The answer to the last challenge of 2020 is, Q: A Japanese ship was leaving the port and on its way to open sea. The captain went to go oil some parts of the ship and took his ring off so it wouldn’t get damaged. He left it on the table next to his bunk. When he returned, it was missing. He had suspected three crew members could be guilty and asked them what they had been doing for the ten minutes that he had been gone. The cook said, “I was in the kitchen preparing tonight’s dinner.” The engineer said, “I was working in the engine room making sure everything was running smoothly.” The seaman said, “I was on the mast correcting the flag because someone had attached it upside down by mistake.” The captain immediately knew who it was. How?

A: It was clearly the seaman. It was a Japanese ship and a Japanese flag is white with a single red dot in the middle. It can’t be hung upside down. 

This year’s 1st challenge is:

Q: On the first day of school, someone murdered a history teacher. There were four people at the school that the police suspected had done it: the landscaper, a math teacher, a basketball coach, and the principal. These were their alibis: The landscaper said he was outside mowing the lawn. The math teacher said he was giving a mid-year test. The basketball coach said he was running practice drills with his players. The principal said she was in her office. After giving their alibis, the police arrested the killer immediately. Who killed the history teacher and how did the police know?

The answer along with a new challenge, next week.

Have a Great New Year …