The cases for 2026-10-22

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 4 performers; Cordelia Strauss's is the first page.

1. 1. Cordelia Strauss was in the dressing room right before the performer holding the paper rose.
2. 2. Della Fontaine was in the dressing room right before the performer in the tattered cape.
3. 3. Della Fontaine was in a lower-numbered dressing room than the performer holding the paper rose.
4. 4. The performer in the tattered cape and the performer holding the shepherd's crook are the same person.
5. 5. Della Fontaine was somewhere after Petra Halvorsen but before Bianca Orsini.
6. 6. Petra Halvorsen was right next to the performer holding the tin crown.
7. 7. The performer in the powdered wig and the performer holding the paper rose are the same person.
8. 8. Cordelia Strauss was right next to the performer in the powdered wig.
9. 9. The performer holding the tin crown was in the dressing room right before the performer holding the shepherd's crook.
10. 10. Della Fontaine was in a lower-numbered dressing room than the performer in the powdered wig.
11. 11. Della Fontaine and the performer holding the tin crown are the same person.
12. 12. Bianca Orsini and the performer in the jester's costume had exactly 2 dressing rooms between them.
13. 13. The performer in the powdered wig and the performer holding the tin crown had exactly 1 dressing room between them.
14. 14. The performer in the jester's costume was in a lower-numbered dressing room than the performer holding the paper rose.
15. 15. Petra Halvorsen was in the dressing room right before the performer holding the tin crown.
16. 16. Bianca Orsini and the performer holding the paper rose are the same person.
17. 17. The performer in the emerald shawl was in a lower-numbered dressing room than the performer holding the shepherd's crook.

The chief steward logged every first-class passenger to a cabin on the promenade deck. Then the lights dimmed for the captain's toast, and a diamond brooch vanished mid-ocean. The log is torn. Restore it, cabin by cabin. Statements were taken from all 5 passengers; Ambrose Whitby's is the first page.

1. 1. Ingrid Solberg was right next to whoever spent the evening at the ballroom.
2. 2. Ambrose Whitby was right next to whoever spent the evening at the purser's desk.
3. 3. The passenger in the naval greatcoat was somewhere after the passenger in the captain's blazer but before the passenger in the tweed suit.
4. 4. Honoria Pratt was right next to the passenger in the captain's blazer.
5. 5. Whoever spent the evening at the purser's desk was somewhere after whoever spent the evening at the observation deck but before whoever spent the evening at the ballroom.
6. 6. Cordelia Ashe was in the cabin right before Honoria Pratt.
7. 7. The passenger in the naval greatcoat was right next to whoever spent the evening at the purser's desk.
8. 8. The passenger in the pinstripe waistcoat was right next to whoever spent the evening at the purser's desk.
9. 9. Vivienne Aubert was in the cabin right before Cordelia Ashe.
10. 10. The passenger in the beaded shawl and whoever spent the evening at the smoking room are the same person.
11. 11. Cordelia Ashe and whoever spent the evening at the purser's desk had exactly 1 cabin between them.
12. 12. Vivienne Aubert was in the cabin right before whoever spent the evening at the observation deck.

A priceless old book vanished from the college library the night of the founder's feast, and the night porter's keys went with it. Each professor turned in for the night in a separate room along the old stone corridor. Reconstruct that night, room by room, before the college calls a hearing. The file names 5 professors; Don Whitlock's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. Tutor Penhallow and the professor reading the legal codex are the same person.
2. 2. The professor who claimed to be at the boathouse was in a lower-numbered room than whoever the porter saw at half past nine.
3. 3. The professor reading the map of antiquity was right next to the professor who claimed to be at the music room.
4. 4. Provost Crewe was in the room right before the professor reading the botanical atlas.
5. 5. Whoever the porter saw at half past nine was somewhere after whoever the porter saw at one o'clock but before whoever the porter saw at half past eight.
6. 6. The professor reading the botanical atlas was in the room right before the professor who claimed to be at the bell tower.
7. 7. The professor reading the star chart was right next to whoever the porter saw at half past nine.
8. 8. Provost Crewe was in the room right before Reader Vane.
9. 9. Provost Crewe was right next to whoever the porter saw at one o'clock.
10. 10. The professor reading the legal codex and the professor who claimed to be at the boathouse had exactly 3 rooms between them.
11. 11. The professor reading the botanical atlas was right next to whoever the porter saw at half past ten.
12. 12. Reader Vane and the professor reading the botanical atlas are the same person.
13. 13. Dean Holloway and the professor reading the botanical atlas had exactly 2 rooms between them.
14. 14. The professor reading the treatise on optics was in a lower-numbered room than whoever the porter saw at half past ten.
15. 15. The professor reading the map of antiquity was in the room right before the professor who claimed to be at the porter's lodge.
16. 16. The professor who claimed to be at the music room and whoever the porter saw at one o'clock are the same person.
17. 17. Dean Holloway and whoever the porter saw at twenty to nine are the same person.