[Balin] Developing story

[Balin]

Hours after his visit, a private detective sends his client a message stating that nothing is wrong. That night, the client, having noticed nothing unusual, discovers someone has disappeared. But what the private detective said was true. How?

[Earnest]

Nothing is wrong = everything went as planned? There is no need to be worried? There are no mistakes in something (e.g. he was reading a letter and there was nothing wrong on it)?
A sentence to tell him not to worry? Was the detective asked to confirm a suspect? To discover something about the someone who disappeared? Nothing was wrong with some documents?

Was the fact that "nothing was wrong" related to the fact that "someone disappeared"? Is there a causal relation between the two (the fact that nothing was wrong implied that someone disappeared? If so by his/her own will?)

Private detective = HAF? HAM? any relation with the client a part from the professional one? Relevant that he/she was a private detective?

Relevant where the detective visit the client? To the client's house? Relevant where he was when he send the message? Very far from where they met? Send the message = with a phone? Can we assune an sms?

The client paid the private detective as he wanted to exploit his (of the detective) professional abilities right? If so, relevant "for what" he paid the detective? Discovering a secret engagement/relationship? As a body guard? To prevent something from happening?
Was the detective using a code? Was the detective paid to make/let the someone disappear?

"Someone has disappeared" = HAF? HAM?someone related to the client? Someone related to what the detective was paid for? The detective himself? The other personality of the client (e.g. he was Hulk and the private detective was the russian girl sending him a video message to calm him down) Modern times? War times?

Was the client surpriesed noticing that the someone disappeared? Was the client happy? Scared? He felt relief? Disappeared = he/she has been kidnapped? He/she went away? Hide him/herself? Disappeared forever? For a while?

[Balin]

Nothing is wrong = everything went as planned? There is no need to be worried? This There are no mistakes in something (e.g. he was reading a letter and there was nothing wrong on it)?
A sentence to tell him not to worry? Less than a sentence
Was the detective asked to confirm a suspect? To discover something about the someone who disappeared? This (mild -ish) Nothing was wrong with some documents?

Was the fact that "nothing was wrong" related to the fact that "someone disappeared"? Yope Is there a causal relation between the two Yope (the fact that nothing was wrong implied that someone disappeared? No If so by his/her own will? Yes (her))

Private detective = HAF? HAM? H/A/M any relation with the client a part from the professional one? Not initially Relevant that he/she was a private detective? Yes

Relevant where the detective visit the client? Yes To the client's house? Yes Relevant where he was when he send the message? Yes Very far from where they met? Yes
Send the message = with a phone? No Can we assune an sms? No

The client paid the private detective as he wanted to exploit his (of the detective) professional abilities right? Yes If so, relevant "for what" he paid the detective? Yes Discovering a secret engagement/relationship? Yes To prevent something from happening? Yes (see prev) As a body guard? No
Was the detective using a code? I wouldn't call it a "code," but this is on track Was the detective paid to make/let the someone disappear? No

"Someone has disappeared" = HAF? HAM? H/A/F someone related to the client? Yes Someone related to what the detective was paid for? Yes The detective himself? Not at first The other personality of the client (e.g. he was Hulk and the private detective was the russian girl sending him a video message to calm him down) I'm retroactively making this the answer. (Sadly, No.)
Modern times? War times? Say sometime in the early- to mid-1900s

Was the client surpriesed noticing that the someone disappeared? Yes
Was the client happy? Scared? He felt relief? No to all
Disappeared = he/she has been kidnapped? No He/she went away? Yes Hide him/herself? See prev Disappeared forever? Most likely For a while? See prev

[wwhere]

Was the client married? did he suspect his wife was having an affair? about to leave him for someone else? Did he hire the detective to follow his wife and find out if she had a lover?
Was the message sent by telegram? morse relevant?

