10
$\begingroup$

Part 1 can be found here. Information from Part 1 is not required to solve this puzzle.


Having identified where El Gato intends to strike next, you charter one of the Bureau's jets and fly off to Chicago, along with two of your fellow agents. Upon landing, your first agenda is to check in at police headquarters, to inform them of the situation and enlist their assistance in stopping whatever El Gato has planned.

"El Gato, eh?" said the superintendent, once you've finished your explanation. "You know, this might actually have something to do with a strange fax we received a couple of hours ago. We were gonna dismiss it as a prank, but if El Gato sent it... hang on, where did I put it..."

The superintendent shuffles some papers around on his desk for a moment and then retrieves a fax similar to the one you had received at the bureau. There is no signature, but upon reading it, you're immediately certain it's the next part of El Gato's game:

EENIE MEENIE MINEY MO
TO WHICH EXHIBIT SHALL I GO
#40 SHINES THE LIGHT
BUT DO BE QUICK, I STRIKE TONIGHT

541888646062136614081982580476661013153967979049897006017

"I have no idea what he means by '#40'," says the baffled superintendent, "or what all those numbers mean..." You, however, have already sat down and pulled out a pen, ready to crack the code...

Whereabouts in Chicago is El Gato planning to rob?


Hint:

THINK SEQUENTIALLY, DETECTIVE

Super Hint:

You're looking for a set of co-ordinates that point to a specific location in Chicago.

$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ I'm with the superintendent. I've split the numbers in groups of three and tried to mask with 040 but I have no idea. $\endgroup$
    – LeppyR64
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 11:23
  • $\begingroup$ I've done what I should have done a long time ago and rewritten the riddle to remove "zero-forty". I really didn't think it would be that ambiguous. Sorry about that. I hope the puzzle's more straightforward now. $\endgroup$
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 20:29

6 Answers 6

8
+50
$\begingroup$

El Gato is planning to rob:

The Field Museum located at 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL

Using the hint "sequencially" and the ZERO-FORTY clue:

Googling "sequence", I found a list of famous sequences. Surprise, surprise! One of them is named A000040, otherwise known as the prime numbers sequence. Taking only the numbers in the prime position (2nd, 3rd, 5th, etc), we get: 4186611087616940

Giving the coordinates:

N 41.866110, W -87.616940

$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Well done! I'm glad you got it because the new edit wasn't sending me that way. :) $\endgroup$
    – LeppyR64
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 20:47
  • $\begingroup$ Spot on! Enjoy your checkmark and bounty, and welcome to PSE! $\endgroup$
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 21:57
3
$\begingroup$

El Gato is planning to rob:

The Route 66 Raceway

Using the Zero-Forty Clue:

040 - Means ignore one, take a group of four, ignore one. Split the list into groups:
5 4188 8
6 4606 2
1 3661 4
0 8198 2
5 8047 6
6 6101 3
1 5396 7
9 7904 9
8 9700 6
017

Now make the coordinates:

Using the left two digits of the set of four for north, and the right two digits for west.
41.4636818061537997, -88.0661984801960400

Disclaimer: I don't have a warm-fuzzy feeling about this solution.

$\endgroup$
3
  • $\begingroup$ +1. That's it :) Nice. So, the rest of that rhyme was flavor text I guess. $\endgroup$
    – Techidiot
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 12:25
  • $\begingroup$ @Techidiot I really don't think that's it. But at least it gives me something in Chicago? I feel like there are a lot of numbers that are wasted. That seems like too many red-herrings. $\endgroup$
    – LeppyR64
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 12:30
  • $\begingroup$ That's... really clever, but also sadly incorrect. The real co-ordinates can be found much more simply. You have, however, confirmed my suspicions that I've clued the solution really, really badly. $\endgroup$
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Apr 18, 2017 at 12:52
2
$\begingroup$

Partial

I think 0-40 is related to Tennis which is nothing but Love-40 or 0-3. Possibly something to do with 0-3 on note

$\endgroup$
5
  • $\begingroup$ Interesting theory, but not quite. Think about what else 'zero-forty' might refer to. $\endgroup$
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Apr 7, 2017 at 9:30
  • $\begingroup$ @F1Krazy I can relate it to zero dark thirty but sounds little vague to me. Or may be a word play there which might be "OR" or may be its just 0-40 = -40. $\endgroup$
    – Techidiot
    Commented Apr 7, 2017 at 9:36
  • $\begingroup$ I can't think how to word it better without completely giving away what it refers to or breaking the riddle's rhythm. I'll keep thinking, though. Maybe a hint is in order. $\endgroup$
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Apr 7, 2017 at 9:57
  • $\begingroup$ @F1Krazy The puzzle hasn't been posted 24 hours. Not everyone has even seen it yet. (I'm just seeing it now) No rush on hints :) $\endgroup$
    – LeppyR64
    Commented Apr 7, 2017 at 11:00
  • $\begingroup$ Could possibly relate to an intersection ex: 0 and 40th street. Or zero and 40th street. $\endgroup$
    – AstroMax
    Commented Apr 7, 2017 at 15:11
2
$\begingroup$

I start by assuming it's a location in Chicago.

I started by taking a look where in the world this place called Chicago is.

The assumed location I got by taking the first number from the first row. Second one somewhere middle in the second row and there's that 04 which I just removed to get an answer I liked and it's also almost 040.

N41.888646 W87.666101

Explanation: I try to find a proper match by assuming it's a limited area where to search from.

Doesn't seem to be pointing anywhere valuable so I think that I'm on a right track but not quite there.

$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ You're on the right track in terms of methodology, but it's not quite that simple. $\endgroup$
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Apr 7, 2017 at 11:22
1
$\begingroup$

Partial:

When you play the "EENIE MEENIE MINEY MO" game, you always pick the 8th element in a sequence. If we do that with the given numbers we get 4626991.

But I'm not sure what zero-forty means...

In the ASCII table, \040 is the space character. Also, 040 pronouced "oh four oh" is the mercedes-benz paint code for black paint, used as code for a black person. Or it could be Whyte notation for a steam locomotive 0-4-0.

But none of this hints helped me with the answer.

I did notice, though, that

many streets in Chicago around Hyde Park have numbers in their names.

Maybe this has something to do with the answer, but, again, I could not go further.

$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ It's not quite as simple as playing "Eenie-meenie-miney-mo". None of your guesses for "zero-forty" are correct, either. $\endgroup$
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Apr 12, 2017 at 18:55
  • $\begingroup$ Love your username :D $\endgroup$
    – Mr Pie
    Commented Aug 6, 2018 at 4:24
0
$\begingroup$

Partial

ZERO-FOURTY SHINES THE LIGHT sounds like something that is open at 00:40. As the light still shines at 0:40. Maybe way off, but just an inital thought

$\endgroup$
1
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ "Shines the light" isn't literal; it means that something related to 040 will "shine a light" on how to solve the puzzle. $\endgroup$
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Apr 12, 2017 at 10:33

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.