Reading puzzle · Check how the award could be taken
An award vanishes from a glass case while its lid stays sealed. Check the ways it could leave the case and the tools each person had.
The story
A small design show displays a round metal award in a glass case. Three staff members each check the display. Afterwards, the award is gone. The lid is still locked, and its numbered security strip is unbroken.
The case also has a narrow slot for entry cards and a panel underneath. The manager gives you the details of these openings and the tools each person carried. Work out how the award left the case and who could have taken it.
The three people
- Clara
- The show manager. She checked the labels and carried the key to the glass lid.
- Dev
- The display technician. He checked that the case stood level on the table.
- Iona
- The collections assistant. She cleaned around the table and checked the card slot.
The rules
- One of these three people took the award during their own check. They acted alone. The award is out of the case. It is not hidden behind a label or mixed up with another object.
- There are only three ways to take it out: the lid, the card slot or the panel underneath. Nothing was broken, bent, swapped or changed. Nobody had tampered with the case earlier.
- Each person kept only the tools in their listed kit. Nobody lent or borrowed anything. There were no spare keys, makeshift tools or helpers. Each person had enough time and room to use any opening their kit allowed.
- The measurements and tests are correct. Use those facts; you do not need any other knowledge of locks, metal or tools.
The clues
Opening the lid breaks its numbered security strip, even with the right key. The same strip was unbroken before and after every check. It could not be peeled off and put back without leaving damage.
The award is a solid metal disc, 60 mm across. It is at least 8 mm thick, even at its thinnest. The slot is 70 mm long and 5 mm wide. A test with a matching disc confirmed that it cannot fit through, even at an angle.
The panel underneath has two fasteners. One needs a square driver, and the other needs a hex driver. One tool tip is square; the other has six sides. Both fasteners must be released to remove the panel. None of the other listed tools will work. The fasteners cannot be turned by hand.
Taking off the panel leaves a gap large enough for the award. The glass lid can stay shut and sealed. Both fasteners can be secured again from outside. The panel itself has no security strip.
This list shows every tool each person had. Check what is needed for each opening before choosing who could use it.
Tools carried by each person Person Their full kit Clara lid key; hex driver Dev square driver; hex driver Iona square driver; cleaning brush
The question
Who took the award, and which opening did they use? Explain why the other two people and the other two openings do not fit the clues.
Optional hints
Open one hint at a time if you need help. You can return to the clues before checking the answer.
Hint 1 — where to start
Check the lid, slot and panel one at a time. What would each way of taking the award have to leave behind or fit through?
Hint 2 — a stronger nudge
The lid's strip is unbroken, and the award cannot fit through the slot. The panel needs both types of driver. Who had both?
Ready to check your answer?
Show the answer and explanation
The answer
Dev took the award through the panel underneath, then fastened the panel again. Only Dev had both tools needed to open it.
How the clues fit
- The lid stayed shut. Any opening would have broken the original security strip, even with the right key. The strip was still unbroken afterwards.
- The award could not fit through the card slot. The slot is 70 mm long, enough for the 60 mm disc. But it is only 5 mm wide, and the disc is at least 8 mm thick. The test also rules out tilting it through. Nothing was bent or changed.
- That leaves the panel underneath. We know this way works: its opening is large enough for the award. The lid can stay sealed, and the panel can be fastened again afterwards.
- The panel needs both a square driver and a hex driver. Dev has both. Clara is missing the square driver. Iona is missing the hex driver. We have the full tool list, and nobody borrowed tools or tampered with the case earlier. Only Dev could use this opening.
Why the other two do not fit
- Clara
- Clara's key would open the lid, but doing so would break its strip. Her hex driver opens only one fastener underneath. She has no square driver for the other one.
- Iona
- Iona's square driver opens only one fastener underneath. Her brush cannot open the other. Checking the slot does not make the award small enough to fit through it.
What to remember
Check every fact before settling on a way it could have happened. A useful tool is only part of the answer. Find an opening that works, then check who had all the tools it needs. This shows who took the award, but not why.
Build your detective skills
- Spot a false statement: Check whether an idea clashes with a fact about the case.
- Tell facts from guesses: See why having the lid key does not prove someone used it.
- What makes a mystery fair: Check that a puzzle gives you the facts about openings and tools before asking for an answer.