The Detective’s DeskTHE DETECTIVE’S DESK
167 mysteries. Every finding needs evidence.
These files contain the stories, witness accounts and records from the game. You can read them here without running the interactive desk. Open any case to read its material, then investigate it in the game when you are ready to test your conclusion.
Easy and Medium offer shorter cases. Hard asks you to connect more records. Pen & Paper has the longest investigations, where a separate notebook can help. There is no countdown.
BELLWEATHER MUSEUM
A display label vanished from Bellweather Museum. Three staff members gave statements. Your task is to identify the account contradicted by the records—not to assume that a lie alone proves the theft.
Read the case file →LANTERN PHOTO LAB
A customer photograph has gone missing. Three visitors describe collecting a finished copy of the same image. Check the production record against their claimed collection times.
Read the case file →The village bakery
A driver says a customer never paid. Speak to the three people and follow the numbered receipt.
Read the case file →FOUNDERS’ HALL
A commemorative medal was misplaced during a ceremony. The event recorder captured the complete order of three moments. Compare that verified sequence with the recollections.
Read the case file →A café coat stand
Two visitors have nearly identical umbrellas. Decide whether the evidence establishes a theft or an honest exchange.
Read the case file →MAPLE COMMUNITY CENTRE
A notice was removed from the community calendar. Three volunteers describe dates relative to the same marked day. You do not need to know any real calendar dates; use the weekday sequence printed in the record.
Read the case file →FERN RESTORATION STUDIO
A restored frame was signed off unusually quickly. Each restorer reports a separate frame treated with the same varnish under the same conditions. The verified studio test sets the earliest time a frame can be handled as dry.
Read the case file →A school sports cupboard
A gold ribbon disappears from a trophy. Ask the people nearby what they handled, then compare the cut ends.
Read the case file →SKYLINE HOTEL
A guest’s hat was found inside the hotel’s express lift. Three passengers describe leaving that lift during normal operation. Its verified stop list was unchanged throughout their journeys.
Read the case file →A community garden shed
A notice cancels the open day. The organiser says she never sent it. Find which account the paper supports.
Read the case file →WILLOW BOATHOUSE
A key was found beside a borrowed boat. The caretaker recorded its features before sealing it in a bag. Each owner’s key description has been verified. Find the matching owner, without guessing who borrowed the boat.
Read the case file →A charity collection hall
An empty hamper reaches the collection table. Trace when its contents disappeared instead of blaming its final carrier.
Read the case file →ALDER COSTUME STORE
Three wardrobe assistants describe using an original ceremonial coat. The inspected coat had not been modified, and their accounts refer to this exact coat, not a bag or a different costume.
Read the case file →RIVER FESTIVAL
A volunteer’s festival jacket was photographed from front and back. Three helpers describe features of that same unchanged jacket. Use the labelled original photographs, not assumptions about mirrored selfies.
Read the case file →A bicycle repair shop
A mechanic is accused of breaking a lamp. Compare the order in which the lamp was photographed and handed over.
Read the case file →PINE LEGAL ARCHIVE
A sealed opaque envelope was continuously observed. All possible openings were covered by a foil seal that would permanently break if opened. There were no other ways to view its contents during the inspection.
Read the case file →COPPER CORNER MARKET
A jar was relabelled before the market opened. Three clerks describe its unchanged labels after the work was complete. The inspection records which opaque label covered which.
Read the case file →A bookshop wrapping counter
A charity parcel contains a wooden toy instead of a brass bell. Ask about the wrapping and listen to what the packing evidence means.
Read the case file →TINKER WORKSHOP
An unlabelled sample was recovered from a workbench. A controlled test found it was not attracted to the workshop magnet. The same test was performed on each maker’s sample type. Identify the matching maker.
Read the case file →A neighbourhood allotment
A muddy boot seems to identify the person who crushed seedlings. Check whether the track existed before the visitor arrived.
Read the case file →ROSE STREET CAFÉ
The café is checking three statements about a single cash sale. No tip, fee or discount applied. The receipt records the full price and the amount handed over.
Read the case file →JUNIPER DINING ROOM
A candle count in the dining-room report seems wrong. Use the complete inventory for the finished table setting. Shadows and spare supplies are not additional candles on a table.
