The cases for 2026-10-31

The curator noticed the brushwork first — too clean, too new. By then the room had emptied and the sign-in sheet told half the story. Walk the wall and pin every patron to a spot. The file names 4 patrons; Jasper Quill's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. Anton Wolfe and the patron holding the vermouth had exactly 1 spot between them.
2. 2. The patron looking at the charcoal sketch was right next to the patron holding the sherry.
3. 3. Otto Krane was right next to the patron holding the vermouth.
4. 4. Hugo Marchetti was in the spot right before Jasper Quill.
5. 5. Anton Wolfe was right next to the patron looking at the still life.
6. 6. Jasper Quill was right next to the patron holding the vermouth.
7. 7. Hugo Marchetti was right next to the patron holding the iced tea.
8. 8. Hugo Marchetti was in a lower-numbered spot than the patron holding the sherry.
9. 9. Anton Wolfe and the patron looking at the charcoal sketch are the same person.
10. 10. Jasper Quill and the patron holding the sherry are the same person.
11. 11. Jasper Quill and the patron looking at the still life are the same person.
12. 12. Jasper Quill and the patron looking at the marble torso had exactly 1 spot between them.
13. 13. The patron looking at the still life was somewhere after the patron looking at the oil portrait but before the patron looking at the charcoal sketch.
14. 14. Otto Krane and the patron holding the iced tea are the same person.
15. 15. The patron looking at the marble torso was in the spot right before the patron holding the vermouth.

The auction lot tasted wrong to the first nose that tried it. Overnight, the estate's finest went from cask to nowhere, and every vintner had a vault to themselves. Work the chalk tunnel, vault by vault. Statements were taken from all 5 vintners; Gustave Roux's is the first page.

1. 1. Henri Faure and the vintner blending the zinfandel are the same person.
2. 2. The vintner blending the pinot noir and the vintner using the funnel and hose are the same person.
3. 3. Gustave Roux was right next to the vintner blending the zinfandel.
4. 4. Cosima Ricci was in a lower-numbered vault than Henri Faure.
5. 5. The vintner blending the cabernet was somewhere after the vintner blending the pinot noir but before the vintner blending the malbec.
6. 6. The vintner using the crystal decanter was somewhere after the vintner using the funnel and hose but before the vintner using the bottling cradle.
7. 7. The vintner blending the sangiovese and the vintner using the bottling cradle are the same person.
8. 8. Amélie Mirabel was in the vault right before Gustave Roux.
9. 9. The vintner using the bottling cradle was in a lower-numbered vault than the vintner using the stoneware jug.
10. 10. Amélie Mirabel was somewhere after Cosima Ricci but before Gustave Roux.
11. 11. The vintner blending the cabernet was right next to the vintner using the funnel and hose.
12. 12. Cosima Ricci and the vintner using the glass jug are the same person.

Midnight, and the storm still has not broken. Somewhere between the first toast and the last thunderclap, the Blackwood heirloom walked out of its case. Every guest kept to a room along the great hall. Pin each of them to theirs. The file names 5 guests; Bennett Cole's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. The guest drinking the mulled wine was in the room right before the guest carrying the silver flask.
2. 2. The guest carrying the letter opener was right next to whoever was last seen at midnight.
3. 3. The guest carrying the candlestick and whoever was last seen at midnight are the same person.
4. 4. The guest carrying the cigar case was in a lower-numbered room than whoever was last seen at 2 am.
5. 5. The guest drinking the chamomile was in the room right before the guest carrying the letter opener.
6. 6. Dorian Pike was in the room right before Bennett Cole.
7. 7. Genevieve Wren was in the room right before the guest carrying the candlestick.
8. 8. The guest carrying the silk gloves and whoever was last seen at 7 pm are the same person.
9. 9. Lavinia Crane was somewhere after Bennett Cole but before Ava Sterling.
10. 10. Bennett Cole was right next to whoever was last seen at 7 pm.
11. 11. The guest carrying the cigar case was right next to whoever was last seen at 7 pm.
12. 12. The guest drinking the earl grey and the guest carrying the silver flask had exactly 3 rooms between them.
13. 13. Lavinia Crane was right next to the guest carrying the letter opener.
14. 14. Dorian Pike was in a lower-numbered room than Genevieve Wren.
15. 15. The guest drinking the red wine and whoever was last seen at 6 pm are the same person.
16. 16. Whoever was last seen at 2 am was somewhere after whoever was last seen at 7 pm but before whoever was last seen at midnight.