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Detective riddle

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?

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 rare manuscript was stolen from the university library. The thief left behind a muddy boot print on the white marble floor. Three professors had muddy boots: Professor Plum, Professor Green, and Professor Mustard. However, Professor Plum was in a wheelchair, Professor Green had been bedridden with a broken leg for a week, and Professor Mustard was out of the country. Yet none of them were the thief. How is this possible?

A rare diamond was stolen from a glass pedestal inside a locked museum gallery. The room has only one wooden door, bolted securely from the inside, and two high, narrow windows that are permanently sealed shut with iron bars spaced three inches apart. The glass case was shattered outward, and glass shards lay scattered across the polished marble floor. The night watchman swears nobody entered or exited. How did the thief escape with the diamond?

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An old recluse was found dead in his study on a scorching July afternoon. The radiator was hissing loudly and burning hot, and the man was wearing a heavy wool winter coat, a woolen scarf, and snow boots. The autopsy later proved he died of heatstroke, but he locked the door from the inside and left a note saying 'I cannot stop the chill.' What actually happened to him?

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