Brain Teasers
Susan's Last Stand
Susan Coffered was not liked very much so no one was surprised when she was found dead. She had been murdered in the Church car park right in the middle of the main Sunday Service. A single shot had done the deed, and it had obviously been fired from way up in the bell tower, some 75 feet high, right at the other end of the Church.
When the detective in charge of the case had finished examining the scene, his assistant had eliminated all but three suspects.
Rev Don Whiteshire had always disliked the way she showed off, making everyone else feel very silly, during her work at the Church.
Carol Magson didn't like how she was made to feel inferior since their aunt had left Susan some money. Susan always had more money to spend than Carol.
Lord Victor Shiling was very angry at the way he heard Susan constantly humiliating him because of his disability.
When all three were finished the detective in charge of this mystery knew who the culprit was.
Who was the culprit? What made the detective so sure?
When the detective in charge of the case had finished examining the scene, his assistant had eliminated all but three suspects.
Rev Don Whiteshire had always disliked the way she showed off, making everyone else feel very silly, during her work at the Church.
Carol Magson didn't like how she was made to feel inferior since their aunt had left Susan some money. Susan always had more money to spend than Carol.
Lord Victor Shiling was very angry at the way he heard Susan constantly humiliating him because of his disability.
When all three were finished the detective in charge of this mystery knew who the culprit was.
Who was the culprit? What made the detective so sure?
Hint
Lord Victor had sustained an eye injury causing very poor vision, which is why he only 'heard' Susan taunting him.Answer
Lord Victor could not have done it because of his sight. He could not have been accurate at such a distance.Rev Don Whiteshire could not have done it. The shooting happened in mid service. He was in clear view at that time.
Carol Magson is the only remaining suspect. She assumed that her Aunt's money would come to her, so she had motive and opportunity.
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Comments
What a smart detective to deduce that a blind man could not have fired the shot and that the priest could not be in two places at the same time.
Whhooeee! Where to start on this one?
1. How did the detective happen to be on the scene just at the moment of the shooting to note where Rev. Don was standing and that he had no gun?
2. What about the sexton, Tom Pattaway, who has been cheesed off at Susan since she scolded him for not having the chalice polished properly last Sunday and who has the only key for the bell tower?
3. And what about Berky Weasle, the village idiot, who has been repeatedly scolded for climbing onto the church roof and shooting at the pigeons?
4. And how did we rule out Martin Redcoffer, Susan's third cousin, twice removed, who is nextin line for Aunt Matilda's money now that Susan is out of the way?
Not a very convincing solution, I fear, Holmes and I shall have to look deeper into these murky waters.
1. How did the detective happen to be on the scene just at the moment of the shooting to note where Rev. Don was standing and that he had no gun?
2. What about the sexton, Tom Pattaway, who has been cheesed off at Susan since she scolded him for not having the chalice polished properly last Sunday and who has the only key for the bell tower?
3. And what about Berky Weasle, the village idiot, who has been repeatedly scolded for climbing onto the church roof and shooting at the pigeons?
4. And how did we rule out Martin Redcoffer, Susan's third cousin, twice removed, who is nextin line for Aunt Matilda's money now that Susan is out of the way?
Not a very convincing solution, I fear, Holmes and I shall have to look deeper into these murky waters.
Huh? What does that have to do with this teaer?
It's not a bad teaser. I liked it.
Thank you that was a really nice comment
Thank you that was a really nice comment
Unklemyke's comment was ignorant. My only thing with this teaser was the fact that he was blind. The teaser didn't say he was blind. I thought his disablilty might have been that he was crippled, which would also make him unable to get to the top of the tower. Otherwise, great teaser!
i just read the hint, and, it was in the teaser, my fault! good teaser!
You never said he was blind. So his disability might have been that he was a hunchback. Hunchbacks always stay in the bell tower, so...
Dec 01, 2004
Even without blindness being the disability...it would have been logical to exclude him. I assumed he was in a wheelchair, for some reason or another. Good teaser! Much fun!