[Balin]

Was the client married? No did he suspect his wife was having an affair? Not "his wife," but Yes about to leave him for someone else? No, but see prev Did he hire the detective to follow his wife and find out if she had a lover? Again, see prev; No but OTRT
Was the message sent by telegram? Yes morse relevant? No

[Earnest]

Were the inention of the detective to write down the words "Nothing is wrong"? Relevant?
Relevant the name of the one that the detective was asked to follow? Was she the "someone" who disappeared? If so, because she knew to be observed by the private detective? Did the private detective observe her from a distance? Did she work/live in a building near the detective place of work? If so, relevant that the detective could see her just from a distance? (E.g. she realized to be observed and substituted herself with a mannequin for instance)

In saying "Nothing is wrong" the detective referred to the woman/girl he was asked to observe/follow? Like something for "she did not move from where she was"? Or "she did not meet anyone suspicious"? Was the client expecting to meet with her?

Disappear = the client was not able to find the someone anymore? The detective was not able to find the someone anymorw? Both?

[wolfier]

not at first

did the subject of the investigation developed a relationship with the detective, and then ran away with the detective?

[wwhere]

Given the message was sent by telegram, are the "STOP" relevant? Is the exact content of the telegram relevant? Was it just "NOTHING WRONG STOP" ?
Right now, we have the Client, the Private Detective, and the woman. Is there any other person relevant in this story?
Was the woman the fiancee of the Client? A sister? the mother? a daughter?

[Enjay]

Is the client female? Male? Relevant?

[Balin]

Were the inention of the detective to write down the words "Nothing is wrong"? No Relevant? Yes
Relevant the name of the one that the detective was asked to follow? No Was she the "someone" who disappeared? Yes If so, because she knew to be observed by the private detective? Among other reasons Did the private detective observe her from a distance? No Did she work/live in a building near the detective place of work? No If so, relevant that the detective could see her just from a distance? See prev (No) (E.g. she realized to be observed and substituted herself with a mannequin for instance) I like it! (...it's not this)

In saying "Nothing is wrong" the detective referred to the woman/girl he was asked to observe/follow? Yes Like something for "she did not move from where she was"? This would have been implied Or "she did not meet anyone suspicious"? Also this Was the client expecting to meet with her? I wouldn't use the word "meet with," but I'll say Yes

Disappear = the client was not able to find the someone anymore? Yes The detective was not able to find the someone anymore? No, see below Both?

did the subject of the investigation developed a relationship with the detective, and then ran away with the detective? Yes! Nice connection.

Given the message was sent by telegram, are the "STOP" relevant? No Is the exact content of the telegram relevant? Yes Was it just "NOTHING WRONG STOP" ? No - there is no "STOP" in the telegram
Right now, we have the Client, the Private Detective, and the woman. Is there any other person relevant in this story? No, that's everyone
Was the woman the fiancee of the Client? A sister? the mother? a daughter? This

Is the client female? Male? Relevant? Male, but the puzzle would work just as well if the client were female

[Enjay]

At the point when the detective sent the telegram did he know that he was going to run away with the daughter?

Did the telegram say "Nothing is wrong"? "Nothing wrong"? Other words implying that nothing was wrong? Was there a mistake in the telegram? Did the telegram operator mishear the detective?

[wolfier]

did the relationship develop during the investigation, or was it pre-existing?

are we looking at a dysfunctional family, e.g. was the father and daughter in an abusive relationship? did the detective discover it during the investigation? so in effect the daughter was saved from her abusive parent by running away with the detective?

was the "nothing went wrong" message meant to be a deception, to lower the client's guard?

[trebor]

Is photography relevant?

Is the daughter a teen? Older? A child? Was she in a romantic relationship with the detective prior to the events of this puzzle? Does she enter into one over its course? Willingly? Are they a couple at puzzle’s end?

Is the profession of the father relevant? Does it matter in which city this takes place?

