FILE No.139Unsolved
The master of the house was found collapsed in his study. The door was locked from the inside, with no sign that anyone had come or gone. Only the secretary holds the spare key to the study.
The mansion's caretaker looked into the study through a window from the garden and said, "There was no key on the desk." (The caretaker has good eyesight, the desk is 2 meters from the window, and he took a photograph right after looking.) After that, the secretary led the way and broke the door down with his body, followed by the doctor and the driver. After they entered, the study key was on the desk.
When, and by whom, was the study key placed on the desk?
If you get stuck, open the hints one at a time, in order.
Did the caretaker look before or after the door was broken?
Who holds the study key?
Before the door was broken, who could enter the room?
When, and by whom, was the study key placed on the desk?
Choose the answer closest to the truth.
After the door was broken down, the secretary, who holds the spare key, placed it
The answer is "After the door was broken down, the secretary, who holds the spare key, placed it."
The caretaker has good eyesight, was close, and there is a photograph. A "misjudgment" is unlikely. So someone must have placed it after the caretaker looked.
Before the door was broken, no one could enter, and those who entered afterward were the secretary, the doctor, and the driver. Only the secretary holds a key to the study, so the one who could place the key is the secretary.
Because the fact that "the key was in the room" makes you think it was there from the start.
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