Learn English Through Stories Level 3 🔥 | Graded reader | Learn English Through Audio Podcast

chapter 1 mystery girl it All Began on a beautiful spring morning in a village called Whistler in Canada a pretty little village in the mountains of British Columbia there was a cafe in the village with tables outside and at one of these tables sat a young man he finished his breakfast drank his coffee looked up into the blue sky and felt the warm sun on his face Nick lorts was a happy man the waiter came up to his table more coffee he asked yeah great said Nick he gave the waiter his coffee cup the waiter

looked at the camera on the table on vacation he said where are you from San Francisco Nick said he laughed but I'm not on vacation I'm working I'm a travel Rider and I'm doing a book on mountains in North America I've got some great pictures of your Mountain the two men looked up but Whistler Mountain behind the village it looked very beautiful in the morning sun do you travel a lot then asked the waiter all the time Nick said I write books and I write for travel magazines I write about everything different countries towns Villages

rivers mountains people the waiter looked over Nick's head head there's a girl across the street he said do you know her Nick turned his head and looked no I don't well she knows you I think the waiter said she's watching you very carefully he gave Nick a smile have a nice day he went away back into the cafe Nick looked at the girl across the street she was about 25 and she was very pretty she is watching me Nick thought then the girl turned and looked in one of the shop Windows after a second or

two she looked back at Nick again Nick watched her she looks worried he thought what's she doing is she waiting for somebody suddenly the girl smiled then she walked across the street came up to Nick's table and sat down she put her bag down on the table the bag was half open hi I'm Jan she said do you remember me we met at a party in Toronto hi Jan said Nick he smiled I'm Nick but we didn't meet at a party in Toronto I don't go to parties very often and never in Toronto OH the

girl said but she didn't get up or move away have some coffee said Nick the story about the party in Toronto wasn't true but it was a beautiful morning and she was a pretty girl maybe it was a party in monreal or New York the girl laughed okay maybe it was and yes I'd love some coffee when she had her coffee Nick asked what are you doing in Whistler or do you live here oh no she said I'm just um just traveling through I'm a travel writer Nick said and I'm writing a book about famous

mountains that's interesting she said but her face was worried not interested when she looked across the road again a man with very short white hair walked across the road he was a about 60 years old and he was tall and thin the girl watched him are you waiting for someone asked Nick no she said quickly then she asked where are you going next Nick to Vancouver for 3 or 4 days he said when are you going she asked later this morning he said there was a letter in the top of the girl's half openen bag

Nick could seize some of the writing and he read it because he saw the word Vancouver and we can meet at the Empress Hotel Victoria Vancouver Island on Friday afternoon so she's going to Vancouver too he thought suddenly the girl said do you like movies movies yes I love movies he said why I know a man and he he loves movies and going to the cinema she said slowly people call him Mr Hollywood she smiled at Nick can I call you Mr Hollywood too Nick laughed okay he said and what can I call you she

smiled again call me mystery girl she said that's a good name for you said Nick just then the man with white hair came into the cafe he did not look at Nick or the girl but he sat at a table near them he asked the waiter for some breakfast then he began to read a magazine the girl looked the man then quickly looked away again do you know him Nick asked her no she said she finished her coffee quickly and got up I must go now she said Nick stood up too nice too he began

but the girl suddenly took his face between her hands and kissed him on the mouth drive carefully Mr Hollywood goodbye she said with a big beautiful smile then she turned and walked quickly away Nick sat down again and watched her she walked down the road and into a big hotel now what thought Nick was that all about the man with white hair watched Nick and waited after four or five minutes Nick finished his coffee took his books and his camera and left the cafe his car was just outside the girl's hotel and he walked slowly

along the street to it the man with white hair waited a second then quickly followed Nick from a window high up in the hotel the girl looked down into the road she saw Nick and the man with white hair about 50 yards behind him Nick got into his car and the man with white hair walked quickly to to a red car across the street 5 seconds later Nick drove away in his blue car and the red car began to follow him when the girl saw this she smiled then went to put some things in her

