Puzzler Answer 9625, Paul Drake

Ray: Everyone remembers Paul Drake from Perry Mason--the Paul Drake Detective Agency. Well, many years ago Paul had to hire a new assistant. He had three candidates and he decided to give them a little quiz. He said, "Look, Guys, there's a crime that needs to be solved and there's a clue in one of the public libraries in Bakersfield. The clue is stuck inside a book, between pages 165 and 166. The book was written by two famous brothers about cars." And two of the guys jump up and bolt out the door. The third guy just sits there. Drake says, "You got the job." Why did he get the job? What did he know that the other two ding-a-lings didn't know?

Tom: He didn't know anything. He was on crutches.

Ray: He didn't know where the library was.

Tom: He wanted to know what's a book?

Ray: It's probably...everyone knows this, but not many people think about it. There is nothing between pages 165 and 166, just as there's nothing between pages one and two of the book.

Tom: Of course not.

Ray: Page one is the right-hand page and page two is printed on the back of that page.

Tom: The something-else page.

Ray: The next page. And, therefore, page 165...

Tom: Versa. The versa page. Or the limbo page. I don't know.

Ray: What are you taking, a print class?

Tom: I don't know.

Ray: Well, the guy who didn't get up knew this. He knew the clue was a bogus clue.

[ Car Talk Puzzler ]