A rare historical document was stolen from a glass case that was smashed with a heavy iron paperweight. The suspect had an iron-clad alibi for the time of the break-in, but police found microscopic iron flakes embedded deeply in the palms of his leather gloves. The suspect claimed he worked as a blacksmith years ago. The detective proved he struck the glass that night. How?
Oxidation state
Iron flakes from old blacksmith work would be heavily oxidized and rusted. The iron flakes embedded in the gloves were bright, unrusted, and fresh, matching the newly fractured edges of the broken security latch.
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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