travel bag chapter 2 a hand in the back that evening in his hotel room in Vancouver Nick could not stop thinking about the girl in The Whistler Cafe why did she come and sit with him she didn't know him and that story about a party in Toronto wasn't true and she was worried about something but what and that kiss it was nice of course but why did she do it maybe she liked my face Nick thought or my brown eyes but I'm not going to see her again so it doesn't matter forget it he put

some money in his pocket and went downstairs to the Hotel restaurant but there were no free tables so he walked down to Gast town and found a restaurant there at after dinner he went for a walk Vancouver was a friendly City and Nick liked walking through Gast town and Chinatown looking in the shops and watching the people it was nearly dark now and it was a busy time of the evening there were a lot of cars and a lot of people after a Time Nick began to walk back to his hotel he came to a

busy street and waited with a small crowd of people to go across a tall woman in a Blue Dress stood next to him she turned and smiled at him it's the first Warm evening of spring she said it's nice to be out after the long cold winter yes ah said Nick it's great suddenly there was a hand in his back and the Hand pushed Nick into the road Nick fell on his face in front of a Big Green Car people screamed but the green car stopped only inches from Nick's head the woman in the blue

dress ran into into the road and pulled Nick to his feet are you okay what happened she said the driver of the green car shouted angrily at Nick but Nick did not hear him somebody pushed me he said to the woman I didn't fall somebody pushed me pushed you said the woman who I didn't see anybody Nick looked at the faces of the people near him but he didn't know them then he saw a man's back the man was tall and thin and had very short white hair he walked quickly away down the street and

did not look back hey you Nick shouted wait but but the man did not stop and he was soon lost in the crowds did he push you asked the woman in the blue dress I don't know Nick said do you know him she asked I don't know his name Nick said but I know that short white hair now where did I see it before the woman began to move away I must get home she said are you okay now yeah I'm okay Nick said and thanks thanks for your help that's okay the woman smiled be

careful now back in his hotel Nick sat on his bed and thought it was an accident accident nobody pushed me it was an accident nobody wants to kill me and there are hundreds of men in Vancouver with white hair it was 1:00 in the morning but Nick couldn't sleep he listened to the cars in the road and he looked at the night sky through his hotel room window then he sat at the table and tried to write some more of his book about mountains but he couldn't think about his work he got back into bed

there were four or five magazines in the hotel room they were not very interesting but Nick sat in bed and opened one and saw a photo of mystery girl he looked at the picture very carefully but yes it was her Jan the girl from The Whistler Cafe she was next to a man of about 50 or 55 and they were in the garden of a big expensive house they smiled the camera and they looked very happy anadian millionaire Howard Hudson and his daughter Meg it said under the picture at their home in Toronto Meg Hudson

not Jan not mystery girl Meg Hudson the daughter of a millionaire Nick read it again why did she come and sit with me in the cafe at Whistler he thought millionair daughters don't don't sit with strangers in cafes and then give them a big kiss when they leave why did she do it what did she want he thought back to the cafe in Whistler and the girl next to him at the table then he remembered something he remembered a man at a table near them in the cafe a tall thin man about about 60 years

old a man with very short white hair Nick didn't sleep much that night chapter 3 a walk in the park the next day was Thursday Nick stayed in his hotel room and rode about mountains all morning then he drove to Stanley Park in the afternoon he sat and read a book for an hour then he went for a walk under the tall trees there was nobody here it was quiet and he could walk and think he thought about Meg Hudson and about the man with white hair did he know Meg Hudson did she know him

he remembered Meg Hudson's Last Words drive carefully Mr Hollywood why did she say that why did she call him Mr Hollywood he didn't understand any of it suddenly he heard a noise he stopped that was a gun he thought there's somebody in the trees with a gun there there it is again then something hit the tree over his head somebody shooting at me Nick thought he turned and ran and somebody began to run after him Nick ran through the trees there was no sun in here and it was half dark and there were no people

nobody to help him I must get to my car Nick thought find some people the police he ran on he could still hear the gunman behind him so he ran faster after three or 4 minutes he stopped and listened he was all quiet Nick was afraid what's happening he thought thought why is somebody shooting at me first a hand pushes me in front of a car and now somebody shooting at me he waited another second or two then walked quickly back to his car he was very careful he looked and listened all the time but

nobody came out of the trees and nobody shot at him then he saw people women with young children some boys with a football two men with a dog he began to feel better nobody can shoot me now he thought not with all these people here 10 minutes later he was back at his car there was was a letter on the window Nick read it it said I'm going to kill you Mr Hollywood Nick drove to the nearest police station he waited for half an hour then a tired young policeman took him into a small room

