Dr. T.G. Smith got out of his VW Beetle and walked past the ice-frosted car in Miss Forkton’s perfectly clean, neat-looking, snow-covered driveway. It had snowed heavily earlier, but the storm had stopped an hour ago. He walked cautiously up the icy stairs to the door. It was a small cottage-like house, with no garage, or much of a yard.
Miss Forkton opened the door when he rang the bell and invited him in. “It sure is cold out there,” he said.
“Yes, too cold for burglars, you would think,” came her reply.
“Tell me about your robbery, Miss Forkton,” Dr. Smith said.
“Well, I just got home about five minutes ago. When I came into the door, I saw my safe open,” she replied, and pointed to an open wall safe. “I went straight to the phone and called you. I’m glad you got here so fast!”
“Yes, we may have a hot trail for such a cold night,” Dr. Smith mused.
“I had a fortune in jewels stolen, Dr. Smith. I don’t think this is a good time for jokes!” she said.
“I agree with you one hundred per cent. So…why did you bring me out on such a cold night for this little joke of yours, Miss Forkton?” the detective asked.
Why did he mistrust miss Forkton?
Solution
“Dr. T.G. Smith got out of his VW Beetle and walked past the ice-frosted car in Miss Forkton’s perfectly clean, neat-looking, snow-covered driveway. It had snowed heavily earlier, but the storm had stopped an hour ago.”
If Miss Forkton would have arrived at her house “just five minutes ago”, then her car would not have been covered in snow nor would the windows have been ice-frosted. There would also have been tyre tracks from her car, and her foot prints in the driveway, and leading up the stairs. Because there was no garage, there is no way Miss Forkton could have parked her car anywhere else. This suggests that Miss Forkton never left the house since the storm.
