To catch a liar, just ask two questions…

“Tell me exactly how it happened, step by step.”

When someone tells the truth, they usually remember sequences with some fluency, even if they forget minor details.

A liar tends to:

Being too vague
or overly detailed in irrelevant parts;
avoiding clear chronology
; asking for a step-by-step reconstruction increases cognitive strain.

Inconsistencies usually appear when the story needs to be structured.

“What happened right before and right after?”
This is the key question.

Most lies focus on the main event. What happens before and after is usually less prepared.

By expanding the time frame:

Contradictions are detected.
Changes in the story.
Unusual hesitations.
Genuine memory tends to include context. Lies focus on the core.

What NOT to do:
Don’t make direct accusations without evidence.
Don’t constantly interrupt.
Don’t look for “universal signs” like avoiding eye contact (that doesn’t always indicate lying).
Effective detection is based on narrative inconsistencies, not isolated gestures.

An important warning:
No technique is infallible.

Some nervous people can appear to be liars.