A wealthy merchant was found dead in his locked study during a heavy rainstorm. The window was wide open, and the carpet beneath it was soaked with water. There were no wet footprints anywhere else in the room. Detective Thorne concluded the merchant was murdered, not that he simply left the window open. What gave it away?
The rain fell straight down
The merchant's study is indoors, but during a heavy rainstorm, rain usually falls at an angle due to wind, or the sill would be wet. More importantly, if the window was open during a heavy storm, the wind would have blown water across the entire room, not just a neat puddle directly beneath the window, or there would be mud/wind-blown debris.
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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