Mystery Solved! We have a winner!

We have a winner! Richard C. solved Mr. Brooks’s murder! He will be sent my short noir story, The Case of the Rose-covered Corpses, a Detective Sam Drake mystery.

I hope you all enjoyed this murderous mind teaser—let me know if you’d like to see more of them!

And now, what you’ve been waiting for, the killer revealed……

Solution: The Mystery of the Locked Office

How was Mr. Brooks murdered? Mr. Brooks was killed with the blade from the paper cutter. The murderer used the blade to stab him, then wiped it clean and disposed of it elsewhere. The locked office and lack of struggle suggest Mr. Brooks likely knew his killer and let them in willingly.

Who is the culprit? The killer is Mr. Watkins, the janitor.

Here’s how we know:

1. The locked door mystery:

   The key could not have been thrown into the room or locked from the inside unless the person had a way to close the door and then slip the key under. As a janitor, Mr. Watkins had access to tools, such as tape, that could be used to slide the key back under the door.

2. The coffee clue:

   Ms. Riley said she brought the coffee at 8:30, but it was still warm when the body was found at 9:15. Coffee doesn’t stay warm that long unless it’s fresh, suggesting Ms. Riley was lying or someone else brought fresh coffee closer to 9:00.

3. The missing paper cutter blade:

   Mr. Watkins had access to the office after everyone left the night before and could have prepped the weapon. His role would also allow him to dispose of the blade easily.

Wrap-Up for Blog Readers: Did you catch the clues? A warm coffee, a sneaky key trick, and a missing blade all point to Mr. Watkins.

How did the office end up locked? Ms. Riley took the key from Mr. Brooks’ pocket after killing him, locked the door from the outside, and slipped the key back into his pocket through the narrow gap under the door using a piece of tape or a string. This gave the illusion that the office was locked from the inside.

Conclusion: The evidence and circumstances point to Ms. Riley as the murderer, using her position of trust to gain access to Mr. Brooks and conceal her crime.

CONGRATULATIONS, Richard! You have a wonderfully criminal mind!