[Guest]

We all remember that morning (or afternoon, according to some.) In our small budding town of mostly retired couples we don't get too many visitors and normally spurn salesman. This one was different. It was funny because everyone I talked to, he reminded them of someone.

Interest rates were down, so when he presented the chance to refinance, I don't think anyone in the neighborhood declined the offer. It was quite a shock when the front page of the morning paper reported his fatal car accident the next day. Apparently a flock of seaguls obstructed his view of the road causing him to crash.

We came to find the following day, the report of his death was premature. His car was found later on, left running, on the side of the road completely in tact. Though he had taken a pretty bad beating. I guess some kids on bikes had stopped to help because there were bike tires leading up to where he had collapsed. Ironically, he had a copy of the paper in hand reporting his own death. Maybe for a momento.

What really happened in Elenburg Heights? Yes or no questions

[Guest]

1. Did he get the personal information of the retired couples?

2. Was he trying to run a scam?

3. Did he try to fake his death and run off with whatever scam he was going to commit?

[Guest]

1. did he have any enemies, perhaps a rival competitor?

[Guest]

Did he have a twin brother?

[Guest]

1. Did he get the personal information of the retired couples?

2. Was he trying to run a scam?

3. Did he try to fake his death and run off with whatever scam he was going to commit?

Yes, yes, and yes

[Magic_luver101]

1. was he married

[Guest]

1. did he have any enemies, perhaps a rival competitor?

In a way, yes. A rival competitor, no.

[Guest]

Did he have a twin brother?

No

[Guest]

1. was he married

No, he did not

[Guest]

[spoiler='thought

']did he really die?

[Guest]

[spoiler='thought

']did he really die?

No

[Guest]

No

so the thing was staged, or someone else who looked like him died?

[Guest]

so the thing was staged, or someone else who looked like him died?

He didn't die, and his car was found in tact. There was no accident to speak of. He had no collaborators.

[Guest]

He didn't die, and his car was found in tact. There was no accident to speak of. He had no collaborators.

then how come the person had a copy of the newspaper that had his death?

[Guest]

then how come the person had a copy of the newspaper that had his death?

That's not a yes or no question but the person with the newspaper was him. He was not dead

[Guest]

1. Did he get the personal information of the retired couples? -Yes

2. Was he trying to run a scam? -Yes

3. Did he try to fake his death and run off with whatever scam he was going to commit? -Yes

He had no collaborators.

He had enemies (in a matter of speaking), but no rivals.

He was not married.

1. In the past, had he been a resident (or a relative of a resident) of the town?

2. Was this his first time running a scam (it could be anywhere)?

3. Were they really bike marks? (It could be something left by another vehicle/machine)

Edited February 20, 2009 by scsw

[Guest]

1. In the past, had he been a resident (or a relative of a resident) of the town?

2. Was this his first time running a scam (it could be anywhere)?

3. Were they really bike marks? (It could be something left by another vehicle/machine)

1. Did he get the personal information of the retired couples? -Yes

2. Was he trying to run a scam? -Yes

3. Did he try to fake his death and run off with whatever scam he was going to commit? -Yes

He had no collaborators.

He had enemies (in a matter of speaking), but no rivals.

He was not married.

He wasn't necessarily trying to make off... yet.

He didn't necessarily have enemies. More so he ticked off a person or persons.

The past is not applicable.

They were really bicycle tire tracks.

[Guest]

Did he enter the car after the "accident"? Was he the person who rode the bike?

[Guest]

Did he 'remind' everyone of the same person?

[Magic_luver101]

were there any drugs in his system?

was he awake when he was found?

was he on the bike?

[Guest]

I'll clarify on a few things and then provide the answer so as to not drag this out.

The account is from a random resident of the neighborhood, so the information is subjective. The mystery man is actually running a scam. He's only "familiar" because he's charismatic, and people wanted to like him. The erroneously reported account of his death was received the following morning after he'd visited the neighborhood in question. The incident of him having "taken a beating" took place that same morning but was being reported here as hearsay quite a bit later as part of the narative. Key clues at this point, the newspaper, the bike tire tracks, him having the erroneous report of his death on his person, his car being undamaged and the his having received a beating.

After successfully conning most of the residents in the neighborhood he proceeded to swap the front page of their papers with the story of his death the follow morning. In another neighborhood in town, he was carrying out his newspaper swap when observed by a paperboy (whose fellow paperboy had delivered those papers.) Seeing that papers were being collected the lad only knew his friend was going to take the wrap for the "delinquent deliveries." The boy rounded up as many of his paperboy buddies as he could, arriving just in time to find the crook heading back to his running car with an extra copy of his own crafted paper in hand. alerted to their presence, but unable to make it around them to his car he tried to flee on foot, but to no avail. He was over-taken and got a sound pummeling from the newspaper delivery boys of Elenburg Heights.

Thanks for participating. Hope you enjoyed it.

[Guest]

were there any drugs in his system?

was he awake when he was found?

was he on the bike?

To answer the question about the bike for you and Colorclown, no he did not ride a bike. There were also multiple tracks leading to and from where he was found unconscious.

[andromeda]

I'll clarify on a few things and then provide the answer so as to not drag this out.

The account is from a random resident of the neighborhood, so the information is subjective. The mystery man is actually running a scam. He's only "familiar" because he's charismatic, and people wanted to like him. The erroneously reported account of his death was received the following morning after he'd visited the neighborhood in question. The incident of him having "taken a beating" took place that same morning but was being reported here as hearsay quite a bit later as part of the narative. Key clues at this point, the newspaper, the bike tire tracks, him having the erroneous report of his death on his person, his car being undamaged and the his having received a beating.

After successfully conning most of the residents in the neighborhood he proceeded to swap the front page of their papers with the story of his death the follow morning. In another neighborhood in town, he was carrying out his newspaper swap when observed by a paperboy (whose fellow paperboy had delivered those papers.) Seeing that papers were being collected the lad only knew his friend was going to take the wrap for the "delinquent deliveries." The boy rounded up as many of his paperboy buddies as he could, arriving just in time to find the crook heading back to his running car with an extra copy of his own crafted paper in hand. alerted to their presence, but unable to make it around them to his car he tried to flee on foot, but to no avail. He was over-taken and got a sound pummeling from the newspaper delivery boys of Elenburg Heights.

Thanks for participating. Hope you enjoyed it.

I like it you shouldn't have said the solution just yet. These kind of riddles are fun to solve

Welcome to the Den btw

Edited February 23, 2009 by andromeda

[Guest]

I like it you shouldn't have said the solution just yet. These kind of riddles are fun to solve

Welcome to the Den btw

Thank you... I'll certainly keep that in mind next time. After we got underway I decided I didn't like the yes / no parameter. It seemed kind of anti-climactic to introduce such a change once it was well under way. It was fun, I'll be submitting again soon.

John

[Guest]

Yeah I agree with him, but you know what is creepy about this puzzle? The story reminded me so much of a story I heard last year. Then I looked over and saw your screen name- Mordecai. That is the name of the villan in the story- creepy!

[Guest]

Yeah I agree with him, but you know what is creepy about this puzzle? The story reminded me so much of a story I heard last year. Then I looked over and saw your screen name- Mordecai. That is the name of the villan in the story- creepy!

That is creepy. I can't believe people would be using the name of Mordecai for villains! Villains are nothing but trouble. I would be curious to know where the story is if you could recover it.