Someone carved initials into a picnic table at a South Dakota rest stop. Brad says he was sightseeing.
Brad says
“I spent the morning at Mount Rushmore. Got a great photo of Ben Franklin's face with the sun on it, then grabbed lunch in Keystone.”
How did the detective know Brad was lying?
Hint: Name the four faces.
AnswerBen Franklin isn't on Mount Rushmore.Mount Rushmore shows Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln. Franklin was never president and isn't carved there.
Someone took a kayak from a Seattle marina in July. Dana says she was on a road trip.
Dana says
“I drove every mile from Seattle to Anchorage that week, no ferries, and never left U.S. soil once. Saw moose, mountains and a lot of gas stations.”
What gave Dana away?
Hint: Picture the map.
AnswerYou can't drive from Seattle to Alaska without going through Canada.Alaska doesn't border the lower 48 states. The road from Seattle to Anchorage runs through Canada.
Someone rearranged the letters on the church sign before dawn on Sunday, March 8.
Tyler says
“I was sound asleep. The clocks sprang forward that night, so I loved getting the extra hour of sleep. Didn't roll out of bed till 9.”
What gave Tyler away?
Hint: Spring forward, fall back.
AnswerSpringing forward costs you an hour of sleep; it doesn't add one.When clocks spring forward in March, they jump ahead an hour, so the night is an hour shorter. The extra hour comes in the fall.
Someone took the prize money at the school's casino night fundraiser. Lou says he was playing cards.
Lou says
“I was at the blackjack table all evening. On my last hand I had a 10, drew the 11 of spades to hit 21, and cashed out.”
How did the principal know Lou was lying?
Hint: Picture a deck of cards.
AnswerThere's no 11 of spades in a deck of cards.A standard deck runs ace, 2 through 10, jack, queen, king. An ace can count as 11, but no card is an 11.
Someone tipped over the trash cans on Birch Lane overnight. Mr. Ellis says he was home awake.
Mr. Ellis says
“I was reading in my den. I lit a candle in a jar and screwed the lid on tight so the cat couldn't knock it over, and it glowed all night.”
What gave Mr. Ellis away?
Hint: What does a flame need?
AnswerA candle in a tightly sealed jar would go out quickly.Fire needs oxygen. With the lid screwed on, the flame uses up the air inside and dies within minutes.
Someone wrote on the classroom whiteboard during lunch on Monday.
Ava says
“I stayed in the science room the whole lunch watching our class caterpillar. It made its chrysalis that morning, and the butterfly came out right before the bell.”
How did the teacher know Ava was fibbing?
Hint: How long does that change take?
AnswerA butterfly can't come out of its chrysalis the same day.A butterfly takes about one to two weeks to form inside its chrysalis, not a few hours.