JaFanatic Posted July 6, 2013 Posted July 6, 2013 Jerry Lewis opened his front door with a broad grin. "George Benny, you old party hound! Looks like your hair's a little wet from the snow. Want me to put it in the dryer for a minute? Come on in. You too, Gracie." "Merry Christmas, Jerry," said Benny. He smiled thinly and scraped the snow off his boots before entering the front hallway with his wife. Lewis laid their coats on a chair in the small den to the right of the hallway and ushered the couple into the parlor on the left. The annual Lewis Christmas party was underway two nights before Christmas Eve. Lewis, the president of a manufacturing firm, and his wife Jennifer, a corporate lawyer, took pride in the event. The front parlor was festooned with wreaths and balloons. A brightly decorated tree graced a corner, and appetizers and drinks were lavishly laid on the sideboard. As guests filled the parlor, the drinks and conversation flowed. Mark Vincent, a bald, sixtysomething computer expert, talked about the Year 2000 software bug. Lewis described his recently acquired early edition of Poe's poems. Theresa Volpe became lyrical about a whitewater trip she had taken in Colorado the previous summer. Almost two hours into the party, Lewis glanced at his watch, excused himself, and went to the back door of the house. Momentarily turning off the security system, he admitted a fat man with a white beard, a red coat and pants, and fur-topped boots. "Mr. Lewis?" asked the visitor. "I'm Peter Bill, from the agency. Understand you need a Santa this evening." "You're right on time," replied Lewis with a smile. "This way." He led Bill to the library and handed him a red sack from behind a sofa. "Just follow me into the parlor and do your bit," Lewis said. "The names are on the packages." The two entered the parlor by the connecting door. "Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas, everyone!" boomed Bill. "You've all been very good this year, and I have some wonderful presents for you!" This guy isn't bad, thought Lewis as Bill made a great show of handing out the presents. When the sack was empty, however, Lewis frowned and went to the library. Returning several minutes later, he whispered to his wife and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, everyone," he announced loudly. "There seems to be a problem. A package containing a diamond necklace intended for Jennifer is missing. To be on the safe side, I'm calling in the police. Please don't leave the room until they arrive." Two hours later, the twenty-one guests were seated sullenly around the parlor, nursing drinks. In the back, the Lewiss were talking with Inspector Jennifer Jones. Bill sat nearby with his red coat unbuttoned and listened. "Each guest agreed to be taken into the den and searched," reported Jones. "Santa too. We didn't miss a stitch of clothing. We checked the coats too, and have searched the rest of the house. In the library wastebasket, we found a small box and some wrapping inscribed 'To Mugs, from Santa'. Your nickname, I presume, ma'am." Jennifer Lewis nodded. "It's a long story." "The necklace must be found, officer," said Jerry sternly. "It was small-- a thin chain with a full-carat diamond-- but quite expensive, the most expensive gift in the sack. And it was not insured." "Please tell me again when you last saw it." "I kept all the gifts in the library wall safe," Lewis said. "The necklace was one of the last to go in. I wrapped it myself this morning. Just before the party, I took each gift out of the safe, including the one to Jennifer, and put it directly in the red sack. I then put the sack behind the sofa, where it was not visible from the doorway between the library and the front hall. It was there until Santa arrived." "Who else was in the house this evening?" "Just Jennifer, myself, and our guests. The windows and back door are on our alarm system, and we unlocked the front door only when greeting guests. Everyone stayed in the parlor except for a few who used the bathroom up the hall." "And who were they?" asked Jones. "Let's see. I saw Mark Vincent leave. I flew him in today and interviewed him about running my company's information systems. And George Benny, a rare-book dealer and old friend. And Sasha Callaghan. She's an English major at Yale and the daughter of my accountant. Been accompanying her father Anderson to our party the last few years, since his wife died. That it, Mugs?" "That's right, inspector," said Jennifer. "As hosts, we kept an eye on our guests." "Were any of them out of the room for long?" Jones asked. "Sasha was back in two minutes," said Jennifer. "She said there was a spider in the bathroom, and she was terrified of spiders. I sent Jerry to look, but it was gone. George and Mark were gone several minutes, not more than ten each." "Uh huh." Jones glanced at Bill. "Do you always bring in a Santa to your Christmas parties?" "No, this was the first time," replied Jerry. "We've usually had presents waiting under the tree, but thought this would be more fun." He looked at Bill suspiciously. Bill sat slowly up in his chair and cleared his throat. "Inspector, may I make a suggestion?" he asked. Jones raised her eyebrows. "Shoot." "Well, I've been making a list of suspects and checking it twice, and I think I know who's been naughty or nice. I also know where you can find the diamonds." Within a few