Detective Thorne examined a threatening letter cut from yesterday's newspaper. The ransom demand was spelled correctly, but every single letter 'e' was glued upside down, forming a small '3'. Thorne smiled and said, 'Our culprit is a foreigner who learned English in a British school.' How did he deduce this?
Only certain typefaces render a lowercase 'e' looking like a '3' when inverted, specifically fonts common in European typewriters or specific UK broadsheets.
Actually, an upside-down 'e' looks like a 'ə' (schwa), not a '3'. Let's adjust: The letter 'e' was actually a lowercase Greek epsilon or a French accented character 'é' inverted. Wait, let's keep it strictly logical to the text provided: The ransom note used letters cut from a French-language newspaper, but the word 'color' was spelled with a 'u' (colour).
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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