Brain Teasers
Rich Stiff
"The town's richest man was killed late last night in a shocking murder," the reporter exclaimed from the television across the room. "Chief Graham tells us that the police are carefully investigating everything and everyone, but they have no lead suspect yet."
Chief Graham let out a sigh as he looked out the window at the reporter and the large crowd still gathered outside. "Isn't there anything better to do in this town than hang around a crime scene all day?"
"No sir," answered Detective Jefferson. "Just the bowling alley, but it's really lame."
"My nephew runs the bowling alley."
"That's right, sir! And what a lovely bowling alley it is! Fantastic...pins."
"Will you just go over the facts with me one more time, detective?"
"Well, we found Mr. Hampton's body in the deep freezer after the mailman, Chuck, called us this morning to report his suspicion that something was wrong. Normally a frozen body would be good news for us. I mean, not GOOD news, may he rest in peace! Not that I'm not happy to finally have a good case to work on! I love my job and all..."
"Get on with it Jefferson."
"I just mean I'd think a frozen body would be helpful, since freezing preserves the body and the evidence so well. But unfortunately we just can't seem to find any evidence here. He appears to have been hit in the head with a blunt object, but other than that, there's not much we can tell. We've checked the house for clues, but nothing appears to be out of place. Whoever did this was careful. We've interviewed all the people that seem to have any contact with him, his son Don, his daughter Jessica, and of course, Chuck the mailman."
"I know it's been a long day and we'd all like to go home and get some rest, but I feel like we're missing something. I want to talk to everyone one more time," Chief Graham said.
"My dad has more money than anyone in this stupid town! Anyone could have a motive to kill him, surely you don't think I did it!" said Don Hampton with a look of anger and annoyance. "My dad and I got along fine! When I came over for dinner last month he told me he was proud of me for starting my own business just like he did."
"Didn't you start your business with a huge loan that he gave you?"
"Well, yeah. But that doesn't mean it wasn't hard!"
"Did you come over often to see him?" asked detective Jefferson.
"Yeah, every couple of weeks or so. Maybe once a month. A couple of times a year. Hey, we'd see each other more often, but you know what a hermit he is. He never leaves the house, so I was the one who had to make all the effort. If you ask me, I deserve a son-of-the-year award!"
"I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S GONE!" wailed Jessica Hampton through one of her fits of tears which only seemed to come while she was being questioned. "HE MEANT SO MUCH TO ME!"
"When was the last time you saw your father?"
"Well, I haven't seen him in a while. But I just talked to him on the phone last Saturday."
"And he didn't mention anything about being murdered soon?" Jefferson asked.
Chief Graham sighed. "Great work, Detective."
"Thanks chief!"
"Um, no. He sounded fine," Jessica continued. "Look, I'm sure you're thinking I had a motive to kill my father, since I'll probably inherit a lot of money now, but I bet Don will inherit the same amount as me! Plus Don owes - or owed - dad a bunch of money that he borrowed to start his business. So he has a bigger motive than me! HE should be your suspect!"
"Wow, the love in this family is amazing. Let's see what the mailman has to say."
"I'm used to his mail piling up in the mailbox, since he doesn't like to leave his house, but every now and then I'll have a package for him. Since he does all his shopping online, he's always eager to get his packages, so when I have one he always answers the door!" Chuck insisted. "I know it's not much to go on, but when he didn't come to the door this morning, I just had a really bad feeling that something was wrong."
"Have you noticed anything else lately? Any other suspicious activity?"
"No, not that I can think of. Sorry"
The chief sat down with a sigh. "This is just great. We have a reclusive victim who hardly ever makes contact with anyone, no clues, plenty of motives, no witnesses, and a lousy detective."
"Sounds tough, chief!"
"It is, Jefferson. It is."
The chief was just going to launch into a new stream of complaints, when a thought occurred to him. He stood up suddenly. "Wait a minute! This may not hold up in court, but I sure know who we should be looking into!"
"You shouldn't end your sentences with a preposition, chief."
"Jefferson, I will literally kick you in the head."
"Sorry chief."
"Someone said something very revealing. I have a hunch that I may just be wrapping up this case sooner than I thought!"
Who accidentally alerted Chief Graham to aim the investigation in their direction?
Chief Graham let out a sigh as he looked out the window at the reporter and the large crowd still gathered outside. "Isn't there anything better to do in this town than hang around a crime scene all day?"
"No sir," answered Detective Jefferson. "Just the bowling alley, but it's really lame."
"My nephew runs the bowling alley."
"That's right, sir! And what a lovely bowling alley it is! Fantastic...pins."
"Will you just go over the facts with me one more time, detective?"
"Well, we found Mr. Hampton's body in the deep freezer after the mailman, Chuck, called us this morning to report his suspicion that something was wrong. Normally a frozen body would be good news for us. I mean, not GOOD news, may he rest in peace! Not that I'm not happy to finally have a good case to work on! I love my job and all..."
