A valuable coin collection was stolen from a locked drawer in a museum office. The curator blamed the night watchman, saying he had the only spare key. The watchman denied it, claiming he lost his key a week ago and showed a deep scratch on his palm. Detective Vance examined the keyhole, then arrested the curator. What gave the curator away?
The curator
If the drawer was locked and the watchman lost his key a week ago, how did the thief open it without a key or breaking the lock? The curator had access and fabricated the story, or the watchman's scratch proved nothing about the lock. Wait: If the watchman lost his key a week ago, he couldn't have locked it. Alternatively, if the key was required to lock it from the outside, only someone with access could do it. Let's make it tighter: The curator claimed the watchman used his key, but the lock showed no signs of being picked, meaning someone with authorized master access (like the curator) opened it.
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.
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