The cases for 2026-10-27

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. The file names 4 employees; Zoe Park's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. Sam Okafor was at a lower-numbered desk than the employee from IT.
2. 2. Rosa Delgado was at the desk right before Ximena Cruz.
3. 3. Sam Okafor and the employee with the energy drink are the same person.
4. 4. Ximena Cruz and the employee with the double espresso are the same person.
5. 5. Zoe Park was right next to the employee from facilities.
6. 6. Zoe Park and the employee with the lemon tea are the same person.
7. 7. The employee with the green tea was right next to the employee from IT.
8. 8. Rosa Delgado was somewhere after Zoe Park but before Ximena Cruz.
9. 9. The employee with the green tea and the employee from security are the same person.
10. 10. Sam Okafor was at the desk right before the employee with the lemon tea.
11. 11. Sam Okafor was at the desk right before the employee from payroll.
12. 12. Sam Okafor was right next to the employee with the lemon tea.

The tomb kept its seal for three thousand years; the expedition kept theirs for one season. The scarab is gone and the sand shows no tracks out of camp. Work the tents along the trench and name the thief. The file names 5 diggers; Rashid el-Amin's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. Penelope Drake was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger guarding the tomb figurine.
2. 2. Yusra Kassab was in the tent right before the digger drinking the ginger beer.
3. 3. The digger guarding the gold scarab was in the tent right before the digger drinking the ginger beer.
4. 4. Rashid el-Amin was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger guarding the lapis amulet.
5. 5. The digger drinking the fig wine was in the tent right before the digger drinking the mint tea.
6. 6. Rashid el-Amin was right next to the digger drinking the fig wine.
7. 7. Nadia Sokolova was right next to the digger guarding the ivory comb.
8. 8. Yusra Kassab was somewhere after Nadia Sokolova but before Margot Ashford.
9. 9. Nadia Sokolova was in the tent right before the digger guarding the gold scarab.
10. 10. Penelope Drake was in the tent right before the digger guarding the ivory comb.
11. 11. Yusra Kassab and the digger guarding the gold scarab are the same person.
12. 12. The digger drinking the fig wine was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger drinking the mint tea.
13. 13. Rashid el-Amin was in the tent right before the digger guarding the tomb figurine.
14. 14. The digger guarding the tomb figurine was in the tent right before the digger drinking the black coffee.

The cage counted true at midnight and false by close. Between those two tallies, every player kept to a private room along the row. Trace the row and find whose luck was manufactured. 5 players, 5 rooms, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Dashiell Crane.

1. 1. The craps player was right next to the player drinking the white russian.
2. 2. Jasper Quaid was in the room right before the player drinking the white russian.
3. 3. The roulette player was in the room right before the mahjong player.
4. 4. Cordelia Frost and the poker player are the same person.
5. 5. Jasper Quaid was in a lower-numbered room than whoever stacked the ivory chips.
6. 6. Cordelia Frost was in a lower-numbered room than whoever stacked the scarlet chips.
7. 7. The craps player was in the room right before whoever stacked the scarlet chips.
8. 8. Dashiell Crane was right next to whoever stacked the scarlet chips.
9. 9. Whoever stacked the scarlet chips was right next to the player drinking the scotch and soda.
10. 10. The craps player was in a lower-numbered room than whoever stacked the scarlet chips.
11. 11. Lev Ostrovsky was somewhere after Cordelia Frost but before Dashiell Crane.
12. 12. The keno player and whoever stacked the scarlet chips are the same person.
13. 13. The roulette player and the player drinking the negroni had exactly 2 rooms between them.
14. 14. Cordelia Frost and whoever stacked the onyx chips are the same person.
15. 15. Whoever stacked the scarlet chips and the player drinking the white russian are the same person.
16. 16. Whoever stacked the bronze chips and the player drinking the brandy sour had exactly 1 room between them.
17. 17. Whoever stacked the scarlet chips was in the room right before whoever stacked the rose-gold chips.