The cases for 2026-10-30

The night the band played its last set, a book of marked bills disappeared from behind the bar. Every regular sat with a drink in a different booth running the length of the wall. Reconstruct the row, booth by booth. Statements were taken from all 4 regulars; Marcus Trent's is the first page.

1. 1. The regular drinking the ginger highball was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular drinking the old fashioned.
2. 2. Sal Brigante was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular drinking the sidecar.
3. 3. Hazel Quartermain was right next to the regular drinking the ginger highball.
4. 4. The regular drinking the whiskey sour was right next to the regular flashing the jeweled garter.
5. 5. Hazel Quartermain was somewhere after Sal Brigante but before Marcus Trent.
6. 6. Marcus Trent and the regular flashing the diamond cufflinks are the same person.
7. 7. Sal Brigante and the regular flashing the platinum pocket watch are the same person.
8. 8. The regular drinking the sidecar was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular flashing the jeweled garter.
9. 9. The regular drinking the sidecar was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular drinking the old fashioned.
10. 10. Sal Brigante was in the booth right before the regular flashing the gold cigarette case.
11. 11. Otis Brennan was in the booth right before the regular flashing the diamond cufflinks.
12. 12. Marcus Trent and the regular drinking the ginger highball 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. Statements were taken from all 5 employees; Umar Haddad's is the first page.

1. 1. The employee with the double espresso was right next to the employee from accounting.
2. 2. The employee with the sparkling water was right next to the employee from accounting.
3. 3. Sam Okafor was at a lower-numbered desk than the employee from research.
4. 4. The employee with the drip coffee was at the desk right before the employee from procurement.
5. 5. The employee from accounting was at the desk right before the employee from research.
6. 6. Quentin Ash was right next to the employee with the oat latte.
7. 7. Abel Mwangi was at the desk right before Umar Haddad.
8. 8. Wes Porter was right next to the employee from research.
9. 9. Sam Okafor was at the desk right before the employee from procurement.
10. 10. Sam Okafor and the employee from security had exactly 3 desks between them.
11. 11. The employee with the oat latte and the employee from security are not the same person.
12. 12. Umar Haddad and the employee from IT had exactly 1 desk between them.
13. 13. The employee with the sparkling water was at a lower-numbered desk than the employee from research.

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. 5 diggers, 5 tents, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Yusra Kassab.

1. 1. Lucien Mercer was right next to the digger drinking the spiced chai.
2. 2. The digger drinking the hibiscus tea was right next to the digger pretending to be a sketch artist.
3. 3. Yusra Kassab was right next to the digger guarding the ivory comb.
4. 4. The digger guarding the painted mask was right next to the digger pretending to be a sketch artist.
5. 5. Saffron Bell was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger drinking the hibiscus tea.
6. 6. Yusra Kassab and the digger guarding the obsidian blade are the same person.
7. 7. The digger guarding the obsidian blade was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger drinking the date wine.
8. 8. The digger drinking the hibiscus tea was in the tent right before the digger pretending to be a sketch artist.
9. 9. Lucien Mercer was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger pretending to be a language expert.
10. 10. The digger drinking the goat's milk was right next to the digger pretending to be a sketch artist.
11. 11. Major Hugh Petrie and the digger pretending to be a draftsman had exactly 2 tents between them.
12. 12. Saffron Bell was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger drinking the date wine.
13. 13. The digger guarding the bronze dagger was right next to the digger drinking the goat's milk.
14. 14. Saffron Bell was in a lower-numbered tent than the digger drinking the ginger beer.
15. 15. Idris Faulkner was in the tent right before the digger drinking the date wine.
16. 16. The digger drinking the goat's milk and the digger pretending to be a translator had exactly 2 tents between them.
17. 17. The digger guarding the ivory comb and the digger pretending to be a language expert had exactly 2 tents between them.