Crime and Puzzlement

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Crime and Puzzlement

• By
• Lawerence Treat
• Powerpoint created by Monica Bramall

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A Snitch in Time

• When somebody forgot to open the damper in the
  copper hood over the fireplace in the center of
  Le Pigeonneau, most of the patrons scrambled to
  the nearest exit for a breath of air. Because of
  a tip to the effect that Orin Sanscrit was
  meeting a foreign agent here as the first step in
  passing him some sensitive information, an FBI
  agent had followed him and his party to the
  restaurant. The agent, however, had no idea
  whether the tip was valid, and if so, which of
  the men at Sanscrits table was the foreigner.
• It so happened that Wilbur Unisex was having
  squab (his favorite dish) in the restaurant and
  that on his way out he passed the Sanscrit table,
  which you see. Outside, while waiting for the air
  to clear, Wilbur chatted with the FBI man, who
  chatted back at him and told him of his problem.
  Wilbur, of course, had the answer and told the
  FBI man whom to follow. Could you?

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• Was this an expensive restaurant?
• Where had Sanscrit been sitting?
• What had the foursome been talking about?
• Do you think that any bribe money was passed?
• Was Sanscrit trying to impress his guests?
• Where had the foreigner been sitting?

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Slip or Trip

• At five-feet-six, and a hundred and ten pounds,
  Queenie Black was a sight to behold, and to
  clasp. And when she tore out of the house after a
  tiff with her husband, Arthur, she went to the
  country club where there was a party going on.
  She left the club shortly before one in the
  morning and invited a few friends to follow her
  home and have one more drink. They got to the
  Blacks house about ten minutes after Queenie,
  who met them at the door and said, Something
  terrible happenedArthur slipped and fell on the
  stairs. He was coming down for another drinkhe
  still had the glass in his handand I think hes
  dead. Oh my goodnesswhat shall I do?
• The autopsy concluded that Arthur had died from
  a wound on the head, and confirmed the fact that
  hed been drunk.
• What do you think happened?

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• Could such a wound have come from a fall?
• Do you think Arthur had a good sense of balance
  when he started to go downstairs?
• In which hand do you think he was holding his
  drink when he fell?
• What was Queenie cooking?
• Can you find a probable murder weapon?
• Who do you think killed Arthur and how?

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Boudoir

• Amy LaTours body was found in her bedroom last
  night, as shown, with her pet canary strangled in
  its cage. Henry Willy and Joe Wonty, her
  boyfriends Louis Spanker, a burglar known to
  have been in the vicinity and Celeste, her maid,
  were questioned by the police.
• Wilbur Unisex, who happened to be in the area
  pursuing the Heliconius charitonius, put down his
  butterfly net and solved the case. Can you?

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• How was Amy apparently killed?
• Is there evidence of a violent struggle?
• Was her murder strong?
• Was Amy fond of jewelry?
• Was she robbed?
• Do you think she had been on friendly terms with
  her killer?
• Was the canary strangled before Amys death?
• Was this a crime of passion?
• Did Willy have a motive?
• Who killed Amy?
• Henry Willy
• Joe Wonty
• Louis Spanker
• Celeste

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A Matter of Diamonds

• Mrs. Diana Dogge, Dr. C. D. Spaniel and Owen
  Rottweiler were having tea on the Dogge patio and
  examining some diamonds that Mr. Rottweiler was
  showing in the hope of selling. The diamonds were
  on the small, dark platter near the center of the
  table when someone inside the house yelled
  Fire! and the three fled the patio. The fire,
  which had been set, damaged a curtain but was
  easily extinguished, and it was not determined
  who had given the alarm. When the trio returned,
  the diamonds were gone.
• Wilbur Sleuth, who had been chasing butterflies,
  came up on the scene as shown. He questioned the
  trio and all of them gave similar answers to the
  effect that at the alarm they had jumped up and
  run into the house and that no one had noticed
  what the others did.
• From a study of the scene, Wilbur guessed who
  had stolen the diamonds. And he was right, or
  course. He always is.

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• Where did Mrs. Dogge sit?
• Where did the doctor sit?
• Was the doctor nervous?
• Do you think the diamonds blew away?
• Does Mrs. Dogges wealth eliminate her as a
  suspect?
• Had all three people left the table after making
  similar movements?
• Who stole the diamonds?

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The Lunchroom Murder

• On an otherwise uneventful Thursday, police heard
  a shot in Ernies Lunchroom, rushed inside, and
  found this scene.
• The identified the body as that of Five-Fingered
  Fannin, a racketeer. Ernie, who had no helper had
  only one fact to tell The murderer had leaned
  against the wall while firing at point-blank
  range. The imprint of his hand is in clear view.
• From the facts and an examination of the scene,
  can you answer the questions and tell who killed
  Fannin?

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• Had Ernie been mopping up recently?
• How many customers had recently been in the
  restaurant?
• Do you think Ernie was the victim of a holdup?
• Do you think B, C, and D knew each other?
• Did A enter the restaurant before D?
• At least how many people were in the restaurant
  the instant that Fannin entered?
• Would footsteps show if they had not traversed
  the wet spaces?
• Which are Ernies footsteps?
• Did Ernie walk out through the kitchen door?
• Did Ernie ring up the 8.75 sale on the cash
  register before the murder?
• Where was Ernie at the moment of the shooting?
• Which are As footsteps?
• Did A run out through the kitchen door?
• Are the footsteps marked X those of the murder?
• Did the murder fire with his right hand?
• Who killed Fannin?