Published by Daniel Jenkins for 5 Minute Detective. How we make the site.
A clue shows you something. The story you build around it may still be a guess. A missing brass label helps you tell the difference.
A person looks annoyed. A key is missing. Soon, you can picture exactly what happened. But how much of that story came from the clues, and how much did you add yourself?
Keep three things separate: what you can see, what someone says, and what you think happened. An assumption is something you have taken as true without checking it.
Write down what you know
A scene or record may show you a fact. A suspect gives you their version of events. You then use these to work out what might have happened. Keep track of which is which.
Records can be wrong or changed. A story may tell you that a time is only a guess. Keep that warning beside the clue. Being written down does not make a claim true.
Scroll sideways in the table to read every column.
| Type of note | Example | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | A blue key lies under the counter. | You know where the key is, not who last used it. |
| What someone says | Mara says she put the key away at noon. | You know what Mara said. You still need to check it. |
| What might follow | Someone may have moved the key after noon. | This depends on Mara's account being right. |
| What you have assumed | Only Mara could have used the key. | Owning a key does not mean nobody else can use it. |
Example: a brass label in the wrong place
A brass label goes missing from a model boat at a repair club. It is later found in a drawer under Mara's usual bench. Mara had complained that the boat took up too much space. It is easy to imagine her taking the label and hiding it.
But the drawer only tells us where the label was found. It does not tell us who put it there. Mara's complaint tells us she was unhappy, not that she took it. We also do not yet know who can open the drawer.
- One idea: Mara took the label and put it in the drawer.
- Another idea: someone else took it and used the same drawer.
- Both ideas explain where the label was found.
- To choose between them, ask who could use the drawer and what happened to the label.
Now we learn that everyone at the club shares the bench and can open the drawer. This still does not tell us who took the label. It shows why finding it near Mara is not enough.
A clear video of someone taking the label would help. Another photo of the label in the drawer would only repeat what we know. Ask what the next clue needs to tell you.
Look for a clue that challenges your idea
Once you suspect someone, it is easy to notice only clues that fit. Look for the hardest clue to explain. Does it place them somewhere else? Was the object already gone before you think they took it?
Stick to what the story gives you. Do not add a helper, spare key or secret passage to keep your idea alive. If your answer needs several extra events, go back to the clues.
- Write your answer in one sentence.
- List the clues that support it.
- Mark anything you added that the story has not told you.
- Try another answer that fits. Ask which clue could tell the two apart.
Does a missing record prove anything?
A name missing from a visitor book tells us it is not in the book. It proves the person stayed away only if every visitor had to sign and the book is complete. Otherwise, someone could have visited without signing.
Ask the same question about an empty shelf or a witness who saw nothing. Would there have to be a trace if your idea were true? If you do not know, leave the question open.
Try it: the borrowed umbrella
An umbrella with Dev's name is found in a locked rehearsal room. Dev says he lent it to Lin that morning. We do not know who used the room's key or whether the loan happened.
What do we know for sure? What would you be assuming if you said Dev entered the room? What could you check next?
Show the answer and explanation
We know the umbrella was in the room and has Dev's name on it. We also know Dev says he lent it to Lin. His name does not prove he brought it in. His claim does not prove Lin had it.
Saying Dev entered assumes he was carrying his own umbrella. You could look for a clue showing the loan or who brought the umbrella into the room. Asking who owns it will not help; you already know that.
Things to remember
- Note where each fact or account came from.
- Mark anything you have assumed without proof.
- Try another answer instead of looking only for clues that fit your favourite.
- Look for a clue that tells the possible answers apart.
Use the facts in the story. If something is still unknown, leave it as a question.