Read the case file →A shared office kitchen
A lunch disappears from a shelf. The boxes look identical, so follow their contents and names rather than their colour.
Read the case file →ASTER GARDEN LAB
Gardeners describe measurements from identical calibrated flasks. Each measurement is separate and the marked fractions refer to the full usable capacity. Check the numbers against the calibration card.
Read the case file →A pottery studio
An assistant reports a burglar entering a broken window. Look at the undisturbed sill and ask what each person actually saw.
Read the case file →SPARROW RAFFLE DESK
The raffle desk issued only complete bundles of tickets. Three organisers report how many tickets their stated number of bundles contained. None of these bundles was split, altered or incomplete.
Read the case file →ROWAN MODEL SHOP
A model maker is checking a rectangular window panel. The cutting diagram gives its dimensions and the two formulas needed. Three assistants report a measurement from that same diagram.
Read the case file →A rehearsal room
A singer is removed from a shortlist. Ask who handled the master, then compare page identifiers.
Read the case file →DOCKSIDE DISPATCH
A dispatch hatch accepts rigid rectangular boxes straight through. Boxes may be rotated by a quarter turn, but cannot tilt, bend or compress. Each worker describes the box’s width and height as it faces the hatch.
Read the case file →A community swimming pool
A key is reported stolen. Follow its number and the return-slot mechanism before accusing another swimmer.
Read the case file →OLD TOWN DELIVERY ROUTE
Couriers describe following a short delivery route without breaking its one-way rules. The route card lists every permitted directed connection. A reverse connection is not permitted unless it appears separately.
Read the case file →NORTHSTAR SCOUT HUT
Three scouts describe separate turns starting from the same north-facing marker. Use the printed clockwise direction order. Each quarter turn is exactly ninety degrees.
Read the case file →A town concert foyer
A donor is thanked for ten times the sum she gave. Work out whether the donor, collector or printer changed the amount.
Read the case file →WESTBANK FOOTBRIDGE
Three walkers independently start on the west bank. Each makes only the stated number of complete bridge crossings. There are no boats, other bridges or partial crossings in these accounts.
Read the case file →A model railway club
A whistle startles a visitor, and a gate breaks. Put the few recorded events in order before deciding what caused the damage.
Read the case file →SILVERLEAF CONCERT HALL
Three ushers describe balcony seat locations. The seating convention applies to every seat number mentioned, and left and right are viewed from the labelled entrance on the supplied plan.
Read the case file →COPPER TOWER
A borrowed telescope was moved between tower rooms. Three caretakers describe the rooms’ relative heights. Use the section drawing; no knowledge of the real tower is needed.
Read the case file →A neighbourhood hall
Prize vouchers disappear before the draw. One person knows a detail that was never announced. Check that detail against the hiding place.
Read the case file →ELM REPAIR COUNTER
A watch part was stored in a five-drawer cabinet. The cabinet’s labels are fixed and all statements describe that cabinet. Count positions from the labelled top.
Read the case file →A small music festival
Someone presents a staff pass carrying the right logo. Ask where it came from and compare the day code.
Read the case file →PAPERBARK POST DESK
A notebook was left in a delivery crate. Its owner writes the first letter of their first name and the first letter of their surname on the cover. All three possible owners’ full names are verified below.
Read the case file →RAILSIDER PARCEL OFFICE
One parcel label has been mistyped. The office’s small check-digit rule is printed in full, so no specialist coding knowledge is required. The three parcel codes have been transcribed correctly below.
Read the case file →A school aquarium club
The air pump is found off. Follow its plug and the switch settings, then distinguish a cleaning job from a deliberate change.
Read the case file →GLASSHOUSE RESEARCH CENTRE
Three visitors describe opening doors with the same kind of green badge. Every claimed opening used that badge alone under normal operation. The verified permission card records all allowed areas.
Read the case file →A theatre dressing room
A watch vanishes during a costume change. Search the clothes and test the claim that a visitor took it.
Read the case file →FOXRUN GUEST HOUSE
The guest house expected exactly three named visitors. Its sign-in sheet is complete and uses full names without aliases. Identify the expected visitor whose signature has not yet appeared; absence of a signature is not proof of absence from the building.
