Stating the Obvious Subtly

There is a fine line between hiding hints in your story (so that they aren't too blatant) and hiding them so well that the reader is confused when the big reveal (villain's identity, plot twist, love interest, etc.) happens. Take a look at the example below, and then practice writing the scenes described in the prompts in a subtle way, rather than an obvious one.

Obvious: As he walked down a dark alley, his skin prickled, overly alert for any sign of an attack. He rounded the corner of a dumpster quickly, wishing he had a weapon of some sort. When he saw the frail, broken person lying on the cracked asphalt beside the dumpster, he realized he had no need of one. He recognized the man from the bar two nights ago.

"The man you asked me to look for?" the broken man said in a raspy, fading voice, "His name is Summers."

Subtle: As he walked down a dark alley, his skin prickled, overly alert for any sign of an attack. He rounded the corner of a dumpster quickly, wishing he had a weapon of some sort. When he saw the frail, broken person lying on the cracked asphalt beside the dumpster, he realized he had no need of one. He recognized the man from the bar two nights ago.

"What happened to you?" he asked the frail, broken man, kneeling to check for wounds.

The broken man laughed, but stopped when cracked ribs made their presence felt. "I couldn't get his name. This..." he gestured at his crushed chest, "happened first. But he mentioned a warehouse on the south side of town...something about plastics."

Prompts: Now, try writing the following scenarios subtly. Don't give away the answer in the first page, or even the first chapter.

Scenario A: Your character is running late for a class at college, and someone has stolen his/her homework. Was the homework stolen, or just misplaced? If misplaced, then what clues about the dorm room will help him/her find it? If stolen, will a roommate or security guard help him/her find it?

Scenario B: Your character is working at a lemonade stand, and he/she witnesses something that hints at a larger crime being committed. What is this 'something', and what does your character do about it?

Have fun with it, and keep writing!