20th century, was neglected, but it looked as if it held its own memories—and she didn't want to reveal all of them.

The call came at 3:45 a.m.

*"We found a body. The owner claims the house told her what to do"*—that was the laconic message from Commissioner Kryński.

At the scene, Lena saw the ambulance, the police, and a stunned woman—Agnieszka Brzoza, a pianist, shaking, her face as pale as the walls of her house.

The body lay in the study. Victim: **Marek Brzoza**, the pianist's husband.

There was no blood, no wounds, no weapon marks. Just a strange, unnatural pose, as if he were trying to reach something… or escape from something.

The house was cold, though the heating was on. The air smelled of dust and damp, and Lena was certain something was watching her from one of the dark corners.

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## **CHAPTER II — OBSESSIONS AND SECRETS**

Agnieszka spoke incoherently:

— *He wanted the house back. It wasn't… it wasn't an accident. The house hated him.*

—What do you mean, the house?* Lena asked.

— *I heard whispers. First, at night. Then, during the day. They said Marek was hiding something.*

The pianist showed signs of stress and insomnia. From the kitchen, the police brought a notebook full of her notes—disorganized, but with three recurring words:

**“He’s lying. The house remembers.”**

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In the study where the body was found, Lena noticed a strange detail:

One plank in the wooden floor was lighter than the rest, as if someone had recently removed it.

Beneath it lay a metal box.

Inside were:

* photos of the villa from 1950–1960,

* letters,

* a map of the underground bunker,

* and the deed to the house… signed by someone other than the Brzozów family.

---

Meanwhile, the toxicology report was opened:

Marek died of **sudden respiratory failure caused by a severe allergic reaction**—but no allergen was found.

However, Lena noticed a small detail: there was a yellowish speck of dust on the collar of the deceased's shirt.

It resembled dust from old wood.

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## **CHAPTER III - THE SHELTER THAT WAS NOT EMPTY**

An old map indicated the entrance to the basement behind a library shelf. When the police uncovered the wall, a door secured with a combination lock was revealed. However, someone had recently opened it—the dust was disturbed, and footprints led downward.

The shelter reeked of mustiness.

On the concrete wall was a sign:

**"EVERYTHING WILL COMING HOME"**

In the box, they found:

* an empty vial of an allergen used in experimental desensitization therapies,

* a dirty inhaler,

* gloves,

* documents stating that Marek was in debt and planned to sell the house without his wife's knowledge.

And something else.

A photo of young Marek with another woman… in the same house.

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Lena realized that Agnieszka didn't know everything.

Or maybe… she knew too much?

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## **CHAPTER IV — THE HOUSE THAT DEFENDED ITS HISTORY**

Lena returned to the pianist.

"Mrs. Agnieszka… Who lived here before you?"

"I don't know. Marek never wanted to talk about it."

The detective showed her the photo.

Agnieszka paled.

"*This… this is Maria. His previous partner. She disappeared years ago. He once told me she left. But I… I felt he was lying…"

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Suddenly, Lena noticed another detail.

Dates repeated themselves in Agnieszka's notebook. Each of these coincided with days when **pieces of plaster in the house fell off**—as if the structure was reacting to stress.

Wiślana 17 was built by **Maria's father**, an architect.

Maria was the sole heir.

If she went missing… the house legally belonged to her or her family.

And Marek wanted to sell it.

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## **CHAPTER V — SOLUTION**

The case was complex, but it eventually fell into place:

1. **Marek accidentally released a powerful allergen from underground** (old wood, dust, mold, a chemical from a vial) while trying to open the shelter and hide the evidence.

2. The allergic reaction was immediate—and fatal.

3. Agnieszka, due to insomnia, stress, and her husband's manipulation, developed a paranoia that "the house was talking." 4. In reality, the whispers were a reflection of the sound from the open ventilation shafts that Marek had unsealed while searching for documents.

5. The "voice of the house" repeated Maria's whisper recorded on an old tape—the bunker's owner had installed a loudspeaker to warn against entering.

Marek died because he tried to hide the traces of his past crime.

The house "remembered"—becauseHe preserved the evidence.

Agnieszka was innocent.

The house didn't speak.

It was the past that screamed.

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