Brain Teasers
The Case of the Disappearing Dimes
Nina had expected her great-great uncle's house to be like mansions in the movies, with marble columns and rose gardens, not peeling paint and a weed- filled lawn. But Dad explained that Waldo hated spending money, except on his collections.
Nina's parents thought the kids were playing outside. Instead, they snuck into the candlelit parlor.
"Your mom will freak out if she catches us," Nina's cousin Max muttered.
"I know. But Uncle Waldo traveled a lot and I never got to meet him while he was alive. I just want to see what he looks like."
"At least turn on some lights," Max grumbled. "This is creepy."
"Didn't you hear the lawyer talking to Mom and Dad? Uncle Waldo called the parlor his 'candle room.' He never had it wired for electricity." She crept over to the coffin and peered inside.
Waldo wore a tuxedo with a ruffled shirt and red cummerbund. His white hair was neatly combed, his nails manicured, and his diamond stickpin and silver cufflinks glittered in the candlelight.
"He looks nice," Nina whispered.
Max took one glance inside, then pulled Nina away from the coffin. "Weird," he said. "I didn't think people wore tuxedos when they were buried."
"He liked it. Dad said Uncle Waldo even had his portrait painted wearing this exact same outfit. He put it in his will that he wanted to be dressed for his funeral exactly the way he is in that portrait."
Max shivered. "I wonder who had to dress him?"
"Harvey, Waldo's assistant."
"Like a butler?"
"Sort of."
"So he really was rich. Hey, your Dad was kidding about inheriting twenty cents, right?"
Nina led her cousin back down the hall. "Well, Waldo did leave Dad two dimes. But Mercury is facing the wrong way or something, and that makes them worth a lot of money. Mom said it was enough to pay my way through college someday."
"Cool."
"Uncle Waldo's daughter, Fiona, inherited the house and all this stuff." They entered the study where Nina's parents were talking to the lawyer, Mr. Baxter. Max gawked at Waldo's "collections." Display cases everywhere were filled with jewel-encrusted objects.
Harvey, Waldo's assistant, handed glasses of lemonade to the kids, then left. Nina thought he looked as sour as the drink tasted.
"Fiona arrived earlier, but you probably won't see her until the funeral tomorrow," the lawyer was saying. "Waldo requested burial near his gazebo. Harvey will dig the grave himself."
"Poor Harvey," Dad murmured.
Baxter nodded. "At least Waldo set up a trust that will continue to pay Harvey's salary, small as it is. Now, would you like to see the dimes?"
In the master bedroom upstairs, the lawyer twirled the combination lock on a wall safe while Nina studied the painting of Waldo that hung above the fireplace. Decked out in his tux, ruffled shirt, jade cufflinks and diamond stickpin, he seemed to wink down at her.
Baxter removed a box from the safe and opened it.
Everyone gasped. The box was empty.
"Impossible!" the older man exclaimed. "They were here an hour ago."
"The safe isn't damaged," Mom remarked. "How many people know the combination?".
He frowned. "Just myself, Fiona and Harvey. I'd better call the police."
"Go ahead," Dad said. "But no matter who stole the dimes, they're small enough to be hidden anywhere. Even if the police tear the house apart, I'll bet they never find them." Nina stood up, staring at the portrait. "I think I know who took the dimes," she whispered to Max. "And if I'm right, I know where they are."
Nina's parents thought the kids were playing outside. Instead, they snuck into the candlelit parlor.
"Your mom will freak out if she catches us," Nina's cousin Max muttered.
"I know. But Uncle Waldo traveled a lot and I never got to meet him while he was alive. I just want to see what he looks like."
"At least turn on some lights," Max grumbled. "This is creepy."
"Didn't you hear the lawyer talking to Mom and Dad? Uncle Waldo called the parlor his 'candle room.' He never had it wired for electricity." She crept over to the coffin and peered inside.
Waldo wore a tuxedo with a ruffled shirt and red cummerbund. His white hair was neatly combed, his nails manicured, and his diamond stickpin and silver cufflinks glittered in the candlelight.
"He looks nice," Nina whispered.
Max took one glance inside, then pulled Nina away from the coffin. "Weird," he said. "I didn't think people wore tuxedos when they were buried."
"He liked it. Dad said Uncle Waldo even had his portrait painted wearing this exact same outfit. He put it in his will that he wanted to be dressed for his funeral exactly the way he is in that portrait."
Max shivered. "I wonder who had to dress him?"
"Harvey, Waldo's assistant."
"Like a butler?"
"Sort of."
"So he really was rich. Hey, your Dad was kidding about inheriting twenty cents, right?"
Nina led her cousin back down the hall. "Well, Waldo did leave Dad two dimes. But Mercury is facing the wrong way or something, and that makes them worth a lot of money. Mom said it was enough to pay my way through college someday."
"Cool."
"Uncle Waldo's daughter, Fiona, inherited the house and all this stuff." They entered the study where Nina's parents were talking to the lawyer, Mr. Baxter. Max gawked at Waldo's "collections." Display cases everywhere were filled with jewel-encrusted objects.
