Try to think in English while solving the riddles!
1. THE LOADED REVOLVER
That evening Inspector Brandon decided to spend at the theater and watch a play he had been planning to see for a long time. At the end of the third act, there was a scene in which the actor David Moorhouse; the partner of the actress playing the main role whose name was Eveline, according to the script [zgodnie z treścią sztuki], is shooting down her with a revolver. However, when the actor shot and the actress fell dead after the shot, it turned out that she was really dead which could mean that there was a real bullet [kula] in the revolver's magazine. Of course, the curtain fell, the audience was excused [widzów przeproszono] and all the theater employees entered the stage. Inspector Brandon decided to take the matters into his own hands; he introduced himself and immediately began the interrogations [przesłuchania].
- It was me they wanted to kill, because I was supposed to play this role today!, exclaimed the woman who introduced herself as Felicity; Eveline's alternate [zmienniczka] - but today, exceptionally, at the last minute, we swapped roles [zamieniliśmy się rolami], because yesterday I sprained [skręciłam] my ankle and couldn't perform today.
Then the director called the props man [rekwizytora], and this is what he said:
- An hour before the performance, as usual, I put the revolver loaded with a cap [kapiszonem] in the desk drawer. No one certainly opened the drawer either before or during the breaks between the acts. Only Moorhouse could have swapped the bullet, he said.
- Me?!, Moorhouse was surprised. I would kill Eveline with a bullet intended for Felicity?! Besides, how could I know that Eveline wouldn't perform? I found out about it at the last minute.
- After your statements, I already know who wanted to kill Eveline, said Inspector Brandon.
Who’s done it?
The solution is after the next riddle.
Q W E R T Z
2. THE FINGERPRINTS
At the beginning of the new academic year, Inspector Brandon was invited to the police academy to give a lecture in which he would describe an interesting case from his career.
The inspector gave a lecture that was also a riddle to the young students of the school, and it was the following story:
One day, a certain gangster; Michael T. came to the city of X; because he had an appointment with another gangster there; Allan B. in his apartment. The purpose of the meeting was that Michael T. owed Allan B. a large sum of money and promised to pay him back that day. Michael T. arrived at Allan B.’s place at the agreed time, bringing a bottle of whisky with him to drink on the occasion. During the meeting, at some moment, when Allan B. turned to look at something, Michael T. pulled out a gun and shot him straight in the head, killing him on the spot. Then he carefully wiped all the fingerprints from all the places he had touched and put the gun in Allan B.'s hand, of course also carefully wiping it off the prints.
After telling this story, the inspector turned to the audience [słuchaczy]:
Shortly after the murder, Michael T. was arrested by the police, and the basis for the arrest was the fingerprints. Where do you think they were found on?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Loaded Revolver':
Only Felicity could have loaded the revolver, because only she knew that she would not perform that day and the twisting of the leg was a fake. If someone else wanted to kill Eveline, after switching between actresses, they would have removed the real bullet from the revolver. She probably wanted to get rid of the competitor.
Q W E R T Z
3. THE TIGHTENED TIE
That day, Inspector Brandon received a call from his old friend Mr. Wellbin, an elderly and wealthy gentleman with whom the inspector sometimes met for a chat [pogawędkę]. This time, however, Mr. Wellbin called quite late, about 8 p.m., and asked the inspector to come to his place as soon as possible, because he was afraid for his life. When the inspector asked him what the matter was, Mr. Wellbin replied curtly: 'Please come as soon as possible, inspector, I will explain to you when you come here'.
So the inspector immediately drove to Mr. Wellbin's house, but it took him over an hour, because the house was on the outskirts [przedmieściach] of the city. It was a large villa with a garden at the back. When the inspector rang the doorbell on the street side, no one answered. Since the inspector knew the layout [rozkład] of the house well, because he had been there many times, he jumped over the gate and decided to enter the house through the back door from the garden, which led into a large living room. The inspector pressed the handle and the door opened, so he went inside, but it was already night and the living room was completely dark. He groped [szukał po omacku] for the light switch and came across a lamp, and when he touched it he felt that it was still warm; that is, someone had recently turned it off. He turned on the lamp, then went to the main light switch and then he saw the figure of a man sitting motionless in an armchair with a tie tightened [zaciśniętym] around his neck. It was Mr. Wellbin. The inspector went to him, felt for a pulse, but Mr. Wellbin was already dead.
The inspector immediately called the police team to examine the scene of the murder and while waiting for the police at about 10 o'clock he heard someone entering the house, so he went out into the hall and it turned out to be a girl, about 25 years old, who introduced herself as Selena, Mr. Wellbin's niece. The inspector also introduced himself and said that her uncle was dead, to which the astonished [zdumiona] niece replied that she had left the house at around 4 o'clock and when she left, her uncle was sad and thoughtful but in good shape. She then said that she lived with her uncle, who had given her a room on the first floor of the villa, because she had gotten a good job in the city and was waiting until she would have more money to buy an apartment, because she had previously lived in a small town in the province.
- I have no idea why my uncle would have been murdered. From what I know, he probably had no enemies, but he did not confide in me [nie zwierzał mi się], so maybe someone from his past could have appeared, because the uncle had been pensive [zamyślony] and restless recently, she added.
In the meantime, the medical examiner told the inspector that the death occurred at around 9 o'clock in the evening and was the result of the strangulation of the tie. The murderer approached the deceased from behind, so it was most likely someone whom he trusted.
After this statement, the inspector directed to Selena and said to her:
- Unfortunately, I have to arrest you for the murder of your uncle.
On what grounds did the inspector decide to arrest Selena?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Fingerprints':
The prints were found on the magazine of the gun; Michael T. only wiped it from the outside.
Q W E R T Z
4. CYANIDE POISONING [Otrucie cyjankiem]
When the police arrived at the scene, Mrs. Schenzel was lying on her back in bed, and the smell of bitter almonds was still in the air. The police team immediately called Inspector Brandon to begin the investigation.
- We were called by her husband, who found her dead in bed and judging by the smell, she had been poisoned with cyanide, the policeman said to the inspector when he arrived at the Schenzels' apartment.
- We found an unfinished letter from the deceased [zmarłej] in the computer, which indicates suicide. Here is the computer, please read it, the policeman added.
The letter was as follows:
'Dear Robert, I no longer believe that I will be cured of my illnesses and especially depression, so I decided to take poison before writing this letter and .........', at which point the letter was ceased [przerwany].
Then the inspector called the deceased's husband, Mr. Robert Schenzel, who said:
- I came back late last night because I had an important meeting at the company and when I looked into my wife's room to say goodnight and just after I turned on the light, I saw that she was lying on the bed, dressed. When I went over and checked her pulse, she was already dead. Poor thing! She had been suffering from a number of illnesses for some time, and most importantly, depression. Apparently she couldn't cope with it [dać z tym sobie rady] any longer and committed suicide.
- She didn't commit suicide, she was poisoned, and you're almost certainly behind it, said the inspector.
How did the inspector know that Mrs. Schenzel was poisoned?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Tightened Tie':
The inspector arrived at Mr. Selbin's house after 9 o'clock and he was already dead, which meant that his death had occurred shortly before the inspector arrived. When he was walking around the living room, he came across a warm lamp, which must have been turned off shortly before; Selbin couldn't have done that because he was already dead. Selena said: 'I have no idea why my uncle would be murdered,' but the inspector only told her that her uncle was dead. So she lied when she said that she had left at 4 o'clock since the lamp was warm and it was turned off shortly after Mr. Selbin had died.
Q W E R T Z
5. THE ROBBERY IN THE LABORATORY
That day, the police received a call asking them to come to a certain research institute, and Inspector Brandon was immediately sent there.
When the inspector arrived, he was greeted by a certain Mr. Helsen, who introduced himself as a scientist working at the institute, and who told the inspector the following story:
I was working in our laboratory when I heard the shattering of glass [brzęk stłuczonej szyby] and then a cry for help from the neighbouring laboratory, in which Oskar Kelogg, my colleague and also a researcher, was working. Since the door was locked, we forced it open with other colleagues and there we found Kelogg, tied to a chair and gagged [zakneblowanego]. When we untied him, he told us that he had been terrorised by two individuals who overpowered him and took away the documentation of the invention he had been working on.
So the first thing the inspector did was to talk to the injured researcher. Here is what Kelogg told the inspector:
- I was working in our laboratory when suddenly two men with guns in their hands entered the laboratory and ordered me to immediately give them the documentation of the invention I was working on. When I gave them this documentation, they tied me to a chair and gagged me. Then they locked the laboratory door from the inside, broke the glass in the window and escaped down the fire escape.
- Oh, something doesn't add up here [coś mi się tutaj nie zgadza], said the inspector after questioning Kelogg. At least two facts indicate that you’ve made up this whole story in order to appropriate [przywłaszczyć sobie] the documentation of the invention and then sell it to another company.
What was wrong with Kelogg's testimony?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'Cyanide Poisoning':
Cyanide works very quickly, so Mrs. Schenzel couldn't have taken the poison and then sit down at the computer and write a farewell letter. In addition, Mr. Schenzel said that he turned on the light in the room where the deceased was, but she could not turn off the light and lie down on the bed after writing an unfinished letter.
Q W E R T Z
6. THE STOLEN NECKLACE
Inspector Brandon was sitting in his office, pondering [rozmyślając, rozważając] a certain matter, when the telephone rang. The voice of an elderly man spoke, stating that his apartment had been broken into during the night, and that a very valuable necklace had been stolen, which his wife had received from her mother, and which was a priceless family heirloom [pamiątką], and which his wife's mother had not permitted to be sold under any circumstances.
The inspector immediately arrived at the apartment of the man, who had introduced himself at the door as Mr. Durrows. Mr. Durrows led the inspector through a spacious hall to a sitting room, in which there was a good deal of fine antique furniture, as well as a bookcase and a large aquarium.
Mr Durrows told the inspector the following story:
- As usual, my wife and I went to bed early yesterday, because we are getting on in years [mamy już swoje lata], and this morning I went into the sitting room at about 10 o'clock and saw this: the window pane had been pushed out, pieces of glass were scattered everywhere - oh, look, even in the aquarium and in the desk drawer - and when I looked in the desk drawer, the necklace was gone! It must have been done by someone who knew our habits, that we go to bed early, that we do not go into the sitting room first thing in the morning, but also who knew where we kept the necklace. I must add, inspector, that we are both rather hard of hearing [trochę nie dosłyszymy], so this person knew that even pushing the window pane out would not wake us in the night. Besides, our bedroom is over there, across the hall. Unfortunately, I am afraid it might be done by one of our friends or acquaintances [znajomych]. And there are quite a few of them. I will make a list of them if you wish.
- Was the necklace insured?, asked the inspector.
- Well, yes, of course, my mother-in-law insured it while she was still alive and we used to renew the insurance every year, replied Mr. Durrows.
- I don't think I need a list of your friends because I think you staged [zainscenizowaliście] the burglary to collect the insurance money, said the inspector.
On what basis did he think so?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Robbery in the Laboratory':
Helsen said that he first heard the shattering of the glass and then a cry for help from the neighbouring laboratory, which is inconsistent [niezgodne] with Kelogg's testimony, because he said that he was first gagged, then the alleged [domniemani] thieves took the documents and then escaped through the window, and he could not have screamed for help while gagged. Besides, why would the thieves have broken the glass when they could have just opened the window?
So the whole incident was poorly arranged by Kelogg.
Q W E R T Z
7. THE TELEPHONE
Inspector Brandon returned home in the evening after a hard day, dealing with a case involving a certain bandit. When he entered the living room, he suddenly felt the barrel of a revolver touch his back and heard a voice: 'Sit down in the chair, inspector, and don't make any noise, or I will use my weapon [broni] without hesitation!'
So the inspector sat down in the chair without a word, and the bandit continued: 'I know you dealt with my case today, and you must have put the case files in the safe in your office at the police station, so please call your secretary immediately and have her go to your office, get my files from the safe, and bring them here. No silly jokes, or I will use my weapon!'
So the inspector did exactly what the bandit told him to do and called his secretary. This is what he said into the phone:
“Miss Eileen, this is inspector Brandon. I'm speaking from home. I need you right away. Please, take a taxi, go to my office and take the documents of the case I was working on today out of the safe, put them in a bag and bring them to my apartment. No, you don't have to notify my colleagues. Don't talk to anyone about this. Hurry up! It’s necessary.”