Would have made more sense if Lord Victor's "disability" had been spelled out, but I got it anyway by assuming that his problem, whatever it was, would keep him out of the bell tower.
unklemyke's comment is hilarious. It is about as clever as the teaser is. dumb teaser.....if everyone know the answer, what makes it a mystery teaser?
I liked it!! There was a very good way to figure it out!! and yet it took some thinking! Remember we have a lot of young folk on this site and they need to learn how to solve them too!
I usually don't bash teasers, but I've gotta for this one...
Many churches have more than one priest. The Rev was not the only one who could've served that mass.
I suppose I could let the eye injury thing go... but it should've been more clear that it affected BOTH eyes.
Many churches have more than one priest. The Rev was not the only one who could've served that mass.
I suppose I could let the eye injury thing go... but it should've been more clear that it affected BOTH eyes.
i so agree with u cyberbash! my church has 12 preists!!!! other than that how could a girl shoot during a mass serivce??????? i mean! it should have been an adult!
A bit more information could have been included in the text of the story although I was still able to come to the correct conclusion.
1. I assumed Lord Victor's disability prevented him from climbing the tower steps, but that should have been made clear. The type of disability wasn't mentioned.
2. The story should have explained that the Priest or Reverend had been delivering that day's sermon. (or that there were no other priests in that day.)
3. Eliminating any other's that were attending that day's church service would have been nice since anyone else could have gone up the tower to deliver the deed.
Excellent writing skills used in this mystery! I liked it!
1. I assumed Lord Victor's disability prevented him from climbing the tower steps, but that should have been made clear. The type of disability wasn't mentioned.
2. The story should have explained that the Priest or Reverend had been delivering that day's sermon. (or that there were no other priests in that day.)
3. Eliminating any other's that were attending that day's church service would have been nice since anyone else could have gone up the tower to deliver the deed.
Excellent writing skills used in this mystery! I liked it!
Before anyone else discounts UnkleMyke's comments, remember that this teaser has been edited.
Truthfully, it sounds like it was probably more interesting that way.
Truthfully, it sounds like it was probably more interesting that way.
It sounds like it was edited stupidly. The fact that the man's handicap is blindness needs to be in the main body of the puzzle, not in the hint. I typically don't look at hints. And the detective might as well fire his assistant if he had eliminated other suspects but not the preacher who was in front of dozens of people when the shot rang out. I had assumed that it was some other preacher giving the sermon, if he was still a suspect.
In fact, since the detective's assistant presented as "suspects" a blind guy and someone with an airtight alibi, I know who REALLY committed the crime, the assistant!!
In fact, since the detective's assistant presented as "suspects" a blind guy and someone with an airtight alibi, I know who REALLY committed the crime, the assistant!!
I enjoyed your teaser. My original thought was it was revenge for always laughing at his disability and so he killed her from the bell tower with a brilliant concocted method. You know i way to say "who is laughing at me now, I can commit a briallant murder and no one will suspect me" but then i read the hint and that was blown out the water lol. Good fun will look for the next one
All the people complaining about the disability thing should realize that most of these types of teasers are centered around noticing details. If you failed to notice the use of the word "heard" that's not the writer's problem.
@ttt3142:
As far as I know, blind individuals aren't the only ones capable of hearing humiliation, although I have heard that some people who learn not to become as dependent on sight as humans tend to can develop a stronger acuity.
As far as I know, blind individuals aren't the only ones capable of hearing humiliation, although I have heard that some people who learn not to become as dependent on sight as humans tend to can develop a stronger acuity.
Fun teaser! It was quite easy, though it took me a while. For all those complaining about the disability thing, you should look out for words like 'heard.' Blindness is the most common thing that would start this, so that is what would come to mind, would it not?
It makes it clear that they are in the middle of a service, and then presents a priest. It would be safe to assume he is leading the service, because why would the submitter suddenly decide a different priest is leading the Mass?
Cool teaser! I like it.
It makes it clear that they are in the middle of a service, and then presents a priest. It would be safe to assume he is leading the service, because why would the submitter suddenly decide a different priest is leading the Mass?
Cool teaser! I like it.
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