The Detective’s DeskIris North
Operator
What happened from your point of view?
I sounded the whistle at 14:10.
What should I check to test that account?
I blamed Rafi because he jumped beside the display.
EASY · CASE FILE
The Gate after the Whistle
Easy · A model railway club
A whistle startles a visitor, and a gate breaks. Put the few recorded events in order before deciding what caused the damage.
Read the case file below, or open the interactive desk to examine records, keep notes and submit your reasoning. These are the case materials, without the solution.
The scene
The club keeps numbered maintenance photographs. The whistle recording and the display images share the same clock.
People and accounts
Noah Cole
Maintenance helper
What happened from your point of view?
I photographed the gate at 14:06.
What should I check to test that account?
The hinge pin was already on the floor.
Rafi Lane
Visitor
What happened from your point of view?
I jumped at the whistle but never touched the gate.
What should I check to test that account?
The gate was leaning when I entered.
Case records
Read each record on its own terms. A claim made by a person is different from a fact established by an independent record.
Case record · Club desk
Visitor entry ticket
Rafi’s numbered ticket is issued at 14:08; the entry attendant sees him arrive then.
Case record · Display
14:06 maintenance image
The gate is detached at its upper hinge and resting on the track. Its pin lies on the floor.
Case record · Display
Hinge examination
The fracture was already visible in the 14:06 image. No new break is linked to the whistle.
Case record · Control table
Whistle recording
The whistle sounds at 14:10. The recording does not show anyone touching a gate.
Questions to resolve
Which sequence is established?
Who is established as causing the original damage?
Use the interactive case desk to select your finding and cite the records that support it. The answer is checked there, and your progress stays in your browser.
Build your finding
Compare the records with each account. Work out what the evidence establishes, then separate that finding from anything it does not prove.