Detective Sterling investigated a robbery at an upscale penthouse. The thief stole a single painting from the living room wall, leaving all the expensive electronics untouched. Sterling noticed a faint outline of dust where the painting used to hang, but the dust outline was completely level, even though the building was experiencing a severe 6.0 magnitude earthquake at the exact estimated time of the theft. What does this imply about the earthquake's timing?
The earthquake happened after the painting was removed.
If an earthquake shook the building while the painting was still hanging, ambient dust would have settled unevenly or left a disturbed pattern behind the frame. A clean, undisturbed dust outline proves the painting was removed before the tremors began.
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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