The victim's watch was found smashed in the hallway, reading 3:45. The coroner established time of death as midnight. Detective Cole knew the killer smashed the watch intentionally to mislead investigators, but what specific detail about the watch's internal gears proved it was stopped manually hours before midnight?
The mainspring was fully wound, meaning it didn't run down naturally.
If a watch stops due to impact during a struggle, the mainspring state matches the running time. A manually jammed gear with full tension indicates deliberate tampering.
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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