Less than an hour after this conversation, the doorbell rang in the inspector's apartment.
- Open the door and take the documents from the secretary, said the bandit. The slightest wrong move and I'll shoot!, he shouted.
- You might as well open the door yourself, because there's a team of policemen standing outside the door who will arrest you right away. If you shoot, you'll only make things worse for you and your prison sentence will be much longer, said the inspector.
How was it possible that the policemen, without being notified, came to the inspector's apartment?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Stolen Necklace':
There were pieces of glass in the drawer, so it meant that the drawer was open first and only then the window pane was pushed out, so the Durrows staged [zainscenizowali] the burglary.
Q W E R T Z
8. BURNED DOCUMENTS
A policeman came to Inspector Brandon's room at the police station and related the following story:
For some time we had been observing a certain Callum, who, according to our information, was involved in a major financial fraud. So we decided to come to his house and do the search [zrobić przeszukanie]. However, we did not want to reveal that we were from the police when we arrived at his house, because the door was always opened by his servant; Barnard, who would have immediately informed Callum that the police were in his house and he would then have burned down the documents that would have proved that he was one of the main 'brains' of this fraud. So we came to his house and introduced ourselves as technicians from the power station and that we had to look at the electricity meters [liczników]. When Barnard took us to the cell where the meters were, we identified ourselves as the policemen, then we locked Barnard in the cell with a padlock and went to the first floor, where Callum was working. When we reached his spacious study, he greeted us with a smile on his face and said:
- Oh, gentlemen from the police, please make yourselves comfortable in the armchairs and warm yourselves up a bit by the fireplace, where, as we later guessed, the incriminating [tu: kompromitujące go] documents were burning out.
- How did Callum find out that we were in the house and that we were going to his study to take those documents from him, since the cell was at the back of the house and he could neither see nor hear us?, asked the policeman.
- Well, I presume [przypuszczam] what mistake you made and how did Callum find out that you were policemen, said the inspector.
How did Callum find out that there were policemen in the house?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Telephone':
While talking to the secretary, the inspector was pressing the mute button [przycisk wyłączający mikrofon], so this is what the secretary heard: “Miss Eileen, this is inspector Brandon. I'm speaking from home. I need you right away. You have to notify my colleagues. Hurry up! It’s necessary”.
Q W E R T Z
9. THE DEATH IN THE APARTMENT
That day, Inspector Brandon was called to the apartment of Mr. and Mrs. Campbell by its host, who greeted the inspector at the door of the apartment in an elegant tenement [kamienicy] in the city center. Mr. Campbell was a handsome man in his late fifties, with gray hair at the temples, and was wearing a tweed jacket and good-brand jeans. Upon entering, he told the inspector the following story:
- My wife and I were supposed to go to a gala dinner at the French Embassy today, but unfortunately, just before we left, we had a little quarrel and my wife, offended, went back to her room. I didn't really know what to do with myself at that point, so I was pacing up and down the living room and when I was about to go and apologise [przeprosić] to her, I heard a shot. So I ran quickly to her room, which, as you can see, is at the other end of the apartment, ran into and found her dead with a gun in her hand. Of course, I called the police immediately after that. Here I must add, inspector, that my wife had been suffering from depression for a long time and often used to speak of suicide, claiming that I was cheating on her [zdradzałem ją] with my secretary, which was absurd, of course.
- But it was not suicide and I suspect that you killed your wife and then put the gun into her hand, said the inspector.
On what basis did the inspector draw this conclusion?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'Burnt Documents':
The servant, sitting in the cell with electricity meters, was turning the electricity in the house on and off [włączał i wyłączał prąd w domu], as a result of which Callum realised that there were policemen in the house.
Q W E R T Z
10. THE MURDER IN A SUITE
Inspector Brandon was driving home when he received a call from his head [szefa] telling him to go immediately to the apartment of a young actor; Malcolm Selleck, who had been found dead in his apartment at 19 Green Street, No. 33. The inspector went to the apartment immediately, and when he entered it, it turned out to be a tiny attic suite. It was basically one small room with a kitchenette and a tiny toilet, furnished [umeblowany] with a table, two chairs, a closet and a bed. All this furniture was of poor quality and very worn [zużyte]. The only luxurious thing the inspector saw was a beautiful fur coat, which was hanging on a hook screwed into the door. On the fur coat hung an ordinary men's coat thrown over it. Sitting on the chair was an elegantly dressed woman, about 40 years old, with careful make-up and an elaborate hairdo [misterną fryzurą]. Behind the desk lay a dead young man with a shot-through temple [z przestrzeloną skronią].
- Who are you?, asked the inspector.
– I'm Brenda Foster and I'm an actress and Malcolm Selleck – she pointed to the deceased with the side of her head – was also an actor and my fiancé. We were supposed to get married soon but Malcolm put off the wedding because first he wanted to get a big role in a movie that he really wanted to play in and which would finally give him star status and of course big money. However, last night he told me on the phone that he didn't get the role; he was clearly devastated and when I came to see him today, the door was unlocked, I went in and saw him dead, right there on the floor, so I immediately called the police.
At that moment a young and pretty woman entered the suite without knocking.
- I'm Alice, Malcolm's fiancée, she said to the inspector, and when she saw Brenda Foster, she exclaimed: 'What are you doing here?! Malcolm told me yesterday that he didn't want to have any relations with you!'.
- Oh God! At that moment she saw Malcolm's dead body behind the table. Oh God, what happened?!
Then the inspector spoke: Mr. Selleck was murdered and I even know by whom.
Who, according to the inspector, killed Malcolm?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Death in the Apartment':
Mr. Campbell claimed that he was just leaving with his wife for a gala dinner at the embassy, but nobody goes to such a party in a tweed jacket and jeans. So he was lying.
Q W E R T Z
11. THE EGG THROW
The director of a certain theatre invited Inspector Brandon to come to his facility to explain an unpleasant incident. That’s what he said to the inspector:
- The day before, a new play premiered at our theatre, to which very distinguished [dostojni] guests were invited. While the play was in progress, someone threw a rotten egg at one of the actors, which caused his glasses to break and to experience a significant psychological shock. Of course, the play was interrupted [przerwana], which in itself was a huge problem for the theatre and its staff. Unfortunately, none of the viewers noticed who exactly threw the egg at the actor because the audience was dark, the play was loud and the action was dynamic, so all the viewers were glued [tu: wpatrzeni] to the stage. All me and my staff were able to determine [ustalić] that the egg was thrown by someone sitting in the third row on the left, looking from the stage, in seats 31 to 37.
- I would like to catch the perpetrator [sprawcę] and bring him to justice for bringing the good name of our esteemed theatre into disrepute, added the director. I hope you, inspector, with your experience, will be able to help us, said the director.
- The guests were seated by Miss Segwyn, who remembered only that Mr and Mrs Bellamy were sitting in seats 31 and 32, and in the next seats from 33 to 37 the following gentlemen were sitting: Mr Archer, Mr Dolwine, Mr Fenton, Mr Epstein and Mr Cerrano, but she did not remember which specific seats they were sitting in, followed the director.
So the inspector called the five gentlemen in for a talk and asked them where they were sitting. Here is what they said:
Mr. Archer said he was in a seat 33.
Mr. Cerrano said he was in a chair 35.
Mr. Epstein said he did not remember the seat number but remember that he was sitting between Bellamy and Cerrano.
Mr. Fenton said he did not remember the exact seat number but definitely neither 33 nor 37.
Mr. Dolwine said he did not remember the seat number but did remember sitting next to Mr. Cerrano.
After listening to all of them, Inspector Brandon said to the director: One of them is lying and he threw the egg at the actor.
Which of these men was lying?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Murder in the Suite':
The inspector drew a simple conclusion: since Malcolm's coat was hanging on Brenda Foster's fur coat, she must have hung hers first. She probably killed Malcolm out of jealousy and wanted to blame Alice.
Q W E R T Z
12. LICENSE PLATES [tablice rejestracyjne]
A policeman came to the inspector's room at the police station with information that three hours ago there had been a bank robbery in the city centre and that several witnesses had seen the bandits escape in a dark green car, but one witness managed to write down the registration number of the fleeing [uciekającego] car: 6908 HO.
Immediately after this incident, the police blocked all the streets leading from the scene and stopped three dark green cars, but none of them had a registration number written down by the witness. The policeman asked the inspector what to do; should the police retain the suspects [zatrzymać podejrzanych] or let them go.
- And what are the registration numbers of these three cars?, asked the inspector.
The policeman gave the following:
OH 8069
6809 W0
WH 6896
The inspector looked at the three numbers for a moment and said:
- One of these stopped cars definitely belongs to the bandits. Then he told the policeman which one.
Which car belonged to the bandits?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Egg Throw':
If Archer had lied, then at least one of these men would also have had to lie. And the inspector said that only one of them had lied. The same goes for Archer, Cerrano, Fenton and Dolwine. So Epstein, who was sitting in a chair number 37, lied.
Q W E R T Z
13. THE MURDER IN THE VILLA
That day Inspector Brandon received a call from Mrs. Frampton, who said she had found her husband's body in the living room. She said her husband had been shot in the morning when she had gone into town to run some errands [załatwić kilka spraw]. When she returned, she found the living room in a huge mess and her husband's body lying on the floor.
When the inspector arrived, he looked around the living room carefully. The room was furnished with taste [urządzone ze smakiem] with beautiful, stylish furniture, and the display cases [gabloty] were full of sculptures, statuettes, antique clocks and other valuable knickknacks [bibeloty].
There were also many such objects lying on the floor, apparently knocked down during the scuffle [szamotaniny] or struggle [walki]. A porcelain Buddha statuette lay not far from the deceased's head, surprisingly intact [o dziwo, cały].
- Did you move anything before I arrived? The inspector asked.
- No, of course not, I didn't want to cover up any possible traces of the killer. I didn't even go near my husband's body, said Mrs. Frampton.
The inspector looked at the whole scene again and said:
- Your story does not correspond with reality. I have reason to believe that you murdered your husband.
On what basis did he believe that?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'License Plates':
After the robbery, the bandits turned the license plates of the car 'upside down' [do góry nogami], so the first number belonged to the bandits' car.
Q W E R T Z
14. THE THEFT IN THE ANTIQUE SHOP
Inspector Brandon was sitting in his office thinking about a certain case when the phone rang. It was a Mr. Fischer, the owner of an antique shop [antykwariatu] in the city center, calling and asking him to come over as soon as possible, because there had been a brutal break-in during the night and three very valuable antique vases had disappeared [znikły]. Upon arrival, the inspector saw, to his surprise, complete order and cleanliness reigning [panujące] in the antique shop and it was only Mr. Fischer who showed him three empty places on the shelves where the stolen vases had been.
- I came to work in the morning and found the antique shop in complete order, it was only after a while that I realised that the three vases were missing, so I called you immediately, inspector, said Fischer.
- How could they have been stolen? - asked the inspector.
- I only realised that after some time when I wanted to use the toilet, where I found a hole in the wall. The thieves knocked [wybili] this hole out of the neighboring room, there seems to be some office there, they entered through this hole and took the vases. They must have known their great value well because they didn't take anything else.
So after that, the inspector went to the neighboring premises [sąsiedniego lokalu] and when he got in, it turned out that the premises were empty and stripped [tu: pozbawione] of furniture. Most likely, the last users had moved out earlier. There was a hole knocked out in the wall of one of the rooms and around the hole there was a lot of rubble [gruzu], plaster [tynku] and dust. After examining the room, the inspector returned to Mr. Fischer's premises and said:
- Your story is not true. You arranged [zaaranżował] the burglary in order to appropriate [przywłaszczyć sobie] these vases and also collect damages for them, is that not so?
How did the inspector know that?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Murder in the Villa':
Firstly, how did Mrs. Frampton know that her husband had been shot, since she did not even go near her husband's body? Secondly, the porcelain Buddha statue would certainly have broken if it had fallen on the floor, so Mrs. Frampton probably had a pity to break it and put it on the floor when she was arranging the appearances [pozory] of her husband fighting after his death.
