Inspector Vance found the victim slumped over a desk with a fresh cup of coffee. The victim's left hand held a pen, resting on a notepad with the words 'The winter chill is here.' The apartment windows were sealed shut, the thermostat read 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and frost coated the outside of the glasspane. Yet, the radiator was completely cold. Why did Vance immediately arrest the landlord for foul play?
The radiator was off despite the extreme frost, and the room was artificially heated to 85 degrees to melt an indoor ice structure the killer used.
If it is freezing outside and the windows have frost, but the room is 85 degrees and the radiator is cold, an external heat source or artificial climate control was used. However, frost only forms on glass when the outside is freezing and the inside is normally cold. A hot room with an unheated radiator and frost means the room was rapidly heated *after* the frost formed, pointing to a staged environment.
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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