A wealthy merchant was found slumped over his desk, a glass of poisoned wine at his elbow. The butler stated he brought the wine at 8:00 PM. The chef stated she prepared the meal at 7:30 PM. The maid stated she dusted the study at 8:15 PM and the merchant was already dead. The detective checked the grandfather clock in the corner, which had stopped at 7:45 PM due to a power outage earlier that day, and immediately knew the maid was lying. How?
The grandfather clock is weight-driven, not electric. Power outages do not affect grandfather clocks.
Grandfather clocks run on mechanical weights and pendulums, meaning an electrical outage would not cause the clock to stop. The maid gave herself away by blaming the power outage for the stopped clock.
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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