The Noise Complaint
Just after 9:00 p.m., Oliver received a message from the building manager saying there had been a noise complaint linked to his apartment. This surprised him. He had been home all evening, reading quietly with the television off.
Oliver lives alone and follows a predictable routine. Around 8:30 p.m., he usually makes tea, washes the cup immediately, and sits on the couch until bedtime. That night was no different.
When Oliver stepped into the hallway to take out the trash, he noticed the door to the shared stairwell was propped open. It is normally kept closed because it echoes loudly. He also heard faint music coming from somewhere above, though he couldn’t tell which apartment it was coming from.
Next door lives Priya, who often has friends over but is usually considerate about noise. She had mentioned earlier that day that she was feeling stressed and “needed company.” Across the hall lives Mark, who is sensitive to noise and has complained before about sounds that others barely notice.
Later that evening, Priya sent Oliver a quick message asking if he had heard “anything weird” in the building. Mark, on the other hand, posted a short message in the building group chat reminding everyone to “be respectful after 9.”
The building manager did not say who made the complaint or what kind of noise was reported—only that it was “consistent and disruptive.”
Oliver stood in his kitchen, replaying the evening in his head. He wondered whether the noise had come from his apartment without him realizing it, from someone nearby, or from the open stairwell carrying sound in unexpected ways.
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
What do you think happened?
Why do you think Oliver was identified?
What are you basing that on?
Which detail feels most important?
Why does the open stairwell door matter?
Why might Priya be involved?
Why might Mark be involved?
What assumption are you making about noise?
Which detail could be misleading?
What information is missing?
What would you ask Oliver?
What would you ask the building manager?
How could sound travel differently than expected?
How could this situation be a misunderstanding?
What would change your conclusion?