"Get on with it Jefferson."
"I just mean I'd think a frozen body would be helpful, since freezing preserves the body and the evidence so well. But unfortunately we just can't seem to find any evidence here. He appears to have been hit in the head with a blunt object, but other than that, there's not much we can tell. We've checked the house for clues, but nothing appears to be out of place. Whoever did this was careful. We've interviewed all the people that seem to have any contact with him, his son Don, his daughter Jessica, and of course, Chuck the mailman."
"I know it's been a long day and we'd all like to go home and get some rest, but I feel like we're missing something. I want to talk to everyone one more time," Chief Graham said.
"My dad has more money than anyone in this stupid town! Anyone could have a motive to kill him, surely you don't think I did it!" said Don Hampton with a look of anger and annoyance. "My dad and I got along fine! When I came over for dinner last month he told me he was proud of me for starting my own business just like he did."
"Didn't you start your business with a huge loan that he gave you?"
"Well, yeah. But that doesn't mean it wasn't hard!"
"Did you come over often to see him?" asked detective Jefferson.
"Yeah, every couple of weeks or so. Maybe once a month. A couple of times a year. Hey, we'd see each other more often, but you know what a hermit he is. He never leaves the house, so I was the one who had to make all the effort. If you ask me, I deserve a son-of-the-year award!"
"I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S GONE!" wailed Jessica Hampton through one of her fits of tears which only seemed to come while she was being questioned. "HE MEANT SO MUCH TO ME!"
"When was the last time you saw your father?"
"Well, I haven't seen him in a while. But I just talked to him on the phone last Saturday."
"And he didn't mention anything about being murdered soon?" Jefferson asked.
Chief Graham sighed. "Great work, Detective."
"Thanks chief!"
"Um, no. He sounded fine," Jessica continued. "Look, I'm sure you're thinking I had a motive to kill my father, since I'll probably inherit a lot of money now, but I bet Don will inherit the same amount as me! Plus Don owes - or owed - dad a bunch of money that he borrowed to start his business. So he has a bigger motive than me! HE should be your suspect!"
"Wow, the love in this family is amazing. Let's see what the mailman has to say."
"I'm used to his mail piling up in the mailbox, since he doesn't like to leave his house, but every now and then I'll have a package for him. Since he does all his shopping online, he's always eager to get his packages, so when I have one he always answers the door!" Chuck insisted. "I know it's not much to go on, but when he didn't come to the door this morning, I just had a really bad feeling that something was wrong."
"Have you noticed anything else lately? Any other suspicious activity?"
"No, not that I can think of. Sorry"
The chief sat down with a sigh. "This is just great. We have a reclusive victim who hardly ever makes contact with anyone, no clues, plenty of motives, no witnesses, and a lousy detective."
"Sounds tough, chief!"
"It is, Jefferson. It is."
The chief was just going to launch into a new stream of complaints, when a thought occurred to him. He stood up suddenly. "Wait a minute! This may not hold up in court, but I sure know who we should be looking into!"
"You shouldn't end your sentences with a preposition, chief."
"Jefferson, I will literally kick you in the head."
"Sorry chief."
"Someone said something very revealing. I have a hunch that I may just be wrapping up this case sooner than I thought!"
Who accidentally alerted Chief Graham to aim the investigation in their direction?
Hint
"What!? What is it!?" Detective Jefferson asked."The mailman said Mr. Hampton's mail often piles up because he rarely leaves the house, right?"
"Yeah."
"And the last time we have a confirmed contact with the victim was when his daughter spoke with him on the phone last Saturday. And the body is frozen. He's in such good condition, it's hard to say if he's been in there hours, days, or weeks. When would you say this man was killed?"
"How am I supposed to know!? Some time between last Saturday and when the mailman found him this morning."
"Right. We know more about this case than anyone, and that is the best time-of-death we can come up with..."
Answer
"Who has been your source for information on this case?" Chief Graham asked news reporter Sheila Rivers."What, do you not remember talking to me? I've gotten all my info from you. Which hasn't been much, I have to say," replied Ms. Rivers impatiently.
"Right. Have you gotten any more details from anyone else?"
"No, only what you've given me. Why, do you have more for me?"
"Yes. We have a lead suspect. Do you remember what you reported earlier this evening? That the town's richest man was murdered late last night?"
"Of course."
"How late?"
"Well...Oh. Rats."
"Rats indeed. The last time anyone had any contact with the victim that we know of was last Saturday, and the time of death is impossible to determine due to Mr. Hampton's body being preserved in the freezer and his tendency to let his mail pile up. So the best estimate we have for the time of the murder is some time between Saturday and this morning when the body was found. But somehow you've determined a much more specific time of death. When I heard you say that...well, a little while after I heard you say that, I realized that either you or your source knows way more than an innocent person should. And now you've told me that it's you! You might as well confess, because let's face it, this story has gone on long enough already."
