The cases for 2026-10-14

Word is the marked bills never left the building. The row of booths kept its regulars close and its secrets closer. Work the wall, booth by booth, before the place is padlocked for good. The file names 4 regulars; Inez Montoya's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. The regular drinking the old fashioned was right next to the regular flashing the ruby stickpin.
2. 2. The regular drinking the old fashioned and the regular flashing the emerald ring are the same person.
3. 3. The regular drinking the ginger highball was right next to the regular flashing the ruby stickpin.
4. 4. The regular drinking the ginger highball and the regular flashing the pearl choker are the same person.
5. 5. Vivienne Marlowe and the regular flashing the engraved lighter are the same person.
6. 6. The regular flashing the pearl choker was in the booth right before the regular flashing the engraved lighter.
7. 7. The regular drinking the bathtub gin was right next to the regular flashing the emerald ring.
8. 8. Ruby Calhoun and the regular drinking the old fashioned are the same person.
9. 9. Sal Brigante was right next to the regular flashing the pearl choker.
10. 10. Ruby Calhoun was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular drinking the bathtub gin.
11. 11. The regular flashing the ruby stickpin was in the booth right before the regular flashing the pearl choker.
12. 12. The regular flashing the ruby stickpin was somewhere after the regular flashing the emerald ring but before the regular flashing the pearl choker.
13. 13. Inez Montoya was in the booth right before the regular flashing the engraved lighter.
14. 14. Inez Montoya and the regular drinking the ginger highball are the same person.
15. 15. Ruby Calhoun and the regular drinking the bee's knees had exactly 2 booths between them.

The books don't add up: five figures short, one long night. Every employee was at a different desk down the office floor. Figure out who sat where before the auditor arrives. 5 employees, 5 desks, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Tess Whitman.

1. 1. The employee with the chai and the employee from sales had exactly 1 desk between them.
2. 2. Sam Okafor and the employee from marketing had exactly 1 desk between them.
3. 3. Rosa Delgado was right next to the employee from legal.
4. 4. Wes Porter and the employee from legal are the same person.
5. 5. Wes Porter was right next to the employee from marketing.
6. 6. Tess Whitman and the employee with the drip coffee are the same person.
7. 7. The employee with the chai and the employee from research had exactly 2 desks between them.
8. 8. Tess Whitman was at the desk right before the employee from sales.
9. 9. Quentin Ash was at the desk right before the employee from research.
10. 10. Rosa Delgado and the employee with the double espresso had exactly 3 desks between them.
11. 11. The employee with the green tea was at a lower-numbered desk than the employee from legal.
12. 12. Rosa Delgado and the employee with the drip coffee had exactly 1 desk between them.
13. 13. Wes Porter and the employee with the chai are the same person.
14. 14. Tess Whitman was at a lower-numbered desk than the employee from sales.

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 5 diggers; Lucien Mercer's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. The digger guarding the sealed papyrus and the digger pretending to be a photographer are the same person.
2. 2. The digger guarding the bronze dagger was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger guarding the sealed papyrus.
3. 3. The digger guarding the clay tablet was in the tent right before the digger drinking the goat's milk.
4. 4. Saffron Bell was right next to the digger drinking the barley water.
5. 5. The digger drinking the pomegranate juice was in the tent right before the digger pretending to be a photographer.
6. 6. Saffron Bell was in the tent right before Lucien Mercer.
7. 7. The digger drinking the hibiscus tea was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger drinking the barley water.
8. 8. The digger drinking the black coffee was right next to the digger pretending to be a field medic.
9. 9. Lucien Mercer and the digger drinking the barley water are the same person.
10. 10. The digger guarding the ivory comb was in the tent right before the digger drinking the pomegranate juice.
11. 11. Penelope Drake was in the tent right before the digger drinking the black coffee.
12. 12. Penelope Drake was right next to the digger guarding the clay tablet.
13. 13. The digger drinking the hibiscus tea was right next to the digger pretending to be a field medic.
14. 14. The digger guarding the ivory comb was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger guarding the bronze dagger.
15. 15. Major Hugh Petrie and the digger pretending to be a quartermaster are the same person.
16. 16. The digger guarding the ivory comb and the digger pretending to be a mapmaker are the same person.