| Author | Message | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 243 Registered: 3-2009 |
Detective Sharpe smirked, and took a long drag off the cigarette he had been calmly rolling. "Forty years, and I finally get to say it", he thought. He took a deep breath, relishing the moment. He walked up to the people waiting impatiently in the living room of Hancock Manor and announced, "The Butler did it." Find out how he knew. I usually don't post puzzles that require a lot of groundwork, but I hope you'll have a bit of fun with it :-) | ||
| Torquemada (Torquemada)
New member Username: Torquemada Post Number: 115 Registered: 1-2010 |
Did the Butler really do it? Butler = HAM? Was what the Butler did a crime? Was it murder? | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 946 Registered: 10-2008 |
Did Sharpe discover this simply by thinking? By looking at the scene and thinking? Did he have to question anyone (other than getting the basic facts)? Did he interact with the butler? Is this a situation where all the people present are suspects? Are they still at the crime scene? Has Sharpe simply wanted to say this for forty years? Or is this timespan relevant to the case? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2332 Registered: 5-2003 |
Are there other suspects? Are they the employee of Hancock Manor? The inhabitants? Is Hancock Manor inhabited? Is one or more of the inhabitants or employees dead? Are other crimes (such as theft of the family jewels) involved? Any of the following relevant: Location? (LTPF list of countries, if so) Era? (LTPF list of centuries) Time period taken to solve the crime? (Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years?) Season? (list of seasons) Time of day? (list of hours) Weather? (Rain? Snow? Wind?) Terrain (grouse-moors, highlands, the beach)? Detective Sharpe? (background, colleagues, etc) Is everyone involved HAM? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 244 Registered: 3-2009 |
@Torquemada Did the Butler really do it? Yes Butler = HAM? Yes Was what the Butler did a crime? Was it murder? Yes indeed! @Gourami Did Sharpe discover this simply by thinking? By looking at the scene and thinking? This one Did he have to question anyone (other than getting the basic facts)? To rule out other possibilities, yes. Did he interact with the butler? Possibly Is this a situation where all the people present are suspects? Yes Are they still at the crime scene? Yope Has Sharpe simply wanted to say this for forty years? Yes, just to validate the cliche :-) Or is this timespan relevant to the case? Not at all @Jenburdoo Are there other suspects? Yes Are they the employee of Hancock Manor? Yes The inhabitants? Yes Is Hancock Manor inhabited? Yes Is one or more of the inhabitants or employees dead? Yes Are other crimes (such as theft of the family jewels) involved? No Any of the following relevant: Location? Geographically? No.(LTPF list of countries, if so) Era? Not really(LTPF list of centuries) Time period taken to solve the crime? Not really(Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years?) Season? No (list of seasons) Time of day? This is relevant to some extent. Suffice to say it is currently 21:00 (at the moment he said the famous words)(list of hours) Weather? Not really (Rain? Snow? Wind?) Terrain (grouse-moors, highlands, the beach)? No Detective Sharpe? (background, colleagues, etc) No Is everyone involved HAM? Not all male | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1271 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did the Butler leave a clue pointing to him? Or was he the only one left after eliminating the other possibilities? Is some characteristic of the Butler important (such as weight, clothing, habits)? Relevant who was murdered? Is the motive also relevant? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 1584 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is the specific hour relevant? Or is it only that it is in the evening? Or something in between? How long passed between the current time (when the statement was said) and the murder? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 245 Registered: 3-2009 |
@ Galfisk Did the Butler leave a clue pointing to him? Yope Or was he the only one left after eliminating the other possibilities? Not this Is some characteristic of the Butler important (such as weight, clothing, habits)? Svv of habit is relevant Relevant who was murdered? Yes Is the motive also relevant? Not particularly @Noel Is the specific hour relevant? No Or is it only that it is in the evening? Yes Or something in between? How long passed between the current time (when the statement was said) and the murder? 2-3 hours would work, I suppose | ||
| Torquemada (Torquemada)
New member Username: Torquemada Post Number: 134 Registered: 1-2010 |
Are the other people present in the room relevant? If so, [LTPF list of natural numbers] present in the room? [numbers] male? [numbers] female? Was the murder weapon in the room? Had the detective seen the weapon? Is that relevant to how he made his deduction? Was the victim shot? Stabbed? Poisoned? Choked? Bludgeoned? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 1587 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is dinner/supper (whatever you call the evening meal) relevant? Are the butler's regular job responsibilities relevant? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 246 Registered: 3-2009 |
@Torquemada Are the other people present in the room relevant? If so, [LTPF list of natural numbers] present in the room? [numbers] male? [numbers] female? There are 2 males and 2 females present in the room. Was the murder weapon in the room? Had the detective seen the weapon? Is that relevant to how he made his deduction? The murder weapon is not relevant. Was the victim shot? This Stabbed? Poisoned? Choked? Bludgeoned? @Noel Is dinner/supper (whatever you call the evening meal) relevant? Indeed! Are the butler's regular job responsibilities relevant? Very! Good job! | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 1592 Registered: 7-2009 |