Nick told his story and the policeman wrote it all down so what are you going to do asked Nick nothing said the policeman nothing said Nick but somebody shot at me and Mr Lords the policeman said tiredly how many people are there in this town with guns I don't know said Nick but you didn't see the gunman was it a man a boy a woman color of eyes eyes long hair short hair you don't know because you didn't see anybody maybe it was an old girlfriend maybe somebody doesn't like your travel books Mr Lords but

what about the man with white hair in Whistler said Nick the girl Meg Hudson called me Mr Hollywood in the cafe and this man heard her and now I get a letter to Mr Hollywood on my car who is this Mr Hollywood we all want answers to our questions Mr Lords the policeman said but we don't always get them questions but no answers Nick walked out of the police station and drove to his hotel he he was angry and Afraid how did the man with white hair find me in Vancouver he thought did he follow

me from Whistler is he following me now maybe he's staying at my hotel too in the Next Room with his gun chapter 4 the man with white hair Nick stopped his car in front of the hotel he looked carefully before he got out but there was nobody with white hair near the hotel he half ran through the hotel doors and went to the desk inside I'm looking for a man with very short white hair he said to the woman behind the desk he's staying here I think he's about 60 years old old and he's tall

and thin the woman did not look very interested there are a lot of visitors in the hotel she said do you know his name no I don't Nick said he's a friend of a friend you see he arrived in Vancouver yesterday and I must find him it's very important please help me the woman looked at him there are 350 rooms in this hotel she said and maybe 30 or 40 men with white hair how can I remember all their names she turned away to answer a telephone call Nick walked away from the desk a drink

he thought I need a drink he went into the hotel bar got a drink and sat down at a table so what do I do now he thought and then he remembered something a letter in the girl's half openen bag in the Whistler Cafe and we can meet at the Empress Hotel Victoria Vancouver Island on Friday afternoon and tomorrow is Friday I'm going to Victoria on Vancouver Island he thought to the Empress Hotel Nick had dinner in the hotel that evening he finished eating and got up from his table and saw the man with white

hair Nick moved quickly the man was at the hotel desk Nick could see see the white head above the other heads near the desk excuse me said Nick he pushed past the people in the hotel restaurant a small boy ran in front of him and Nick ran into him the boy and Nick fell down on the floor the boy began to cry hey said a woman behind Nick I'm very sorry said Nick he got up and helped the boy to his feet are you okay he asked the boy be more careful next time said the

woman Nick moved away quickly but when he looked back at the hotel desk he couldn't see the man with white hair he pushed through the crowd of people that man he shouted at the woman behind the desk that man with short white hair where did he go the woman looked at Nick Mr Vickers she said I don't know Vickers is that his name said Nick what's his room number I'm sorry I can't tell you that the woman said but I need to began Nick the woman turned away to answer the telephone after a second or

two Nick went upstairs to his room Vickers he thought does Meg Hudson know Mr Vickers I need some answers and I need them quickly chapter 5 Vancouver Island Tason was about 23 miles south of Vancouver Nick drove there in his car the next morning for the 1:00 ferry to Vancouver Island every 5 minutes he looked behind him the road was busy black cars white cars red cars green cars maybe Vicor was in one of them at Tason Nick drove his car onto the ferry there were a lot of cars and crowds of people Nick got

out of his car and walked up and down the ship he looked for a man with white hair but he didn't see one soon the fery began to move and Nick felt better he found the fairy restaurant and got something to eat more people came in Nick looked the faces of all the older men some had hats on so he looked for somebody tall and thin but there was nobody maybe he's not on the fairy Nick thought maybe he's back in Vancouver later Nick walked around the ship again once he thought he saw the man

