The cases for 2026-11-05

The Coastal Line runs express after dark — no stops, no excuses. When it braked at dawn a compartment stood empty and nobody would say whose. Rebuild the carriage from the engine back. 4 passengers, 4 compartments, and no two accounts that quite agree — start with Quinn Sutherland.

1. 1. The passenger with the birdcage was in the compartment right before the passenger with the wicker hamper.
2. 2. The passenger with the wicker hamper was in a lower-numbered compartment than the passenger headed to Dunmore.
3. 3. The passenger with the typewriter case and the passenger headed to Coldwater had exactly 1 compartment between them.
4. 4. The passenger headed to Crestfall was in the compartment right before the passenger headed to Dunmore.
5. 5. Quinn Sutherland and the passenger headed to Larkspur are the same person.
6. 6. Katya Brandt was right next to the passenger headed to Crestfall.
7. 7. Quinn Sutherland and the passenger with the medical bag are the same person.
8. 8. Nils Berg was right next to the passenger headed to Crestfall.
9. 9. Katya Brandt and the passenger headed to Dunmore are the same person.
10. 10. The passenger with the medical bag was in the compartment right before the passenger headed to Coldwater.

The eclipse bought a few minutes of perfect dark, and someone spent them well. The map case hangs open and the ridge is thick with alibis. Walk the domes and name the thief. The file names 5 astronomers; Bram Sutcliffe's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. Bram Sutcliffe and the astronomer tracking the morning star are the same person.
2. 2. The astronomer using the pendulum clock and the astronomer tracking the new star are the same person.
3. 3. Idris Hawke was right next to the astronomer using the photometer.
4. 4. Pieter Aldous and the astronomer tracking the new star had exactly 3 domes between them.
5. 5. Pieter Aldous was right next to the astronomer tracking the comet.
6. 6. The astronomer using the prism box was in a lower-numbered dome than the astronomer using the pendulum clock.
7. 7. The astronomer using the brass telescope was in a lower-numbered dome than the astronomer using the prism box.
8. 8. Idris Hawke was in the dome right before the astronomer using the photometer.
9. 9. Lena Ostrov and the astronomer tracking the new star are the same person.
10. 10. Bram Sutcliffe and the astronomer using the sextant had exactly 2 domes between them.
11. 11. Cassia Moreau was right next to the astronomer tracking the ringed planet.
12. 12. Pieter Aldous and the astronomer tracking the double star are the same person.

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. The file names 5 regulars; Fay Delacroix's statement sits on top of the pile.

1. 1. The regular drinking the southside was in the booth right before the regular pretending to be the society heiress.
2. 2. The regular flashing the engraved lighter and the regular pretending to be the racetrack bookie are the same person.
3. 3. The regular drinking the gin rickey was in the booth right before the regular pretending to be the racetrack bookie.
4. 4. The regular flashing the engraved lighter was right next to the regular pretending to be the torch singer.
5. 5. The regular drinking the southside was in the booth right before the regular flashing the gold cigarette case.
6. 6. Fay Delacroix was in the booth right before the regular drinking the bee's knees.
7. 7. Carmine Russo was right next to the regular drinking the mint julep.
8. 8. The regular pretending to be the racetrack bookie was somewhere after the regular pretending to be the torch singer but before the regular pretending to be the insurance man.
9. 9. Gideon Frost was right next to the regular pretending to be the insurance man.
10. 10. The regular drinking the ginger highball and the regular pretending to be the racetrack bookie are the same person.
11. 11. The regular flashing the alligator wallet and the regular pretending to be the torch singer had exactly 2 booths between them.
12. 12. Ruby Calhoun and the regular pretending to be the silent-film actress had exactly 1 booth between them.
13. 13. Gideon Frost was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular pretending to be the society heiress.
14. 14. Fay Delacroix was in a lower-numbered booth than the regular flashing the jeweled garter.
15. 15. Ruby Calhoun and the regular pretending to be the torch singer are the same person.