Published by Daniel Jenkins for 5 Minute Detective. How we make the site.
Put the events in order and check which clock each time comes from. Work through a missing-script example, then try a short puzzle.
A timeline lists what happened and when. It helps you check whether a suspect's story could be true. Even a good reason to act must fit the times in the case.
First, find out when the event could have happened. Then add where each person was. For every time you write down, note where it came from. A camera time and someone's best guess are different kinds of clue.
Find the last check before it went missing
For a missing object, start with two checks. When was it last seen in its place? When was it first found missing? It must have been taken between those checks.
You can do the same with other events. When did a machine last work? When was it first found broken? Someone may report a problem later, so check when they actually found it.
- Write down what you need to explain: someone took the script from the rack.
- Find the last check when it was there and the first check when it was gone.
- Add who went where. Note any travel time and where each fact came from.
- Check that your version fits every known time, even the less exciting ones.
Example: the missing radio script
A script goes missing at a local radio club. At 18:00, a photo shows it on a rack by the studio door. At 18:09, the producer finds the rack empty. These times come from the control-room clock, which is correct.
The camera has its own clock. A photo of both clocks shows 18:04 on the camera and 18:00 in the control room. The camera stays four minutes fast all evening. Take four minutes off each camera time before you compare it with the other times.
Scroll sideways in the table to read every column.
| Clue | Time recorded | Time to use | What it tells us |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo of the rack | 18:00, control-room clock | 18:00 | The script is still there. |
| Mina remembers hearing a latch click | About 18:07, perhaps two minutes earlier or later | 18:05–18:09 | Mina heard a sound. We do not know which door it came from. |
| The camera shows Ivo passing the studio | 18:12, camera clock | 18:08 | Ivo passes before the producer finds the empty rack. |
| The producer checks the rack | 18:09, control-room clock | 18:09 | The script is gone. |
The script was taken after 18:00 and by 18:09. Ivo passed at 18:08, so he was nearby during that time. If you used the camera's 18:12 without changing it, you would get this wrong.
This does not prove Ivo took the script. Walking past a door is not the same as taking something. Mina's sound also fails to tell us who opened which door. We need more clues to answer those questions.
Keep rough times rough
If someone says “around seven”, write that down. Do not change it to exactly 19:00. If the story gives a range of times, keep the whole range.
A gap in your notes means you do not know what happened then. It does not mean nothing happened. Also check whether several entries all come from the same person's story.
Check what came before and after
You do not always need an exact minute. “Before the bell” or “after the trolley left” can still help. Suppose someone says they returned a key before a door opened. A clue that puts the key's return after the opening would challenge that claim.
Check that there was enough time for each step. Use any travel times the story gives you. If a map has no distances, do not guess an exact journey time from its size.
Try it: the workshop clock
A model is still whole at 14:20. At 14:27, someone finds it damaged. Both times use the workshop clock. The lobby camera is always three minutes slow. It shows Ren leaving at 14:22. Ren says, “I had left before 14:20.”
What time did Ren leave on the workshop clock? Does the camera show that Ren's statement is wrong? Does it prove Ren damaged the model?
Show the answer and explanation
Ren left at 14:25 on the workshop clock. Add three minutes to the camera's 14:22. That is after 14:20, so Ren's statement is wrong. It is also within the time when the model was damaged.
The camera only shows when Ren left. It does not show Ren damaging the model. You still need a clue about the damage itself and who else could have caused it.
Things to remember
- Write down what happened, when, and where that time came from.
- Check whether one clock is fast or slow before comparing times.
- Keep rough times and missing details clearly marked.
- Being nearby at the right time does not, on its own, prove someone did it.
Use the facts in the story. If something is still unknown, leave it as a question.