A famous jeweler reported that a priceless emerald had been stolen right out of his pocket while he walked through a crowded subway car. He insisted nobody bumped into him and he never lost focus. Detective Miller examined the jeweler's heavy winter coat, found a small vertical slit in the outer pocket lining, and solved the case. Who took the emerald?
The jeweler himself staged the theft for an insurance payout.
A pickpocket operating from the outside would have to slice the outer fabric from the exterior. However, a vertical slit on the inside pocket lining or a clean cut reachable only from the inside indicates the item was pushed through from within, or the pocket was manipulated by the wearer.
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
An antique pocket watch was stolen from a locked safe. The thief left behind a single fingerprint on the inside glass of the display case. The owner of the house had no fingerprints on file, but was arrested anyway. Why?
A jewel thief left a mocking note at an empty crime scene: 'You'll never catch me; I've fled north to the snowy peaks.' Detective Fox smiled, packed his bags for a tropical beach resort, and successfully apprehended the thief the next day. How did Fox know where to look?
A security guard reported a break-in at the jewelry vault. He claimed he was knocked unconscious from behind while making his 2:00 AM rounds. Detective Cruz examined the scene: the vault door was cleanly sliced with a laser, and the guard's flashlight was neatly placed on a nearby desk, switched on, pointing away from the vault. Cruz arrested the guard. Why?
Detective Moss arrived at a snowy cabin where a man had been shot. There were no footprints leading to or from the cabin except for a single set of boot tracks coming directly from the back door, stopping twenty feet away where a pair of skis lay in the snow. Moss smiled and realized the victim shot himself accidentally. How did the tracks prove it?
An antique pocket watch was reported stolen from a mantlepiece during a dinner party. The host searched all six guests. Five guests had empty pockets, but the sixth guest, a renowned magician, had the watch in his breast pocket. The magician smiled and said, 'It's just a trick.' The detective immediately cuffed him anyway. Why couldn't it be a trick?
Inspector Vance found the victim slumped over a desk with a punctured tea cup, a spilled inkwell, a torn calendar page showing November 12th, and a smashed pocket watch stopped at 8:15. Vance immediately arrested the secretary. What tipped him off?