The cases for 2026-08-13

Between the toast and the closing bell, someone traded a canvas for a forgery worth nothing but trouble. The guests drifted, but each ended the night at one spot on the gallery wall. Fix every patron to their spot. Statements were taken from all 4 patrons; Anton Wolfe's is the first page.

1. 1. The patron looking at the still life was right next to the patron holding the sherry.
2. 2. Jasper Quill was right next to the patron looking at the charcoal sketch.
3. 3. Anton Wolfe was right next to the patron holding the martini.
4. 4. Jasper Quill was in the spot right before the patron looking at the charcoal sketch.
5. 5. Beatrix Hale was right next to the patron holding the sherry.
6. 6. The patron looking at the glass sculpture and the patron holding the negroni are the same person.
7. 7. Freya Holt was in the spot right before the patron holding the martini.
8. 8. Freya Holt was in a lower-numbered spot than the patron looking at the still life.
9. 9. Beatrix Hale was in a lower-numbered spot than the patron looking at the still life.
10. 10. Anton Wolfe was right next to the patron looking at the still life.
11. 11. Jasper Quill was right next to the patron holding the club soda.
12. 12. Freya Holt was in a lower-numbered spot than the patron looking at the charcoal sketch.
13. 13. The patron looking at the glass sculpture was in the spot right before the patron looking at the miniature.
14. 14. The patron looking at the still life and the patron holding the negroni had exactly 1 spot between them.

On Stage Nine they shot the ending twice — once on film, once for real. The reel is gone and the crew is scattered down the backlot row, each with a stage and a story. Match them up. 5 crew members, 5 soundstages, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Vera Sokolova.

1. 1. The camera operator was right next to the crew member holding the reel canister.
2. 2. The prop master was in the soundstage right before the crew member holding the prop revolver.
3. 3. The crew member holding the feather boa was in a lower-numbered soundstage than the crew member holding the prop diamond.
4. 4. Ruby Marsh was in the soundstage right before the prop master.
5. 5. Cyril Dunne was right next to the crew member holding the prop revolver.
6. 6. Vera Sokolova was right next to the dialect coach.
7. 7. Lars Aberg and the crew member holding the feather boa had exactly 1 soundstage between them.
8. 8. Vera Sokolova was somewhere after Ruby Marsh but before Cyril Dunne.
9. 9. The film loader was in a lower-numbered soundstage than the crew member holding the clapperboard.
10. 10. Lars Aberg and the dialect coach had exactly 3 soundstages between them.

The chief steward logged every first-class passenger to a cabin on the promenade deck. Then the lights dimmed for the captain's toast, and a diamond brooch vanished mid-ocean. The log is torn — restore it, cabin by cabin. Statements were taken from all 5 passengers; Theo Marchetti's is the first page.

1. 1. Theo Marchetti was right next to whoever spent the evening at the music salon.
2. 2. Honoria Pratt was in a lower-numbered cabin than the passenger getting off at Valletta.
3. 3. Ambrose Whitby and the passenger in the fur stole are the same person.
4. 4. Whoever spent the evening at the promenade rail was somewhere after whoever spent the evening at the music salon but before whoever spent the evening at the wireless office.
5. 5. Whoever spent the evening at the music salon was in a lower-numbered cabin than whoever spent the evening at the cocktail bar.
6. 6. The passenger in the velvet cloak and whoever spent the evening at the cocktail bar had exactly 1 cabin between them.
7. 7. The passenger in the velvet cloak was right next to the passenger getting off at Lisbon.
8. 8. The passenger in the naval greatcoat was right next to whoever spent the evening at the cocktail bar.
9. 9. The passenger in the silk evening gown was in a lower-numbered cabin than the passenger in the beaded shawl.
10. 10. Ambrose Whitby was in the cabin right before whoever spent the evening at the promenade rail.
11. 11. The passenger in the naval greatcoat was in a lower-numbered cabin than the passenger in the beaded shawl.
12. 12. Ambrose Whitby was in the cabin right before Theo Marchetti.
13. 13. Ambrose Whitby and the passenger getting off at Marseille are the same person.
14. 14. Vivienne Aubert was right next to the passenger getting off at Piraeus.
15. 15. The passenger in the silk evening gown was in a lower-numbered cabin than the passenger getting off at Valletta.
16. 16. Vivienne Aubert was right next to whoever spent the evening at the wireless office.
17. 17. The passenger getting off at Lisbon was in a lower-numbered cabin than the passenger getting off at Piraeus.
18. 18. Whoever spent the evening at the observation deck and the passenger getting off at Genoa are the same person.
19. 19. Theo Marchetti was in the cabin right before whoever spent the evening at the observation deck.
20. 20. Honoria Pratt was in the cabin right before Marguerite Bell.
21. 21. Vivienne Aubert and the passenger in the beaded shawl are the same person.