The cases for 2026-09-20

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. The file names 4 performers; Thaddeus Crowe's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. Lucien Beaumont was right next to the performer in the silver tunic.
2. 2. The performer in the feathered mask and the performer holding the lute had exactly 2 dressing rooms between them.
3. 3. The performer holding the wooden dagger was in the dressing room right before the performer holding the laurel wreath.
4. 4. The performer in the mourning veil and the performer holding the wooden dagger are the same person.
5. 5. The performer holding the lute was in the dressing room right before the performer holding the prop goblet.
6. 6. Della Fontaine and the performer holding the laurel wreath are the same person.
7. 7. Della Fontaine and the performer holding the prop goblet had exactly 1 dressing room between them.
8. 8. Reinhold Faust was right next to the performer holding the prop goblet.
9. 9. Reinhold Faust was in the dressing room right before the performer in the feathered mask.
10. 10. Lucien Beaumont was right next to the performer in the mourning veil.
11. 11. Reinhold Faust and the performer holding the wooden dagger are the same person.
12. 12. The performer in the silver tunic was in the dressing room right before the performer in the velvet cloak.
13. 13. The performer in the velvet cloak was somewhere after the performer in the silver tunic but before the performer in the mourning veil.
14. 14. Thaddeus Crowe was in a lower-numbered dressing room than Lucien Beaumont.
15. 15. Thaddeus Crowe and the performer holding the wooden dagger had exactly 1 dressing room between them.

A cask of the estate's finest vintage was drained and switched the night before the auction. Each vintner worked alone in a different cellar vault along the chalk tunnel. Work the tunnel, vault by vault, and name who swapped the wine. The file names 5 vintners; Sylvie Laurent's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. The vintner blending the sauvignon blanc was right next to the vintner using the funnel and hose.
2. 2. Klaus Bauer and the vintner blending the sauvignon blanc are the same person.
3. 3. Amélie Mirabel was in a lower-numbered vault than Klaus Bauer.
4. 4. Dmitri Volkov and the vintner blending the pinot noir had exactly 3 vaults between them.
5. 5. Dmitri Volkov and the vintner using the wax sealer are the same person.
6. 6. The vintner using the copper still was somewhere after the vintner using the tasting pipette but before the vintner using the funnel and hose.
7. 7. The vintner blending the pinot noir was in a lower-numbered vault than the vintner using the copper still.
8. 8. The vintner using the oak barrel was in a lower-numbered vault than the vintner using the tasting pipette.
9. 9. Klaus Bauer and the vintner using the copper still are the same person.
10. 10. The vintner blending the chardonnay was in a lower-numbered vault than the vintner blending the merlot.
11. 11. Klaus Bauer was right next to the vintner using the tasting pipette.
12. 12. The vintner blending the pinot noir and the vintner using the oak barrel are the same person.
13. 13. Dmitri Volkov and the vintner blending the syrah are the same person.
14. 14. Amélie Mirabel and the vintner using the oak barrel are not the same person.
15. 15. Sylvie Laurent and the vintner blending the merlot are the same person.

Someone knew exactly when the orchid would open, and exactly which pane to jimmy. Every botanist worked a glasshouse down the garden path that night. Sort out who tended where. Statements were taken from all 5 botanists; Niko Petrakis's is the first page.

1. 1. The botanist tending the flame protea and whoever was sipping the lemonade had exactly 3 glasshouses between them.
2. 2. Lorne Maddox and whoever was sipping the mint water are the same person.
3. 3. Rashid Noor was in a lower-numbered glasshouse than the botanist carrying the spray bottle.
4. 4. The botanist tending the carnivorous lily was in a lower-numbered glasshouse than whoever was sipping the rooibos tea.
5. 5. Lorne Maddox and the botanist carrying the magnifying loupe are the same person.
6. 6. Ingrid Solveig was right next to the botanist tending the ghost fern.
7. 7. Harriet Bell and the botanist tending the silver moss are the same person.
8. 8. The botanist tending the ghost fern was in the glasshouse right before the botanist carrying the grafting knife.
9. 9. Niko Petrakis and the botanist tending the bonsai pine are the same person.
10. 10. Lorne Maddox and the botanist carrying the glass bell jar had exactly 1 glasshouse between them.
11. 11. The botanist tending the carnivorous lily was right next to whoever was sipping the mint water.
12. 12. Harriet Bell was right next to the botanist carrying the glass bell jar.
13. 13. The botanist tending the carnivorous lily was in the glasshouse right before the botanist carrying the glass bell jar.
14. 14. The botanist carrying the magnifying loupe was right next to whoever was sipping the green tea.
15. 15. The botanist tending the flame protea was in the glasshouse right before the botanist tending the carnivorous lily.
16. 16. Rashid Noor was in the glasshouse right before whoever was sipping the rooibos tea.