The cases for 2026-08-12

The reel of the final scene vanished from the lot the night the picture wrapped. Each member of the crew waited out the search on a different soundstage down the backlot row. Trace the row, stage by stage, and find who took it. Statements were taken from all 4 crew members; Cyril Dunne's is the first page.

1. 1. The crew member holding the prop diamond was in the soundstage right before the crew member holding the clapperboard.
2. 2. The lead actress and the crew member holding the clapperboard are the same person.
3. 3. Dolores Vane was in the soundstage right before the best boy.
4. 4. Ruby Marsh was in the soundstage right before the crew member holding the boom mic.
5. 5. Dolores Vane was in a lower-numbered soundstage than the crew member holding the boom mic.
6. 6. Cyril Dunne and the crew member holding the prop diamond are the same person.
7. 7. The best boy was in the soundstage right before the crew member holding the clapperboard.
8. 8. The crew member holding the prop diamond was somewhere after the crew member holding the prop revolver but before the crew member holding the boom mic.
9. 9. Vera Sokolova and the dialect coach are the same person.

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 Vivienne Marlowe.

1. 1. Inez Montoya was right next to the regular flashing the jeweled garter.
2. 2. The regular drinking the sidecar was in the booth right before the regular drinking the whiskey sour.
3. 3. Sal Brigante was right next to the regular flashing the ruby stickpin.
4. 4. The regular drinking the whiskey sour and the regular flashing the ruby stickpin had exactly 2 booths between them.
5. 5. The regular drinking the southside was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular flashing the ruby stickpin.
6. 6. The regular drinking the sidecar was somewhere after the regular drinking the french 75 but before the regular drinking the whiskey sour.
7. 7. Fay Delacroix and the regular flashing the jeweled garter had exactly 1 booth between them.
8. 8. Sal Brigante was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular flashing the jeweled garter.
9. 9. The regular flashing the jeweled garter was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular flashing the ostrich-feather fan.
10. 10. The regular drinking the gin rickey was somewhere after the regular drinking the southside but before the regular drinking the sidecar.
11. 11. The regular drinking the whiskey sour and the regular flashing the ostrich-feather fan are the same person.
12. 12. Inez Montoya was in the booth right before the regular drinking the french 75.
13. 13. Vivienne Marlowe and the regular flashing the silver hip flask are the same person.

The night manager of the Hotel Meridian was found slumped over the register, and the guest book had been altered. Each suspect took a different suite along the tower's top corridor, front to back. Sort out who stayed where. Statements were taken from all 5 guests; Adelaide Frost's is the first page.

1. 1. Adelaide Frost and the guest pretending to be the heiress are the same person.
2. 2. The guest pretending to be the horse breeder and the guest carrying the pewter key tag are the same person.
3. 3. Julius Renard was right next to whoever ordered the cured ham.
4. 4. The guest pretending to be the heiress was in the suite right before the guest pretending to be the diplomat.
5. 5. Constance Vail and the guest pretending to be the perfumer had exactly 2 suites between them.
6. 6. Adelaide Frost was in a lower-numbered suite than the guest carrying the ivory key tag.
7. 7. The guest pretending to be the perfumer and whoever ordered the kippers are the same person.
8. 8. Adelaide Frost and the guest pretending to be the perfumer had exactly 3 suites between them.
9. 9. Lillian Royce and whoever ordered the coddled eggs are the same person.
10. 10. The guest carrying the pewter key tag was in the suite right before whoever ordered the kippers.
11. 11. Julius Renard was in a lower-numbered suite than whoever ordered the kippers.
12. 12. Whoever ordered the cured ham was in the suite right before whoever ordered the porridge.
13. 13. The guest carrying the jade key tag was in the suite right before the guest carrying the mother-of-pearl key tag.
14. 14. The guest pretending to be the diplomat was in a lower-numbered suite than whoever ordered the coddled eggs.
15. 15. The guest pretending to be the heiress was in a lower-numbered suite than the guest carrying the jade key tag.
16. 16. The guest pretending to be the stage magician was right next to the guest carrying the jade key tag.
17. 17. The guest pretending to be the horse breeder was in the suite right before the guest pretending to be the perfumer.
18. 18. Lillian Royce was right next to whoever ordered the porridge.