Read the case file →MOONFERN LOST PROPERTY
A lost bag has a two-symbol owner tag. The storage desk uses the supplied symbol alphabet. The three possible owners’ two-letter tag codes are verified. Match the decoded tag, not just its individual letters.
Read the case file →A residents’ meeting
A ballot total drops between the count and the announcement. Question the counters and check which page disappeared.
Read the case file →WREN DELIVERY DEPOT
Three depot workers describe successive recorded statuses for separate parcels. The depot’s verified workflow was enforced automatically. A reported sequence may start midway through the workflow, but every consecutive change must be allowed.
Read the case file →A community radio station
A badge log names one person, but a microphone is found with another. Decide whether a badge identifies its wearer.
Read the case file →THE MERIDIAN GALLERY
A sketch disappeared around closing time. Mara insists she left before the gallery closed. Two other witnesses also reported their departure times. Work out whose statement about leaving before closing is false.
Read the case file →NORTH QUAY RADIO ROOM
A harbour message crossed midnight. Four operators calculated when the receiving bell rang. Find the calculation supported by both station records.
Read the case file →A puppet theatre rehearsal
A prop breaks while its operator’s voice can be heard from the booth. Question the crew and separate where a voice comes from from where a person stands.
Read the case file →WILLOW SQUARE
A recovered photograph must have been taken while both a temporary banner and a lit fountain were visible. Four photographers have verified camera timestamps.
Read the case file →A charity treasure trail
A team follows its map to the wrong checkpoint. Compare the maps, ask who copied them, and find the detail that changed direction.
Read the case file →LANTERN PRINT STUDIO
Four apprentices proposed the earliest time a print could be signed. A signature is allowed only once printing and the complete drying period are finished.
Read the case file →A bicycle hire kiosk
A customer presents a real receipt for a cancelled booking. Question the staff and determine whether the same payment has already been returned.
Read the case file →A small print workshop
A reproduction reaches an exhibition in an envelope meant for the original. Three people handled the job. Decide who substituted the sheet, using what the records establish rather than who seems nervous.
Read the case file →ROSE THEATRE CLOAKROOM
Four cloakroom receipts record the change offered for the same order. Only one applies the posted charging rule correctly.
Read the case file →An amateur photography club
A locked drawer is said to have contained four lenses. Reconstruct the inventory from delivery to inspection, instead of treating a lock as proof of contents.
Read the case file →MEADOW PARCEL DEPOT
Two batches of sealed parcels have certified average masses. Four porters calculated the average for the combined batch. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →PINE COMMUNITY HALL
The hall must send every invitation today. Four volunteers proposed how many sealed packs to buy. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →FERN BOTANICAL STORE
Four gardeners each claim their measured water will fill one marked flask exactly. Use the mixing note and the flask mark to test their accounts. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A conservatory competition
A witness names a saboteur through frosted glass. Check what could actually be seen and follow the damaged support instead.
Read the case file →ORCHARD PACKING SHED
Four packers estimated how many identical sample jars were inside a weighed crate. The crate contains only those jars. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A theatre refund counter
Cancelled tickets are submitted for a valid-ticket refund. A runner carried the envelope, but did she know it was false? Question the three people and test the organiser’s description of the errand.
Read the case file →STONE PUPPET THEATRE
Four rigid framed panels are waiting at a rectangular hatch. Only flat quarter-turns are allowed; panels cannot tilt, bend or pass diagonally. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A pottery courier depot
A first vase breaks in transit. A second is delivered elsewhere under a genuine customer number. Find who requested the change and what the carrier knew.
Read the case file →NORTHBRIDGE MARKET
Four runners calculated the shortest possible walk from the station to the square. The temporary closure must be respected. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →BIRCH JUNCTION
Four travellers proposed a connecting departure after arriving at Birch. A train can be boarded only after the full transfer walk is finished. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A riverside print fair
A print is ruined during a shower, but its backing and ink tell different stories. Interview the stallholders and work out whether rain explains it.
Read the case file →MAPLE STORAGE TOWER
Four staff describe continuous lift rides. The automatic lift has one fixed timing rule and never stops between the stated floors. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →GLASSHOUSE SIGNAL OFFICE
A signal may leave only after both independent checks finish. Four technicians calculated its earliest receipt. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A museum desk after a tour
An access key disappears after a tour. A visitor returns a similar souvenir, while the guide says the genuine key never moved. Establish which object is which and whose account fails.
