A diamond necklace vanished from a high-security vault. The night watchman claimed he saw a ghost float through the laser grid, grab the necklace, and vanish into thin air. Detective Sterling examined the laser grid emitter and immediately arrested the watchman for insurance fraud. What did Sterling discover?
The lasers were positioned too low
If a ghost (or person) floated *through* the laser grid, they would have broken the beams. However, if the watchman staged it, he likely disabled the lasers or knew the code. Wait, the watchman said the ghost floated *through* the grid. If it floated, it wouldn't touch the floor, but lasers cover the whole room. Sterling discovered the laser beams were set at waist height, meaning anyone walking normally would trip them, but crawling or floating below them wouldn't trigger them unless... wait. Sterling arrested the watchman because the watchman turned off the lasers using his own security code, leaving no alarm triggered.
About this riddle
Detective riddles are tiny mysteries. Look for the detail in the story that does not fit; it is usually the clue that solves the case.
Difficulty: Hard. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.
More detective riddles
Three kids race to build the tallest apple tower. Leo finished before Max. Max finished before Omar. Who finished last?
A famous author was murdered in his study. The suspect list was narrowed to three people who had keys to the private office: the editor, the publisher, and the illustrator. The detective noticed a freshly written page on the desk detailing a character's death by drowning in a bathtub. The illustrator was arrested. Why?
Inspector Lane found a note on the victim's desk written in code: 'S-T-A-R-S'. The suspects were people whose names corresponded to celestial bodies or seasons. Lane immediately suspected a man named Robin. What did the code reveal?
At midnight, a gunshot echoed through the mansion. Detective Drake rushed to the parlor to find the homeowner dead on the rug. The butler said he was sleeping. The maid said she was dusting the chandelier. The chef said he was boiling eggs. Drake arrested the chef instantly. What gave the chef away?
A valuable sculpture was stolen from a pedestal. The security cameras showed the room was empty for ten minutes, then suddenly the sculpture was gone without anyone entering or leaving the frame. How did the thief pull off the heist?
Detective Miller found a coded message left on a victim's desk: '7-5-12-12-15'. Next to it was a calendar with the months numbered. Miller immediately knew the killer's first name. What was it?

