The cases for 2026-10-11

Overtime was mandatory the night the accounts were cooked. Every employee swears they never moved from their desk. Fine. Then the desks will testify. Work out the row, end to end. 4 employees, 4 desks, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Ximena Cruz.

1. 1. The employee with the matcha latte was at the desk right before the employee from facilities.
2. 2. Priya Nair and the employee from research are the same person.
3. 3. Zoe Park was at the desk right before the employee with the energy drink.
4. 4. The employee with the lemon tea was right next to the employee from sales.
5. 5. The employee from sales was at a lower-numbered desk than the employee from facilities.
6. 6. Zoe Park was at the desk right before Umar Haddad.
7. 7. Zoe Park and the employee with the lemon tea are the same person.
8. 8. The employee with the energy drink and the employee from procurement are the same person.
9. 9. Umar Haddad and the employee with the energy drink are the same person.
10. 10. Ximena Cruz was right next to the employee with the lemon tea.
11. 11. Umar Haddad and the employee from procurement are the same person.
12. 12. The employee with the matcha latte and the employee from sales are the same person.
13. 13. Priya Nair and the employee with the chai are the same person.
14. 14. The employee with the chai was at a lower-numbered desk than the employee with the energy drink.

A gold scarab vanished from the dig the night the tomb was broken into. Each member of the expedition bedded down in a different tent strung along the excavation trench. Work the line of tents, tent by tent, and name the thief. The file names 5 diggers; Rashid el-Amin's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. The digger drinking the fig wine was somewhere after the digger drinking the spiced chai but before the digger drinking the ginger beer.
2. 2. The digger guarding the clay tablet was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger guarding the lapis amulet.
3. 3. The digger guarding the lapis amulet was in the tent right before the digger guarding the tomb figurine.
4. 4. Theo Wren and the digger guarding the tomb figurine are the same person.
5. 5. The digger drinking the ginger beer was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger drinking the hibiscus tea.
6. 6. Penelope Drake was right next to the digger drinking the ginger beer.
7. 7. Penelope Drake was right next to the digger guarding the clay tablet.
8. 8. The digger guarding the lapis amulet was right next to the digger drinking the fig wine.
9. 9. The digger guarding the clay tablet was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger drinking the pomegranate juice.
10. 10. The digger guarding the painted mask and the digger drinking the pomegranate juice had exactly 2 tents between them.
11. 11. Theo Wren was right next to the digger guarding the bronze dagger.
12. 12. The digger guarding the clay tablet was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger guarding the painted mask.
13. 13. Rashid el-Amin was in the tent right before Theo Wren.
14. 14. Nadia Sokolova and the digger guarding the bronze dagger are the same person.

The Verlaine does not lose, so when the books came up light, the house locked the doors. A row of private rooms, a floor of practiced faces, one forged chip. Unmask the forger, room by room. Statements were taken from all 5 players; Cordelia Frost's is the first page.

1. 1. Whoever stacked the emerald chips was somewhere after whoever stacked the cobalt chips but before whoever stacked the amber chips.
2. 2. Anselm Berger was in the room right before whoever stacked the silver chips.
3. 3. The poker player and whoever stacked the silver chips had exactly 3 rooms between them.
4. 4. The keno player and whoever stacked the emerald chips had exactly 1 room between them.
5. 5. Anselm Berger was right next to the player drinking the highball.
6. 6. The solitaire player was in a lower-numbered room than whoever stacked the silver chips.
7. 7. Whoever stacked the emerald chips and the player drinking the brandy sour are the same person.
8. 8. The solitaire player was right next to the player drinking the brandy sour.
9. 9. Whoever stacked the violet chips was in a lower-numbered room than the player drinking the highball.
10. 10. The gin rummy player was somewhere after the poker player but before the keno player.
11. 11. Ingrid Halvorsen and whoever stacked the emerald chips had exactly 1 room between them.
12. 12. Whoever stacked the violet chips and the player drinking the vermouth are not the same person.
13. 13. Dashiell Crane was in the room right before Émile Tournier.
14. 14. Émile Tournier and the solitaire player are the same person.
15. 15. The player drinking the vermouth was in a lower-numbered room than the player drinking the rum punch.
16. 16. The player drinking the scotch and soda was in a lower-numbered room than the player drinking the rum punch.
17. 17. Anselm Berger was right next to the gin rummy player.
18. 18. The solitaire player and whoever stacked the violet chips are the same person.