Read the case file →ALDER SCREENING ROOM
An unsigned note describes a seat rather than naming its occupant. Four audience members volunteered their names. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A second-hand instrument stall
A buyer pays for a “fully working” violin. Question the seller and compare what the removable price sticker concealed.
Read the case file →FERN RESTORATION LAB
The lab must finish two repairs before a final assembly. Four conservators estimated the earliest completion time. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →PAPER STREET ARCHIVE
A detective needs one uninterrupted interview slot. Four assistants propose start times. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A charity cinema
A guest claims the door staff tore a valid ticket twice. Compare tear edges and serials before deciding whether a second admission was paid.
Read the case file →SILVER LEAF LIBRARY
An unsigned request came from a visitor who used both specialist rooms that day. One visitor’s request has already been accounted for and must be excluded. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →CEDAR PROJECTION BOOTH
A film canister carries an encoded destination. Four projectionists decoded it using the booth’s two-stage rule. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A small conservation laboratory
A protected sample is damaged after a bottle labelled as cleaner is used nearby. Trace the actual bottle and decide whether a routine carrier knowingly helped the damage.
Read the case file →NORTH SIGNAL MUSEUM
Four guides translated a three-switch display into a catalogue drawer. The switches encode a number before a separate offset is applied. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A clock-restoration workshop
A witness hears twelve chimes and assumes noon. Establish which clock rang, then follow the pendulum during the actual interval.
Read the case file →GLASS ARCHIVE ANNEX
Four staff present their badges at 16:00 on 12 May. Determine which badge satisfies every condition for the inner door. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →MOSSBRIDGE REFERENCE LIBRARY
Four cataloguers each claim a proposed shelf for a book. The library uses a general year rule and one overriding exception. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A harbour rescue club
A net fails after a repair. One volunteer blames old cord; another blames a trainee. Inspect the repaired section and the newer cut.
Read the case file →ROSE OPTICS CABINET
A horizontal row of name tokens was recorded only through a mirror. A note identifies one position in the real row. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →WILLOW MINIATURE MUSEUM
Four attendants describe the display after one documented exchange. The symbols never move except as listed. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A club collection and bank run
A signed cash count is genuine, but the bank receives a tagged bag containing equipment slips. Follow the bags and establish who knowingly agreed to the switch.
Read the case file →IVY FESTIVAL STORE
A row of festival lanterns followed a repeating pattern. One lantern was removed before the row was renumbered. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A community mural project
Two volunteers claim reimbursement for the same paint. Compare supplier invoice numbers, payer evidence and the wording of each request.
Read the case file →CEDAR BOX WORKSHOP
A demonstration lock uses a three-digit code. Four box makers offered codes; the file contains enough constraints to identify one without guessing. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →FERN SEED BANK
Four seed-bank staff claim their local thermometer reading lies inside the permitted storage range. The file defines the fictional units exactly. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →IVY TRAVELLING LIBRARY
A borrowed folio must be returned after a stated number of elapsed days. Four librarians wrote proposed return weekdays. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A gallery installation
A photograph seems to place the curator beside the original. Check its mirror and hanging labels before using it as an alibi.
Read the case file →WREN DELIVERY CABINET
Four couriers each received one different parcel. The record names enough assignments to identify the courier carrying the compass. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A library donation evening
A closed display sleeve creates the impression that a rare pamphlet is still inside. Find the actual object and decide whether a witness who saw a binder can really clear its carrier.
Read the case file →COPPER SCREENING GALLERY
Four visitors claim to have crossed a corridor while both sensors were inactive. The sensor records use an exact boundary convention. Also reconstruct the review register: it records who examined which source, independently of whether their later proposed answer is correct. Review slots describe order, not travel or clock times.
Read the case file →A local history exhibition
A runner is sent for a display box, but returns with a medal hidden inside it. Separate the person who packed it, the carrier and the person who expected it.
Read the case file →NORTHBRIDGE ARCHIVE
A page went missing during an archive reception. Security recorded three departures, then asked where each visitor went. Every stated journey must fit the minimum travel times and the routes actually open that evening.