Did the crime occur during dinner? did it occur in the room? Were the butler's duties relevant because they placed him in the room at a particular time? Or out of the room at a particular time? The people present in the room: The detective? If so, M? F? The dead person? If so, M? F? The butler? If so, M? F? If the above are all present, that leaves one other person. The person(s) not included in the list above...M? F? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 247 Registered: 3-2009 |
Did the crime occur during dinner? No, OTRT did it occur in the room? I'll assume you mean the living room - No. Were the butler's duties relevant because they placed him in the room at a particular time? No... Or out of the room at a particular time? ...this is closest, but FA lurking! The people present in the room: The detective? If so, M? F? I didn't count the detective. He is H,A,M. The dead person? If so, M? F? No The butler? If so, M?This F? If the above are all present, that leaves one other person. The person(s) not included in the list above...M? F? There is 1 more male, and 2 females. | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 1595 Registered: 7-2009 |
Is the FA that the room they are in now is the room where the crime was committed? The M and 2F present, are they the other suspects? Other members of the household staff? dinner guests at the house? residents of the house? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 249 Registered: 3-2009 |
Is the FA that the room they are in now is the room where the crime was committed? This is true, but there is still an FA. The M and 2F present, are they the other suspects? Yes Other members of the household staff? Yes dinner guests at the house? residents of the house? and Yes We have the butler, the maid servant, and Mr. and Mrs. Hancock, in the room. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1302 Registered: 9-2009 |
FA that the crime happened inside? Was the victim killed outside? Relevant where? Relevant if the murder was planned beforehand or not? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 255 Registered: 3-2009 |
FA that the crime happened inside? You are right- it didn't happen inside, but sorry, there is still an FA Was the victim killed outside? Indeed! Relevant where? The victim was killed in an outhouse. What is relevant about it is that it is outside. Relevant if the murder was planned beforehand or not? Oh yes. And it was! | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1308 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did the butler try to: cover his tracks? Pin the crime on someone else? Did he have any accomplices? Did he have a fake alibi? Does he have a twin brother that was invovled? Or did he in some other way try to mislead people into thinking that he was not at the scene of the murder when it happened? Or that the victim was not? Was the shot heard by someone relevant? Was it recognized as a gunshot? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 256 Registered: 3-2009 |
Did the butler try to: cover his tracks? Yope Pin the crime on someone else? Not actively. Did he have any accomplices? Yes! Did he have a fake alibi? Indeed! Does he have a twin brother that was involved? No Or did he in some other way try to mislead people into thinking that he was not at the scene of the murder when it happened? True! Or that the victim was not? Not this. Was the shot heard by someone relevant? IRR Was it recognized as a gunshot? IRR The gun had a silencer :-P | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 227 Registered: 10-2005 |
Does the detective crack the case by figuring out the butler's: motive? Opportunity? The fact that he is lying? About his alibi? Is the fake alibi present? Is it the maid servant? Mr./Mrs. Hancock? Is the victim another member of staff? Another Hancock? A guest? An invited one? An uninvited one? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 257 Registered: 3-2009 |
Does the detective crack the case by figuring out the butler's: motive? The motive is actually irrelevant. Opportunity? Yes The fact that he is lying? Yes About his alibi? Indeed! Is the fake alibi present? Well his alibi is not a person, but his accomplice is very much present :-) Is it the maid servant? She's the accomplice that contributed to the fake alibi! Well done! :-) Mr./Mrs. Hancock? Is the victim another member of staff? Yes it is! In fact, since your questions have been so inspired, I will give you a recap with some freebies! Another Hancock? A guest? An invited one? An uninvited one? RECAP What we know so far, is that the butler murdered the manor's gardener who lived outside in a small outhouse. We know this happened somewhere around dinner time. The maid servant was his accomplice, contributing towards his (fake) alibi. The mechanics of the murder, the motive and the alibis of all the other suspects are irrelevant. The butler's duties are relevant to the alibi. What you need to find out now is, what did the butler and the maidservant plan? How did Sharpe discover this lie? HINT: One other person is very relevant to solving this one. | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 228 Registered: 10-2005 |
Did the murder take place before dinner? After? Was the gun fired more than once? With the silencer? Without? To indicate a false time of death? Did the maid servant ever fire it? Is the gun found at the scene of the crime? | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1316 Registered: 9-2009 |
Is that other person also present in the room? Did the gun belong to that person? Did that person: see something relevant? Do something relevant? Did anyone except the butler and maid lie? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 258 Registered: 3-2009 |