Q W E R T Z
15. THE WITNESS
That day, Inspector Brandon was called to the office of a certain company where the director had been murdered. Upon arrival, the inspector saw the director's body lying between the desk and the office chair, among scattered papers. On the spot, he met a man named Fellows, who called the police and who introduced himself as the director's assistant. This is what he told the inspector:
- At about 12 o'clock, a certain individual [pewien osobnik] came to the director, who introduced himself as Mr. Dermott, and who had an appointment with the director. The director had already told me that he was expecting his visit and that he might finally persuade him [nakłoni go] to transfer a large sum that he owed to our company. I did not hear the whole conversation, but I heard the director at one moment shouted: 'Enough of this!', immediately after that I heard the sound of a chair being pushed away from the desk, then a shot was fired, after which this fellow immediately fled [uciekł] through the entrance door into the corridor.
After listening to Fellows, the inspector looked around the room; the director's desk stood by a large window opposite the desk, to the right of the desk was a shelf that took up the entire wall and on that shelf were various binders [segregatory] and books. In the next wall, on the wall opposite the window, was the entrance door from the corridor and next to the door was a table and two chairs. Finally, in the left wall from the desk, was the entrance door to the Fellows' room.
The inspector went to the shelf with binders and books and took a bullet [kulę] out of one of the binders and said:
- Your statement is false. I'm afraid you killed the director.
How did the inspector know that?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Theft in the Antique Shop':
The rubble, plaster and dust were on the side of the neighboring premises and if the break-in had taken place from there, the rubble would have been on the side of the antique shop. Besides, the antique shop would not have been as clean as the inspector found it.
Q W E R T Z
16. THE MURDER IN THE CIRCUS
Inspector Brandon was called to a circus where a murder had occurred. Upon arrival, he was led along with a policeman accompanying him, to a circus wagon, in which lay the body of a pretty girl in a sequined bra [cekinowym staniku] and a short colourful skirt. There were bruises [siniaki] visible on her neck and lipstick stains of several colours all over her body. Her hands were snow-white and open in a death throes [w przedśmiertnym skurczu]; it was obvious that she had been fighting with someone before her death.
The inspector first questioned the circus manager, who said that Delma (that was the girl's name) was the partner of the clown Wend and that she had become engaged [zaręczyła się] to him a week earlier. He said that he had seen her in the doorway of the wagon shortly before she was found dead, when Wend came to her and got out of the wagon in agitation [w zdenerwowaniu].
The inspector then questioned Wend, who came to him already in his performance outfit [w stroju do występów], all painted in strange and various colours with lipstick.
- I didn't kill her, said Wend. On the contrary, we were going to get married soon. Yes, I was in her wagon, but we didn't argue [sprzeczaliśmy się], we just talked about the performance. She was going to come to me soon. It was the manager who killed her. She had flirted with him before and he probably killed her out of jealousy [zazdrości] and now he wants to blame me.
After talking to both men, the inspector said to the other policeman: I know which one killed Delma.
On what basis did the inspector draw this conclusion?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Witness':
The body was lying between the desk and the chair, so if Dermott had shot the director, the bullet would have had to have stuck [utkwić] in the desk or the window pane, but the bullet was in the binder, which means that someone shot from the Fellows’ door and after shooting moved the director’s body to the spot near the desk.
Q W E R T Z
17. SHOTS IN THE STREET
Inspector Brandon received information from the police that a certain Morrison, a wealthy businessman, had been shot dead in the street and that the perpetrator [sprawca] had not been found.
The inspector had his first conversation with Morrison's assistant-secretary; Bylard. He was a man of a frail build [wątłej budowy ciała] and wearing strong glasses. He told him that Morrison had called him the previous evening to say that he had returned a little early from his business trip and had asked him to send a company car to the airport for him. The driver came to the airport to pick him up and took him to the apartment of his mistress Eleanor, with whom he stayed overnight. Very early in the morning Morrison decided to walk back to his apartment because he lived nearby and while he was walking on the pavement – as a witness to the event testified – a car stopped next to him on the street, a man in a balaclava [kominiarce] got out and fired two shots, after which the car made a sharp U-turn [gwałtownie zawrócił] in the street and quickly drove away. Unfortunately, the witness did not notice the car's registration number and described its colour as 'quite dark.' Morrison died on the spot.
Suspicions first fell on Eleanor and Bylard, who were the only ones who knew about Morrison's earlier return, but both Eleanor and Bylard of course firmly denied having anything to do with the murder.
The inspector thought for a moment, then announced to his fellow policemen:
- I know who killed Morrison, but now we'll have to carefully look for evidence.
How did the inspector know who killed Morrison?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Murder in the Circus':
If Delma had fought with Wend before her death, her hands would also have been covered in lipstick. And her hands were snow-white. So the manager killed her, who had stained her body with lipstick to throw suspicion on Wend.
Q W E R T Z
18. THE TARANTULA
Inspector Brandon was called to the home of Mrs. Dunbar, an elderly lady and wealthy heiress to a cosmetics company, who died a violent death, to conduct a preliminary investigation [śledztwo]. The medical examiner [lekarz sądowy] had previously informed the inspector that Mrs. Dunbar had died of a heart attack, probably after opening one of the gift boxes [pudełek z prezentami].
At the scene, the inspector was met by the housekeeper [gosposię], who immediately took him to the deceased's room. The body of the elderly lady was no longer there, because the police team had removed it before, but the place had been left as it had been when they arrived. Greeting cards and boxes of presents and gifts were strewn [porozrzucane] around Mrs. Dunbar's dressing table [toaletki].
- Mrs. Dunbar was celebrating her 90th birthday and was opening cards and boxes of greetings, and in one of them was a box with a tarantula inside.
Someone probably wanted to play a nasty joke on her and sent that spider, knowing that the old lady was terrified of all spiders, said the housekeeper.
A moment later, Mrs. Dunbar's granddaughter, Veronica came, who also lived in Mrs. Dunbar's house and who had left for university in the morning and who had been summoned [wezwana] by the housekeeper by phone. The housekeeper, not wanting to upset [wprawiać w zły nastrój] her right away, did not tell her about her grandmother's death, but only told her a brief message: 'Come here immediately for a very important matter.'
When the granddaughter entered the room, the inspector greeted her, introduced himself and said:
- I regret to inform you that your grandmother is dead; she died of a heart attack when she was opening one of the boxes sent as a present and saw a spider inside.
- Well, yes, someone allowed themselves to play a joke because they knew that granny was afraid of spiders and sent her a tarantula, said Veronica.
- Are you perhaps inheriting [dziedziczy] Mrs. Dunbar's estate? asked the inspector.
- Well..., yeah..., replied Veronica, but what does that have to do with anything?
- Well, it does, because I'm sure you sent her that tarantula, replied the inspector.
How could the inspector know that it was Veronica who sent the tarantula?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'Shots in the Street':
The inspector made a simple analysis: the perpetrator was almost certainly a man, so Eleanor was out of the question, and besides, she probably had no interest in killing Morrison. Bylard was frail and had poor eyesight, so he wouldn't have been able to get out of the car quickly and shoot Morrison, and he wouldn't have been able to make a quick U-turn on the street, but there was one more person who knew about Morrison's early return: the driver.
Q W E R T Z
19. IN THE FOREST
This time, Inspector Brandon was called to the place at the edge of the forest, where the dramatic scene had taken place the previous [poprzedniej] night, and in the morning the police were going to organise a site inspection [wizję lokalną]. However, before that happened, the inspector questioned the hunter [myśliwego] on the spot, who told him the following story:
- Together with my colleague, also a hunter, Braun, we decided to hunt roe deers [sarny] at night and entered the forest for this purpose. There, after some time, we split up [rozdzieliliśmy się] to increase the area of penetration. At some moment, silence fell and I stopped hearing the sounds of Braun's footsteps. I started calling to him, but there was no answer, so I decided to walk around the area we were in, making wider and wider circles [kręgi], still calling to him, but to no avail [bez rezultatu]. There was no answer from him. So, nervous, I stood for a moment in a small forest clearing [polance] and wondered what to do; it was completely dark, there was no moon and I realised that my search in this situation would not yield anything. Suddenly, in the thick bushes surrounding the clearing, I heard a rustle [szelest] and saw a pair of glowing [świecących] eyes, at a height from the ground at which the eyes of a wolf could be. I got a little scared and shot in its direction. When I approached the spot, it turned out to be Braun; I checked his pulse but it turned out that he was already dead. Devastated [zdruzgotany], I left the forest and called the police that there had been an accident. That's the whole story.
- Unfortunately, your story is not true and I suspect that you killed Braun on purpose [celowo], said the inspector.
What made the inspector come to this conclusion?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Tarantula':
The inspector told Veronica that Mrs. Dunbar died of a heart attack because she saw a spider in a box, and Veronica clearly said it was a tarantula, so how could she know that?
Q W E R T Z
20. THE BROOCH [broszka]
Inspector Brandon went on a well-deserved winter vacation in the mountains to finally take a break from criminal matters and was happily lying in a deckchair [leżaku] in the winter sun on the terrace of the hotel where he was staying. However, he was not allowed to lie in peace [leżeć w spokoju] and sunbathe for long, because he saw a group of young people on the terrace; three men and one woman, having fun by throwing snowballs [rzucanie śnieżkami] at each other. When they got tired of this game, they sat down on the terrace near the inspector and started talking, still in a joking mood [w żartobliwym nastroju]. Suddenly the young woman screamed in horror: 'Where is my brooch?!'
Everyone started to look for the brooch feverishly [gorączkowo], digging and carefully sifting [przesiewając] the snow where they were playing, but the brooch was nowhere to be found. The distraught [zrozpaczona] girl began to express her despair loudly, saying that it was a very valuable brooch worth a large sum of money and then the inspector decided to step in, saying: - Don't worry, I know where to look for the brooch.
Then he started to do something.
Where did the inspector thought the brooch was and what did the inspector start doing?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'In the Forest':
The hunter could not have seen the glowing eyes of any animal, because it was completely dark in the forest and eyes glow only with reflected [odbitym] light.
Q W E R T Z
21. THE WIDOW [wdowa]
After arriving at the office in the morning, Inspector Brandon was instructed to go to the home of Mr. Wegeler, who had been murdered in his study. The previous evening, in the late evening hours, a medical examiner [lekarz sądowy] had already been in the apartment, who had arrived with a police team called by the deceased's widow and who wrote in the report that the deceased's death occurred around 4-7 p.m. that day as a result of being hit in the back of the head with a blunt instrument [tępym narzędziem].
After the inspector arrived, Mr. Wegeler's widow, an elegant and well-groomed middle-aged woman, [zadbana kobieta w średnim wieku] told the inspector that her husband had been visited yesterday by a man named Fendon, a somewhat shady businessman who owed her husband a large sum of money, the repayment of which was due [spłata przypadała] that very day. She said that she opened the door for him at around 4 p.m. and let him in, but immediately afterwards she had to go to the hairdresser's, with whom she had an appointment at 4:30 p.m. and returned home at around 5:30 p.m. and on her way back she saw Fendon leaving their house. After arriving she did not go into her husband's study, thinking he was busy with something, she was watching TV and only at around 8 p.m. she went into his study to invite him for dinner and found her husband lying dead on the floor, after which of course she immediately called the police.
Immediately after his talk with Mrs. Wegeler, the inspector called Fendon, who told him that he had indeed come to Wegeler's at 4 p.m., his wife had opened the door for him and that the meeting had lasted a maximum of three quarters of an hour, during which he had agreed with him on all the terms of repaying the debt and left.
The inspector thought for a moment and turned to the widow:
- I’m afraid, but you lied when you told me what happened yesterday afternoon and I will prove it very easily soon.
How did the inspector know and how will he prove it?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Brooch':
The inspector concluded that one of the men had hidden the brooch in a snowball and thrown it away behind the terrace so that he could later come and take it for himself. Therefore, he began to crush [rozdrabniać] the snowballs behind the terrace.
