| Author | Message | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4959 Registered: 5-2003 |
Note: This is an experiment, based on a story with the same name as the title. It has a strong Internet presence, so please do not look it up. "Pardon me," says the Chief of Police, leaning out of her office door as you pass by. "Please come in, Detective. I've something interesting to show you." As you salute before her desk, the chief grins at you. "It's a fine thing you happened by, my friend. You're such an inveterate lateral puzzler that I feel sure you can help me with this!" She pushes across a piece of paper to you, on which she has scribbled the following curious sentence: "A nine-mile walk is no joke, especially in the rain." She scratches her head. "Queer thing to say, isn't it? You see, I heard someone say it as I left the cafe after breakfast a short while ago, and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since. It may not seem like much, but I do feel, well, suspicious. My patrolman's background, I expect. You'll laugh at me for that, but I know I won't get any work done until I find out what it means!" She stares at you with a pleading smile. "But I know you well enough, Detective; you love puzzles. Together we'll find the truth in this!" | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15349 Registered: 4-2010 |
Hmm... I suppose the Chief doesn't know that much at the moment, given that she asked our help... Ask the Chief who said it. What did the person look like? Was the speaker H? A? M? | ||
| Alicefrosting (Alicefrosting)
New member Username: Alicefrosting Post Number: 82 Registered: 10-2011 |
Ask the Chief if she knows the person. Can she find the person if she does? When she was in the cafe did she see any posters or flyers advertising a nine-mile walk? Is there a walking trail near by? If so, is it nine miles long? what kind of trail is it? Dirt? Rock? Cement? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4960 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hmm... I suppose the Chief doesn't know that much at the moment, given that she asked our help... Ask the Chief who said it. What did the person look like? Was the speaker H? A? M? "He was an adult male, pretty ordinary looking. Six foot, hundred eighty pounds, medium build, brown hair and eyes. Of course he was human! Did I give the impression he was a parrot?" Ask the Chief if she knows the person. Can she find the person if she does? "I didn't know him, but I'd recognize him again if I saw him." When she was in the cafe did she see any posters or flyers advertising a nine-mile walk? "No, nothing like that." Is there a walking trail near by? If so, is it nine miles long? what kind of trail is it? Dirt? Rock? Cement? "There's no purpose-built trails around here that I know of -- just ordinary sidewalks." | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15358 Registered: 4-2010 |
What about roads? Are there any long straightaways around? Further describe the town we are in, please. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4961 Registered: 5-2003 |
What about roads? Are there any long straightaways around? "Well, streets, obviously. And the train tracks." Further describe the town we are in, please. "Let's see. We live in suburbia. Fairly ordinary, I'm afraid." She gets up and consults the map on her office wall. "It's a well-populated area. Here's Fairfield, where we are. Take any road, any direction and you’ll find a community of some sort in less than nine miles." She scratches her head again. "When you think about it, I can't imagine why you would need to walk anywhere; it's not hard to get around." | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 4692 Registered: 9-2010 |
Fairfield, CA??? Is the Jelly Belly Factory relevant??? =) | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4962 Registered: 5-2003 |
Fairfield, CA??? Is the Jelly Belly Factory relevant??? =) No to both, just a random name. This could actually be set in any large suburban area - the original story is set in New England, a short film based on it is set in Toledo, Spain. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15393 Registered: 4-2010 |
The train tracks? How frequently does a train come into this town? Could this mysterious walk involve turning around at some point? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4964 Registered: 5-2003 |
The train tracks? How frequently does a train come into this town? The chief consults a timetable on her desk. "Hmm," she says. "The Continental Flyer passes through Fairfield three times a day." Could this mysterious walk involve turning around at some point? "I suppose it could, but without knowing more about the situation I don't know if we want to make that assumption yet." | ||
| Solitiare (Solitiare)
New member Username: Solitiare Post Number: 394 Registered: 7-2011 |
Look out the window. Is it raining now? Is it Spring weather (Summer, Winter, Fall)? What is the temperature? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4966 Registered: 5-2003 |
Look out the window. Is it raining now? Is it Spring weather (Summer, Winter, Fall)? What is the temperature? It was pretty wet last night - the parking lot outside was flooded when you walked in. The weather hasn't been particularly unusual, temperature or otherwise, for the time of year. This story could probably work anywhere, at any time of year. Assume autumn if you wish. | ||