@Strongplacebo Did the murder take place before dinner? This After? Was the gun fired more than once? With the silencer? Without? To indicate a false time of death? Did the maid servant ever fire it? Is the gun found at the scene of the crime? None of this is relevant. Like I said, the mechanics of the murder (the actual killing of the gardener) is irrelevant. @Galfisk Is that other person also present in the room? Indeed, and it is Mr. Hancock, the lord of the manor! Did the gun belong to that person? IRR Did that person: see something relevant? Do something relevant? Did anyone except the butler and maid lie? No to all. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1317 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did Sharpe discover the lie because of something Mr. Hancock said? Or did? Did the murder plan go off just as planned? Or did they have to change it because of some complication? Did Mr. Hancock have an alibi? Relevant? Was he the prime suspect at some point? | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 229 Registered: 10-2005 |
Is it relevant who found the gardener's body? Or how long from the time of death until it was discovered? Were both Hancocks, the butler and maid servant, all in the same room during dinner? Was the butler's alibi, that he was supposedly carrying out his duties at the time of the murder? Did the maid servant carry it out for him? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 259 Registered: 3-2009 |
@Galfisk Did Sharpe discover the lie because of something Mr. Hancock said? Or did? Neither Did the murder plan go off just as planned? More or less, except the plan overlooked one vital point - which led Sharpe to discover the lie. Or did they have to change it because of some complication? No Did Mr. Hancock have an alibi? Irrelevant as mentioned above. Relevant? Was he the prime suspect at some point? No @Strongplacebo Is it relevant who found the gardener's body? No Or how long from the time of death until it was discovered? Let's say the murder occurred at about 7:30 pm, and the body was discovered at 8:00 pm. Were both Hancocks, the butler and maid servant, all in the same room during dinner? FA, dinner never occurred, but... OTRT Was the butler's alibi, that he was supposedly carrying out his duties at the time of the murder? Excellent! This is perfect. Did the maid servant carry it out for him? Indeed. Now you need to find out how Sharpe figured this out. HINT: Something about Mr. Hancock as well as the relevant duty needs to be discovered. | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 230 Registered: 10-2005 |
Is it something about Mr. Hancock's appearance that enlightens Sharpe? Something he was wearing? Holding? You say dinner never occurred, but was it prepared? Served? Did the duty we are looking for, involve preparing/serving the food? Did it involve the silverware? The table setting? The wine? Other beverages? Did the maid servant carry it out in the kitchen? The dining room? The living room? Outside? Another room? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 268 Registered: 3-2009 |
Is it something about Mr. Hancock's appearance that enlightens Sharpe? Yes, it was very evident! Something he was wearing? Holding? Neither You say dinner never occurred, but was it prepared? Served? Did the duty we are looking for, involve preparing/serving the food? Did it involve the silverware? The table setting? The wine? Other beverages? Brilliant stuff! Yes the table had indeed been set with the silverware. Sharpe was able to connect something about Mr. Hancock with the setting of the table, and concluded that the butler's alibi, that he had been setting the table at the time of murder, was false. Did the maid servant carry it out in the kitchen? The dining room? The living room? Outside? Another room? She simply set the table while the Butler committed the crime. Now what is this thing about Mr. Hancock that affects the way the table is set ;-) Almost there! | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 270 Registered: 3-2009 |
NOTE: Mr. Sharpe interviewed the suspects. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1321 Registered: 9-2009 |
Is Mr. Hancock left-handed? Or does he have some disability? Or a certain preference? Which the butler knows and accounts for when setting the table, but the maid did not? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
Moderator Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 271 Registered: 3-2009 |
Is Mr. Hancock left-handed? Quite the opposite in fact :-D Or does he have some disability? Indeed! Or a certain preference? Which the butler knows and accounts for when setting the table, but the maid did not? This is all too perfect for me to stretch this puzzle any longer, so here comes a well-deserved: *******SPOILER******* Mr. Hancock happened to have lost his left arm during his military service. Since then, he carries with him a personal knork, i.e. a fork that has an edge sharpened just like a knife. (Roald Dahl fans may remember how in "Boy", his father invented a knork precursor as a result of losing his arm.) He mentions all of this during Sharpe's interview, in passing. Sharpe was certain that the Butler, having served the Hancocks for decades, would be well aware of this fact, and would hence not set the usual silverware at Mr. Hancock's place. The butler used this duty as an alibi while he murdered the gardener, and roped the mansion's new maidservant in on the plot. However, in his rush to kill the poor man, he neglected to mention this all-important quirk. Detective Sharpe (aka Galfisk, aka Strongplacebo) figured this out quite easily, and was quite happy to aver the stereotype. Hope you enjoyed this little puzzle, and thanks for playing along! | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 231 Registered: 10-2005 |
Great puzzle! 8) |