Read the case file →NORTH QUAY SIGNAL HOUSE
A signal receipt seems to place a sealed envelope in two towns at once. Reconstruct the receiving-town time before treating the apparent overlap as evidence. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A coastal heritage depot
Two genuine receipts appear to prove a panel reached storage. Trace which receipt concerns the original, which concerns a substitute, and who understood the exchange.
Read the case file →BIRCH CANAL NETWORK
A courier leaves the depot at 18:00. A bridge schedule makes the shortest distance different from the earliest arrival. Waiting is allowed at junctions. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A municipal archive
Smoke sends staff outside and a register disappears. An alarm timestamp seems to unite the events. Determine whether the theft preceded the smoke and who agreed to which act.
Read the case file →A disputed gallery collection
A buyer presents a genuine signature as proof of a completed sale. The owner calls it a deposit. Trace which terms belong to that signature and whether the packer knowingly helped a false collection.
Read the case file →CEDAR TELEGRAPH ROOM
The cabinet name was encoded in two stages. Four readers have submitted decodings; only one reverses both stages in the right order. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →An exhibition with an apparent desk alibi
A badge appears to keep the steward at reception while a drawing is replaced. Follow the original, identify who actually used the display key and determine what the runner understood.
Read the case file →A family trust office
A group photograph appears to clear the person accused of a fatal office visit. Establish the examination interval and when the photograph was actually made.
Read the case file →A conference cloakroom mix-up
A guest leaves with someone else’s case, and the attendant lies about the hooks. Decide whether the evidence establishes a deliberate theft, a mistake, or a shared plan. Suspicious movement alone does not settle intent.
Read the case file →NORTHBRIDGE SEAL OFFICE
A seal can have a mathematically valid serial and still belong to a withdrawn batch. The target must satisfy both the calculation and the date rule. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →An underground heritage tour
An authorised photography visit seems to explain a case leaving the tunnel. Inspect both layers of its permit and distinguish a tour escort from the person who requested removal.
Read the case file →CEDAR PUBLICATION OFFICE
A printer’s note quotes an intermediate list as if it were final. Follow the recorded revision chain, including the explicit rollback. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →An apparently empty portrait frame
An empty-looking frame is treated as proof of theft. A visitor was nearby, and a hanger fitted an unusual cover. Establish whether the portrait actually left and what the hanger was told.
Read the case file →A botanical research estate
Two clocks appear to put a visitor away from a fatal encounter. Translate their documented settings before comparing the accounts.
Read the case file →An orchestra’s instrument return
A signed bow return and a student’s false lesson alibi point in different directions. Establish what was actually returned and whether a separate private sale explains the missing original.
Read the case file →STONE STORAGE VAULT
A chest’s outside dimensions overstate its usable space. The storekeeper needs a single regular grid of identical boxes, with four grid positions kept empty. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A family archive auction
A seal expert is blamed because she resealed a packet. Establish what was inside before her work and who had already arranged a private sale.
Read the case file →ALDER LOCKER ROOM
A packet occupies one of four lockers. The audit establishes exactly two true label statements, but a separate inspection is needed to finish the deduction. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →An office transfer dispute
A manager relies on a genuine signature, while an archivist says the signed instruction forbids the proposed transfer. Follow the numbered text and the separate roles of its editor, carrier and recipient.
Read the case file →WILLOW BOOK ROOM
Three catalogue strips were stored out of order. Their sequence numbers and marked letters recover a shelf code only when combined with the extraction rule. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A riverside radio fundraiser
A broadcast caller says he is stranded across the river. Test the recording’s continuity, the ferry records and the account named for donations.
Read the case file →NORTHBRIDGE EXHIBIT HALL
A camera’s state changed through manual toggles and a temporary service override. A printed event list includes a cancelled event that never happened. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →An archive’s outgoing-copy shelf
A stitched original is recovered from an outgoing parcel. Two carriers handled it, but only one received a private-sale instruction. Determine who diverted it, who knew and who followed a misleading ordinary errand.
Read the case file →A small writers’ retreat
A room register appears to place a suspect on the wrong floor. Compare the permanent room marks, temporary name cards and the key actually borrowed.
