FILE No.16Unsolved
A small dinner party was held in a secluded mansion. The host prepared the meal and the guests helped serve. The servants were off, and the front door was locked once everyone had arrived.
The six participants that night were the host couple, Mori, Kishi, Murakami and Noguchi.
During the meal the host took one commemorative photo with an old camera from his collection, a traditional one operated by hand from focusing to winding the film.
The party ended pleasantly. After the guests left, however, the host noticed that the pocket watch displayed in his study was missing.
The next morning the police checked the participants’ accounts and the remaining photo.
Why did the police realize there was someone to investigate besides the participants?
If you get stuck, open the hints one at a time, in order.
Is the number of people in a photo always the same as the number of people present?
Combine the fact that all six appear with the description of the camera.
Who pressed the shutter?
Why did the police realize there was someone to investigate besides the participants?
Choose the answer closest to the truth.
Someone must have taken the photo
The answer is “Someone must have taken the photo.”
There were six participants and six people in the photo, so the numbers seem to match. But if all six are in the picture, someone else operated the camera. At least seven people were there. Preparing the meal and locking the door could be done by the participants, and there is no record of anyone repairing the watch. The police need to identify the person who took the photo and check whether he or she was involved in the loss of the watch.
Because both counts are six, you relax. You forget to count the person needed to take the photo.
The cases on this site are fictional puzzles created for entertainment. Any resemblance to real people, organizations or events is coincidental.
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