A jewel thief left a taunting riddle for the police: 'I visited your city in the month that has twenty-eight days, stole the star ruby, and vanished.' The police spent months searching for the thief during February. Why was this a wasted effort?
Every month has twenty-eight days
Every month of the year contains at least twenty-eight days, so the thief did not specify February.
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: Easy. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.
More detective riddles
A security guard at a tech warehouse reported that a thief broke in through the roof skylight at 2:00 AM, smashed a glass cabinet, and stole prototype microchips. When Detective Greene inspected the scene, she immediately knew the guard staged the break-in. What gave him away?
Detective Briggs examined the body of a man found face down in a shallow indoor swimming pool. The victim's wristwatch was broken and stopped at 3:15 PM. His pockets were full of heavy river stones. The pool was empty of water, but the surrounding tile floor was soaking wet. Briggs concluded the man did not drown. Why?
A museum guard claimed a masked thief jumped out of a second-story window carrying a heavy stone bust. Detective Cruz inspected the alley below and noticed the snow was completely undisturbed beneath the window. Cruz arrested the guard for insurance fraud. Why?
A rare manuscript was stolen from a museum display case. The security guard swore nobody entered the gallery all afternoon. Detective Gray noticed a heavy layer of undisturbed dust on the upper shelf where the book sat, but clean finger marks on the lower edge. How did the thief steal it?
An explorer was found frozen to death inside a sealed research station in Antarctica. The heater was fully functional, and there was plenty of firewood and food. The door was bolted from the inside. How did he freeze?
A priceless sapphire was stolen from a glass display case. The security guard swore he never left the perimeter, but his heavy leather boots were caked in dry red clay found exclusively in the greenhouse across the estate. When confronted, the guard claimed he walked through the rose garden. Why was his story impossible?