GRAND HALL – THE CRIME SCENE (Pages 24–26)

Can you work out the date and timeframe within which the Tiger’s Eye was stolen?

Between 8:30pm and 8:32pm on Wednesday 17th February 1926

From the conversation with Dr. Knight you know that the Tiger’s Eye was stolen earlier that day. Around the Grand Hall are various clues which enable you to work out what day it is. A chart on the museum wall shows you the different phases of the lunar cycle; you can tell from this chart and looking at the moon through the skylight that tonight is a “Waxing Crescent Moon”. From the calendar you can tell that it’s February 1926 and in that month the waxing crescent moon lasted from Sunday 14th to Friday 19th. It must therefore be one of the days in that range. Looking around you can also see a notice detailing which exhibits are displayed on which day in the Grand
Hall. The lion, giraffe and woolly mammoth tell you that today is one of the two days when mammals are displayed (Wednesdays and Saturdays). As no Saturday falls within the waxing crescent moon date range today’s date must be Wednesday 17th February 1926.

Once you know the crime was committed on a Wednesday you can work out what time the Tiger’s Eye was stolen. The sign detailing the museum opening hours tells you that on Wednesdays the museum closes at 8pm. Dr. Knight also tells you…

“As soon as the museum closed, the Caretaker locked all the doors to the Grand Hall, turned off the elevators and mopped the floor as he always does. That takes him half an hour. Then he left the Grand Hall by
the East Door, locking it behind him. Two minutes later while he was locking his keys away in the key cupboard he heard a crash from inside the Grand Hall and immediately came back into the hall to find the North West Door was unlocked, the glass display case unbolted and the Tiger’s Eye gone.”

This means the Tiger’s Eye must have been stolen between 8:30pm when the caretaker left the Grand Hall and 8:32pm when he heard the crash and returned.