At midnight, a jeweler's safe was emptied. The security system recorded the correct digital PIN being entered, followed by the vault door swinging open. Only the owner and the manager knew the PIN. The manager was out of town in a coma following a car crash. The owner was home sleeping. Who cracked the safe?
The owner, or someone who forced the owner to give the PIN, or the owner faked an alibi.
Since the manager was in a coma and couldn't enter the PIN, the owner must have entered it, regardless of their claimed alibi.
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.
More detective riddles
A priceless manuscript was stolen from a glass display shelf. The curator claimed he discovered the theft at sunrise when sunlight hit the empty shelf. The detective arrested the curator for insurance fraud. Why?
On the hottest July afternoon, a man was found dead inside his locked, air-conditioned study. The window was bolted shut from the inside, and the only door was locked from the inside with the key resting on the desk. The coroner noted no marks of trauma, but Detective Brooks noticed a large puddle of water surrounding the chair and a stack of old newspapers. How did the man die?
Detective Miller walked into a dimly lit gallery. A priceless diamond had been stolen from a pedestal encased in thick glass. The glass was completely intact, but a thin layer of fine white dust covered the entire floor around the pedestal. Footprints led up to the case and stopped, but no footprints led away. How did the thief escape without leaving tracks?
A notorious jewel thief was caught because he left a unique calling card at every crime scene: a fresh, perfectly ripe red strawberry. Detective Cole realized this wasn't arrogance—it was a biological signature. How did the strawberry catch the thief?
During a blizzard, a traveler was found dead in a roadside tent. The zipper was jammed from the outside, and snow was packed high against the canvas walls. Inside, an unlit gas stove sat next to a box of matches. The coroner ruled out hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning. What killed him?
A jeweler reported a heist. The front window was smashed inward, and diamonds were missing from the velvet tray. The security footage showed a masked figure throwing a heavy cobblestone through the glass at midnight. However, the lead detective noticed all the broken glass shards were lying neatly outside on the pedestrian sidewalk. What does this prove?