Brain Teasers
The Case of the Kidnapped Heiress
Mystery
Mystery teasers are little stories where you need to figure out what happened based on the given clues.Mystery
It was a dark and foggy evening. Audra was an heiress who lived in a mansion on a large estate in the country. She was feeling very ill with the flu. Izzy, her maid, brought her some very strong flu medicine, and Audra took a dose. The warnings on the bottle warned of extreme drowsiness, but she wasn't worried. Her only plans for the next day were to rest and watch for the security system repair person. All of the staff had the day off for a festival in town.
Many hours after having retired to her room for some rest, two dark figures broke into the mansion. They were friends of Izzy at the security company; and she had told one of them, jokingly, that this would be the perfect night to break into this mansion.
Quickly, Butch and Ugly made their way upstairs to Audra's room to kidnap her. They had been planning her kidnapping, but this had been their first opportunity. Izzy, Butch's girlfriend, had mentioned that Audra was ill. Quickly, they carried her out of the mansion and into a waiting late model sedan. Luckily, they had not been seen.
Once at the car, they taped her mouth shut. They put her in the trunk and drove quietly away. They were pleased with themselves that they had gotten away with it so easily. They would certainly enjoy spending the ransom!
After a little ways down the road, they had to stop for gas. Butch blows up in anger. The rental place had been so busy informing him of the broken escape latch in the trunk, that they had forgotten to fill the car up with gas. While the full-service attendant filled it up, the two guys talked freely all about their plans. Their windows were rolled up so the attendant couldn't hear anything.
While waiting, Butch realized that he was out of cigarettes. Ugly remembered that he had forgotten to eat dinner. They both got out and ran into the station. They had a ways to drive ahead and needed to get some food and smokes now. The attendant finished before they came back and went inside to collect payment from the guys. Soon they were back in their car and back on the road again.
After leaving there, they drove about another six hours and even crossed state lines before they reached the hotel where they planned to stay the night. Since she had been sleeping when they took her, and the weather was pleasant, they left Audra in the trunk. They went inside to their rooms for a good night's rest.
The next morning after breakfast, Butch and Ugly went back to the car and opened the trunk. They were shocked to find Audra gone, and there was no evidence of how or where she had gone. While still standing with the trunk open, they were arrested for Audra's kidnapping.
What happened to Audra? How did she get out of the trunk? When did she leave the car and was she alone? How did the police find Butch and Ugly so quickly?
Many hours after having retired to her room for some rest, two dark figures broke into the mansion. They were friends of Izzy at the security company; and she had told one of them, jokingly, that this would be the perfect night to break into this mansion.
Quickly, Butch and Ugly made their way upstairs to Audra's room to kidnap her. They had been planning her kidnapping, but this had been their first opportunity. Izzy, Butch's girlfriend, had mentioned that Audra was ill. Quickly, they carried her out of the mansion and into a waiting late model sedan. Luckily, they had not been seen.
Once at the car, they taped her mouth shut. They put her in the trunk and drove quietly away. They were pleased with themselves that they had gotten away with it so easily. They would certainly enjoy spending the ransom!
After a little ways down the road, they had to stop for gas. Butch blows up in anger. The rental place had been so busy informing him of the broken escape latch in the trunk, that they had forgotten to fill the car up with gas. While the full-service attendant filled it up, the two guys talked freely all about their plans. Their windows were rolled up so the attendant couldn't hear anything.
While waiting, Butch realized that he was out of cigarettes. Ugly remembered that he had forgotten to eat dinner. They both got out and ran into the station. They had a ways to drive ahead and needed to get some food and smokes now. The attendant finished before they came back and went inside to collect payment from the guys. Soon they were back in their car and back on the road again.
After leaving there, they drove about another six hours and even crossed state lines before they reached the hotel where they planned to stay the night. Since she had been sleeping when they took her, and the weather was pleasant, they left Audra in the trunk. They went inside to their rooms for a good night's rest.
The next morning after breakfast, Butch and Ugly went back to the car and opened the trunk. They were shocked to find Audra gone, and there was no evidence of how or where she had gone. While still standing with the trunk open, they were arrested for Audra's kidnapping.
What happened to Audra? How did she get out of the trunk? When did she leave the car and was she alone? How did the police find Butch and Ugly so quickly?
Hint
The men can only be punished in one state for their crimes.Answer
When they put Audra in the trunk of the car, she woke up. She quickly started searching in the dark for a way out. She felt the car come to a stop. During the drive, she had been pushing on the back of the trunk when she felt part of it give way. She looked out through the opening and saw that it opened into the back seat. The men were loudly discussing where they were going. After the guys got out of the car, she quietly and carefully got into the back seat and out the back door. She quickly crawled behind the next car and from there she could see the license plate of the car she had been in. After the guys drove away, she ran inside the gas station and called the police with all of the information. Butch and Ugly were arrested the next morning at their car.Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
I thought the gas jockey went to pop the hood to check the oil, but pulled the trunk lever instead. When he went to close the trunk he saw the girl, helped her out , and wrote down the plate number.
