Brain Teasers
The Ghastly Call
Inspector Will was taking a look at the soaked cell phone of the victim, Mr. Johns, which he took from his belt. The old man's friends were all living in the same old house. They built it together, and they were going to spend their last days together in it. But today Mr. Johns was dead. This is the data Inspector Will collected:
1. Mr. Johns was lying on a couch, all his front shirt wet, and it was still bubbling water from his mouth. It seems that the death came when he was drinking a glass of water, and he drowned while swallowing.
2. Mr. Evans said Johns was epileptic, and that may be the reason for the drowning. He didn't hear anything, because he was outside doing the lawn.
3. A broken glass was found over the mat, near the couch. Also Mr. Johns' watch was broken, the time stopped at 1:34 p.m.
4. Mr. Soren had a very fresh look; he was about to catch a plane to Paris. He says he was the one that discovered Johns' death, because Johns didn't answer back when he talked to him to say goodbye. He was taking a shower when it all happened, so he didn't hear anything either.
5. Mr. Penn was in the room, looking at the garden. He is deaf so he was also unaware of the attack.
6. Mr. Man was the one who called the police. He called his old friend Johns on his cell phone at 1:40 and it seems Johns had answered. But, as Man said, it was a ghastly voice, like a voice in a torment fire, echoing cries of the doomed. It was a horrible call so he hung up.
Inspector Will closed his notes. He asked for Mr. Johns' number and dialed it on his cell phone. After a couple of rings the dead man's cell phone answered automatically. Inspector Will then said that it seemed someone was about to miss a plane, at least until the doctors had reviewed poor Mr. Johns' body for fight signs.
Why does the inspector think it is a murder, and how does he think it was committed?
1. Mr. Johns was lying on a couch, all his front shirt wet, and it was still bubbling water from his mouth. It seems that the death came when he was drinking a glass of water, and he drowned while swallowing.
2. Mr. Evans said Johns was epileptic, and that may be the reason for the drowning. He didn't hear anything, because he was outside doing the lawn.
3. A broken glass was found over the mat, near the couch. Also Mr. Johns' watch was broken, the time stopped at 1:34 p.m.
4. Mr. Soren had a very fresh look; he was about to catch a plane to Paris. He says he was the one that discovered Johns' death, because Johns didn't answer back when he talked to him to say goodbye. He was taking a shower when it all happened, so he didn't hear anything either.
5. Mr. Penn was in the room, looking at the garden. He is deaf so he was also unaware of the attack.
6. Mr. Man was the one who called the police. He called his old friend Johns on his cell phone at 1:40 and it seems Johns had answered. But, as Man said, it was a ghastly voice, like a voice in a torment fire, echoing cries of the doomed. It was a horrible call so he hung up.
Inspector Will closed his notes. He asked for Mr. Johns' number and dialed it on his cell phone. After a couple of rings the dead man's cell phone answered automatically. Inspector Will then said that it seemed someone was about to miss a plane, at least until the doctors had reviewed poor Mr. Johns' body for fight signs.
Why does the inspector think it is a murder, and how does he think it was committed?
Hint
Those echoing cries could be very real; where would the voices sound with echoes?Answer
Mr Johns could be murdered by asphyxia, drowned in the bathtub. Soren looked fresh, just bathed, he could be the one who killed Johns, and during the act, the call from Man came. The phone automatically answered, and the echoing of the bathroom plus the cries of Johns are all the assets needed to make a ghastly sound. Torment fire? Maybe it was the shower rain plus the splashing in the tub.If the body presented fight signs, then Soren would be the first suspect.
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Comments
Very creative and interesting teaser. I enjoyed reading it. I think the wet shirt kind of gave it away for me but I still enjoyed the teaser!
*shudder* poor guy!
*shudder* poor guy!
Good job very creative!!!
I got it after the hint.
i had a feeling it was Soren - only cause of his fresh look - i guessed
Very easy. The answer failed to mention his broken watch, which is either a "fight sign" or more proof that he was drowned in the tub, rather than "while swallowing."
I've got one question...
Can cell phones really automatically answer like that? Do people have cell phones that ring, then get "answered" without going to a message? I wouldn't want THAT phone! What if it rang during certain "nighttime activities"?
I thought that maybe Mr. Soren could have answered it as Mr. Johns, thinking that Mr. Johns was finished. Mr. Johns, though, let out a sudden scream or two....
Still, it was entertaining!
Can cell phones really automatically answer like that? Do people have cell phones that ring, then get "answered" without going to a message? I wouldn't want THAT phone! What if it rang during certain "nighttime activities"?
