The cases for 2026-07-28

The pass is buried, the wires are down, and the lodge strongbox has been picked clean. Nobody has left the ridge. Nobody can. Pin every visitor to a cabin before the thaw gives someone a way out. 4 visitors, 4 cabins, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Dietrich Vahl.

1. 1. The skier in the fox stole and the one who skied in on the funicular are the same person.
2. 2. Elsa Norgaard and the skier in the quilted gilet were exactly 3 cabins apart.
3. 3. Elsa Norgaard was somewhere before the one who skied in on the ski lift in the line.
4. 4. Greta Halvorsen was in the cabin right before the skier in the quilted gilet.
5. 5. Greta Halvorsen and the one who skied in on the funicular are the same person.
6. 6. The skier in the fox stole was right next to the one who skied in on the toboggan.
7. 7. The skier in the quilted gilet and the one who skied in on the toboggan are the same person.
8. 8. Elsa Norgaard and the one who skied in on the piste basher are the same person.
9. 9. The skier in the grey wool coat was in the cabin right before the one who skied in on the ski lift.
10. 10. Lukas Brandt was in the cabin right before the skier in the fox stole.
11. 11. Lukas Brandt and the skier in the tartan scarf are the same person.
12. 12. The skier in the tartan scarf was right next to the one who skied in on the piste basher.
13. 13. Lukas Brandt was somewhere before the one who skied in on the funicular in the line.
14. 14. The one who skied in on the piste basher was in the cabin right before the one who skied in on the ski lift.

A rare orchid worth a small fortune was cut and stolen the night it finally bloomed. Each botanist tended a different glasshouse along the garden path. Sort out who worked where before the curator counts the pots. Statements were taken from all 5 botanists; Tobias Crane's is the first page.

1. 1. Petra Vance was in the glasshouse right before the one carrying the potting fork.
2. 2. Marisol Vega was in the glasshouse right before the one tending the moon cactus.
3. 3. The one tending the moon cactus and the one carrying the wire trellis are the same person.
4. 4. The one carrying the potting fork was somewhere after the one carrying the magnifying loupe but before the one carrying the wire trellis.
5. 5. Tobias Crane and the one tending the bonsai pine are the same person.
6. 6. Ingrid Solveig was right next to the one tending the blue lotus.
7. 7. Auguste Roy was somewhere before the one tending the bonsai pine in the line.
8. 8. Auguste Roy and the one tending the climbing fig are the same person.
9. 9. The one tending the blue lotus was in the glasshouse right before the one carrying the wire trellis.
10. 10. Ingrid Solveig was somewhere before the one carrying the brass mister in the line.
11. 11. Marisol Vega was somewhere before Auguste Roy in the line.
12. 12. The one tending the blue lotus and the one carrying the grafting knife were exactly 2 glasshouses apart.

The Canary's last night ended with an empty cash drawer and a room that saw nothing. Every regular held a booth along the wall until the lights came up. Put each of them back in theirs. 5 regulars, 5 booths, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Hazel Quartermain.

1. 1. The one drinking the old fashioned and the one flashing the alligator wallet are the same person.
2. 2. The one flashing the silver hip flask and the one pretending to be the society heiress are the same person.
3. 3. Marcus Trent and the one drinking the brandy alexander were exactly 4 booths apart.
4. 4. Vivienne Marlowe and the one pretending to be the society heiress were exactly 3 booths apart.
5. 5. Hazel Quartermain and the one drinking the bathtub gin are the same person.
6. 6. The one drinking the mint julep and the one flashing the silver hip flask are the same person.
7. 7. The one drinking the bathtub gin was in the booth right before the one flashing the silver hip flask.
8. 8. Otis Brennan was somewhere after Vivienne Marlowe but before Hazel Quartermain.
9. 9. Gideon Frost was somewhere before the one drinking the french 75 in the line.
10. 10. Vivienne Marlowe was somewhere before the one flashing the pearl choker in the line.
11. 11. The one flashing the opera glasses was right next to the one pretending to be the off-duty cop.
12. 12. Hazel Quartermain was in the booth right before Gideon Frost.
13. 13. The one drinking the old fashioned and the one pretending to be the news columnist were exactly 3 booths apart.
14. 14. The one pretending to be the jazz pianist was in the booth right before the one pretending to be the off-duty cop.
15. 15. The one flashing the pearl choker was somewhere before the one pretending to be the society heiress in the line.