Q W E R T Z
22. THE HANGED MAN
That day, Inspector Brandon was called to the boiler room [kotłowni] of a large building, where the body of a certain man named Dunlow had been found, hanging from a noose [pętli] tied to a thick pipe under the ceiling. The medical examiner [lekarz sądowy], who was on the scene [na miejscu zdarzenia] this morning after the incident was reported, stated [stwierdził] that the death had occurred the previous evening. However, before the inspector reached the building, he had to make his way [przedzierać się] through narrow paths dug [wykopanymi] in the snow that had fallen on the city a few days earlier, with the air temperature reaching minus 20 degrees Celsius. Only when he entered the boiler room, which was very warm, was he able to thaw out [odtajać] a bit and warm up. He immediately began examining the room, but he had little to do. The room was practically empty, and there was no stool or other object on which a suicide [samobójca] could step to put a noose around the pipe. The only thing that surprised the inspector was that the floor was wet, although no one had entered the boiler room; the room was sealed [zaplombowany] from the moment the forensic team [ekipa medycyny sądowej] had been there until the inspector arrived.
On the body of the suicide a letter was found, in which it was written that if he died, the murderer would be a man named Kurz, who had stolen his fiancée, Miss Hasley.
- However I believe that Dunlow committed suicide to take revenge [aby się zemścić] on Kurz after his death, said the inspector after a moment of thought.
How did the inspector know that?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solutionto the riddle titled: 'The Widow':
The widow told the inspector that she returned home at about 5:30 p.m., which is too early for a visit to a ladies' hairdresser. And the police will easily find evidence of this by questioning the hairdresser, who will probably give the exact time that Mrs. Wegeler left the hairdresser's.
Q W E R T Z
23. THE THEFT IN A HOTEL
That day, Inspector Brandon was called to a certain hotel where a theft had been committed in Mrs. Salnick's room. Immediately upon arrival, the Inspector first spoke with Mrs. Salnick, who related the following:
- I went to bed early yesterday, because I was tired from my journey, and I suddenly woke up [obudziłam się] at night in complete darkness, because before going to bed I had drawn the curtains [zasunęłam kotary] on the windows so that the light coming through the windows would not disturb my sleep. I was awakened [obudzona] by noises coming from the other side of the room, from the bathroom, so I went to the light switch [włącznika światła], which was by the front door, but at that moment someone grabbed me [chwycił mnie] by the neck and whispered in my ear: 'Silence, or death!' Paralysed by fear, I didn't say a word the whole time, and the attacker, holding me by the throat the whole time, took my diamond ring from the shelf above the radiator [nad kaloryferem], a ring which I had borrowed from a friend before leaving, because I came to a reunion [zjazd absolwentów] of my old school and I wanted, I admit [przyznaję], to impress [zaimponować] my school friends a little. When I saw that individual [osobnika] taking the ring with his other, free hand, I lost consciousness [straciłam przytomność] from the enormous emotions stored inside me. When I woke up, there was no trace of the attacker. Of course, I immediately called the hotel staff and reported the incident to them, and they called the police.
The inspector looked around the hotel room carefully, which did not stand out [nie odróżniał się] in any way from other such rooms. To the left of the entrance door was the bathroom, in front of a large window and to the right side was the bed. By the window stood a table and two chairs by it. Indeed, above the radiator near the window there was a fairly wide shelf, on which one could even put a bag.
- Unfortunately, I don't believe your description, said the inspector. You probably wanted to take the ring by reporting its theft.
How did the inspector know?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Hanged Man':
Dunlow committed suicide, creating the appearance [stwarzając pozory] of a murder because after his death he wanted to take revenge on the man who had stolen his fiancée, and he did it by standing on a high block of snow, which he had made from the snow outside, and which melted quickly because it was hot in the boiler room (and that's why the floor was wet). Besides, if Kurz had hanged him, he would not have left a letter with such information on Dunlow.
Q W E R T Z
24. THE MURDER OF THE SOLICITOR
That day Inspector Brandon was called to the apartment of a certain Mr. Osgood, a well-known solicitor [prawnik-doradca], who had been found dead in his private office. Immediately upon his arrival, the inspector, still standing in the doorway, looked around the large room with delight; for this office was furnished with real luxury but also with great taste. The left wall was occupied by two adjacent [przylegające do siebie] crystal-glass-fronted display cases [witryny], used as bookshelves, the right wall was occupied by a glass case in which there was a collection of the various vases and figurines. Near the window stood a beautiful Chesterfield-style desk, next to it a deep armchair also in that style, and on the desk an equally beautiful lamp in the form of a sculpture [w formie rzeźby]. At the side of the desk stood a rococo chair, probably intended for Mr. Osgood's clients, and closer to the door of the room stood a heavy, oak, inlaid [dębowy, intarsjowany] table and two leather office chairs, also in the Chesterfield style, a style that the deceased Mr. Osgood was clearly an admirer of. The room smelled faintly of good cigars.
Next to the table was lying the dead body of the host of the office, and a mark of a blow [ślad po uderzeniu] was visible on his temple [skroni]. The body was lying in an unnatural position on a thick, heavy carpet, which covered almost the entire room, on which was visible a large blood stain [plama krwi].
The only witness to Mr. Osgood's death was his client; Mr. Dunbar, who told the inspector the following:
- I came to see Mr. Osgood today at the appointed time [o umówionej porze] to continue discussing my complicated inheritance case [sprawę spadkową] and during the conversation he got up from the chair at his desk to show me a certain book, but slipped [poślizgnął się] and fell, hitting his head on the edge of the table. When I leaned over [pochyliłem się] him he was already dead.
- Unfortunately this version of Mr. Osgood's death is untrue. I have reason to believe that you helped him to pass to the other world, said the inspector after listening to Dunbar.
Why did the inspector think so?
The solution is in the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Theft in a Hotel':
The alleged [rzekomy] thief could not have dragged [zaciągnąć] Mrs. Salnick to the shelf above the radiator because he would have been hindered by [przeszkodziłby mu w tym] the table and two chairs, and she claimed that he was holding her throat with one hand the entire time when he was taking the ring. Second, if the room was very dark, Mrs. Salnick could not have seen the diamond ring lying on the shelf above the radiator, and neither could the thief.
Q W E R T Z
25. TELEPHONE NUMBERS
When Inspector Brandon arrived at Mr. Primrose's elegant apartment, his body was lying on the floor in the living room. The medical examiner working at the scene told the inspector that Primrose had been dead since the evening of the previous day and had been shot twice in the head. The doctor also added that the type of gunshot wounds indicated [wskazywały] that the murder could have been violent, resulting from an argument or an emotional exchange of views. On the table was an unfinished bottle of champagne and two glasses left, but the fingerprint technician said that all the fingerprints had been carefully wiped off [wytarte]. However, a rosebud [pąk róży], probably worn in a buttonhole [noszony w butonierce], was found on the floor, indicating that the person participating in this conversation could have been a woman.
Therefore, the first thing Inspector Brandon did was to check the numbers on Mr. Primrose's phone and he found in it the names and numbers of five women, whom he decided to call and invite to talk with him to the deceased's apartment. During the conversations with each of them, the inspector was struck by [uderzyło inspektora] one thing above all: each of them was not at all surprised by Primrose's death, claiming that he was very disloyal to women and treated them instrumentally. Here is how their contacts with the inspector went:
- The first woman, named Sally, said that she was at present in a city several hundred kilometers away and that she could only come to talk to the inspector tomorrow at the earliest.
- The second woman, named Meghan, arrived for the interview relatively quickly but provided an alibi that was difficult to refute [obalenia], because she had attended a gala dinner in a restaurant with a large company until 2 a.m., which can be confirmed by the participants of that dinner.
- The third woman, named Frances, said that her acquaintance [znajomość] with Primrose was fleeting [przelotna]; she doesn't even know his address but she agreed, however very reluctantly [niechętnie], to come as soon as possible to talk to the inspector. Upon arrival she only confirmed what she had previously said on the phone.
- The fourth woman, named Felicity, had no alibi. She claimed that she had gone to bed earlier in her apartment because she wasn't feeling well and woke up late today. She also agreed to come to talk to the inspector and appeared in Primrose's apartment quite quickly but during the conversation she had nothing more to say.
- The fifth woman, named Marianne, claimed that she had flown [przyleciała] from Rome the previous day but has stayed at the hotel the whole time after arriving. When she came for the interview she had little more to say, however during the conversation the inspector noticed that she was nervous and tried to hide [ukryć] something.
But after talking to each of these women, the inspector knew which one had murdered Primrose. What was the evidence for this?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Murder of the Solicitor':
First, he did not have to pass the table to go from the desk to the bookshelf, on the edge of which he hit his head. Second, he could not have slipped on such a thick carpet and in order to hit the table with his temple, someone must have 'helped' him. Most likely, Dunbar tripped [podciął go] him or pushed him towards the table so that Osgood hit the edge of the table with his head. Third, even if he had actually slipped, he would have hit the edge of the table rather with the front of his head not with his temple.
Q W E R T Z
26. AN OPEN SAFE
That day, Inspector Brandon was called to the office of a wealthy businessman, Mr. Gelsen, who had reported to the police the theft of a large amount of money from a safe located in his study [w gabinecie] in his home. As Gelsen told it, the event took place as follows:
- After arriving at my company's office, I remembered [przypomniałem sobie] that I had not taken important documents from the safe located in my study in my home, which I needed today. So I sent my assistant, Mr. Bloch, to bring them to me. I soon received a call from him informing me that when he entered the study, he found that the safe was already open and the cash I had kept there had disappeared. So immediately after finding out about this fact, he called me with this information and I immediately called you, inspector. However, since those papers were extremely important to me, I ordered him to take the documents, close the safe and bring them to me, especially because my wife and the housekeeper [gosposia] were at home.
- Where is Mr. Bloch now?, asked the inspector.
- He is in his room next door and is waiting for my instructions.
- Fine, let's go to your house! The inspector decided.
So both men drove to Mr. Gelsen's house, which was located in the outskirts [przedmieściach] of the city. The inspector called the fingerprint technician [technika-daktyloskopa] from the car to come to Mr. Gelsen's house as soon as possible and take fingerprints from the safe inside and outside. Upon arrival, they found Mrs. Gelsen and the housekeeper there. Both women were very nervous about the break-in, and both also claimed that before Mr. Bloch arrived they had not heard or seen anyone in the house, let alone [tym bardziej] in Mr. Gelsen's study. They also did not enter the study so as not to erase [zamazać] any possible traces.
- Who knew the combination to the safe? The inspector asked Mr. Gelsen.
- Three people: my wife, the housekeeper and Mr. Bloch, because all of these people needed the safe in various situations, Gelsen replied.
After a few hours, the technician informed the inspector of the results of his tests.
- Unfortunately, there are no fingerprints on the safe or inside it; all of them have been thoroughly wiped off [wytarte], said the technician.
- Well, so I know who took the money, said the inspector.
How did the inspector know that?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'Telephone Numbers':
It was Frances. She stated in the telephone conversation that she did not know Primrose's address but came as soon as possible to talk to the inspector; therefore, she did know his address.
Q W E R T Z
27. THE DEATH IN A BATHROOM
Inspector Brandon was sitting in his office when he received a call from a Mr. Kennox, who reported a murder in the neighbouring villa. When the inspector arrived, Mr. Kennox told the story of the incident. According to him, it went like this:
- I was standing in the window of my office, which is located on the first floor of my house as you can see, when I heard a shot coming from the house opposite and saw the body of my neighbour, Mr. Baldy, lying on the floor in the bathroom of that house, which was on the ground floor. Without taking my eyes off the bathroom, I called the police to report that someone had committed [popełnił] a murder. I was watching my neighbour's bathroom almost the entire time, since I had heard the shot and I watched the bathroom immediately after the shot, so there was no way the murderer could have escaped [mógł uciec] through the window; he must have escaped inside the house.
Then the inspector went to the neighbour's villa, but no one opened the door. It was only after about half an hour that a car pulled up in front of the house and a middle-aged woman got out, as it turned out a moment later; the housekeeper [gosposia], who had returned from shopping. The inspector informed her about the event and together with her they immediately went up [podeszli] to the bathroom door, but it was necessary to use force to open the door, because it was blocked by the body of a man lying on the floor. The man was already dead, which the inspector found on the spot [tu: od razu] and there was an open wound on his head from a gunshot.
- Is this Mr. Baldy? The inspector asked Mr. Kennox?
- Yes, of course it’s him. Kennox answered.
- You did not tell me the truth, Mr. Kennox. I have reason to believe that you killed him, trying to shift the blame [zwalić winę] to one of the household members, said the inspector.
