Memory of the Incident

Difficulty ★★☆about 4 minFloor Plans & LayoutsChecking a witness statementObserving photos

You spent an evening at a friend’s place. Days later, an incident in the building makes you revisit four pictures of that night.

Case Record

Your friend Miura invites you over. Outside the apartment he tells you, “This is my place, Room 501 on the fifth floor.”

You had been drinking that evening and barely remember leaving. A few days later, an incident comes to light in the same building.

Your question

Which photo contains evidence that Miura was lying about being on the fifth floor?

Case Files

Evidence

E-1Building recordThe building has six floors above ground, and the elevator stops on every floor from 1 through 6. The roof is accessible by stairs only. Floors where the elevator can travel in either direction have separate call buttons for up and down. The equipment was working normally and had not been altered.
E-2About the four photosThese are illustrated reconstructions of the night you visited. The elevator call panel shown in the hallway is on the same floor as the apartment you visited.

Reconstructed photos from the visit

Timeline

Day 1Miura invites you over.
Night of day 2You spend the evening in the apartment Miura shows you.
Day 4A body is found in an apartment in the same building.

Hints

If you get stuck, open the hints one at a time, in order.

Open hint 1

Separate what your friend said from what you actually saw.

Open hint 2

How might the elevator call buttons differ from floor to floor?

Open hint 3

The roof is accessible only by stairs. What is the highest floor the elevator serves?

Solve It

Your question

Which photo contains evidence that Miura was lying about being on the fifth floor?

Choose the answer closest to the truth.

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The Truth

③

The answer is Photo 3. The elevator call panel on the same floor as the apartment you visited has only one button, for going down.

The elevator serves the sixth floor. On the fifth floor there would also be an up button. The roof is accessible only by stairs, so this panel must be on the sixth floor.

The “501” plate in Photo 1 cannot establish which floor you were on. Miura chose the floor in the elevator in Photo 2, and you did not look at the display. The game and drinks in Photo 4 give you no evidence about the floor.

Investigators later discovered that Miura had killed someone in the real Room 501. The body remained there for three days, until it was found. Your visit took place during that time. Miura had rented another apartment on the sixth floor, put a “501” plate by its door and taken you there.

Miura wanted people to take your statement that you had spent the evening at his place and noticed nothing unusual as a statement about the real Room 501. He was trying to make it look as though the incident took place after your visit.

Key Points

Distinguish a room number from its actual floor
Check the entire panel to see which directions are available
Compare the photo with the building record

Why people get fooled

The “501” plate matches what your friend said, which can make it feel as though you have already confirmed the floor.

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The cases on this site are fictional puzzles created for entertainment. Any resemblance to real people, organizations or events is coincidental.