A famous chef was found poisoned in his restaurant kitchen. The only clue was a handwritten grocery list left on the counter, containing four items: flour, sugar, eggs, and arsenic. The three sous-chefs all denied touching the list. Detective Cruz checked their aprons and found a smudge of cocoa powder on one chef's pocket. Cruz arrested that chef. What gave the chef away?
Cocoa powder wasn't on the list
The sous-chef had a smudge of cocoa powder, yet cocoa was notably absent from the recipe/grocery list the chef was writing. The chef was interrupted while writing a recipe for a cake, but the killer added arsenic and left traces of unlisted ingredients.
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.
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