| Solitiare (Solitiare)
New member Username: Solitiare Post Number: 398 Registered: 7-2011 |
Hmmm- taking a 9-mile walk in the rain, at night - that sounds suspicious. Did the patrolmen note anybody out walking last night? Of course, they could have just had insomnia. | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 360 Registered: 8-2011 |
How did the man sound when he said that? What would you guess his mood was? Was the person the man was talking to physically present? Or was he on a phone? If the person was present, what was his/her response? | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 73 Registered: 10-2011 |
Did you notice the man before he spoke? Was he occupied with any activity apart from talking, or prior to talking? Did he speak english well, or with an accent? Did he sound like he could be a local? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4968 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hmmm- taking a 9-mile walk in the rain, at night - that sounds suspicious. "It does, but perhaps we need more proof than that. After all, it was raining all day and this morning, as well." Did the patrolmen note anybody out walking last night? "Even if they had..." Of course, they could have just had insomnia. "Exactly." How did the man sound when he said that? What would you guess his mood was? "He sounded aggrieved." Was the person the man was talking to physically present? Or was he on a phone? If the person was present, what was his/her response? "He was speaking to another man, but I didn't hear his response." Did you notice the man before he spoke? "No, just the sentence caught my ear." Was he occupied with any activity apart from talking, or prior to talking? "Not that I noticed." Did he speak english well, or with an accent? Did he sound like he could be a local? "He spoke well enough for a native." | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15439 Registered: 4-2010 |
We're assuming the man started his walk from here. Could he have finished his walk here and started it somewhere else? For that matter, how do we even know it was the man who was walking? | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 82 Registered: 10-2011 |
Did you notice how this man was dressed? And were his clothes wet, as they would have been if he had just been out in the rain? What sort of cafe were you at when you heard this? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 389 Registered: 8-2011 |
The man he was talking to- did you notice his appearance? his mood? Any news lately in local crimes? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4974 Registered: 5-2003 |
We're assuming the man started his walk from here. Could he have finished his walk here and started it somewhere else? "Given that he was here when he spoke the sentence, that certainly makes sense." For that matter, how do we even know it was the man who was walking? "Hm. Well, it seems a reasonable assumption, and we are doing quite a lot of assuming here." Did you notice how this man was dressed? And were his clothes wet, as they would have been if he had just been out in the rain? "Can't remember anything about his clothes, but he did have a rain slicker under his arm." What sort of cafe were you at when you heard this? "Joanne's. Nothing particularly interesting about it. It's near the railroad station." The man he was talking to- did you notice his appearance? his mood? "Not really, I'm afraid. They both seemed a bit furtive, but could be my patrolman's background thinking for me." Any news lately in local crimes? She brings up her computer and checks the department intranet. "Nothing out of the usual this week. A few muggings and burglaries. Doesn't seem dramatic enough, does it?" | ||
| Solitiare (Solitiare)
New member Username: Solitiare Post Number: 432 Registered: 7-2011 |
The railroad station - relevant? Could it be that our hero (that's ironic) came in by train because he didn't want to take a 9-mile walk, which is indeed no joke. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4977 Registered: 5-2003 |
The railroad station - relevant? "Hm. I wonder. The Flyer passes through the station three times a day -- 5:00 am, 1:00 pm and 9 pm." Could it be that our hero (that's ironic) came in by train because he didn't want to take a 9-mile walk, which is indeed no joke. "Well, he did have that rain slicker. And there wasn't a train at the station at the time - it's 10am now." | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15553 Registered: 4-2010 |
A 9-mile walk would take, what, 3 hours? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4978 Registered: 5-2003 |
A 9-mile walk would take, what, 3 hours? She thinks. "I'd say four, given the rain." | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 131 Registered: 10-2011 |
