A museum curator was found locked inside a display case, having suffocated. The case was made of thick bulletproof glass with a complex electronic lock. The lock history showed it was opened from the outside at 3:00 AM, but no guards were on duty. Detective Nash realized the curator locked himself in intentionally. Why?
To fake his own death or pull off an elaborate insurance fraud.
Since the lock was opened from the outside at 3:00 AM, someone had the code or a remote override, but if the curator entered willingly to stage a theft or a disappearance that went wrong, it explains the lack of forced entry.
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: Medium. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.
More detective riddles
A priceless ruby necklace was stolen from a locked hotel suite. The maid found the door unlatched and the safe open. The guest claimed he put the necklace in the safe before going to sleep and woke up to find it gone. Detective Patel noticed the guest's heavy winter boots were caked in dry mud, even though it hadn't rained or snowed in the city for weeks. What did this reveal?
A wealthy merchant reported his diamond necklace stolen from a velvet display box. The night watchman stated he patrolled the hallway every twenty minutes and saw the necklace sparkling in the moonlight through the glass window the entire night. Detective Ray arrested the watchman immediately. Why?
A jewel thief claimed he spent the entire night of the heist at a drive-in movie theater watching a midnight screening in his car. To prove it, he described every scene of the film in detail. The detective arrested him for perjury before the movie even finished loading. Why?
The famous violinist was found dead in her dressing room, strangled with a G-string from her violin. The local police suspected a robbery, but her diamond necklace and cash were untouched. Detective Finch examined the violin case on the table and noticed the bow was missing, but the rosin block was shattered. Finch shook his head and said, 'It wasn't a stranger.' Who was the killer?
Detective Miller walked into a freezing cabin and found a man frozen to death in a rocking chair. The cabin had no fireplace, no electricity, and no working heater, yet the windows were wide open and the floor around the chair was soaking wet. Miller smiled and said it was an inside job. What really happened?
The stolen painting was hidden in one of three identical packing crates in a warehouse. Crates A, B, and C each had a warning painted on them by the thief. Box A read: 'The painting is not in Box B.' Box B read: 'The painting is in this box.' Box C read: 'The painting is not in Box A.' If only one statement is true, where is the painting?