The cases for 2026-06-13

The Coastal Line runs express after dark — no stops, no excuses. When it braked at dawn a compartment stood empty and nobody would say whose. Rebuild the carriage from the engine back. The file names 4 passengers; Odette Laurent's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. Pavel Novak was in the compartment right before the one headed to Larkspur.
2. 2. The one headed to Crestfall was in the compartment right before the one headed to Windmere.
3. 3. Iris Calloway and the passenger with the map tube are the same person.
4. 4. The passenger with the map tube was in the compartment right before the one headed to Crestfall.
5. 5. Iris Calloway was somewhere before the one headed to Larkspur in the line.
6. 6. Pavel Novak was right next to the one headed to Larkspur.
7. 7. The passenger with the map tube was right next to the one headed to Crestfall.
8. 8. The passenger with the typewriter case was right next to the one headed to Windmere.
9. 9. Odette Laurent was in the compartment right before the passenger with the portmanteau.
10. 10. The passenger with the portmanteau was somewhere before the passenger with the typewriter case in the line.
11. 11. Odette Laurent was right next to the one headed to Windmere.
12. 12. Odette Laurent was in the compartment right before Pavel Novak.

Days from the nearest port, the Aurelia is a locked room with an ocean for a moat. The brooch left its cabin; its owner did not. Chart the promenade deck, front to back. 5 passengers, 5 cabins, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Rafael Mendoza.

1. 1. The passenger in the velvet cloak and whoever spent the evening at the library are the same person.
2. 2. Sterling Fox was right next to whoever spent the evening at the smoking room.
3. 3. Honoria Pratt was right next to the passenger in the white dinner jacket.
4. 4. The passenger in the silk evening gown and whoever spent the evening at the cocktail bar are the same person.
5. 5. The passenger in the velvet cloak was in the cabin right before whoever spent the evening at the grand staircase.
6. 6. Ambrose Whitby was right next to the passenger in the white dinner jacket.
7. 7. The passenger in the naval greatcoat was right next to whoever spent the evening at the library.
8. 8. Rafael Mendoza was in the cabin right before whoever spent the evening at the cocktail bar.
9. 9. Ambrose Whitby was in the cabin right before whoever spent the evening at the purser's desk.
10. 10. The passenger in the white dinner jacket was in the cabin right before whoever spent the evening at the library.

Overtime was mandatory the night the accounts were cooked. Every employee swears they never moved from their desk. Fine. Then the desks will testify. Work out the row, end to end. The file names 5 employees; Rosa Delgado's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. Tess Whitman was somewhere before the one from legal in the line.
2. 2. Ximena Cruz was right next to the one from records.
3. 3. Sam Okafor was somewhere before the one from IT in the line.
4. 4. The employee with the cold brew and the one from records are the same person.
5. 5. The one from accounting was right next to whoever badged out at 11:20.
6. 6. The employee with the double espresso and whoever badged out at 6:45 are the same person.
7. 7. Ximena Cruz was somewhere before whoever badged out at 9:05 in the line.
8. 8. The employee with the lemon tea was in the desk right before the employee with the double espresso.
9. 9. Rosa Delgado was in the desk right before the one from marketing.
10. 10. Ximena Cruz and the employee with the green tea are the same person.
11. 11. Whoever badged out at 10:10 was in the desk right before whoever badged out at 9:05.
12. 12. Vera Stone and whoever badged out at 9:05 are the same person.
13. 13. The employee with the lemon tea and the one from legal are the same person.
14. 14. The one from marketing and whoever badged out at 6:45 are the same person.