Hm. Where would you arrive if you followed the train tracks nine miles in either direction? Could he have missed the train and decided he would arrive here sooner by walking than by waiting for the next train? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4981 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hm. Where would you arrive if you followed the train tracks nine miles in either direction? Could he have missed the train and decided he would arrive here sooner by walking than by waiting for the next train? She measures thoughtfully with a pencil. "Unfortunately, there isn't a station nine miles away in either direction. So he can't simply have missed it." | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15588 Registered: 4-2010 |
What is nine miles in all directions? Any landmarks, notable buildings, etc? | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 148 Registered: 10-2011 |
Okay, so is it possible that he was for some reason forced to jump off the train at speed at some point? Thinking back, can you remember if the man had any bruises or similar that would be consistant with such a jump? Alternatively, maybe the train stopped somewhere and he jumped off then... can you check if any trains did a brief stop nine miles away from here at some point? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4984 Registered: 5-2003 |
What is nine miles in all directions? Any landmarks, notable buildings, etc? She measures with a pencil. "Hmm. There's a hotel exactly nine miles from the station." She thinks. "Why wouldn't he have just ordered a taxi from there, though? I wonder..." Okay, so is it possible that he was for some reason forced to jump off the train at speed at some point? Thinking back, can you remember if the man had any bruises or similar that would be consistant with such a jump? "Not that I noticed. It seems unlikely that he would jump from the train, given that he might injure himself and then be unable to walk at all." Alternatively, maybe the train stopped somewhere and he jumped off then... can you check if any trains did a brief stop nine miles away from here at some point? "As far as I know, they don't stop anywhere nearby to take on water or the like. And if there was an emergency on the track we'd have been notified." | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15710 Registered: 4-2010 |
Does the train stop anywhere near the hotel? Does it pass by? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4985 Registered: 5-2003 |
Does the train stop anywhere near the hotel? Does it pass by? "No, it's miles from the tracks." | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 185 Registered: 10-2011 |
Hmm... can we check with the hotel if anyone were actually staying there last night, and left at an appropriate time that would have allowed him to be at the cafe at the time you overheard him? And maybe in that case they could give us a description, tell us if he looks anything like the guy you saw? If you draw up the most likely walking route from the hotel to the cafe, does that route pass anything that seems to stand out? Does it cross the rail tracks? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
Moderator Username: Peter365 Post Number: 76 Registered: 1-2011 |
Jenburdoo I've put this puzzle into Limbo for now. You can reactivate it by answering the outstanding questions | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4992 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hmm... can we check with the hotel if anyone were actually staying there last night, and left at an appropriate time that would have allowed him to be at the cafe at the time you overheard him? And maybe in that case they could give us a description, tell us if he looks anything like the guy you saw? "I suppose that would work, except that it's pretty easy to leave a hotel without checking out first or even necessarily going through the lobby. Even if someone staying there answers to the description, it won't be enough." If you draw up the most likely walking route from the hotel to the cafe, does that route pass anything that seems to stand out? Does it cross the rail tracks? "It passes the train station." | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 17209 Registered: 4-2010 |
Would it be helpful to know the check-out time of the hotel? Check-in? The time when the doors lock to all but those staying there, and you have to swipe in? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 4999 Registered: 5-2003 |
Would it be helpful to know the check-out time of the hotel? Check-in? The time when the doors lock to all but those staying there, and you have to swipe in? She checks the hotel's webpage. "None of that seems unusual. Check-out time is eleven AM, and they're open 24 hours." | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5000 Registered: 5-2003 |
"Although they do close the car-lot at night." | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 17215 Registered: 4-2010 |
The train -- how fast does it go? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5001 Registered: 5-2003 |
The train -- how fast does it go? She grabs a train schedule and does some calculating. "40 miles an hour, I'd guess?" | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 264 Registered: 10-2011 |
Whoa! Haven't been on here for half a year, and in all that time only six posts have been made in this one? Would a recap be possible? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5044 Registered: 5-2003 |
