The cases for 2026-10-21

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. 4 players, 4 rooms, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Countess Mira Dolin.

1. 1. Jasper Quaid and whoever stacked the onyx chips are the same person.
2. 2. The dominoes player was in the room right before whoever stacked the rose-gold chips.
3. 3. Whoever stacked the amber chips was in a lower-numbered room than whoever stacked the rose-gold chips.
4. 4. Jasper Quaid was right next to whoever stacked the pearl chips.
5. 5. The dominoes player and whoever stacked the amber chips are the same person.
6. 6. The solitaire player was right next to whoever stacked the pearl chips.
7. 7. Jasper Quaid and whoever stacked the amber chips had exactly 2 rooms between them.
8. 8. Émile Tournier was in a lower-numbered room than whoever stacked the pearl chips.
9. 9. The high-card player and whoever stacked the onyx chips had exactly 1 room between them.
10. 10. The baccarat player was in the room right before the solitaire player.
11. 11. The high-card player was in the room right before whoever stacked the pearl chips.
12. 12. The dominoes player and whoever stacked the onyx chips had exactly 2 rooms between them.
13. 13. Romy Castellan and the dominoes player are the same person.
14. 14. Émile Tournier was in the room right before the baccarat player.
15. 15. The baccarat player and whoever stacked the pearl chips are the same person.
16. 16. Whoever stacked the rose-gold chips was somewhere after whoever stacked the amber chips but before whoever stacked the pearl chips.

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. The file names 5 botanists; Tobias Crane's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. The botanist tending the dragon tree was in a lower-numbered glasshouse than the botanist carrying the spray bottle.
2. 2. The botanist carrying the brass mister was in the glasshouse right before the botanist carrying the watering can.
3. 3. Rashid Noor and the botanist tending the dragon tree had exactly 3 glasshouses between them.
4. 4. The botanist tending the silver moss and the botanist carrying the wire trellis are the same person.
5. 5. Rashid Noor and the botanist carrying the magnifying loupe had exactly 1 glasshouse between them.
6. 6. The botanist tending the silver moss was somewhere after the botanist tending the dragon tree but before the botanist tending the night orchid.
7. 7. Harriet Bell was in the glasshouse right before the botanist tending the blue lotus.
8. 8. Emeka Osei was right next to the botanist tending the moon cactus.
9. 9. Tobias Crane was right next to the botanist tending the dragon tree.

Between the toast and the closing bell, someone traded a canvas for a forgery worth nothing but trouble. The guests drifted, but each ended the night at one spot on the gallery wall. Fix every patron to their spot. Statements were taken from all 5 patrons; Otto Krane's is the first page.

1. 1. Anton Wolfe and the patron holding the white wine had exactly 3 spots between them.
2. 2. The patron looking at the glass sculpture was in the spot right before whoever arrived at 9:00.
3. 3. Whoever arrived at 9:15 was in the spot right before whoever arrived at 7:45.
4. 4. Anton Wolfe and the patron looking at the still life had exactly 1 spot between them.
5. 5. The patron holding the amaretto was right next to whoever arrived at 7:45.
6. 6. The patron holding the sherry and whoever arrived at 9:00 are the same person.
7. 7. The patron holding the amaretto was right next to whoever arrived at 8:30.
8. 8. The patron holding the red wine and whoever arrived at 8:30 are the same person.
9. 9. Otto Krane was in the spot right before the patron looking at the miniature.
10. 10. Anton Wolfe was right next to whoever arrived at 9:15.
11. 11. The patron looking at the pastel drawing and the patron holding the iced tea are the same person.
12. 12. The patron holding the iced tea was right next to whoever arrived at 9:15.
13. 13. Otto Krane was in the spot right before Lena Moreau.
14. 14. The patron holding the white wine and whoever arrived at 7:10 are the same person.
15. 15. Ezra Bloom was right next to the patron looking at the glass sculpture.