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The Abbey
"The Abbey" by Chris Culver_vocab for learners of English - detective work
Question | Answer |
---|---|
next of kin ----- I hated doing next of kin notifications. | your closest relative or relatives, for example your mother, father, son, or daughter. This word is used especially in official documents. |
homicide ----- He called in a probable homicide, and that’s when the gears started moving. | the crime of killing sb deliberately |
puddle ----- She had no obvious external injuries and nor could I see puddles of blood around her. | a small amount of water or other liquid that has collected in one place on the ground |
forensic ----- Within half an hour, five forensic technicians were documenting the scene, and Detective Olivia Rhodes was interviewing potential witnesses. | connected with the scientific tests used by the police when trying to solve a crime |
staged ----- Unfortunately, I knew without even reading the crime scene report that her body had been staged. | not in a natural position |
handout ----- He probably knew exactly who Olivia brought in and why... He wanted a handout. | [often disapproving] money that is given to a person or an organization by the government, etc, for example to encourage commercial activity |
felony ----- ...I had been shot with a hunting rifle four years earlier while serving a high–risk felony warrant. | the act of committing a serious crime such as murder or rape ; a crime of this type |
warrant ----- ...I had been shot with a hunting rifle four years earlier while serving a high–risk felony warrant. | a legal document that is signed by a judge and gives the police authority to do sth |
pay-off ----- If Hensley thought that earned him another payoff, he was wrong. | [informal] a payment of money to sb so that they will not cause you any trouble or to make them keep a secret |
attorney ----- John Meyers was one of the best defense attorneys in town. | a lawyer, especially one who can act for sb in court |
cover sth up ----- “I think she overdosed and Robbie tried to cover it up.” | [disapproving] to try to stop people from knowing the truth about a mistake, a crime, etc. |
clean ----- “...My sister would have said something if Rachel wasn’t clean.” | not showing or having any record of doing sth that is against the law |
common ground ----- She established rapport and common ground before diving into her questions. | [uncountable] opinions, interests and aims that you share with sb, although you may not agree with them about other things |
rapport ----- She established rapport and common ground before diving into her questions. | [singular, uncountable] a friendly relationship in which people understand each other very well |
rigor mortis ----- Her eyes were closed, and rigor had contracted her face into a grimace. | [uncountable] the process by which the body becomes stiff after death |
autopsy ----- “I’ve got an autopsy scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. We’ll know more then.” | an official examination of a dead body by a doctor in order to discover the cause of death |
holster ----- I thought I could see the outline of a holster beneath her jacket but didn’t want to comment in case she thought I was staring at her chest | a leather case worn on a belt or on a narrow piece of leather under the arm, used for carrying a small gun |
stash ----- “Do you know where she would have kept her stash?” I asked. “We need to find it so no one else gets hurt.” | [usually singular, informal] an amount of sth that is kept secretly |
dismiss sb ----- Before she dismissed the girl, Olivia said she had one more question. | to allow sb to leave |
setup ----- “You think this is a setup?” she asked. | a situation in which sb tricks you or makes it seem as if you have done sth wrong |
prosecutor ----- “I’m Detective Olivia Rhodes with IMPD. My partner is Detective Sergeant Ash Rashid with the Prosecutor’s Office." | a lawyer who is trying to prove in a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime |
precinct ----- They were in a wealthy area, so officers from the local precinct patrolled it pretty heavily. | a part of a city that has its own police station; the police station in this area |
stalker ----- I doubted the mystery stalker was after Nassir or Rana, though. | a person who follows and watches another person over a long period of time in a way that is annoying or frightening |
middleman ----- “He’s basically a middleman. Sets up a lot of deals so upper management doesn’t have to meet with the guys on the street.” | a person who helps to arrange things between people who do not want to talk directly to each other |
CI, confidential informant ----- “You might want to get a hold of your CI. We’re probably going to need him.” | CIs will frequently provide information in order to obtain lenient treatment for themselves and provide information, over an extended period of time, in return for money or for police to overlook their own criminal activities. |
corpse ----- “Mike Bowers. And if you want to talk to Russo, you’re going to need a psychic because I’m staring at his goddamn corpse.” | a dead body, especially of a human |
pick a lock ----- He would have had to pick the lock, slit Rollo’s throat while he was sleeping and get out without leaving a trace. There weren't many people who could do that. | to open a lock without a key, using sth such as a piece of wire |
slit ----- He would have had to pick the lock, slit Rollo’s throat while he was sleeping and get out without leaving a trace. There weren't many people who could do that. | to make a long narrow cut in sth |
take sb out ----- “And a word of advice. Rollo was taken out by a professional. Unless you want bodies piling up, I’d start trying to figure out who he pissed off instead of watching me.” | [informal] to kill someone |
illicit ----- If the rumors were true, though, the illicit portion of his business empire stretched from prostitution to murder for hire. | illicit activities or goods are illegal and usually kept secret |
driving under the influence, DUI ----- A big part of me wanted to drink the entire pint right there, but I still had work to do. More than that, drinking in the middle of a parking lot was almost a surefire way to be arrested for a DUI. | [uncountable] (in some states in the US) the crime of driving a vehicle after drinking too much alcohol. It is a less serious crime than ‘ driving while intoxicated ’. |
sights ----- I turned the gun around and stared down its sights... Its barrel and chamber were so far out of alignment that any rounds put through it would have stuck in the chamber and blown up like a pipe bomb. | [countable, usually plural] a device that you look through to aim a gun, etc. |
barrel ----- I turned the gun around and stared down its sights... Its barrel and chamber were so far out of alignment that any rounds put through it would have stuck in the chamber and blown up like a pipe bomb. | the part of a gun like a tube through which the bullets are fired |
chamber ----- I turned the gun around and stared down its sights... Its barrel and chamber were so far out of alignment that any rounds put through it would have stuck in the chamber and blown up like a pipe bomb. | the part of a gun that holds the bullets |
tap ----- “You’ve got a tap on your cell phone,” she said, sniffing. | [countable] an act of secretly listening to someone’s telephone, using electronic equipment |
muzzle ----- I shifted so the muzzle of my firearm pointed at her midsection. | the open end of a gun, where the bullets come out |
indictment ----- “Don’t look too much into that,” he said. “Olivia Rhodes had been under investigation for months, but the Prosecutor’s Office had been dragging their heels about an indictment. We suspected she was f***ing Jack Whittler.” | a written statement accusing sb of a crime |