Daily Riddle: The Diamonds Are Gone — Find the Thief
This riddle is about a bank robbery that has the police stumped. Three suspects are in custody, and you have to figure out which one of them did the crime and is trying to get away with it.
A police officer went to the chief’s office and confessed that the safe had been robbed and the diamonds in it were taken. The chief was shocked and asked if the safe was the one the officer was supposed to be guarding.
The officer shamelessly agreed and revealed that they’d checked every space in the bank where a human being could hide, and they came up empty. The bank had been completely surrounded at all times.
A police squad car with its lights on in an urban area | Photo: Pixabay/Free-Photos
All entrances were also monitored. The chief asked if that was the case; surely they should know who did the crime. The officer explained that they didn’t have an exact suspect, but they had three people in custody.
The police had tracked the bank’s entrances and exits throughout the day to see every person’s movement. The three suspects were the only ones in the building when the bank was robbed.
A close-up image of a safe or vault | Photo: Pixabay/Reimund Bertrams
The policeman noted how all three suspects had entered separately and on foot. With a confused look on his face, the police chief asked the officer how they knew when the safe was robbed.
The policeman referenced the car that he’d mentioned to the chief. The unregistered vehicle had been sitting empty in the parking garage under the bank the night before.
Various sized diamonds on a white background | Photo: Pixabay/Colin Behrens
On the day of the robbery, that same car came speeding out of the parking garage. In hindsight, the officer realized that they should’ve towed the car the night before.
The officers reacted by chasing after the vehicle, but it was empty and parked on the side of the road when they caught up with it. An empty felt bag was left under one of the seats.
An American policeman walks in the street with a police car visible in the background | Photo: Shutterstock/ALDECA studio
The officer shared how they stood there for a minute before realizing they’d all left their posts at the bank to chase after the car. They raced back and found the building empty and the diamonds gone.
The policemen weren’t sure which of the three suspects were still in the bank when the car sped away. None of the suspects had the diamonds with them when they were arrested.
A black-and-white image of a parked Rolls-Royce | Photo: Pixabay/Mabel Amber
In different interrogation rooms, the suspects were Evan Garrison, Chris Barns, and Jimmy Jones. All three had minor criminal records, and they’re all known for their safe-cracking skills.
Several years ago, Barns claimed he was going straight even though he’s made that statement before. Over the last few years, he hadn’t been suspected of any crimes.
A police officer radioing in a call while wearing a face mask and gloves to protect himself from the coronavirus | Photo: Shutterstock/Aitana fotografia
Garrison was superstitious and refused to do any jobs without Barns, who is his mentor. Jones was a legend when it came to cracking safes because being blind made his hearing extra effective.
The chief thought about everything the policeman had shared and said he knew which one of the men was definitely guilty. They went to question him to see if he would tell them which one of the two was involved.
Three men with their hands against their chins while looking thoughtful | Photo: Pixabay/Szilárd Szabó
ANSWER:
Barns is definitely guilty and involved.
If Garrison had done it, then Barns was involved too, since the former didn’t work without the latter. Jones would’ve had to be working with someone else because he couldn’t drive; as a blind person.
If he was working with Barns, Barns was guilty, and if Jones worked with Garrison, then Barns was still guilty because of Garrison’s superstition. If Garrison and Jones weren’t involved, Barns was the only suspect.
As a bonus, here's a real-life story about how karma got a thief after he robbed a drugstore.