[Balin]

At the point when the detective sent the telegram did he know that he was going to run away with the daughter? He already had

Did the telegram say "Nothing is wrong"? "Nothing wrong"? Other words implying that nothing was wrong? This Was there a mistake in the telegram? No, but see next Did the telegram operator mishear the detective? No, but...!

did the relationship develop during the investigation, or was it pre-existing? Pre-existing

are we looking at a dysfunctional family, e.g. was the father and daughter in an abusive relationship? Yes did the detective discover it during the investigation? He knew already so in effect the daughter was saved from her abusive parent by running away with the detective? Yes

was the "nothing went wrong" message meant to be a deception, to lower the client's guard? Yes, but do note the last full sentence of the puzzle statement

Is photography relevant? No

Is the daughter a teen? Older? A child? Assume she's around 20 Was she in a romantic relationship with the detective prior to the events of this puzzle? Yes Does she enter into one over its course? See prev Willingly? Yes Are they a couple at puzzle’s end? Yes

Is the profession of the father relevant? No Does it matter in which city this takes place? Not particularly

[Earnest]

So recapping we have a daughter in an abusive relation with the parent (client of the detective) escaping with the detective who in turn send a telegram to the parent stating a sentence which is true and said that nothing was wrong, right?

Was the sentence that he was able to see the daughter (relevant her name?)? Is the fact that telegrams require time to arrive relevant? Was the sentence true in the moment he was writing? Did they use a relevant code to communicate? (E.g. the bird is in the nest...)

[Balin]

So recapping we have a daughter in an abusive relation with the parent (client of the detective) Correct
escaping with the detective Correct
who in turn send a telegram to the parent Correct
stating a sentence which is true No, the telegram did not say the truth, but what the detective said was true
and said that nothing was wrong, right? Correct

Was the sentence that he was able to see the daughter (relevant her name?)? No and No Is the fact that telegrams require time to arrive relevant? Yes, but there's something more relevant about telegrams Was the sentence true in the moment he was writing? No, see above, FA Did they use a relevant code to communicate? (E.g. the bird is in the nest...) No

[Earnest]

Did the detective say it after having send the telegram?
Brief timetable: a) detective send the telegram stating that nothing was wrong
b) client saw the daughter disappeared
c) detective said the truth (to the client right?)

Has the telegram sonething to do with telegraph? Relevant? Telegram = a paper with sonething written on it right? Is there a signature/the possibility to recover who send it? Did the detective send it faking of being the daughter?

[Balin]

Did the detective say it after having send the telegram? No
Brief timetable: a) detective send the telegram stating that nothing was wrong
b) client saw the daughter disappeared
c) detective said the truth (to the client right?) No/Indirectly, to the parenthetical. Order is c, a, b

Has the telegram sonething to do with telegraph? Yes Relevant? Not as much as something else Telegram = a paper with sonething written on it right?Yes Is there a signature/the possibility to recover who send it? The client knows the detective had it sent Did the detective send it faking of being the daughter? No

[trebor]

Did the detective relevantly use a word? phrase? that has a couple meanings? Homonyms relevant? Was he expecting the message to be misunderstood?

[Balin]

Did the detective relevantly use a word? Yes, words phrase? that has a couple meanings? No Homonyms relevant? Yes Was he expecting the message to be misunderstood? Yes

[wolfier]

Is there a relevant reason why the detective could not have just flat out told a lie instead of using homonyms (other than maintaining professionalism, or make the story puzzle-worthy? )

[Balin]

Is there a relevant reason why the detective could not have just flat out told a lie instead of using homonyms (other than maintaining professionalism, or make the story puzzle-worthy? ) Yes - he anticipates the client will accuse him of lying, and this is his technicality to escape any accusations. That's all you need to know about his lexicographical reasoning

[trebor]

The telegram consisted of fewer than one sentence, correct? Was it two words? Three? Four? Five? More? Did the detective expect whomever he was dictating the message to to use the “wrong” homophone (the one that would mislead the father)?

Does the relevant wordplay have anything to do with the act of going somewhere? Roam/Rome, for example? Does the exact location of the daughter come into play here?

[Balin]

The telegram consisted of fewer than one sentence, correct? Yes Was it two words? This Three? Four? Five? More? Did the detective expect whomever he was dictating the message to to use the “wrong” homophone (the one that would mislead the father)? Yes

Does the relevant wordplay have anything to do with the act of going somewhere? No Roam/Rome, for example? No Does the exact location of the daughter come into play here? No

[wolfier]

Are these 2 words understandable on their own as "nothing is wrong", or does it need something else? e.g. if it is a response to a question from the client?

