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Wed 30 Aug, 2006 11:56 am
Hello everyone,
I bought this book "Two Minute Mysteries" by Donald J. Sobol yesterday and I have a problem with one riddle. Does anyone have a clue because I don't have one. Here it is:
The Case of the Big Deal
Dr. Haledjian had just ordered a drink at the bar in the Las Vegas motel when a lean young stranger with sun-bleached golden hair and tanned cheeks took the stool beside him. After asking for a gin and tonic, the sunburned young man nodded toward the gaming tables.
"Name's Clive Vance," he said genially. "It's sure great to be back in civilization and hear money talking out loud."
The famous sleuth introduced himself. "I take it you've been out on the desert?"
"Got back yesterday," said Vance. "Washed the dust out of my ears, had a real live barber shave off seven months of whiskers and trim this mop of wheat. Then I bought a whole wardrobe on credit. All I had to show was my assay report. Boy, am I ever ready to celebrate."
"You found gold?"
"Right you are. Hit pay dirt." Vance stroked his bronzed chin thoughtfully. He lowered his voice confidently.
"Listen," he said. "If I can find a backer, I'll take enough out of those hills to buy ten pleasure palaces just like this one. "Of course," he added apologetically, "I'm not trying to interest you, doctor. Still, if you know somebody who'd like to get in on a sure thing, let me know. I'm staying in room 210. Can't give out
details here, you understand."
"I understand," said Haledjian, "that you'd better improve your story if you want to part some sucker from his money."
What was wrong with Vance's story?
If he'd had a beard for 7 months, he wouldn't be able to "stroke his bronzed chin".
nu uh....
he could've gotten some bronzing cream.
He said the barber cut off his whiskers but didn't mention his beard. Maybe he was trimming that himself :wink:
I think by whiskers he means his whole beard.
He said he was in the desert, but referred to the gold as being in the hills.
There are hills in a desert. Maybe not in a sand desert but in a stone desert for example.
Once again I don't know the answer. If someone knows, please tell.
His cheeks are tan. Had he just had a 7 month beard shaved off, his cheeks would have been lighter than the rest of his face.
Yeah, even if he didn't have a full beard, his cheeks and chin still would have been a little lighter than the rest of his face.
It takes more than 24 hours to get an assay report, so he couldn't have gone out and bought new clothes using it as credit
i had that book 3 years ago me and this other guy would try to figure them out together
The Sentence that sticks out...
Quote:
"If I can find a backer, I'll take enough out of those hills to buy ten pleasure palaces just like this one."
They were located in a Casino, as it was said;
Quote:
...the sunburned young man nodded toward the gaming tables.
Las Vegas, Nevada. As allocating to 'Pleasure Palace'... We know he walked a Desert, as said and shown by his chin, but it was quoted;
Since when are there Hill's in a Desert to get Gold from?
He was a Casino Owner in Las Vegas, Looking for someone rich, Like a Doctor, to build a Hotel & Casino. Where the man gets Free Clothing that the high priced clothing shops located in the Hotel section of the Casino.
Not sure if this helps you :wink:
A mystery from "Two Minute Mysteries"
The first answer to post was indeed correct. There is no way the man would have been able to stroke his "bronzed cheeks" had he just gotten rid of seven months of whiskers! (I used to own this book so I know this is the answer. There is a similar Encylcopedia Brown mystery with the same solution.)
@IQ 80,
The answer is this (Spoiler if u dont want 2 know) His face was completly tan!!!! If a barber had just shaved him("Seven months of whiskers") he would be a lighter tone underneath!!!!! The guy was lying about being in the desert!!
That is so freakin' obvious I can't believe it took you geniuses all these dumb guesses to finally come up with the obvious answer. No way this dude had just had seven months worth of whiskers shaved off and still show an even bronzed tan. Noooo way.
@IQ 80,
he was lying when he said that he had a real live barber shave off seven months of whiskers and trim this mop of wheat. if it was shaved the day before they met, then why were his cheeks tanned? there should have been white spots from his beard that were shaved yesterday
@IQ 80,
He had tanned cheeks. If he had been in the desert for a long time as he said he was and then had shaved off his beard, he wouldn't have had tanned cheeks. they would have been white.
I think it might have something to do with his cheeks being tan, and just shaving off his beard.
@IQ 80,
if clive was really out i the desert for seven months, they're would have been white spots where the whiskers where trimmed!
guess how i know? p.s. it's not becuase of my dad!
my teacher read the exact same book and the exact same story! hilarious!
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