Read the case file →A sealed medal display
An intact cabinet seal and a borrowed room key suggest an impossible theft. Establish when the original last truly occupied the display and whether the outline visible through glass identifies it.
Read the case file →WILLOW NIGHT DISPATCH
A dispatch must reach the vault within eleven minutes. The cheapest route by toll is preferred among routes that meet every safety and time constraint. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A community art auction
A high bidder seems to prove a painting’s value. Follow the bidder’s deposit, refund promise and relationship to the seller before accepting that conclusion.
Read the case file →EAST ARCHIVE LICENSING
A licence needs two sequential waiting periods. The first period’s finishing day is not counted again as the first day of the next period. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A demonstration changed at the last moment
An understudy is injured after replacing a lead performer. The engineer blames the replacement, while the coordinator signed a safety card despite a warning. Establish the deliberate act, its intended target and the assistance that allowed it to proceed.
Read the case file →NORTHBRIDGE SECURE CORRIDOR
The corridor’s lock needs power from A and at least one backup circuit. A crossing must remain powered throughout, not merely at its beginning. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A private folio viewing
A valuable folio is said to have lost a leaf during a viewing. The owner blames a reader and asks for an insurance payment. First establish whether there was a new loss at all.
Read the case file →A miniature irrigation exhibition
A pump shutdown and a drained reservoir occur close together. Determine which event caused each symptom and whether two technicians agreed to sabotage the show.
Read the case file →EAST SURVEY OFFICE
Two survey readings locate a point on a rectangular street grid. Straight-line distance would identify the wrong place; only the printed distance convention applies. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A country-house wedding
A missing ring and a hidden letter make one guest look responsible for everything. Follow each object separately and test whether the acts share an agreement.
Read the case file →A collection store and a closed reading room
Three records appear to confirm an alibi, but they may all repeat one person’s claim. Trace which sources are independent, who removed the original and whether anyone agreed to write a false visit beforehand.
Read the case file →CEDAR DOCUMENT LAB
Later paper can be legitimate in a declared copy. The question is which submitted document contradicts its own claim to be the original. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →WILLOW COURIER ACCOUNTS
A clerk applied a percentage to the full parcel value, overlooking both an exemption and the order of the fee cap. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A small excavation camp
A dramatic fossil discovery wins a grant recommendation. Test whether its claimed layer, specimen and discovery photograph belong together.
Read the case file →An archive after deliberate damage
A fire destroys invoices, and a replacement report blames a faulty lamp. A porter’s earlier door wedge creates another tempting lead. Identify who caused the damage and who knowingly altered the explanation afterward.
Read the case file →MAPLE SECURITY DESK
A sealed release needs two independent chains completed. Some work can overlap, but a later stage cannot start before its own prerequisite. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A disputed exhibition race result
A genuine finish photograph is used to announce the wrong winner. Work out what the image identifies, how lanes connect to people and whether the recipient of a medal actually agreed to the scheme.
Read the case file →CEDAR APPOINTMENT ROOM
Four people signed in at four fixed appointments. Reconstruct the complete order before identifying the last signature. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A harbour customs exhibition
A witness says a blue-coated passenger carried the missing token onto a ferry. Rebuild the witness’s viewpoint and follow the engraved case through both sides of the pier.
Read the case file →EAST COURTYARD
A courier must cross a small grid in the minimum allowed time. One tile is blocked, and two boundary tiles charge different entry tolls. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A project expense review
Two payments have different descriptions and payee names. The coordinator calls them separate purchases. Trace the supplier transaction and actual beneficiaries, then decide whether the paying assistant understood the duplication.
Read the case file →GLASSHOUSE COLD ROOM
A sample cools in a controlled room, then travels in an insulated carrier that preserves its departure temperature. Dispatching too early cannot be fixed during transit. The archive retained the competing reconstructions in separate packets. Rebuild their custody events, identify the proposal supported by the analytical records, then name that packet’s recorded handler. The packet events form a separate ordered register; do not substitute a calculated clock time for a review-slot label.
Read the case file →A private family foundation
Four draft instructions use the same signature page. Establish which was actually approved, which was submitted and whether a witness knew the difference.
Read the case file →A dealer’s final private appointment
A photograph uploaded after the emergency alarm appears to show the dealer alive. Trace when it was actually taken, identify the private visitor and decide whether a later business deception proves a prior murder agreement.