I thought that maybe Mr. Soren could have answered it as Mr. Johns, thinking that Mr. Johns was finished. Mr. Johns, though, let out a sudden scream or two....
Still, it was entertaining!
I've got one question...
Can cell phones really automatically answer like that? Do people have cell phones that ring, then get "answered" without going to a message? I wouldn't want THAT phone! What if it rang during certain "nighttime activities"?
I thought that maybe Mr. Soren could have answered it as Mr. Johns, thinking that Mr. Johns was finished. Mr. Johns, though, let out a sudden scream or two....
Still, it was entertaining!
Can cell phones really automatically answer like that? Do people have cell phones that ring, then get "answered" without going to a message? I wouldn't want THAT phone! What if it rang during certain "nighttime activities"?
I thought that maybe Mr. Soren could have answered it as Mr. Johns, thinking that Mr. Johns was finished. Mr. Johns, though, let out a sudden scream or two....
Still, it was entertaining!
onlyeeyore is definately "active" i did not like this teaser at all
In the first part it says that the old guy's shirt front is wet - which means the cell phone on his belt probably wouldnt' be soaking. Plus, if he were drowned in a bathtub, wouldn't his entire body be wet? Unless of course, his killer changed his clothes, laid him kind of upright on the couch and water bubbled out of his mouth onto his shirt. But if so, wouldn't the killer be a real dope to put a wet cell phone back onto his pants? AAAHHH!
brainfog...wanna hav some "nighttime activities" ?
Brainfog:
Good thinking. But I imagine the action where the killer pushes the victims head into the bathtub, so there is splashing all over the place. That is, not the whole body was inmersed, but only the head. Of course, the front of the shirt will get wet, and in splashing maybe the phone and part of the back.
Oh, and the phone i wet but not too much, since it still worked when the inspector called!
Good thinking. But I imagine the action where the killer pushes the victims head into the bathtub, so there is splashing all over the place. That is, not the whole body was inmersed, but only the head. Of course, the front of the shirt will get wet, and in splashing maybe the phone and part of the back.
Oh, and the phone i wet but not too much, since it still worked when the inspector called!
ok the title didnt fit the teaser but it was good anywayz
Ok I guess, I could not get interested enough to answer it.
Yes the title did fit because the phone call all those noises was a major clue.
sorry,but i did not like that one.the answer was not all that accurate it could have been anyone who did it!
I liked it...I thought it was accurate since it only said the man that had was catching a flight to Paris would be the 1st suspect...I think between the others having at least some alibi, him planning to leave the country, and being to only one who was in the bathroom at the time...pretty good circumstancial case...
Well I was way off... LOL
I got to scared
after iread the hint i got it
i just couldnt get into the story though
i just couldnt get into the story though
I liked it even though I didn't get the answer
Brainfrog is correct
During the struggle water would have been splashed all over the floor meaning his knees at least would be soaked ( he would have been kneeling in front of the tub its the only way act out this scenario).
The story mentions that his cell was soaked but misses an important fact the watch busted during the fight, it would more than likely also be waterlogged.
there are a few more things I won't get into.
I'm sorry but I didn't like this one, I got it but it still needs some work
During the struggle water would have been splashed all over the floor meaning his knees at least would be soaked ( he would have been kneeling in front of the tub its the only way act out this scenario).
The story mentions that his cell was soaked but misses an important fact the watch busted during the fight, it would more than likely also be waterlogged.
there are a few more things I won't get into.
I'm sorry but I didn't like this one, I got it but it still needs some work
I had a tough time with this one...
Shirt front wet and cell phone on waist wet but not pants or back of shirt...
Cell phone that answers itself and works when "soaked"...
Why not drown him in the tub and make it appear that he had an epileptic seisure while bathing? Why carry him back out to the couch and stage drowning while drinking?
Willymapo- Love your mystery teasers! You have some good ones. (not this one so much, but some of your others are fantastic!)
Shirt front wet and cell phone on waist wet but not pants or back of shirt...
Cell phone that answers itself and works when "soaked"...
Why not drown him in the tub and make it appear that he had an epileptic seisure while bathing? Why carry him back out to the couch and stage drowning while drinking?
Willymapo- Love your mystery teasers! You have some good ones. (not this one so much, but some of your others are fantastic!)
Thanks Scallio.
um, that was a little.... weird. i dont know, its just wasnt it implied that they were old? so i just kept getting this *disturbing* mental image of an old guy drowning another old guy in a tub, and the drowning guy screaming. it makes me think of my grandpa and how i hope he isnt purposely drowned!
good 1
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