Whoa! Haven't been on here for half a year, and in all that time only six posts have been made in this one? (Sheepishly) I wasn't on here for half a year either... Would a recap be possible? The chief snorts at you derisively. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt." She starts ticking things off on her fingers. - "A nine-mile walk is no joke, especially in the rain." - The man who said it was ordinary. He may have been walking in the rain, at night. He was near the train station when he spoke. - We are in suburbia, and there are communities within nine miles in all directions. - A train passes through town three times a day, and the nearest station is nine miles from an ordinary hotel. "Hm... are we missing anything?" | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 17278 Registered: 4-2010 |
Could the man have walked 4.5 miles away from the station, and 4.5 miles back? Is there anything 4.5 miles away? | ||
| Kyeannpepper (Kyeannpepper)
New member Username: Kyeannpepper Post Number: 922 Registered: 1-2012 |
Or he had to walk to the train station at night, as the car-lot is closed then. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5046 Registered: 5-2003 |
Could the man have walked 4.5 miles away from the station, and 4.5 miles back? Is there anything 4.5 miles away? She checks the map. "Just roads, unfortunately. And I don't see why the station would've been his starting point, unless he got off one train and was intending to get on another..." Or he had to walk to the train station at night, as the car-lot is closed then. "Aha! That makes sense." She pauses. "But he could've taken a taxi, couldn't he?" | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 286 Registered: 10-2011 |
Maybe he didn't have any money? Maybe he had lost his wallet? Or had been robbed? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5047 Registered: 5-2003 |
Maybe he didn't have any money? Maybe he had lost his wallet? Or had been robbed? "I suppose that's possible..." She sounds skeptical. "But then mightn't he have flagged someone down on the road and gotten a ride? Or called a friend to pick him up?" | ||
| Kyeannpepper (Kyeannpepper)
New member Username: Kyeannpepper Post Number: 925 Registered: 1-2012 |
Hmm...to reach the train at 5:00 am (he would have needed to catch that train to be at Joanne's before 10:00 in the morning), he would have needed to start the walk around 1:00 am. Maybe he just didn't want to bother anyone at that time of night. And I'd doubt there would be many cars on the road that early in the morning. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5048 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hmm...to reach the train at 5:00 am (he would have needed to catch that train to be at Joanne's before 10:00 in the morning), he would have needed to start the walk around 1:00 am. "That makes sense." Maybe he just didn't want to bother anyone at that time of night. And I'd doubt there would be many cars on the road that early in the morning. "But then why didn't he start earlier? Or catch the 9 pm train? And why did he need to catch the train at all? He certainly didn't ride it, or he'd be hundreds of miles away, not at Joanne's." | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 290 Registered: 10-2011 |
Could he have been picking someone or something up from the train? Or delivering someone who weren't able to go there by themself for whatever reason? Or didn't dare to at this time of night? Can we ask someone at the train station, or the driver of the train, wether they observed a man fitting his description at the station at 5:00 am? And whether anyone got off or on the train at that time? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5063 Registered: 5-2003 |
Could he have been picking someone or something up from the train? Or delivering someone who weren't able to go there by themself for whatever reason? Or didn't dare to at this time of night? "Hmm. I suppose he could've picked someone up. I can't see him bringing someone there - an adult could have walked alone, and I can't see a child walking that distance in the rain. And still - why would he have had to walk there?" Can we ask someone at the train station, or the driver of the train, wether they observed a man fitting his description at the station at 5:00 am? And whether anyone got off or on the train at that time? "I suppose we could ask and check, but the question still remains: what was he doing there at that hour of the night?" She checks the schedule. "It is a passenger train, but even if people did get off and on, I don't know what that would tell us. Hmm..." Her eyes stare into space. | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 296 Registered: 10-2011 |
Well, he must have had some reason for going to the train station, if that was indeed where he was going. Could he have left his luggage there? Or any other belongings? Any report of such? Are there lockers at the station? I don't suppose it is possible he worked there? Was there anything at all special about the train arriving there at 5:00? Or was it like every other train? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5066 Registered: 5-2003 |
