The Detective’s DeskRafi Cole
Repair assistant
“Drawer 1 is the top drawer.”
EASY · CASE FILE
The middle drawer
Easy · ELM REPAIR COUNTER
A watch part was stored in a five-drawer cabinet. The cabinet’s labels are fixed and all statements describe that cabinet. Count positions from the labelled top.
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.
Your assignment
Whose drawer position is wrong?
- The source records are verified and their stated conditions apply to every account.
- Find the account contradicted by a record. A contradiction alone does not establish wrongdoing.
People and accounts
Sella Reed
Repair assistant
“Drawer 5 is the bottom drawer.”
Petra Fox
Repair assistant
“Drawer 4 is the middle drawer.”
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.
CABINET DIAGRAM
Five drawers in one stack
The five equal drawers form a single vertical stack. Drawer 1 is at the top and drawer 5 at the bottom. “Middle” means the drawer with the same number of drawers above and below it.
This is a verified source record for this case. Compare its stated facts with the exact question.
DESK RECORD
The repair tag
The watch’s repair tag describes a loose clasp, not its storage drawer.
The watch’s repair tag describes a loose clasp, not its storage drawer.
PHOTOGRAPH
The brass handle
Every drawer had an identical brass handle.
Every drawer had an identical brass handle.
Questions to resolve
What is the middle drawer’s one-based position?
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.