On what basis did he think so?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'An Open Safe':
Bloch took the money. There were no fingerprints on the entire safe, inside or outside, and yet he had to open the safe, take the documents out and close it again. But he probably took out not only the documents but also the cash, wiped off the fingerprints and hid the money somewhere on the way to the office, counting on Mr. Gelsen to blame his wife or the housekeeper for the theft.
Q W E R T Z
28. THE TRAVELLER [podróżniczka]
Inspector Brandon was travelling back from his vacation in Mexico by plane, and an attractive woman in her 40s was sitting in the seat next to his. A conversation ensued [wywiązała się] between them, during which the woman told how she travelled the world writing articles and taking photos of interesting places. She also showed off [pochwaliła się] her camera, which hung around her neck in a leather case [w skórzanym pokrowcu], and which she claimed had the latest technological innovations, including the ability to take pictures even at night.
When the plane landed and the passengers went to the customs chamber [komory celnej], the customs officers let the inspector through without any problems, but immediately began searching the luggage of the inspector's travelling companion, explaining to the woman that they had received the information that she was smuggling drugs [przemycała narkotyki] and that they had to check it.
- Go ahead, look through everything, the woman said, and stood a few meters away, watching with a smile as the customs officers opened her suitcases and handbag one by one. However, despite the meticulous [drobiazgowego] search, they found nothing. After the search was over, the woman was happy to leave the customs chamber, but at that moment Inspector Brandon stepped in and said to the customs officers:
- I know where the drugs are and I'll tell you where they are in a moment.
Where were the drugs hidden?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Death in a Bathroom':
The body of the deceased was lying near the bathroom door so that the murderer could not escape inside [uciec do wewnątrz] the house but had to escape through the window, while Kennox claimed [twierdził] that he had been watching the bathroom window the whole time.
Q W E R T Z
29. THE BURGLARY
Mr. Gentle was waiting for Inspector Brandon in the doorway of an apartment in an elegant tenement house [kamienicy] with large apartments occupying a quarter of the floor on each side and with two entrances to these apartments from two staircases [klatek schodowych]. These second entrances served mostly as entrances to various private offices; legal, consulting, medical ones, etc., which the inspector noticed on his way to Mr. Gentle's apartment.
The inspector entered Mr. Gentle's apartment and Mr. Gentle immediately led him to his office, which was at the end of a large hall and entered a room in which there was perfect order. His attention was drawn first [od razu zwrócił uwagę] to the exit to the second corridor, the door of which was slightly ajar [uchylone].
- I only have the information from the policeman on duty that you reported a robbery and the theft of a jewelry box, is that right?, asked the inspector.
- Exactly. - Mr. Gentle replied. - At about three o'clock in the morning I was awakened by sounds [obudziły mnie odgłosy] coming from the study [gabinetu] and when I got there I saw the thief running away with the box, through the door leading to the second corridor. I didn't want to chase him [gonić go] because I was afraid he was armed [uzbrojony], so I just watched him run away and immediately after the incident I called the police.
- What was the box? The inspector asked.
- It was my wife's jewelry box, which I kept - I admit a bit recklessly [lekkomyślnie] - in my desk. My wife is currently staying with her sister in another city. Recently our relationship hasn't been going too well, so she's been there for some time, but maybe after she returns we can clear up our misunderstandings. But that desk was securely locked, inspector. I assure [zapewniam] you, however, that I hadn't touched or moved anything, until you came so as not to cover up the tracks.
The inspector carefully examined the desk and found that one of the drawers was indeed open and the lock was broken. Then he examined the entire room; it was impeccably clean and tidy. After he had examined the room, he went out through the ajar door into the corridor and saw that there were splinters of plaster [odłamki tynku], pieces of brick and a lot of dust on the floor.
- Are there any construction works [prace budowlane] going on here? The inspector asked Mr. Gentle.
- Yes, they are putting on some new installation in this corridor, but I don't know exactly what it is. Perhaps one of the tenants [lokatorów] is redoing something. The workers came yesterday, worked until late but didn't finish and said they would definitely finish today. It's 7 o'clock in the morning and they're not here yet. They'll probably be here soon.
- Hmm, the inspector muttered [mruknął], after carefully examining the room and corridor and then said:
- I'm afraid your story is not true and that you arranged this burglary in order to steal your wife's jewelry.
What led the inspector to such an assumption [przypuszczenia]?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Traveller':
She hid [ukryła] the drugs in a camera case that was hanging around her neck the whole time.
Q W E R T Z
30. THE SUICIDE [samobójca]
Inspector Brandon was called to the apartment of Mr. Robert Smith after the police had been called by his nephew, who found him dead in his study [gabinecie]. When the inspector entered the room, he saw a man sitting in a chair at the desk; his head, covered in blood, was lying on the desk top and in his hand was a revolver. Under the head of the suicide was a sheet of white paper on which was written one word: 'Farewell!' [żegnajcie]
The inspector decided to talk initially with the nephew, who lived with Mr. Smith in his apartment and asked him what he thought about his suicide.
- I am very surprised by his suicide because I know a few people who would have sent him to the other world but I did not think that uncle Robert would do it for them, said the nephew.
- He did not do it for them because he was murdered and I suppose you were the murderer, said Inspector Brandon.
Why did the inspector think so?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Burglary':
The inspector stated that there were no traces of dust and plaster on the carpet, which a burglar would have to have brought into the study from the corridor, in which there were construction works, but the study was clean and in perfect order.
Q W E R T Z
31. THE STRANGULATION
A woman named Felicia was found dead by her aunt, who could not get into her apartment and called the police, and when the police opened the door, they found Felicia strangled [uduszoną]. According to the medical examiner, the death had occurred the day before and the perpetrator [sprawca] must have been some strong person (almost certainly a man) who strangled Felicia with his hands.
Inspector Brandon of course first questioned the aunt, who said that Felicia had recently had two fiancés; first she had been in a relationship with was a rally driver [kierowca rajdowy], then she broke up with him and became engaged [zaręczyła się] to a singer, but she quickly also got bored with him and has been single recently.
The inspector decided to question both of those men; first he called the rally driver, who said that on the critical day he only arrived in the city this morning because the airport, near which Felicia's apartment was, was closed due to fog. 'So I couldn't get to Felicia's apartment yesterday,' he said.
After that, Inspector Brandon asked the singer - who lived in the building next door to Felicia - what he was doing yesterday and he said that at the critical time he was loudly practicing his new songs at home, which was confirmed [potwierdzone] by his neighbour who said that she could hear him singing loudly the whole time and only occasionally he was drowned out [zagłuszany] by the roar [ryk, hałas] of the planes landing, other tenants [lokatorzy] also confirmed that.
After this statement the inspector turned to him and said:
- You are lying because you are the one who strangled Felicia.
How did the inspector know that the singer was lying?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Suicide':
If it was suicide and death was instantaneous [natychmiastowa], the sheet of paper would be smeared [umazany] with blood, but it was clean. However, only the nephew could asked in some circumstances [w jakichś okolicznościach] Mr. Smith to write the word 'Farewell!' on the paper and place it under his head.
Q W E R T Z
32. THE MURDER OF THE CASHIER
Inspector Brandon was urgently called to a sports hall where a cashier had been murdered while counting money from ticket sales for a sports event that took place that day. The police officers who had arrived at the scene earlier determined [ustalili] that someone had entered the cashier's room, shot him and taken all the cash. The biggest suspects in this case were two fencers [szermierze]; Cantar and Feldon, who were training in the adjacent [sąsiednim] training room, because the surveillance camera [kamera monitoringu] recorded an individual in a fencing costume [stroju szermierczym] with a mask on, shooting the cashier and then taking the cash from the table.
Unfortunately, the problem was that both fencers were almost the same height and figure, so when their fencing costumes were brought in for comparison [porównania], it turned out that both of them were the same size. The only thing that distinguished them was that Cantar's pair of fencer gloves was much larger than Feldon's pair. Of course, both accused each other of committing the crime, both left the gym several times during their training, so determining which of them committed the crime was practically impossible.
Inspector Brandon summoned [wezwał] both fencers for questioning, but both categorically denied having any connection with the crime, however, after some thought, the inspector informed the police officers which of them most likely committed it.
Which fencer did the inspector suspect?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Strangulation':
Since the airport was closed, planes could not land and the neighbour told the inspector that she heard the noise of the planes landing, so the singer had recorded his singing on a player earlier and played it back when he went to Felicia to have an alibi.
Q W E R T Z
33. THE HOTEL THEFT
Mrs. Wellington, a wealthy heiress to a cosmetics empire, had taken up residence in the elegant “Paradise Hotel” for a few weeks. As usual, she had brought many suitcases of clothes and a jewelry box with her. After a few days of staying there, she was just getting ready to go to a party with friends and opened the box to choose some of her jewelry for the party. Before leaving, however, she decided to have a drink, so she ordered a glass of tea at the reception desk. Shortly after placing her order, she went into the bathroom to continue getting ready and when she was already in the bathroom, she heard someone enter the room. Being sure that it was the waiter with tea, she didn't even leave the bathroom, but then she heard a scream, jumped out of the bathroom and saw the waiter lying on the floor, who quickly got up and said the following:
“I had just entered your room, Madam, when someone attacked me from behind and hit me in the head with a heavy object. I fell down, lost consciousness and I don't know what was going on with me.”
At that moment, Mrs. Wellington looked at the place where the box was and it turned out that the jewelry box was gone! Of course, she immediately alerted the reception, who in turn called the police, on whose behalf Inspector Brandon came to the hotel.
The inspector listened patiently to Mrs. Wellington's story first, then the waiter's, and then looked around the room carefully, but everything was in its place; only the box that Mrs. Wellington had previously placed on the table was missing and on the table there was still a tray with untouched tea that the waiter had brought before.
After a moment of consideration, the inspector turned to the waiter:
- You and your accomplice [wspólnik] staged [upozorowaliście] the robbery. But you've made one mistake that gave you away.
What mistake did the waiter make when he staged the robbery?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Murder of the Cashier':
The inspector concluded that only the fencer who had small hands could have put on larger gloves to commit the crime and then cast suspicion [rzucić podejrzenie] on the other one. So it was Feldon, because Cantar, who had large hands, could not have put on Feldon's gloves.
Q W E R T Z
34. FOUR COTTAGES
This time, Inspector Brandon was called to a small town outside the city, where a man named Ergan had been shot dead. Ergan's body was found in the garden at 12:30 by his friend, Mr. Kelsen, who had an appointment with him and who was waiting for the inspector with two policemen. Upon arrival, the inspector saw that Ergan's cottage [domek] was one of four cottages that formed a small horseshoe-shaped enclave near the forest, so that each of the residents could see the other cottages from the front of their house. The inspector first examined the deceased [zmarłego] carefully and determined that he had been shot with a pistol, very likely with a silencer, and that there were traces of green paint on his clothes. Immediately after that, he decided to question the residents of the other cottages. First, he spoke to Mr. Seldrom, who said that he had not heard the shot and had not seen anything suspicious, he had only seen that at 8 a.m. a painter arrived, who started painting the fence green. He also saw that the painter finished at around 11 a.m. because he saw him leaving the property. But he gave the inspector very important information; that Ergan had a serious dispute [spór] with the other neighbours; Gwynn and Schwarz, and he had heard them threaten him with revenge [odgrażali mu się zemstą] several times. What their dispute was about, Seldrom did not know.
So the inspector decided to talk to those neighbours. First he questioned Gwynn, who said:
- A few days ago I’ve made up [pogodziłem się] with Ergan and this morning he even came to me to help him fix the lawnmower. We both saw the painter painting the fence. I also saw that Ergan left the house at 12:30. I did not see when he returned, because I went to the back of the house to the garden, where I was tidying up the beds [porządkowałem grządki].
The inspector then questioned Schwarz, who said:
- I can't stand Ergan, but I didn't kill him. In the morning I saw the painter come in but then I didn't look at his house because I was in the living room which overlooks the garden. At 11.30 I went to the inn [gospody] not far from here where I sat drinking beer with my friends until about 12.30. When I went out, the painter was gone.
After these conversations Inspector Brandon said to the policemen accompanying him; 'I know who killed Ergan'.
How did the inspector know who killed Ergan?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Hotel Theft':
The waiter claimed that he was attacked immediately after entering the room and lost consciousness, so the tray of tea would have also fallen to the floor, while it was standing untouched on the table. So he had an accomplice [wspólnika w przestępstwie] and they planned the attack in such a way that the other of them would lightly hit the waiter in the head and then ran away with the jewelry box.
