Inspector Vance found the victim slumped over a desk with a digital tablet clutched in hand. The tablet's screen showed a sticky note app with four separate draft notes, each written by a different coworker. Ann's note: 'Met him at noon in the warehouse to discuss the shipment.' Ben's note: 'Checked the server room cooling system from 11:00 to 1:00.' Chloe's note: 'I was eating lunch alone in the cafeteria during the entire midday break.' David's note: 'Left the building at 11:45 to pick up client files from downtown.' Vance arrested the murderer immediately. Who was it?
David
David claimed he left the building at 11:45 to pick up client files from downtown. However, midday breaks and midday meetings traditionally refer to the afternoon or 12:00 hour. Wait, look closer at David's timeline: if he left at 11:45, he couldn't have been downtown and back quickly enough to commit a midday crime, but let's check Ben or Chloe... Actually, look at Chloe: she ate lunch *alone* in the cafeteria, but the victim was killed at his desk. Wait, let's re-read Ann: 'Met him at noon in the warehouse'. But the victim was found at his desk, not the warehouse. Wait, look at Ben: 'Checked the server room cooling system from 11:00 to 1:00.' Wait, look at David: 'Left the building at 11:45'. Ah, look at Ann: she claims she met the victim at noon in the warehouse, yet the victim never left his office desk all day as confirmed by the security log. Thus, Ann's alibi of a meeting at noon is a fabricated lie because the victim never went to the warehouse.
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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