[Earnest]

So the homophony with "nothing wrong" or just with "wrong"? Or with something like "everything fine" "everything ok"? Is the word rongue used? Ron? Rong? (E.g. a chinese called thin-Rong or the thin rong brand?) Rung? (No tin rung...) "Not in room"? "No tin rung"? (E.g. the detective was expected to receive a signal "tin" by the girl every x time to see if she was in the room...)

Did he use some war key word (s.o.s.; o.k....?)

[trebor]

Are the words in English?

[Balin]

Are these 2 words understandable on their own as "nothing is wrong", Yes or does it need something else? The former e.g. if it is a response to a question from the client? No

So the homophony with "nothing wrong" or just with "wrong"? Neither the word "nothing" nor "wrong" Or with something like "everything fine" "everything ok"? "Nothing wrong" is closer in meaning, but you're right in that neither the word "nothing" nor "wrong" was a soundalike
Is the word rongue used? Ron? Rong? (E.g. a chinese called thin-Rong or the thin rong brand?) Rung? (No tin rung...) "Not in room"? "No tin rung"? (E.g. the detective was expected to receive a signal "tin" by the girl every x time to see if she was in the room...) None of these, but these are clever ideas

Did he use some war key word (s.o.s.; o.k....?) No

Are the words in English? Yes

[Earnest]

Many thanks Balin!

So is all about finding the right synonyms of nothing wrong right?: "Don't worry?" "Do not worry?" "No worries?" Is the word "ok" been used? The word "fine"? "Go straight"? "No warnimg"? "As always"? "Ordinary"?

Is the sense that the girl was seen by the detective? That everything was under control

[wolfier]

did he say "she's fine" or along this line?

[trebor]

Do the two words together usually convey the meaning “nothing is wrong”? (“All good”, for example?) Or would they only do so in this circumstance?

Is slang relevant? If so, UK? North American? Is one of the words in the telegram “she” or “she’s”? Is the daughter’s name used? Is one of the words “daughter” or “child”? Or a synonym or homonym for any of the above?

Does the father think the message references a specific room his daughter was in? An area of the house? The house itself? Somewhere else she was supposed to be?

[Enjay]

Is the relevant phrase just 2 words? Or are there more than two words in the telegram necessary for the wordplay to work?
Is the homophone contained within one word? Across 2 words (eg ice cream vs I scream?)

Based on the "true" meaning (ie the one the detective knew to be true), did this make reference to:
-The fact the parent was abusive?
-The fact the daughter had run away?
-The fact the daughter was in a relationship? If so, with the detective specifically?
-The fact the daughter had been found?
-The fact the daughter was better off in her current situation?

And for the "false" meaning (the one the parent understood as "nothing is wrong", did this (as far as the parent understood it) generally refer to nothing being wrong? Imply that the daughter had been found? That she was safe? That she would be returning? That she had not yet been found but there was reason to believe she was OK?

[jumpingjacks]

"Naught amiss" , "Not a miss"? (ie. that his daughter was marrying him, and soon to be Mrs Detective)

[Balin]

"Naught amiss" , "Not a miss"? (ie. that his daughter was marrying him, and soon to be Mrs Detective) And Jackie returns with a candidate for Lateral Leap of the Year!

****SPOILER****

The client was a father who kept his grown daughter under lock and key; suspecting someone was secretly seeing her, he hired a private detective to figure out what was going on. However, the private detective was the person who'd been secretly visiting the daughter, so when the detective came to the client's house, he snuck her out into his car, "investigated," then drove away with her, saying he would send a telegram with the results of his investigation. The two married in secret before the detective sent the telegram, which read "Naught amiss," making the client think nothing was wrong. However, the detective actually said "Not a miss" (which he knew would be misinterpreted at the telegraph office) as the daughter was now married.

Well done everyone for working through this, and a second round of kudos to Jackie for the leap.

[jumpingjacks]

Hooray!!! I do love puzzles that revolve around wordplay. =)

[Balin]

Glad you liked it! I'd been wondering if someone would spot the key clue in the title...