Response Time Anomalies

Timing is your first clue. Someone who normally fires back in minutes but goes quiet on one specific question may be building an answer, not recalling one. The reverse counts too: a lightning reply to a hard question can mean it was pre-loaded.

No single delay proves anything. But watch for these together:

• A long pause, then a short vague reply
• A switch from full sentences to one-word answers
• A read receipt that lands well before the reply does

Three at once, from someone you trust, is worth paying attention to.