The cases for 2026-09-02

Night on the dig is black as the tomb itself. When the lamps were lit, the find box stood open and every member of the expedition was in a tent — or says so. Set the line of tents straight. The file names 4 diggers; Bram Halloway's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. The digger guarding the obsidian blade was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger drinking the black coffee.
2. 2. Bram Halloway and the digger guarding the jade beetle are the same person.
3. 3. Saffron Bell was in a lower-numbered tent than Dr. Cornelia Vane.
4. 4. Bram Halloway was in the tent right before the digger guarding the alabaster jar.
5. 5. The digger guarding the bronze dagger and the digger drinking the barley water are the same person.
6. 6. Saffron Bell was in the tent right before the digger drinking the lime cordial.
7. 7. The digger guarding the obsidian blade and the digger drinking the lime cordial are the same person.
8. 8. Bram Halloway was right next to the digger drinking the hibiscus tea.
9. 9. Bram Halloway was in the tent right before the digger drinking the hibiscus tea.
10. 10. Bram Halloway and the digger guarding the bronze dagger had exactly 1 tent between them.
11. 11. Saffron Bell and the digger drinking the barley water are the same person.
12. 12. The digger guarding the jade beetle was right next to the digger drinking the hibiscus tea.
13. 13. The digger guarding the alabaster jar was right next to the digger drinking the black coffee.
14. 14. Theo Wren and the digger guarding the alabaster jar are the same person.

The curator noticed the brushwork first — too clean, too new. By then the room had emptied and the sign-in sheet told half the story. Walk the wall and pin every patron to a spot. The file names 5 patrons; Lena Moreau's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. The patron looking at the fresco panel was in the spot right before the patron holding the lemonade.
2. 2. Greta Lindqvist was in a lower-numbered spot than the patron holding the negroni.
3. 3. Greta Lindqvist was in the spot right before the patron holding the lemonade.
4. 4. The patron looking at the still life and the patron holding the red wine had exactly 3 spots between them.
5. 5. Beatrix Hale and the patron looking at the still life are the same person.
6. 6. Delphine Roux was in a lower-numbered spot than Lena Moreau.
7. 7. Delphine Roux was right next to the patron holding the white wine.
8. 8. The patron looking at the still life was right next to the patron holding the negroni.
9. 9. The patron looking at the fresco panel was right next to the patron holding the lemonade.
10. 10. The patron looking at the woodcut and the patron holding the red wine had exactly 2 spots between them.
11. 11. The patron looking at the fresco panel and the patron holding the white wine are the same person.
12. 12. The patron looking at the bronze bust was somewhere after the patron looking at the miniature but before the patron looking at the woodcut.
13. 13. Greta Lindqvist was in a lower-numbered spot than Delphine Roux.

The night train pulled in one passenger short. The remaining travelers each rode in a different compartment, numbered from the engine back. Reconstruct the carriage. 5 passengers, 5 compartments, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Odette Laurent.

1. 1. The passenger with the violin case was right next to the passenger headed to Larkspur.
2. 2. Whoever ordered the roast duck was in the compartment right before whoever ordered the onion soup.
3. 3. Tilda Moreno and whoever ordered the plum tart had exactly 1 compartment between them.
4. 4. The passenger headed to Larkspur and whoever ordered the onion soup had exactly 1 compartment between them.
5. 5. The passenger headed to Pinehurst was right next to whoever ordered the plum tart.
6. 6. Jonah Webb was in a lower-numbered compartment than the passenger with the birdcage.
7. 7. Odette Laurent was in the compartment right before the passenger with the birdcage.
8. 8. Odette Laurent and the passenger with the film canister had exactly 1 compartment between them.
9. 9. The passenger headed to Eastgate was in a lower-numbered compartment than whoever ordered the rice pudding.
10. 10. Stefan Iverson and the passenger with the film canister had exactly 2 compartments between them.
11. 11. Jonah Webb was right next to the passenger with the film canister.
12. 12. Jonah Webb was somewhere after Tilda Moreno but before Stefan Iverson.
13. 13. The passenger headed to Eastgate and whoever ordered the plum tart are the same person.
14. 14. Odette Laurent was right next to whoever ordered the rice pudding.
15. 15. The passenger headed to Windmere was in a lower-numbered compartment than the passenger headed to Pinehurst.
16. 16. Stefan Iverson was in the compartment right before the passenger with the jewelry box.