Read the case file →A private editorial meeting at a gallery
A signed departure entry appears to remove the editor from the murder interval. An assistant had a motive, and a caretaker admits a different offence. Test the departure entry against independent timing and movements, then identify the roles the evidence actually supports.
Read the case file →Six guests around one supper table
Adrian Vale dies after a toast while all six guests are still at the same table. Several people have motives and more than one is lying. Trace what he actually drank, test the guests’ explanations and distinguish an accidental exchange from an intended one.
Read the case file →A crowded museum preview
The alarm sounds, the display is closed, and a famous pendant appears to be missing. A courier has already reached the gate. Question the six people who handled the exhibition and separate an illicit meeting from a planned theft.
Read the case file →A theatre in mid-performance
Victor Hale is found killed in his office after his voice has apparently been heard during a live performance. Six theatre workers have motives, but a voice and a lit sound booth may not establish a living speaker.
Read the case file →An overnight research ferry
A call from cabin seven seems to place Elin alive after a disputed delivery. A deckhand moved the visitor’s case, and a coat appears to supply an alibi. Determine who killed Elin and whether the deckhand actually knew what he was helping.
Read the case file →An estate registry before a reading
A will read to a waiting family suddenly favours the person everyone suspects. A page may have been replaced without changing its signature sheet. Find who altered the will, who benefits from the deception and whether a clerk understood the errand.
Read the case file →A research garden at closing time
A professor dies after a private visit, but the first sample result appears clean. One person may have killed him and another may have helped afterward. Establish their different roles rather than assuming that every collaborator planned the death.
Read the case file →A delayed live broadcast
A sealed drive disappears while a telescope feed appears to place the technician elsewhere. Work out which clock belongs to which event and whether a maintenance permit was an innocent administrative action.
Read the case file →A hotel after midnight
A name on a service docket appears to put a receptionist in the wrong room, while a guest’s slow-clock account confuses the interval. Establish who knew Edwin’s new room, who actually moved through the lift and which records identify people rather than names.
Read the case file →A charity auction after closing
A treasurer’s genuine signature appears beneath a total the bank never received. A courier blames sealed bags, an auctioneer hides a separate theft and the organiser wants a photograph deleted. Follow the objects and agreements rather than trusting a familiar signature.
Read the case file →A tidal dock with two routes
A captain invokes the tide as an alibi after a harbourmaster is killed during a power failure. An electrician calls it a fault, while a fuel thief admits one crime and denies another. Reconstruct usable access and the intended blackout.
Read the case file →A photographer’s locked archive
A photographer is killed before handing over an original negative. The print left in view seems to support a different story. Find which object was substituted, who returned to the archive and whether a reporter’s payment proves involvement.
Read the case file →A community foundation fête
A familiar welcome announcement seems to place the chairman alive while his widow and a caterer leave their reported locations. Investigate what the recording establishes, what the widow’s secret explains and who accessed his private flask.
Read the case file →A disputed rare-map auction
The winning bidder receives a reproduction, but every photograph seems to show the right design. The key question may be whether the original was ever in the public auction. Follow provenance, handling and a private return folder.
Read the case file →A private settlement conference
Julian dies after moving into a mediator’s chair. A borrowed badge seems important, and a voice recording appears to locate everyone. Establish the source of the contaminated object, its intended recipient and whether the clerk’s errand was knowing assistance.
Read the case file →A dinner interrupted by two alarms
A host is murdered and a rare journal disappears during an archive blackout. It is tempting to blame a single conspiracy. Separate the rooms, objects, agreements and intervals, then decide who killed, who stole and who knowingly helped which plan.
Read the case file →A fictional European gallery, 1911–1913
A portrait disappears during a closed-gallery maintenance morning. A work coat seems to authorise removal; a later letter offers a remarkably similar painting for sale. Investigate two years of records to identify the original, its route, the writer behind an alias and whether a porter knowingly helped.
Read the case file →A fictional museum and gravel excavation
A celebrated “single ancient individual” is assembled from a skull, jaw and tooth. Reopen the file years later. Question the finder, preparator, sponsor and scientific staff; compare source collections, treatment records and site photographs; distinguish the forger from people who trusted the presentation.
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