with white hair in the crowds but he could not be sure 90 minutes after leaving Tason the fery arrived at Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island and Nick went back down to his car Schwartz Bay was 20 miles north the Victoria Nick drove quickly and again looked behind him every four or 5 minutes once he saw a red car about 200 yard behind him did I see that car on the road from Vancouver to taasan he thought he drove more slowly but the red car still stayed 200 yard behind him and Nick couldn't see the driver's

face or hair soon he was in the busy streets of Victoria and Nick didn't see the red car behind him again Victoria was a city of Gardens and beautiful old buildings Nick liked Victoria very much but today he he wasn't interested in gardens or buildings he found the Empress Hotel went inside and walked across to the desk can I help you a young man asked Nick I'm meeting a friend here this afternoon said Nick Miss Hudson Hudson said the young man wait a minute he went away and came back sorry but there's no Miss Hudson

staying here Nick took something from his pocket it was the photograph of Meg and her father from the magazine this is her he said the young man looked at the picture oh right you mean Howard Hudson's daughter he said she's not staying here but I saw her 10 or 15 minutes ago she was with somebody a man he asked me about the t-o the t-o said Nick where's that the man with short white hair was tired he couldn't sleep and he couldn't eat he thought about only one thing all the time he drove and he

watched and he waited and he followed when he drove into Victoria the streets were busy and suddenly he lost the blue car in front of him angrily he drove around the city past all the big hotels I must find him he said I must do it today then he saw the Empress Hotel and in the street outside it a blue car he drove past the hotel left his car and ran back down the street he went across the road and walked past the downstairs Windows there was a big room with tables and chairs and a

lot of of people he looked carefully at all the faces there she is he said suddenly there were two men with the girl he couldn't see their faces only the backs of their heads but one of the men was in a green shirt Mr Hollywood the man said and smiled Goodbye Mr Hollywood all in the street turned to look at him but the man did not see them he walked up to the doors of the hotel and put a hand into his pocket inside the gun was cold and hard chapter 6 a tea party Meg

looked through the doors of the te- room in the Empress Hotel Meg Hudson sat at a table with a man the man was about 30 or maybe a year or two younger he was tall and Brown from the sun he wore a white shirt white trousers and white shoes he said something to Meg and she laughed she looked very happy a waiter came up to Nick can I get you some tea he asked no thanks said Nick I'm with the two people over there and he walked across to Meg's table Hello mystery girl said Nick

remember me we met at Whistler your name was Jan then but maybe today it's Meg Hudson Meg Hudson looked up at him oh she said and her face went red who is this Meg asked the man this is Nick said Meg heun's a writer Nick this is Craig Winters sometimes called Mr Hollywood said Nick maybe but how did you know that I asked Craig Winters I guessed said Nick and I think I'm beginning to understand can I ask you a question Mr Winters does somebody want to kill you Craig winters's face went white kill me

what are you talking about asked Meg before I tell you answer this question please said Nick you called me Mr Hollywood in whistling and you wanted the man at the next table the man with white hair to hear you is that right Meg Hudson did not answer at first then she said quietly yes why asked Nick I wanted him to follow you and not me why Nick asked again I think he's a detective said Meg and I think he's working for my father I saw him soon after I left Toronto he followed me Meg put

her hand on Craig Winter's arm my father doesn't like Craig a month ago he told me not to see Craig again I'm not happy and he knows that I think he guessed that I'm meeting Craig and now he wants to find Craig and stop him seeing me stop him said Nick or kill him no Meg Hudson said Daddy doesn't the man with white hair pushed me in front of a car in Vancouver Nick told her and he shot at me in Stanley Park what said Meg tell tell me about this man with white hair Craig

