The cases for 2026-09-07

The cage counted true at midnight and false by close. Between those two tallies, every player kept to a private room along the row. Trace the row and find whose luck was manufactured. Statements were taken from all 4 players; Émile Tournier's is the first page.

1. 1. The blackjack player was in the room right before whoever stacked the scarlet chips.
2. 2. The roulette player was right next to whoever stacked the onyx chips.
3. 3. Countess Mira Dolin was in the room right before whoever stacked the onyx chips.
4. 4. The craps player was in the room right before whoever stacked the violet chips.
5. 5. Jasper Quaid and whoever stacked the onyx chips are the same person.
6. 6. Jasper Quaid was right next to the roulette player.
7. 7. Émile Tournier was right next to whoever stacked the violet chips.
8. 8. Cordelia Frost was right next to the craps player.
9. 9. Émile Tournier and the craps player are the same person.
10. 10. Jasper Quaid and the blackjack player had exactly 2 rooms between them.
11. 11. Whoever stacked the violet chips was somewhere after whoever stacked the scarlet chips but before whoever stacked the onyx chips.
12. 12. Cordelia Frost and whoever stacked the violet chips had exactly 1 room between them.
13. 13. The craps player was in the room right before the roulette player.

On closing night the lead singer's diamond hair-clip vanished between the second-act bow and the final blackout. Each member of the company waited out the chaos in a separate dressing room down the backstage corridor. Walk the corridor, door by door, and place them. Statements were taken from all 5 performers; Lucien Beaumont's is the first page.

1. 1. The performer in the peasant smock was in a lower-numbered dressing room than the performer holding the wooden dagger.
2. 2. Serafina Locke and the performer holding the hand mirror are the same person.
3. 3. Thaddeus Crowe was in a lower-numbered dressing room than the performer holding the wooden dagger.
4. 4. Lucien Beaumont was right next to the performer holding the prop goblet.
5. 5. The performer holding the ivory comb was in the dressing room right before the performer holding the tin crown.
6. 6. Serafina Locke and the performer in the peasant smock are the same person.
7. 7. The performer in the peasant smock was in the dressing room right before the performer holding the ivory comb.
8. 8. Bianca Orsini was in the dressing room right before the performer in the jester's costume.
9. 9. Bianca Orsini was right next to the performer in the jester's costume.
10. 10. Thaddeus Crowe was right next to the performer holding the tin crown.
11. 11. Thaddeus Crowe was right next to the performer in the silver tunic.
12. 12. Petra Halvorsen was in a lower-numbered dressing room than the performer in the plumed helmet.
13. 13. Bianca Orsini was in the dressing room right before the performer holding the wooden dagger.

The eclipse bought a few minutes of perfect dark, and someone spent them well. The map case hangs open and the ridge is thick with alibis. Walk the domes and name the thief. 5 astronomers, 5 domes, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Pieter Aldous.

1. 1. Idris Hawke and the astronomer tracking the meteor shower had exactly 2 domes between them.
2. 2. Nadia Ellison and the astronomer tracking the pole star are the same person.
3. 3. Nadia Ellison was right next to the astronomer tracking the meteor shower.
4. 4. Idris Hawke was right next to whoever was drinking the spiced cider.
5. 5. The astronomer using the photometer was in a lower-numbered dome than the astronomer tracking the pole star.
6. 6. The astronomer tracking the meteor shower and whoever was drinking the peppermint tea are the same person.
7. 7. The astronomer tracking the morning star was in a lower-numbered dome than whoever was drinking the cocoa.
8. 8. The astronomer using the celestial globe and whoever was drinking the lemon water had exactly 2 domes between them.
9. 9. The astronomer tracking the meteor shower was in the dome right before whoever was drinking the barley water.
10. 10. Dr. Halley Vance was in a lower-numbered dome than Nadia Ellison.
11. 11. Ottoline Grey was right next to whoever was drinking the cocoa.
12. 12. The astronomer using the celestial globe was in the dome right before whoever was drinking the barley water.
13. 13. The astronomer using the field glasses and the astronomer tracking the morning star are the same person.
14. 14. Pieter Aldous and the astronomer tracking the lunar crater had exactly 3 domes between them.
15. 15. The astronomer using the brass telescope was in the dome right before the astronomer tracking the meteor shower.