Q W E R T Z
35. TWO SHOTS
One night, Mr. Gallant, a resident of a house in one of the city's districts, called the police because he had heard two shots from a neighbouring house and asked for intervention. Inspector Brandon also went there with the police patrol. When the inspector arrived, Mr. Gallant invited him to his house and this is what he told the inspector:
- I was asleep when I was awakened [obudził mnie] by a gunshot. I got out of bed, put on my night slippers, turned on the light, put on my dressing gown, and when I went to the window I heard another shot. Then I realised that the shots had come from the house next door, which is owed by Mr. and Mrs Faulkner. I saw a light in their sitting room through the window. I must also add, inspector, that before, I quite often used to hear sounds of quarrels [odgłosy awantur] from their house, but I hope that they were not shooting at each other, were they? - Mr. Gallant added in a worried tone.
Therefore, the inspector and the policemen went to the house next door, where at once a man appeared [ukazał się] in the front door, who introduced himself as Mr. Faulkner. They all went into the living room and found two dead bodies there; a dead woman was lying on the doorstep and in the back of the room was the body of a man holding a revolver in his hand. When the inspector looked at this sight, Mr. Faulkner told him the following story:
- This is my wife, he pointed to the woman, and this is some bandit who got into our house. Our bedroom is upstairs, we were already falling asleep when we both heard suspicious sounds from the living room and, for some unknown reason, my wife jumped out of the bed first, ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the living room and then I followed her with a revolver in my hand, which I had to take out of the cupboard, so it took a while. My wife opened the living room door – I was a few steps behind her – and then I saw the bandit, who was already tampering [manipulował] with the safe, that he turned around and shot at her. Then I shot at him and, as you can see, killed him. Then I ran to my wife to see if anything had happened to her, I started feeling her pulse and found that she was dead. I fainted [zemdlałem] from the enormous stress and only just came to myself, so I couldn't call the police earlier. But it's a good thing you're here already!, he exclaimed.
- Oh no, the incident took a completely different course, said the inspector. You were the first to go down and shoot the bandit, and only after a moment did your wife appear, and then the thought dawned on you [olśniła pana myśl] that there was an opportunity to get rid of her [pozbyć się jej] – which you had probably been considering for a long time – so you took the revolver out of the bandit's hand, shot your wife, wiped the fingerprints out of it, and then put it back in his hand. But while telling it, you made a mistake that betrayed you.
What mistake did Faulkner make in his story?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'Four Cottages':
Ergan must have been killed at the earliest at 11.15 because the painter left at 11 and at the latest at 12.15, because at 12.30 Mr. Kelsen came to him, with whom he had arranged to chat and by then he was already dead. So Gwynn lied that he saw him alive at 12.30.
Q W E R T Z
36. THE HEIRS [spadkobiercy]
That day, Inspector Brandon was called to the house of Mr. Kennwood, a wealthy businessman who had been shot dead at night with a revolver. The house was inhabited by his four children and his wife, who was not at home that night because she had gone to her sister's for a few days. Three of his children were already adults and they were:
- 27-year-old Emma, who was already married but usually used to sleep at Mr. Kennwood's house because she was the president of his company,
- 25-year-old Francis, a law graduate, who was already practicing at Mr. Kennwood's company,
- 20-year-old Benjamin, a law student,
- and 15-year-old Timmy, still a schoolboy, who never parts with his smartphone; even at night.
After arriving at the scene, the inspector invited everyone to the living room and from their stories it turned out that Mr. Kennwood was suffering from cancer, his health was deteriorating [pogarszało się] with every passing moment and he intended to make a will [testament] at a notary's office, in which he planned to donate a huge part of his estate to one of the charitable [dobroczynnych] foundations. No one heard any sounds from the living room where the murder was committed because everyone was sleeping in their rooms upstairs, only Timmy had just come out of his room to urinate and heard sounds coming from the ground floor, entered the living room and saw a figure there, so of course the first thing he did was take a picture with his inseparable smartphone. However, when the figure pointed a revolver at him, he quickly fled upstairs [uciekł na górę]. He immediately called the police, but when the police arrived, there was no trace of the attacker. Timmy, of course, immediately showed the inspector this picture and it showed a person with a hat pulled down over his eyes, wrapped in a dressing gown, tied around the waist with a string and his face was covered with a scarf [chustą]. After examining the photo, it turned out that all of these items of clothing had been taken from the apartment; the hat belonged to Mr. Kennwood and had previously hung on a hanger in the hallway, the dressing gown belonged to his wife and had hung in her bathroom, and the scarf was lying on a shelf in the hall cabinet, which led to the irresistible assumption [przypuszczenia] that the murder had been committed by one of the household members, probably dissatisfied with Mr. Kennwood's plans regarding the will.
The inspector looked at the person in the photo for a moment and said:
- I know which of you committed the murder, said to the household members.
Which of the household members committed the murder?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'Two Shots':
Faulkner's story does not agree with what the neighbour, Mr. Gallant, told the inspector. He said that when he heard the shot, he got out of bed, turned on the light, put on his dressing gown and went to the window, and only then another shot rang out, meaning there was a considerable time gap [spora przerwa czasowa] between the shots. According to Faulkner, the shots came one after the other.
Q W E R T Z
37. THE HOLE ON THE BOAT
Mr. and Mrs. Levellyn, who lived in a small town on the lake and had their boat moored [zacumowaną] at a nearby marina, sail out, as they often used to do in the weekend, very early in the morning at 4.30 a.m. on the lake and suddenly, when they were already in the middle of the lake, they saw that the boat was taking on water and was starting to sink [tonąć]. It turned out that the hole had been deliberately [celowo, przemyślnie] drilled in the keel so that the boat would not immediately start taking on water. Of course, they tried to pump out water, but the pump did not work and it was also deliberately broken. Fortunately, another boat was passing nearby, whose crew took the Levellyns on board. They were therefore very lucky, because at that time there is always little boat traffic on the lake.
Of course, after arriving on land they immediately called the police, on whose behalf Inspector Brandon came.
During the conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Levellyn, the inspector learned that they had two enemies; their neighbours, with whom they had had various disputes from barking dogs to a broken fence, and these neighbours were well acquainted [dobrze znali] with their weekend habit of going out on the lake early in the morning. The inspector therefore questioned both neighbours and that is what they said:
The first, named Costas, told the inspector that at 2.30 a.m. he had gone out fishing with a mate [kolegą] and returned at about 8 a.m., as his mate could confirm [potwierdzić] it.
The other, named Swammer, told the inspector that the previous day he had been in the pub until 3.15 a.m., then taken a taxi, returned home and slept until 9 a.m., as his wife could confirm.
After speaking to both neighbours, Inspector Brandon said to the accompanying policemen; 'I know which one of them drilled a hole in the boat and broke the pump.'
What made the inspector draw this conclusion?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Heirs':
The inspector noticed in the photo that the person in the photo had instinctively put on a dressing gown in a woman's style – right lap [poła] up, left lap down, so it was Emma.
Q W E R T Z
38. THE DEATH OF THE SINGER
Inspector Brandon was given an investigation into the death of a singer, Elsa Montano, who performed at the cabaret 'The White Swann', and who performed there daily with her shows, delighting [zachwycając] the audience. Elsa Montano was found dead in her apartment, strangled [uduszona], probably after an earlier quarrel with her murderer, as indicated by the traces left in the apartment. The inspector first went to the cabaret’s seat, where he talked to its director, Mr. Torrino.
- Elsa was a wonderful girl, Torrino said. Modest, polite, quiet but very talented, she was definitely on the threshold [na progu] of a big career. Besides, even her stage name was not real; her real name was Theresa Blum. Impresarios were already interested in her, and they often came to our cabaret especially for her performances. Some invited her for a talk, after her performances, probably to the restaurant. From what I know from her, she has refused everyone so far.
- And what was it like during her performance yesterday?, the inspector asked. Did anyone come to pick her up?
- Yes, I saw that a certain Keldron was waiting for her after the performance; the impresario of some agency and I saw Theresa leave as usual through the back door and get into his car.
So the inspector immediately ordered the police headquarters to find Keldron and soon the impresario was sitting in front of the inspector's desk at the police station.
- You were seen driving Elsa Montano away in your car, so I would like to ask what you were doing yesterday evening?, the inspector said.
- I didn't know her at all, only yesterday I managed to arrange a meeting with her over the phone to talk about her possible engagement at our agency. I did indeed drive Theresa home in my car but I didn't arrange anything with her; she said she was in a bad mood and didn't want to commit [zobowiązywać się] to anything and that she would call me one day and we would arrange something. She got out of the car in front of her house, said only a short: 'Goodbye' and that was all.
– However, I have a different opinion on this matter and I must hold you in custody [zatrzymać w areszcie] on suspicion of the murder of Elsa Montano, said the inspector.
On what basis did the inspector suspect Keldron of the murder?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Hole on the Boat':
The hole must have been drilled shortly before 4:30, because otherwise the boat would have taken on water while still being in the marina, and the perpetrator wanted that the boat would gradually take on water [nabierała wody] so as to surprise the Levellyns in the middle of the lake; so only Swammer could have done this after returning from the pub, because Costas had already gone fishing with a friend at 2:30 a.m.
Q W E R T Z
39. TWO SANTA CLAUS
Just before Christmas, a robbery was committed in broad daylight [w biały dzień] at a jewelry store and jewelry of considerable value was stolen. As the jeweler testified, a man entered the store dressed as Santa Claus [Święty Mikołaj] and, threatening with a revolver, took the jewelry and then ran away. Witnesses on the street also saw that this 'Santa Claus' was holding an advertising board in his hands when entering and leaving with the following text: 'You can buy the best gifts at Kelman's Toys store'.
Inspector Brandon, who was called to conduct an immediate investigation, first went to the aforementioned [wspomnianego] shopkeeper and he indeed confirmed that he had hired a man who had been walking around the streets with his store's advertising board for several days, but that this man had already come to him in the morning dressed as Santa Claus, picked up [tu: wziął, zabrał] the board and set off for a walk around the streets. He also said that the man had finished his work an hour ago, had come in, returned the board, taken the money that was due to him and left, but he could not recognise his face, because he had always covered it with his Santa Claus’ beard.
- Oh, look, this is this board – right here by the wall – he showed the inspector the board, in the back room.
There was indeed a board with the inscription: 'You can buy the best gifts at Kellman's Toys'.
In the meantime, the inspector received information from the police that a man in a Santa Claus’ suit had been caught walking down the street with an advertising sign saying: 'You can buy the best presents at Kelman's Toys', so the inspector immediately ordered that the individual was brought to the police station. When he appeared at the inspector's office he denied any robbery and said that, in accordance with the agreement, he had been walking around the streets with the advertising board and was about to go to the shopkeeper to get the payment he owed him.
- However you’ve made one mistake, which indicates that you were the one who robbed the jeweler's shop, said the inspector.
What mistake did that man make?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Death of the Singer':
Keldron claimed that he did not know Elsa Montano at all but immediately used her real name 'Theresa' in conversation with the inspector, which meant that he lied, because he must have known her quite well.
Q W E R T Z
40. THE LEFT-HANDED KILLER
In a four-family house, someone murdered one of the residents: Mr. Stillman, and the police determined [ustaliła] after the examination of the crime scene and other evidence that the murder was almost certainly committed by one of the other residents of the house, and the person must have been left-handed. So Inspector Brandon visited the three residents to talk to them and possibly identify the killer.
First, he met Mrs. Chistake, who welcomed him in the kitchen because she was frying pancakes for the arrival of her niece. The inspector, restraining [powstrzymując] with difficulty his appetite for them, watched as Mrs. Chistake was pouring batter [ciasto] from a pot held with her left hand onto a frying pan, deftly [zręcznie] maneuvering a wooden spatula with her right hand. However during their conversation Mrs. Chistake contributed [wniosła] little to the case; at the time of the murder determined by the medical examiner, she was watching television, and since she is rather hard of hearing, the television was playing loudly.