"Alright, fine. Do you know how hard it is to be a reporter in this stupid, boring town!? I'm so SICK of having nothing more important to report on than the high school's class president elections, or this year's dog petting contest. It was DRIVING ME CRAZY! I was DYING for a real story! Then I realized...why should I be the one to die?"
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Comments
Hmm... Didn't think of that. I really liked that one.
Wow! What a story! I didn't get the answer but it was very entertaining - well done!
Best mystery teaser on the site!!!
Well that one caught me off guard!
Chief Graham and Detective Jefferson are an absolutely hilarious duo. You should write more teasers about them.
Never thought about the reporter, great teaser
Amazing teaser - you have natural talent in thinking these up.
OMG!! I spent a lot of time looking at the suspects. I didn't even think about the reporter. You have an amazing way of throwing people of!!!
nice one! i totally missed it, even with the hint.
I did not see that one coming! When I saw the hint I had thought, "It's the daughter. She did it." Then when I'd seen the answer I'm like wow! Nice job!
REALLY awesome. Greatest job!!! I love these types of teasers, out of nowhere answers pop out! I highly appreciate this effort. You could be a detective novelist!!
This was a very fun read. I appreciated how you didn't just put "a hint", but incorporated a little bit more of the dialogue and story. Now I'll have to keep an eye out for more of these I can have fun with. (Don't comment on that sentance; I might have to kick you in the head!)
(err, sentence*)
This is so bad.Too much unnecessary explanations and dialog. Also, gving the characters personalities was pointless.
Good one! When I re-read the reporter's lines and the "late last night" part I had a hunch that it would be her... and I was actually right! Man, it feels good to have figured it out on my own XD
Loved the narrative, too. You should make more of these!
Loved the narrative, too. You should make more of these!
I was so sure that it was the daughter. Didn't know why, I just did. Then the answer said it was the reporter and I was all "NOOO! THAT'S NOT RIGHT! YOU LIAR!" Then I looked at what she said.
"Jefferson, I will literally kick you in the head." Best line ever.
I absolutely LOVE this one because there are no plot holes/other answers and it's so easy to miss the answer Awesome teaser
Wow!! That was awesome! I defiantly didn't think of the reporter...I had guessed it was the daughter! Nice job...love your characters!
I thought either the daughter or the mailman was lying, or possibly both were partners. Sad I was not right. Dude the dialogues are awesome! Hoping to have a series of this
That was a great teaser. It was driving me crazy, because virtually no clues were incriminating the suspects we knew... Then I realized, of course, it was someone else, but who? Then we have Jefferson and the Police Chief to suspect. But still, couldn't get it. Then I forced myself to read the hint. It was clear someone said something compromising only the killer knew. I re-read everything like 5 times before I realized: they don't know the time of death, but how come the reporter does? Of course, I thought it wasn't this. "The reporter is not even mentioned", I thought. But after some time I couldn't think of anything else. Ingenious and very elusive. I felt a bit of Agatha Christie style behind it.
i read the whole thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was good, I immediately noticed the discrepancy between the news story and the actual course of events but I chalked it up to the news always just making up what ever tickles their current fancy. I could not eliminate either of the siblings because of the discrepancy with the time of death and lack of info included about their whereabouts preceding the event. Based on the fact that sufficient info was not given in the text I could reasonably eliminate those two. The post man just didn't have motive. To be completely honest I never would have guessed the reporter. That reporter had to be a psychopath to kill a random rich dude cause she was bored.
This was very enjoyable - I love it when there are stories and characters. The psychopathic reporter is a great idea.
But I don't think the solution is quite satisfactory as written. The police just discovered a murder, and a reporter says it was "last night" - maybe where you live the reporters are a bit more exact but in many places you would think nothing of it. It's a natural but hasty assumption.
You could easily cover that though by having the police officer ask some tricky question to get her to reveal that it wasn't just a guess but something she knew.
But I don't think the solution is quite satisfactory as written. The police just discovered a murder, and a reporter says it was "last night" - maybe where you live the reporters are a bit more exact but in many places you would think nothing of it. It's a natural but hasty assumption.
You could easily cover that though by having the police officer ask some tricky question to get her to reveal that it wasn't just a guess but something she knew.
Re-reading my own comment made a couple of years ago (during lockdown) I think I should withdraw my criticism! This is a superb teaser. Like a detective story in a book, the villain turns out to be not one of the choices you thought you had but someone completely unexpected, yet it's quite valid.
Incidentally, I spotted the sly (irrelevant) allusion "When did you last see your father?" Any other hidden quotations?
Now I'm going to see what else the author submitted!
Incidentally, I spotted the sly (irrelevant) allusion "When did you last see your father?" Any other hidden quotations?
Now I'm going to see what else the author submitted!
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