Note: Last time Jay chose a medium mystery.
The Solution:
Each year, George challenged Mike to join him in another brainless, daredevil adventure. Last year it was bullfighting; the year before it was hang gliding. This year, George announced that the two of them would bungee jump off the bridge at the Gruesome Gorge. Fed up with these reckless adventures, Mike said, “No way.”
George replied that if Mike backed out, he’d tell Mike’s wife about Mike’s fling with a chambermaid in Tijuana the year before. The threat sent Mike off the deep end. Desperate and angry, he visited the bridge at Gruesome Gorge. A popular place for bungee jumping, the bridge sported a rectangular metal marker which read “777 FEET ABOVE RIVER.” He then replaced it with a marker that read “888 FEET ABOVE RIVER.”
When the day arrived, Mike dared George to jump first. George obliged, and learned the hard way that his jump was over 100 feet too long. The officer discovered the original metal marker in Mike’s house, and jumped to the right conclusion.
The Case:
The officer serving the search warrant found the metal rectangle he was looking for, and arrested Mark for George’s murder.
The Mystery:
What was the metal rectangle?
(The winning solution MUST contain all of these elements, please don’t assume information from a previous question.)
Hint #1: George “fell” for Mike’s clever switch
Hint #2: Mike was at the end of his rope when he hatched his plot
Note:
You’re free to ask anything, (please keep it to one question a post for simplicity’s sake,) but Jurd can only answer your questions with:
- Yes
- No
- Yes and No
- Irrelevant
- I don’t know
- Rephrase your question
- Define what you mean by…
Disclaimer: Monday Mysteries are culled from the 1993 Milton Bradley game, Crack the Case – but don’t go peeking.
Skinner Co. makes no claim to the intellectual property presented here, we’re just a number of friends playing a board game in a digital living room.
Is the metal sharp
Nope
Is the metal a piece of a car?
Nope
Is the metal a medal?
Nope
Does the rectangle have writing on it?
Yes!
Was the metal piece from the murder weapon?
No
Was the metal rectangle a money press blank?
Clever, but no
Did the metal piece belong to something larger? ie, is it off of something else?
Yes
was the metal piece stolen?
Yes
Adding to Jay’s question, was the metal piece a faceplate for a manufactured object?
Yes and no
Did Mark steal something?
Yes
Assuming yes, did he steal it from George?
No
Was George guarding the stolen item?
Nope
Was the metal rectangle a sign? Maybe one that said something like “Bridge Out Ahead?”
Yes.
No.
Is the rectangle part of a trophy? Did Mark kill George with a trophy?
Nope
Did Mark steal and “out of order” elevator sign, and Mark fell down an elevator shaft?
Oooh – no, but you’re not entirely on the wrong track.
Was the piece of metal part of a safety device?
Not normally
Did the sign warn of high voltage?
No
Second hint is up!
Was the metal a traffic sign?
Nope
Does this mystery involve boxing?
Interesting! But no
Was the metal piece a part of a climbing harness?
No
Was the metal piece attached to a rope?
No
Was the triangle a road sign?
No
Did Mark substitute a different metal sign for the one he stole?
Yes!
Did George die from a fall?
Yes!
Did George die from electrocution?
No
Did Geroge die from drowning?
No
Did George die from a gunshot?
No
Did George die from a stabbing?
No
Did George die from poisoning?
No
Did Mike remove a beware of zombies sign, leading George to be eaten by zombies?
Ha! No.
Because Jay is my muse… Was George killed by an animal?
Heh – nope.
Did George die in a pit designed to trap and kill an animal?
No
Was it a “bridge out” sign that was removed?
Nope!
I feel like you guys are one clever leap from getting this thing wrapped up.
To summarize what we know…
Mike swapped a metal sign from ???, leading to George’s death. George died from a fall AND stabbing.
Please add anything I missed here.
Apologies, I just realized a yes was mis-applied to the wrong question:
To be clear, Quincy determined George died entirely due to a fall.
That’s too bad, cuz an animal pit would’ve been a cool way to go! 😉
Was the metal rectangle a buckle from a parachute that had been tampered with?
Nope
Was George bungee jumping?
Yes!
Did George fall down stairs?
No
Did George fall on a wet floor?
No
Was George a skier?
Maybe, but it’s not relevant here.
What was the metal rectangle?
Was the metal rectangle a sign indicating weight limit for the bungie cords?
No, but getting closer!
Did Mark change his name to Mike? I blame Mike — I did nothing!
Ha!
Did Mark change the sign that indicated how far one could safely bungie jump?
Yes!
Did the sign indicate the height of the bridge? In other words he jumped thinking the bridge was higher than it was and fell to his death rather than bouncing back.
Exactly so!
Mike swapped the distance sign on the location that George was planning on doing his bungee jump from. Subsequently George used too much rope, and smashed on the ground,.
Nailed it.
Jay, Melissa, and Mark are going to have to share the trophy, but Mark solved it first: Easy, medium, or hard next Monday?
Is it my call? I’m new to this, but perhaps medium?
Sounds good!
Yay Mark!! It’s odd, but I didn’t see the other answers when I put mine in.
The comment system held the other two back for moderation, hopefully that stops happening now that they’ve been okay’d.