Inspector Lane investigated a counterfeit painting ring operating out of an old barn. Inside, she found a master forger working frantically on a canvas depicting a snowy winter landscape. Canvases, tubes of oil paint, and brushes were everywhere. Lane pointed to a calendar on the wall showing the current date as July 12th and immediately confiscated the unfinished painting as primary evidence. What gave away the forgery operation's timeline?
The oil paint takes months to dry, making a winter painting created in July impossible to pass off as an aged antique.
Oil paintings take a very long time to dry fully. Furthermore, a winter scene painted in mid-summer by a forger trying to pass it off as an old master's work exposes the fresh medium.
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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