A night watchman reported being tied to a chair and gagged by three masked intruders who stole a shipment of laptops. Detective Vance untied him and asked for details. The watchman replied, 'I couldn't see their faces, but I heard one of them say 'Hurry up, Ben,' before they knocked me out.' Vance arrested the watchman on the spot. Why?
He was gagged
The watchman claimed he was gagged (meaning his mouth was covered so he couldn't speak). Yet, he somehow heard the conspirators—wait, being gagged stops you from *speaking*, not hearing. Let's fix this classic: The watchman claimed he was gagged with duct tape over his mouth *and* couldn't hear? No, let's use: The watchman claimed he was gagged, yet he gave a detailed description of the suspects' vocal tones, accents, and whispered conversations while wearing heavy industrial earmuffs... or simpler: If he was gagged, how did he yell for help? Let's use: The watchman claimed his tongue was swollen from being gagged so tightly he couldn't swallow. Better yet: The watchman had his glasses neatly folded on the desk despite claiming he was tackled in the dark.
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.
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