Harvey, Waldo's assistant, handed glasses of lemonade to the kids, then left. Nina thought he looked as sour as the drink tasted.
"Fiona arrived earlier, but you probably won't see her until the funeral tomorrow," the lawyer was saying. "Waldo requested burial near his gazebo. Harvey will dig the grave himself."
"Poor Harvey," Dad murmured.
Baxter nodded. "At least Waldo set up a trust that will continue to pay Harvey's salary, small as it is. Now, would you like to see the dimes?"
In the master bedroom upstairs, the lawyer twirled the combination lock on a wall safe while Nina studied the painting of Waldo that hung above the fireplace. Decked out in his tux, ruffled shirt, jade cufflinks and diamond stickpin, he seemed to wink down at her.
Baxter removed a box from the safe and opened it.
Everyone gasped. The box was empty.
"Impossible!" the older man exclaimed. "They were here an hour ago."
"The safe isn't damaged," Mom remarked. "How many people know the combination?".
He frowned. "Just myself, Fiona and Harvey. I'd better call the police."
"Go ahead," Dad said. "But no matter who stole the dimes, they're small enough to be hidden anywhere. Even if the police tear the house apart, I'll bet they never find them." Nina stood up, staring at the portrait. "I think I know who took the dimes," she whispered to Max. "And if I'm right, I know where they are."
Answer
Downstairs in the parlor, Nina explained. "Why would Mr. Baxter have even told Dad about the dimes if he had stolen them? And Fiona's already inheriting a lot of money. But Mr. Baxter said Harvey wasn't paid much.""So where are the dimes?" Max asked.
"Right here." Nina pointed at the coffin. "In the painting, Waldo's cufflinks are green, but I remembered that he was wearing silver ones."
No one said a word about her sneaking in to see Waldo. Dad peeled a dime loose, rubbing glue off Mercury's profile. The cufflink was really the dime in disguise!
"Harvey would have retrieved them before he buried the coffin," said Baxter. "Clever."
"Not as clever as Nina," Mom said, hugging her.
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Comments
Hey, good teaser!
I liked the creepy atmosphere, and surely I like those mysteries!. Fairly ease, I know
Keep sending more of those
BTW: I suggested to create a new category just for these kind of mystery teaser, but no one seemed to like the idea
I liked the creepy atmosphere, and surely I like those mysteries!. Fairly ease, I know
Keep sending more of those
BTW: I suggested to create a new category just for these kind of mystery teaser, but no one seemed to like the idea
hey i think that's a great idea
You have inspired me to create a mystery teaser of my own! Well, I will attempt it anyway...I think mystery teasers would be an awesome category, these really long twisty turny ones are my favorites. I love them! This one was wicked awesome!
There is no possible way to figure that out.
Ya there is!!! In the picture his cufflinks are green and they were silver when she saw them in the coffin!! You just have to pay attention! I thought it was great!
This would have been a good riddle had you not copy and pasted it from another site word for word. The least you could have done is posted something about it not being original or posted the name of the site you found it on.
Thanks, guys! And, yes, I think if enough people wanted a mystery section, we could get one added. The only thing is that most mystery teasers fit perfectly into the Logic (or ocassionally Situation) categories.
"Mind Boggling!!!"
Long... very long. But still a great teaser. I knew when you started going into detail about the tux again the answer but it was still fun
i couldnt even read it it was 2 long sorry...
Thanks pink! You helped me get the answer. I was completely lost.
It was really easy, but interesting. I liked the creepy atmosphere of the story as well.
comment to diva this was a great teaser and you know it so stop being such a butt
I loved it! it was pretty easy but i think you need some easy ones around so you dont feel stupid cause you never get any! i think the mystery section would be awesome!
This was a good one even though it was kinda' easy,but it was well-written. I love the idea of that type of mystery category!
wow
It took a really long long time to read.
TeenDivaPrincess is so right. I've been to the site you got it from.
very good, interesting, amusing, etc... but the longest teaser ive seen yet...
Great teaser, very well written.
too long
I agree with Diva. I've been to that site, and I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to plaigerize, or however you spell it. It was too long, sorry.
It was really very clever! I had to read it twice before the two different cufflinks sunk in!
PS: I don't know anything about copying from another site. Where else is there a site that has stuff like this one?
PS: I don't know anything about copying from another site. Where else is there a site that has stuff like this one?
Great mystery!
I hope it wasn't plagiarized.
I hope it wasn't plagiarized.
love iit... I got the answer very well
Queen recognizes this, because her teacher gave it to her a week ago.
Isn't it by Hy Condrad or something?
Oh, well. It was still pretty fun. ^-^
Isn't it by Hy Condrad or something?
Oh, well. It was still pretty fun. ^-^
It was a good teaser, even if it was taken from another site, in my opinion.
Also, what other site was it taken from? I've been looking for other sites like this one.
Also, what other site was it taken from? I've been looking for other sites like this one.
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