Lord Blackwood was murdered in his study during a fierce thunderstorm. The detective arrived to find the lights off, a candle burned down to a stub on the table, and a bullet hole in the west wall. The butler stated, 'I rushed in the second I heard the shot, tripped in the pitch darkness, and knocked over the bookshelf.' The detective arrested the butler on the spot. Why?
The butler claimed the room was in pitch darkness, yet he claimed he saw Lord Blackwood get shot or saw the bookshelf to knock it over.
If the power was out and the lights were off, and the candle was burned down to a stub (meaning it wasn't providing much light or was blown out), the butler could not have seen to trip over a bookshelf unless there was light, or he knew the layout because he was already there committing the crime in the dark.
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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