Winters said suddenly Nick looked at him he's about 60 and he's tall and thin he said do you know his name asked Winters Vickers said Nick Craig Winters suddenly looked ill did he did he follow you to Victoria did he follow you here I don't know said Nick he watched Winters you're afraid of him why why does this man Vickers want to kill you Winters before Craig Winters could answer Meg's face went white oh no she said look look over there by the door Nick and Craig Winters turned to look at the door of the

t-o stood the man with white hair he looked up and down the room and then he saw them and began to walk across to their table his hand was in his pocket for a second or two the three people of the table did not move then Craig Winters jumped to his feet that's Mr Hollywood he screamed that man there and he pointed at Nick the man's hand came out of his pocket with a gun this is for Anna he shouted Nick moved very fast the tea table went over and Nick was down on the floor

in a second the shot went over his head and Meg screamed at the same time Craig Winters shouted out and put a hand on his arm there was blood on his white shirt then more people began to scream and two waiters pulled the man with white hair down onto the floor get the police somebody shouted chapter 7 at the police station it was 7:30 p.m. Nick and Meg were in a room at the police station the man called Vickers was in a different room with three Detectives there was a doctor with him too Craig Winters

was at the hospital the door opened and the detective came in with two cups of coffee he put them down on the table and turned to go out again detective Edmonds Meg said did the hospital call is Craig going to be all right Winters detective Edmund said yes he's going to be okay can I call the hospital now asked Meg I'd like you to wait said Edmonds detective Keat is going to be here in a minute he's just coming from the airport and he looked through the open door ah here he is now a second

detective came into the room and behind behind him was a tall man with dark hair Meg stood up quickly daddy she cried what are you doing here the police called me said Howard Hudson and I flew here at once detective Keat met me at the airport now sit down Meg I want you to listen to me he did not look at Nick Meg sat down and her father took her hands Meg last week Johnny Vickers came to my house he wanted to talk about his daughter you remember Anna Meg 3 months ago she jumped off

a bridge in Boston and died she was young beautiful rich and and she didn't want to live why because she loved a man and the man took her money ran away and left her and the man was called No said Meg no yes Meg yes he was called Mr Hollywood no shouted Meg she began to cry that's right Miss Hudson said detective Keat quietly to you he gave the name Craig Winters when Anna Vickers knew him he was Carl Windsor but he liked all his girlfriends to call him Mr Hollywood he took nearly $50,000 from

Anna Vickers and there was a girl before that no it's not true Meg shouted it is true Meg said her father Winters Winder gets all his money from Rich men's daughters Johnny Vickers loved his daughter he went to her house in Boston after she died he read her letters and learned about the money and the name Mr Hollywood and when when he came to my house I told him about you Meg I said my daughter's got a new boyfriend and she calls him Mr Hollywood I don't like him but I can't stop her she's going

away to meet him next week I think what can I do Johnny put his hand on my arm and he said don't be afraid for your your daughter I'm going to find that man and stop him Meg said nothing her face was very white for a minute or two nobody spoke then detective Edmund said Vickers told us all about it Miss Hudson he followed you to Whistler and saw you with Nick began to understand with me in the cafe and Meg called me Mr Hollywood Howard Hudson looked at Nick you're the travel Rider guy right

Lords Nick Lords said Nick Vickers nearly killed me he shot at me twice and but Howard Hudson was not very interested interested in Nick he looked at his daughter again how much money did you give him Meg he said I I gave him $25,000 said Meg only for two or 3 months he said then she she began to cry again well you can say goodbye to that money said Hudson angrily what's going to happen to Vickers Nick asked detective Edmonds hospital I think said Edmonds okay he shot at you and about 50 people saw him

but he's not a Wellman the doctors are going to put him away in a hospital Howard Hudson stood up okay Meg I'm going to take you home my plane is waiting at the airport Meg followed her father to the door then she remembered Nick and turned I'm sorry she said I got you into all this I called you Mr Hollywood that was wrong but I didn't know it's okay said Nick you know everything now and it's better to learn it now than not later $50,000 later chapter 8 a nice smile Nick took the evening fairy

back to Vancouver he was tired and hungry so he went down to get some dinner in the fery restaurant the restaurant was busy and there was only one free table Nick sat down quickly and began to eat I must get back to work tomorrow he thought and forget about millionaires daughters and men with guns excuse me somebody said can I sit with you Nick looked up there was a pretty girl next to his table he got up it's okay he said you can have this table I don't want it and he began to move away

please don't go the girl said stay and finish your dinner she smiled at him it was a nice smile but Nick knew all about nice Smiles I'm not hungry he said and he walked quickly out of the restaurant the voice over in this video is given by English 5 days copying or re-uploading is totally forbidden