Sleuthic

The Black Files · September 29, 2026 · Difficulty: Cadet

Black File #102 — SolutionThe Loading Dock

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The case

Beth Delgado, dispatcher, was found dead at Riverside Warehouse at 9:20 PM. Seven people were at the scene. Exactly one of them was alone with Beth in the same zone.

The evidence (10 clues)
  1. Alvin was sitting on the sofa.
  2. Beth was standing on the floor.
  3. Felicia was in the Office Cage.
  4. Dennis was sitting on the sofa.
  5. Elena was sitting on the sofa.
  6. Felicia was sitting on the sofa.
  7. Alvin was in the Cold Storage.
  8. Gail was in the Main Aisle.
  9. Curtis was in the Loading Dock.
  10. Elena was the northernmost person at the scene.

The answer

The killer: Alvin Whitaker, alone with Beth Delgado in the Cold Storage.

Fixing rows and columns from the extreme-position clues cascades through the board and leaves Alvin alone with Beth in the Cold Storage.

Step-by-step deduction

  1. Before placing anyone, each clue eliminates cells:
  2. • Alvin: was sitting on the sofa; was in the Cold Storage. Only B3 is left.
  3. • Beth: was standing on the floor; Beth cannot be in the Office Cage: the crime zone holds exactly two people and Elena and Felicia are already there, and with Beth that would be more than two; row 3 already belongs to Alvin; column B already belongs to Alvin; row 5 belongs to Felicia; nobody else can occupy column A, so it must be Beth. Only A7 is left.
  4. • Curtis: was in the Loading Dock; row 3 already belongs to Alvin; column B already belongs to Alvin; row 5 belongs to Felicia; nobody else can occupy row 2, so it must be Curtis. Only C2 is left.
  5. • Dennis: was sitting on the sofa; row 3 already belongs to Alvin; row 1 belongs to Elena; row 5 belongs to Felicia; column G belongs to Felicia; nobody else can occupy column F, so it must be Dennis. Only F4 is left.
  6. • Elena: was sitting on the sofa; was the northernmost person of all, and since there is one person per row somebody occupies row 1: that is Elena; column G belongs to Felicia. Only D1 is left.
  7. • Felicia: was in the Office Cage; was sitting on the sofa; row 1 belongs to Elena. Only G5 is left.
  8. • Gail: was in the Main Aisle; row 5 belongs to Felicia; column G belongs to Felicia; nobody else can occupy column E, so it must be Gail; row 7 already belongs to Beth. Only E6 is left.
  9. That already places Alvin at B3, Beth at A7, Curtis at C2, Dennis at F4, Elena at D1, Felicia at G5 and Gail at E6.
  10. With all seven placed, the only people in the Cold Storage are Beth and Alvin: Alvin was alone with the victim.
Solved map of Black File #102: Alvin B3, Beth A7, Curtis C2, Dennis F4, Elena D1, Felicia G5, Gail E6
The solved map: Alvin B3, Beth A7, Curtis C2, Dennis F4, Elena D1, Felicia G5, Gail E6.

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