Then the inspector went to Mr. Bristle's apartment and he turned out to be an artist-painter, who was not standing at the easel [sztalugach] but had just got out of bed because, as he told the inspector, he had been ill with the flu since the day before yesterday and was lying, or rather sleeping in bed. He also had little to say because he had not heard anything from Stillman's apartment. The inspector did not want to catch the flu, so he quickly left the living room, but by the exit he noticed the easel on which there was probably finished self-portrait of the painter, so he looked at it and saw the figure of a slim and long-haired brunette with hair sprinkled with gray, who really perfectly reflected [tu: oddawał] the actual image of the host. The man in the painting was holding a brush [pędzel] in his right hand and a palette in his left.
The third resident was Mr. Boyle, a sculptor, who was working on his new sculpture. It was not yet known what would be made from the thick block of wood as it was in a special holder on the table, but Mr. Boyle opened the door for the inspector with his right hand because he held a chisel [dłuto] and a hammer in his left hand. After when he opened the door, he transferred the hammer to his right hand. Of course, he didn't contribute anything to the case [nie wniósł nic nowego do sprawy] either, because he was busy working in his studio yesterday.
However, after returning from the three residents of the house, Inspector Brandon said to his colleagues: 'Despite this short visit, I already know which one of them is left-handed, and therefore the probable murderer of Stillman.'
Who did Inspector Brandon think was left-handed?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'Two Santa Claus':
The mistake was that the other 'Santa' while forging the board with the inscription: 'Kellman's Toys' put only one letter 'l', while the original sign had two 'ls'. By forging the sign, he wanted to impersonate [podszyć się pod] the original Santa so that that one would be suspected of the robbery.
Q W E R T Z
41. THE DEATH DURING A STRUGGLE
That evening, a certain Mr. Pelotti called the police with the tragic information that his wife had committed suicide. A police team quickly arrived at the scene, along with Inspector Brandon, who found Mrs. Pelotti dead with a gun in her hand and a gunshot wound on her temple [skroni]. Mr. Pelotti immediately told the inspector the following story:
- I had a quarrel [pokłóciłem się] with my wife today because I didn't want to pay for a very expensive coat that she had ordered earlier from a fashion house. Among other things, she used the argument that I buy my secretary equally expensive gifts, which is absurd of course. She said that she wouldn't survive the embarrassment of having to return the coat. During our exchange of words, which I admit was quite unpleasant, she put the gun to her temple and blackmailed [zaszantażowała] me that if I didn't pay for the coat, she would kill herself right away. Of course I immediately wanted to intervene and started to struggle [szamotać się] with her to rip [wyrwać] the gun out of her hand, but during this struggle the gun went off [wypalił] and my wife fell dead to the floor.
In the meantime [międzyczasie] the fingerprint technician took fingerprints and told the inspector that on the box in which the deceased held the gun and on the gun itself, he found only Mrs. Pelotti's fingerprints.
- But these are only appearances [pozory]. I'm arresting you on suspicion of murdering your wife, said the inspector to Mr. Pelotti.
On what grounds did the inspector want to arrest Mr. Pelotti?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Left-Handed Killer':
The left-handed person was a painter Bristle. The self-portrait is usually painted while looking in the mirror; so the left hand in the painting is actually the right hand, so Bristle painted the painting with his left hand.
Q W E R T Z
42. THE FALL FROM A LADDER
Inspector Brandon was called that day to the apartment of the professor of geology, Alois Zimmer, who had fallen from a ladder and died on the spot.
When the inspector entered the room, he saw that on the floor, under the ladder, was the professor's body and next to his head, on which there was a bloody wound, was a large stone with sharp edges, all covered in blood. The deceased [denat] was dressed in pajama bottoms and a dressing gown [szlafrok], and on his feet had slippers without heels [pantofle bez pięt]. About a meter from the body his glasses were lying.
The inspector looked around; it was a large room, which was de facto a geologist's study. The two side walls were lined from top to bottom with shelves, on which stood books or various stones. By the window stood a large desk, piled [zawalone] with papers and specimens [okazami] of various minerals.
The professor's fall was witnessed by his student; Stephen Mac Vee, who told the inspector the following:
- We had been working with the professor for several days on his new discovery of how to search for deposits [złoża] of a certain valuable mineral, and today, when I came to him as usual to continue our research, the professor climbed a ladder to the highest shelf to show me a certain interesting specimen of rock. However, when he started to go down the ladder, he probably put his foot rather carelessly so that it got tangled [zaplątała się] in his dressing gown and the professor fell to the floor, hitting his head on a stone he was holding in his hands. Of course, when I saw that the professor was dead I immediately called the police. Such was the course of events, he concluded.
- Unfortunately, I do not believe your story, said the inspector. You killed the professor to appropriate [przywłaszczyć sobie] his discovery.
Why did the inspector not believe the student's story?
The solution is after the next riddle.
_
The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Death During a Struggle':
There were two grounds. Firstly, Mrs. Pelotti had a gunshot wound in her temple, which is impossible for a gunshot to have been fired to such a spot during a struggle. Secondly, since Mr. Pelotti was struggling with his wife, his fingerprints should also have been on the gun.
Q W E R T Z
43. THE DOWNPOUR [ulewa]
At 6:15 p.m., Mr. Marrath called the police to report that he had found his wife dead, lying on the floor in the living room. According to the initial investigation by the police team that arrived at the scene immediately, the woman had been shot with a gun and the shot had been fired at 5:45 p.m., because that was what a neighbour from an adjacent terraced house [domu w zabudowie szeregowej] had said. The police also determined that between about 5:30 p.m. and about 6 p.m., a heavy downpour had passed over the part of town where the Marraths' house was located. Such was the state of affairs [stan rzeczy] that inspector Brandon found when he arrived at the Marraths' home shortly after 7 p.m.
After hearing the information from the head of the police team, the inspector immediately decided to talk to Mr. Marrath to hear what he had to say about the matter.
Mr. Marrath told the inspector the same thing he had previously told the police; that he returned home shortly after 6 p.m. and found his wife lying dead on the floor in the living room. He immediately called the police and had nothing more to say except that he had no idea what the motive for the murder could be.
- My wife was the co-owner of a company that supplied hospitals with complex and expensive medical equipment; such as robots for performing the most difficult operations or scanning devices that detected the earliest symptoms of serious diseases, but she had no conflicts with her partners, Marrath said.
- And who owned this apartment?, the inspector asked.
- Well, my wife. I have been her husband quite recently. I used to be her fitness trainer before, Marrath replied.
- And that beautiful car standing in front of the house, I think it's the latest Maserati model, is that your car?, the inspector asked.
- Yeah, mine. My wife gave it to me as a birthday present.
- Maybe we should go and see it, should we?, the inspector asked.
- Sure inspector, let's go, Marrath replied.
So the two men went out to the front of the house, where a beautiful, latest model of Maserati was parked by the sidewalk. The inspector watched the car for a while and after a moment's silence he said:
- Unfortunately, I have just spotted evidence that you have lied about a key matter; therefore, I must arrest you for the murder of your wife, Mr. Marrath.
What evidence did the inspector find that proved that Marrath had lied?
The solution is after the next riddle.
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The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Fall from a Ladder':
If the professor had really fallen from the ladder, the slippers without heels would also have fallen off his feet, but they were on his feet. Besides, his glasses would have been broken too, and they were lying around intact.
Q W E R T Z
44. A STRANGE SUICIDE
That day, inspector Brandon was called to a certain office in the city centre, after the telephone of one of the office staff members, who notified the police that the chairman of the company, Mr Candle, had been found dead in a chair behind his desk.
On arrival, the inspector examined the deceased [zmarłego] carefully and found that the bullet had entered the centre of the forehead and exited through the nape of the neck [przez kark]. Death must have been instantaneous [natychmiastowa]. The deceased's hand was clenched [zaciśnięta] around the butt [kolby] of a revolver with his index finger on the trigger [na cynglu].
The first person the inspector decided to speak to was the chairman's secretary, Mr Atkins, who said the following:
- I found the chairman dead when I went into his office after hearing the shot. Earlier in the morning, when we were talking, Mr Candle had mentioned to me, but only ambiguously [dwuznacznie], that he was in trouble with someone who was trying to blackmail [szantażować] him. When I wanted to know more, the chairman waved me off.
- What happened after you had heard the shot?, asked the inspector.
- Before I heard the shot I had heard Mr. Candle talking to someone on the phone but I didn't hear the words. After the shot I of course immediately ran into the room but the chairman was already dead, sitting in the chair behind the desk, just as you found him, inspector. Poor Mr. Candle, he must have been in some desperate situation to decide on such an act, Atkins nodded sadly.
- But it wasn't suicide but murder, said the inspector.
How did the inspector know it was murder?
The solution is after the next riddle.
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The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Downpour':
Watching the car the inspector saw that the road surface under the car was dry but Marrath claimed that he arrived after 6 p.m. so just after the downpour had ended; so the road under the car should be wet. This meant that Marrath arrived before the downpour and was at home when the shot was fired.
Q W E R T Z
45. THE CASINO ROBBERY
This week, inspector Brandon went on an urgent business trip to Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, and there he stayed, of course at Interpol's expense, at the elegant Hyatt Hotel. Since it was winter outside and was snowing heavily, he decided to have some fun and went down to the second floor, where there was a restaurant and a small casino. However some imp [chochlik] tempted [skusił] the inspector to try gambling in the casino, so he sat down at the roulette table and bet 100 euros on Street Bet; three numbers. In complete disbelief [niedowierzaniem], he watched as the lady-croupier pushed a stack of winning chips [żetonów] towards him, so he tried again. This time he didn't succeed so well, but he won quite a lot of chips several times. The game captivated [wciągnęła] him so much that he didn't immediately hear the screams of three masked men who entered the casino and ordered everyone to line up and take out their wallets and phones, and also ordered the women to put out their entire handbags. The men were elegantly dressed, just like the casino guests, but of course they had balaclavas [kominiarki] pulled up on their heads, which they probably put on before entering the casino. Two of them held cocked [odbezpieczone] revolvers in their hands, and the third walked along the line of people, taking out handbags, wallets and phones and throwing them into a bag, which he kept in his hands. The situation was obviously very tense, to the point that when one of the women was giving the attacker her handbag, a bottle of perfume fell out and the perfume spilled onto the floor.
When the attacker had already walked around everyone, he tied the bag, opened the window and threw the bag out the window, probably to an accomplice [wspólnikowi] who was already waiting down outside the building to quickly drive away with the loot. Then the three attackers, still with cocked revolvers, retreated [wycofali się] to the entrance and quickly disappeared behind the door.
So right after they left, the casino guests raised the alarm but they couldn't call the police because their phones were also taken away by the bandits, but the hotel staff came running and the police were soon called.
- What will happen to our handbags now!, shouted one of the women. They had already run away!
The inspector replied, quite calmly:
- Don't get upset, the bandits are residents of the hotel, and it will be enough to walk around the rooms and one thing will point out [wskaże] one of the bandits.
How did the inspector know that the bandits were residents of the hotel and what thing will point out one of the bandits?
The solution is after the next riddle.
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The solution to the riddle titled: 'A Strange Suicide':
You can't shoot yourself perpendicularly [prostopadle] in the forehead by pressing the trigger of a revolver with your index finger. So the secretary (if not him who else?) arranged the suicide.
Q W E R T Z
46. THE DIAMOND
The manager of “The Variety Theatre' called the police to report that an illusionist had been found murdered in his dressing room, so inspector Brandon quickly arrived at the scene. Immediately after arriving, the inspector entered the murdered illusionist's dressing room and saw him dead with a dagger [sztyletem] stuck in his heart. The dressing room was in disarray, with all the things scattered about, and there were quite a lot of them: suits with hundreds of pockets, top hats with double bottoms, magic boxes and other props [rekwizyty]. The whole view indicated that the murderer was obviously seeking for something.
The first person to be questioned was the theatre manager, who told the inspector that he suspected that the murderer was probably looking for a valuable diamond, which supposedly had magical properties and with which the illusionist boasted [chwalił się] before each performance, but the diamond also had great material value.
So because of this fact, the policemen accompanying the inspector thoroughly searched the dressing room, but they did not find the diamond. The inspector then ordered a body search of all the staff mambers and already on the third person – the electrician, a diamond was found.
- The diamond did not really bring him luck, said the policeman, but why did he keep it on himself?, he asked the inspector.
- I know very well why he did not hide the diamond, said the inspector.
How did the inspector know why the electrician did not hide the diamond?
