Detective Miller found a coded message left by a spy: 'Meet me at the place where the shadows are shortest at midnight.' Where was the spy asking to meet?
Nowhere, it's a trick
Shadows are shortest at noon when the sun is highest. At midnight, there is no sun and therefore no shadows, making the meeting place impossible.
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.
More detective riddles
Inspector Lane investigated a warehouse arson. The fire chief declared it an inside job because the sprinkler system had been manually disabled. The night shift had three employees: Sam, who has a severe allergy to smoke; Dean, who lost his keys earlier that night; and Castiel, who was found tied up in the breakroom. Castiel claimed two masked men bound him. Lane arrested Castiel. Why?
Inspector Brooks investigated a break-in at a high-tech laboratory. The thief bypassed the biometric retinal scanner by using a high-resolution photograph of the scientist's eye. Brooks noticed one fatal flaw in the thief's setup that proved an insider helped them. What was it about the photograph?
A wealthy merchant was found dead in his study during a fierce winter blizzard. The heater was off, and the room was freezing. The only clues were a burnt-down candle and a small puddle of water near the window. Detective Miller realized the killer entered through the locked window without leaving footprints in the snow outside. How?
A security camera captured a masked intruder breaking into a safe at 2:00 AM. The safe door was ripped off its heavy hinges using an industrial hydraulic jack. Yet, the owner of the safe, a weak elderly woman who could barely lift a gallon of milk, had an airtight alibi miles away. Detective Sterling realized the woman was the mastermind. How did she pull off the physical feat without being there?
The curator of the maritime museum was found locked inside a giant glass aquarium tank, which was slowly filling with water. The heavy steel door of the tank was bolted from the outside. Three suspects stood nearby: the rival historian, the terrified intern, and the master locksmith. Each claimed they had no idea how the curator got inside. Detective Sterling pointed to the floor vent and arrested the locksmith. Why?
Detective Drake inspected a museum break-in. The thief had bypassed an advanced retinal scanner by holding a high-definition photograph of the curator's eye up to the lens. Drake shook his head and told the museum director that an inside job was impossible, but the photograph itself proved the thief was an amateur. Why?