Well, he must have had some reason for going to the train station, if that was indeed where he was going. "Makes sense." Could he have left his luggage there? Or any other belongings? Any report of such? Are there lockers at the station? "I could check, but I don't know why he wouldn't have called the station and asked them to look for and hold his luggage, if he'd left it -- then come to get it later." I don't suppose it is possible he worked there? "I'm pretty sure the shifts there start at midnight and 8 am, not 5 am. Even then, what would he be doing living in a hotel four hours walk away?" Was there anything at all special about the train arriving there at 5:00? Or was it like every other train? "Ordinary passenger train. Picks up mail, too. It's a sleeper." | ||
| Kyeannpepper (Kyeannpepper)
New member Username: Kyeannpepper Post Number: 927 Registered: 1-2012 |
Perhaps he wanted to get his mail early in the morning? Or perhaps meet the other man he was talking to in the cafe, who might have been coming on the train? Anything unusual about the 9:00 train? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5068 Registered: 5-2003 |
Perhaps he wanted to get his mail early in the morning? "You can't get your mail direct from the train; you have to go to the post office." Or perhaps meet the other man he was talking to in the cafe, who might have been coming on the train? "Hm. Maybe, but I doubt it. If he knew his friend was coming, why not arrive before the rain and wait it out? The weather channel's available in his hotel room." Anything unusual about the 9:00 train? "Nothing. Same as the 5:00 train. "One thing's for sure - I think you're right about him having a reason, or even an appointment, at the train station. The question is why he didn't start earlier, and why he even walked. We're missing something!" | ||
| Kyeannpepper (Kyeannpepper)
New member Username: Kyeannpepper Post Number: 948 Registered: 1-2012 |
Hm. Could he instead have walked from the station to the hotel? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5139 Registered: 5-2003 |
Hm. Could he instead have walked from the station to the hotel? "I doubt it. If so, what was he doing here so soon after?" | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 17740 Registered: 4-2010 |
I wonder if he even planned to catch a train at all. Do you think he did? Maybe he went and forgot his ticket? And had to walk back? | ||
| Liquizt (Liquizt)
New member Username: Liquizt Post Number: 723 Registered: 5-2008 |
I figure there are 3 main possibilities that would explain the nine-mile walk, either the distance from origin to destination is 9 miles, the walk is there-and-back-again 4.5 miles each way, or the distance is ~3 miles and he got at least most of the way to his destination before realising he forgot something important. How do each of these possibilities sound to you? We've determined there is a hotel ~9 miles from the train station and Joanne's Cafe. We've determined there's nothing of interest 4.5 miles from the station. Any buildings between 3 and 4.5 miles of note? What time did you leave for Joanne's this morning? How long does it take for you to get there? How did you travel? Was it raining then? Would it be fair to assume he may have come to the cafe quite soon after having walked nine miles in the rain? Though if that had been the case he would have surely not come to the train station to meet any of the three trains...? is it safe to assume he'd know the times the trains pass through if the station were indeed his destination? The hotel closes its car-lot at night... So no cars may enter the lot, right? Are they still able to leave? What are the times the car-lot is closed between? I'm wondering if perhaps he had/has a car there and did not realise he would not be able to use it during the night for some reason to do with the hotel car-lot security. When he said this phrase, you indicated he was talking to one person, another man, yes? were they both in the cafe? outside? entering? leaving? sitting? I'd say that to have complained about walking nine miles he'd have had to not have expected he would need to... so something must have established that need. A time-sensitive job at least if not an appointment. But what gets me is, you say the taxis around here run 24-7? Is it possible he did not wish to be seen by anyone? or perhaps there's more to it than that... maybe he was in possession of an item he did not wish to be seen with? or was too large/heavy to transport by taxi? If he was in possession of an item he did not want to be seen with are there any easy nine-mile routes between say the hotel and the train station that avoid clear lines of sight of the road? Do all the trains that pass through the station collect mail? deposit mail? Could he perhaps have had knowledge about a specific package or letter that was being transferred from or to a specific train service? or a need to deposit a package(s) or letter(s) to be posted before a specific time? Where is the mail office situated in relation to the train station and the hotel? I trust your instincts greatly, are there any prime targets for thieves within 9 miles of the station? banks? museums? galleries? were any of the trains that passed through the station in the last 48 hours potentially carrying anything of value? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
Moderator Username: Peter365 Post Number: 136 Registered: 1-2011 |
Jenburdoo I've put this puzzle into Limbo for now. You can reactivate it by answering the outstanding questions |