The solution is after the next riddle.
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The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Casino Robbery':
The bandits were certainly the residents of the hotel because they entered the casino room in elegant clothes, so they did not come from the outside were it was snowing, and it was enough to check the soles [podeszwy] of the hotel residents' shoes to find on the soles of one of them the mark of perfume, which was spilled on the floor during the robbery and which one of the bandits must have stepped into.
Q W E R T Z
47. THE MURDER AT A DANCE SCHOOL
That evening, the police received a call from the principal of a dance school located in a large tenement house in the city center, and who said that he had found the body of one of the women attending classes at the school, Emily Perkins, on the landing of the staircase leading to the school. Inspector Brandon was assigned [skierowany] to the scene, in addition to a team of police technicians.
When the inspector arrived at the scene, he saw indeed the body of a young woman clad in a coat [ubranej w płaszcz] lying on the second-floor landing, and there was a clear trickle of blood under her body.
Of course, the inspector began his investigation by questioning the principal. He said the following:
- Today, as usual, we had classes at our school. After classes, everyone got dressed and left. Emily was the last to get dressed and went out to the staircase. Then I went to my office and heard a shot. When I went out to the staircase, I saw her lying on the landing. So I immediately called the police, without touching anything. And that was all I could do. I didn't see any suspicious people, no strangers entered our school. Classes were going on as usual, like every day.
The inspector looked around and noticed - and it was already evening - that the tenement house on the other side of the street was inhabited and the lights were on in the building. So he decided to go to the apartment on the second floor of the building first to ask the residents if they had seen anything.
When he knocked on the door of the apartment, an elderly man opened it, who introduced himself as Mr. Willis, the owner of the apartment, and he said the following:
- I was just going to call the police, because I saw through the window that the police were at the dance school and I would have something to say about it. Well, sometimes I look at the classes at the dance school opposite, I am an elderly man now and I look out of the window quite often, and today I saw, about two hours ago, that one of the dancers in the room where the classes were held, suddenly fell to the floor. She was alone in the room and I didn't see anyone else there. I didn't see what happened next, because the lights went out in that room, but it seemed strange to me, and then I saw a police car in front of the house and the lights came back on in the room.
The inspector thanked the neighbour for the information and went back to the dance school to ask the police technicians what they had initially determined [wstępnie ustalili].
- The murder was caused by a gunshot to the heart and the initial examination gives almost certainly that the death occurred recently; about two hours ago. Do you already have suspects, inspector?, the policeman asked.
- It is enough to check one detail and I will know who is suspected of this murder, the inspector replied.
What detail is enough to check?
The solution is after the next riddle.
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The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Diamond':
The illusionist, fighting for his life with the murderer, slipped a diamond into his pocket unnoticed, to direct suspicion towards him.
Q W E R T Z
48. THE NECKLACE IN A BOX OF CHOCOLATES
A reputable physician, Professor Philip Redfale, notified the police that a box of chocolates containing a valuable necklace [naszyjnik] had been stolen from his consulting room [gabinet przyjęć pacjentów]. Inspector Brandon was of course assigned to solve the problem. After arriving at the elegant townhouse in the city centre, where the professor's consulting room was located, the inspector immediately asked him for the description of the course of events.
- Yesterday, as usual, I had a day of seeing patients. At 2 p.m., also as usual, I took a break to have lunch and on the way back from the restaurant I stopped at a jewellery shop to buy my wife a necklace as a present for our 20th wedding anniversary, which fell on that day. To make this present a surprise, I decided to place the necklace inside a box of chocolates, which I bought in a neighbouring confectionery [cukierni]. I returned to my consulting room, there I put the necklace in the box of chocolates, tied it with a red ribbon [wstążką] and put it on the table next to the desk. It looked untouched. Then I started seeing patients again. The box of chocolates was lying on the table all this time, but I admit that I was not interested in it, because I was busy talking to my patients.
When I got home in the evening, I immediately wanted to enjoy my wife's reaction to 'the surprise box of chocolates' and gave it to her saying: 'Try these delicious chocolates, darling'. When my wife opened the box of chocolates, I saw with horror that there was no necklace in it! Someone had stolen the necklace. I would like to point out that the ribbon around the box of chocolates was tied and at first glance there was nothing to indicate that anyone had opened the box. But who? Unfortunately, I am afraid that it could have been one of my patients who had opened it when I left the room for a while.
- So you used to leave the room during the patients’ visits, is that right?, asked the inspector.
- Unfortunately, yes. I had five patients that afternoon, but during the visits of three of them I had to leave the room for a moment, not for long, but I did leave.
- Please, describe the visits of these three patients, said the inspector.
- The first patient was Jamie Morgill. He is hardly a patient. He is my assistant at the medical school, where I lecture, and we are conducting a medical experiment together, which is also the subject of his doctoral thesis [pracy doktorskiej], and which I am the supervisor of. Our conversation lasted about 30 minutes and it was coming to an end when my secretary asked me to answer the telephone for a moment; the university was calling on an important matter. I was out of the room for perhaps 5 or 6 minutes.
- The second such patient, and the third in line, was Mrs Morris. She is an elderly person, very ill. I gave her the necessary advice as to her further treatment [dalszego leczenia]. During her visit, however, I had to go to the toilet for a moment, because I forgot – please, forgive me, inspector – to simply urinate [oddać mocz], because I had forgotten to do so before I started seeing my patients. Such I was concerned about the present for my wife. My absence then also lasted about 5-6 minutes. The third of these patients and the fifth in line was Mr. Philby. Mr. Philby came with his arm in a sling [z ręką na temblaku] because he had broken his right arm, but he is being treated by me for something completely different. During his examination, the secretary asked me to go to the next room for a moment because an important email had arrived from the hospital for which I also work. My absence from the room also lasted about 5 minutes. Theoretically, Mr. Philby could also have opened the chocolate box and taken the necklace.
- If I am to conclude [wnioskować] from your story, Professor, who stole the necklace, then logically speaking, only one person could have done it, said the inspector.
Who, in the inspector's opinion, could have stolen the necklace from the chocolate box?
The solution is after the next riddle.
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The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Murder at a Dance School':
All one have to do is look at the coat of the deceased; if it is not pierced [przebity] by a bullet, it means that she was killed before leaving, and that incriminates [obciąża, oskarża] the school principal.
Q W E R T Z
49. THE BROTHERS
It was 6 p.m. when inspector Brandon was called to the Fellner brothers' house in one of the city streets. The police received a call from one of the brothers; Chris Fellner, who stated that he had just returned home and found the body of his elder brother John on the floor, apparently [najprawdopodobniej] shot with a revolver or pistol.
The inspector arrived at the brothers' house almost immediately after Fellner's call, because he was at the moment quite close to their house. The door was opened by a handsome fair-haired man of about 30, who had beautiful wavy blond hair, carefully combed [uczesane], and was dressed in an impeccably tailored [tu: nienagannie skrojony] light suit and red tie. The whole outfit looked as if it had just come from the hands of a good tailor. When they entered the living room, where several police technicians from the investigation team were milling about [kręciło się], the blond man introduced himself as Chris Fellner and said the following:
- I left the house at about 3 p.m., got into the car and drove to a fixed before appointment in a café in the city center and returned at about 5 p.m. It is easy to check, because when I got out of the car there was a heavy downpour, which often happens during the summer, so I had to run a short distance from the car to the house, without a coat and hat, because as you have probably noticed, inspector, there is quite a distance from the street to our house. When I finally entered the house, I found John lying on the floor. I went to him, checked his pulse, but my brother was already dead. I saw a trickle [strużkę] of blood on the floor, most likely from a shot from a revolver or a pistol. Of course I called the police immediately. I am glad you came so quickly, inspector – at this point he looked at his watch – oh, look, it has only been 15 minutes since I called the police. Our police are extremely efficient!
- Okay, the inspector replied, calm down a bit, I'll go to the neighbours, maybe they noticed something in connection with your brother's murder.
So the inspector went to the neighbours of the Fellner brothers; Mr. and Mrs. Pillany, who, when asked if they heard anything; a shot or some commotion [zamieszanie] in the Fellner brothers' house, replied that they had not heard any suspicious sounds, but at the end of the conversation Mr. Pillany gently put his hand on the inspector's jacket cuff [mankiecie] and said:
- I don't know if it's important, inspector, but the younger one, the blond one, you know, is a bit of a bluebird. He doesn't work, he only goes out on dates, because I saw him a few times in the city with different women. John told me not so long ago that he had given Chris an ultimatum; either he takes up work or he has to move out of the house, that it can't go on like this for any longer [tak dłużej być nie może], with one brother supporting another adult brother.
After this conversation, the inspector returned to the Fellner brothers' house and turned to Chris:
- Your neighbours have only confirmed my belief [utwierdzili mnie w przekonaniu] that it was you who got rid of your brother by killing him, because one detail in your story immediately gave you away, that you were lying about the time you arrived home.
What was that detail that proved that Chris Fellner was lying?
The solution is after the next riddle.
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The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Necklace in a Box of Chocolates”:
The inspector made an analysis by elimination; Jamie Morgill would not have done something like that if he was an assistant professor and he was also keen [zależało mu] to finish his doctoral thesis. Mr. Philby had his right hand immobilised [unieruchomioną], so he would not have been able to quickly and correctly re-tie the ribbon on the box of chocolates. That leaves only Mrs. Morris.
Q W E R T Z
50. THE STOLEN JEWELLERY BOX
That day, Inspector Brandon was assigned to the house of Mrs. Emma Fulcron, who had been found stunned [ogłuszona] on the floor of her downstairs living room in her suburban home. She was found by her son Emil, who had entered her room to ask what time she was going to have lunch. When she came to herself [kiedy doszła do siebie], Mrs. Fulcron discovered that her jewelry box was missing from her chest of drawers [komody].
On arriving at the house, the inspector first spoke to Mrs. Fulcron, who told him that in the morning she had sat down at her vanity table [toaletce] to do her morning make-up and while doing so, she suddenly felt a heavy blow [uderzenie] to the head, after which she lost consciousness [przytomność]. According to her account [według jej relacji], the thief must have entered through the window, which was wide open, as the weather that day was fine and Mrs. Fulcron wanted to enjoy the view of her large garden, but at that moment she was sitting at her vanity table with her back to the window.
Then the inspector spoke to Emil, who said that he had not heard any suspicious sounds coming from his mother's room and that it was only when he saw her lying on the floor that he raised the alarm. The only thing that surprised him was that he had seen Caroline, Mrs. Fulcron's niece, who had also been living in her house for some time, coming out of his mother's room in the morning, nervously adjusting [poprawiającą] her hair and her baggy dress. But what they were talking about, he did not know.
After speaking with Emil, the inspector asked Caroline for a talk and she entered the room very nervously. Caroline was indeed wearing a baggy dress down to her ankles made of stiff material, in accordance with the latest fashion, which she had to grab with both hands, when she wanted to sit in a chair.
Caroline confirmed that she had spoken to her aunt in the morning, but said that they had not discussed anything in particular, only everyday household matters [sprawy domowe], and that her aunt had complained [narzekała] that a gardener should be brought in to tidy up her garden, but that she had no money for it, because her income from her late husband's shares in the company, which had recently gone bankrupt, had run out [skończyły się].
After these three conversations, Inspector Brandon said the following to the policeman accompanying him:
- Mrs. Fulcron and her little son want to frame Caroline for theft, but they have made a fundamental mistake.
What mistake did they make?
The solution is down below.
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The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Brothers':
Chris told the inspector that he had run quite a long way through the downpour, but when he opened the door, the inspector saw that he had beautiful, wavy blond hair, carefully combed, and he was wearing an impeccably tailored suit, so he lied when he said he had run through the rain without a coat and hat because his suit and hair would have gotten wet. So he was in the house earlier and killed his brother.
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The solution to the riddle titled: 'The Stolen Jewelry Box':
First; sitting at the vanity table, Mrs. Fulcron would have seen the potential thief in the mirror, second; if it was Caroline who supposedly [rzekomo] entered through the window, the rustle [szelest] of her baggy dress would be heard. So the whole story was made up [została zmyślona] by Mrs. Fulcron and her son, probably to extort [wymusić]compensation [odszkodowanie] for the stolen jewelry box, directing suspicion of the theft onto Caroline.