question; inquiry; enquiry
unprecedented; never happened before; first time in history
coffee shop; tearoom; coffee lounge; coffeehouse; cafe
to take someone (to some place); to take someone along; to lead someone away
abduction; kidnapping; kidnaping
another person; other people; unrelated person (i.e. not related by blood); outsider; stranger
simply; merely; only; solely
even if; no matter (what); if; though; although; supposing
how much; how many; however (much); no matter how; what matters is ...; it all comes down to ...
bad guy; villain; evildoer; scoundrel
to like; to love; to be fond of
single; simple; singles (tennis, badminton, etc.); win bet (bet which predicts the winner of a race)
to be (in contrast to something that is not the case)
sound of something small rolling once (often into a hole); easily; suddenly; completely (e.g. forgetting); utterly; disappointing; curling up into the fetal position
with a momentary flash of light
to be clear; to be distinct; to be skillful; to be skilful; to be well-executed; to get cold
to dwell; to live; to stay at; to take shelter at; to be pregnant; to be part of a constellation
later; afterwards; future; after one's death; (arch.) descendant
assimilation; absorption; adaptation; assimilation; anabolism; assimilation (phonology)
as expected; sure enough; after all (is said and done); in the end; too; also
woman; female; feminine gender
claim; insistence; assertion; advocacy; emphasis; contention
irrational; illogical; unreasonable; absurd; inconsistent
dress; attire; clothing; getup; outfit; personal appearance
guess; conjecture; surmise
wealthy; rich; affluent; well-off
(social) standing; status; identity; birth; one's circumstances; one's means
limousine (stretched car); shuttle bus (usu. to airport)
economic; financial; economical; thrifty; frugal
in spite of; nevertheless; although; despite; no matter the; regardless of
truth; reality; sincerity; honesty; content; substance
nature; disposition; temperament; qualities; attributes; talents
to chip; to be chipped; to be missing (from a set, team, etc.); to be absent; to be lacking (in); to be short (of)
to get; to earn; to understand; to comprehend; to receive something undesirable (e.g. a punishment); to get (ill)
taciturn; reticent; quiet; silent; untalkative
smoothly; easily; readily
before long; soon; almost; nearly; finally; in the end
detective; investigator; sleuth; detective work; secret investigation
mystery novel; detective novel; whodunit
directly; in person; firsthand