This was a very tricky one!
it said something about a broken escape latch so i figured she got out that way at the gas station, or is that how she got out? oh well i liked that one...nice job
I am so glad that you like this one! The broken trunk latch referred to in the teaser is a latch that opens the trunk from inside. All cars 2001 and newer come equipped with them. They look much like a lawn mower pull and usually are lighted. Car makers added them so that if people became trapped in the trunk of a car then they could get out easily.
Um.. very random
Good one, I liked it!
u shood b an auther
After reading the hint, I knew she had to have escaped at the first stop-the gas station which was obviously the same state she was abducted from. If it had been after state lines were crossed the feds would have been called in. With the trunk escape latch broken, I thought the gas attendant had freed her and they wrote down license plate which was turned in to local authorities. Back seat never occurred to me. Nice one!
Nice! Did you come ur with it yourself? a lot of people just get theirs from Mindtrap cards and stuff like that, but i don't blame them, these things are hard to make up!
sorry typo
ok that was weird but very well done
So glad that you enjoyed the teaser!! Yes, I write my own teasers. Living life everyday just offers so much to write about. I would never dream of stealing someone else's work. My goal is to offer fun teasers at many levels of difficulty. This teaser happens to be my first of hopefully many more.
I don't understand the hint.
Why could they only be tried in one state? How is that related?
Other than that, good.
Why could they only be tried in one state? How is that related?
Other than that, good.
I was expecting to read that she died of suffocation because of having her mouth taped while she was suffering from the flu. (Stuffed up nose)
WWWWWAAAAAAAYYYYYYY
LONG!!!!!!!!!But very sly.
LONG!!!!!!!!!But very sly.
Mar 26, 2005
I really liked this brain teaser becaseu at the end it made you think and it was fun and enjoyble keep up the good work who ever wrote this..............
very funny but werid!
I liked the teaser. What DID the clue have to do with it?
This wuz a fun one.
THE CLUE DIDNT HELP AT ALL, BUT IT WAS A GOOD ONE
May 04, 2005
I didn't like it, there were to many details in the answer. You could have said "butch didnlt close the trunk all the way", or something like that. There seemed to be to many details that werenlt needed.
Hi. To answer some comments, I am posting this comment.
To only be prosecuted in one state, she would had to have escaped before they crossed state lines. The hint tells you that Audra must have escaped at the gas station and not at the hotel.
Audra did not escape through the trunk opening, but out through the back seat. Many modern cars today have a panel that opens between the back seat and the trunk. Sometimes even part of the seat pulls/pushes forward to create this opening.
Always read a teaser, the hint, and the answer very carefully and you will usually find your answer. A good teaser makes you think and read carefully to solve it correctly.
To only be prosecuted in one state, she would had to have escaped before they crossed state lines. The hint tells you that Audra must have escaped at the gas station and not at the hotel.
Audra did not escape through the trunk opening, but out through the back seat. Many modern cars today have a panel that opens between the back seat and the trunk. Sometimes even part of the seat pulls/pushes forward to create this opening.
Always read a teaser, the hint, and the answer very carefully and you will usually find your answer. A good teaser makes you think and read carefully to solve it correctly.
I agree with stormtrooper, the answer was extremely random, but I liked it anyway.
really clever...the answer was a bit to complicated for my simple mind, but i liked it all the same!
I only got this one because the car that I have has openings from the trunk to the backseat. From the beginning I was just thinking, she could get out by the backseat! Yay, I got it!!! Great teaser! It was very well-written and thought out!Clever!!!
Great teaser-I got it!
Good teaser Myst! You mentioned that she had already slept a long time before they kidnapped her... so I figured that her medicine would wear off soon, and likely that she would have been awake by their first stop. I think it would have helped tho, if you had at least mentioned the make of the car, because only SOME cars have those kind of trunks. Fun tho!
Good one Myst!
sweet teaser! loved it!
ya know, you could be an author someday! it was a very fun teaser, even though i didn't get it at first!
I don't read the hints (too much like cheating) and didn't know some car trunks can be accessed behind the back seat... interesting.
I was certain she stuck her hand out the broken trunk latch, getting the attention of the gas station attendant who freed her when the men were in getting their smokes and eats.
Fun teaser!
I was certain she stuck her hand out the broken trunk latch, getting the attention of the gas station attendant who freed her when the men were in getting their smokes and eats.
Fun teaser!
Great teaser!
Oh, wow. I had no clue. Nice teaser, though.
I went in a different direction. The comment that the windows were rolled up and the attendant couldn't hear them led me to believe that he could be deaf, and could have read their lips. He could have learned what was going on, rescued her while they were inside, and put her someplace safe (sleeping or not) before they left again.
ditto bicstuf
i didn't know about the trunks opening from the inside..have to try that out sometime =]
i didn't know about the trunks opening from the inside..have to try that out sometime =]
Sir/Ma'am, This is not seriously a mystery teaser. There was no clue from which we are deducing such theories. This was based on pure fascination.
Sincerely, a random 'idiot'
Sincerely, a random 'idiot'
I really don't think there was enough information for people to be able to come up with that exact answer. I was thinking that the gas station attendant was deaf. They said Butch and Ugly were discussing the plan openly. The windows were rolled up, but if he was deaf and could read lips, he would have known to free the girl.
I can assure you there were enough clues to solve the mystery as written. It requires analyzing and reading very carefully. I write my teasers so they are challenging but very solvable with the information provided.
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