minutes, the diamond necklace was discovered and the thief arrested. Where did they find the necklace ?? and who is the thief ? Solution: Mystery behind the house of thousand moans Link for case #4 The auction house stealerWho was the thief? George Benny The Explanation Where was the necklace hidden? The timing of the theft and the restrictions on entry to the house limit the suspects to the three who left the parlor. Santa had no time alone with the sack in the library, where the thief discarded the box and the wrapping. Since the necklace was one of the last gifts to be put in the safe, it was one of the first to be put in the sack, at the bottom. The thief therefore had to spend at least a few minutes looking through over twenty presents for it. This rules out Sasha, who was out of the parlor very briefly. The thief clearly looked for the gift to Jennifer. Even someone who had not attended a Stone party before could have surmised that Jerry's gift to his wife would be the most expensive one. A newly arrived interviewee, however, would not know Jennifer's nickname, which was used on the wrapping. An old friend would. Only George Benny had both the knowledge of the nickname and the time to search for the sack. He was therefore the thief. A book dealer, he had entered the library to see Jerry's newly acquired Poe volume and there had noticed the sack behind the sofa. Where did he hide the necklace? He could not have taken it outside because of locks and alarms, and the house and the guests' clothing had been searched. Benny wore a toupee, however, as Jerry had kiddingly noted when greeting him, and it was under the toupee that the small necklace had been hidden. Santa used a little logic and observation, and unmasked the Grinch. Case solved by detective Seedhi :hatsoff::two_thumbs_up: Link for case #2
seedhi Posted July 6, 2013 Posted July 6, 2013 Where did they find the necklace ?? and who is the thief ?George Benny' date=' and the necklace was in his wig.[/spoiler']
Lord Posted July 6, 2013 Posted July 6, 2013 George Benny' date=' and the necklace was in his wig.[/quote'] how did you deduce that? use spoilers in your anwer
carnish Posted July 7, 2013 Posted July 7, 2013 Sasha Callaghan, the Accountant's daughter Will give the reason later.
JaFanatic Posted July 7, 2013 Author Posted July 7, 2013 Sasha Callaghan' date=' the Accountant's daughter[/spoiler'] Will give the reason later. Use spoiler for your answers :two_thumbs_up:
JaFanatic Posted July 7, 2013 Author Posted July 7, 2013 Its one of these ppl George Benny, Mark Vincent, Peter Bill and Sasha Callaghan Keep guessing and post your answers with spoiler tag i'll reveal the answer tomo :D
Lord Posted July 7, 2013 Posted July 7, 2013 can't be Peter Bill,why would he accuse himself:dontknow: btw JAF if you have more such stories you can keep a seperate thread for these.and I'll give ICF$ for right answers,what say?
JaFanatic Posted July 7, 2013 Author Posted July 7, 2013 tl;dr JAF :poink: post short ones its not that big story :damnmate: can't be Peter Bill,why would he accuse himself:dontknow: btw JAF if you have more such stories you can keep a seperate thread for these.and I'll give ICF$ for right answers,what say? not interested :eviltongue:
Rocky Balboa Posted July 7, 2013 Posted July 7, 2013 No point in posting these stories unless the author gives us the answer .
JaFanatic Posted July 7, 2013 Author Posted July 7, 2013 No point in posting these stories unless the author gives us the answer . you dont need author's help to find the answer :poink: Author gave the answer i'll post it tomo
Rocky Balboa Posted July 7, 2013 Posted July 7, 2013 you dont need author's help to find the answer :poink: Author gave the answer i'll post it tomo Wtf. Y didn't u post the answer for the Martha story?:beee:
JaFanatic Posted July 7, 2013 Author Posted July 7, 2013 Wtf. Y didn't u post the answer for the Martha story?:beee: that one the author left it to the reader's prediction :(( but i posted the answer for the second case even one member solved it before i post the answer
helperononline Posted July 7, 2013 Posted July 7, 2013 may be someone took Jennifer gift by using her nickname fooling the santa took the gift or misplaced it
JaFanatic Posted July 7, 2013 Author Posted July 7, 2013 may be someone took Jennifer gift by using her nickname fooling the santa took the gift or misplaced it Alright, who is that someone and where did he/she hide that gift ?
Swing_n_Speed Posted July 7, 2013 Posted July 7, 2013 So it was Sasha Callaghan as of the three who left the room only she as the accountants daughter could have been aware of the expensive purchase. My guess is she hid the necklace inside a wreath on the front parlour
beetle Posted July 8, 2013 Posted July 8, 2013 that one the author left it to the reader's prediction :(( but i posted the answer for the second case even one member solved it before i post the answer You are such a tease for posting the first one.....fir aisse nahi karna!
JaFanatic Posted July 8, 2013 Author Posted July 8, 2013 You are such a tease for posting the first one.....fir aisse nahi karna! i will try to not post such stories :P
carnish Posted July 8, 2013 Posted July 8, 2013 My reason has been given by swing n speed ... But I differ in the place of hiding ... I think she hid it in her or her father's gift box so that no one will doubt.
Recommended Posts