Sleuthic

The Black Files · October 2, 2026 · Difficulty: Cadet

Black File #105 — SolutionThe Chambers

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The case

Curtis Farrell, judge, was found dead at County Courthouse at 10:45 PM. Seven people were at the scene. Exactly one of them was alone with Curtis in the same zone.

The evidence (10 clues)
  1. Benjamin was in the Courtroom.
  2. Anita was standing on the floor.
  3. Dominic was standing on the stairs.
  4. Erica was standing on the floor.
  5. Felix was in the Records Office.
  6. Erica was in the Lobby.
  7. Felix was sitting in a chair.
  8. Graham was the easternmost person at the scene.
  9. Graham was the southernmost person at the scene.
  10. Dominic was the westernmost person at the scene.

The answer

The killer: Dominic Sokolov, alone with Curtis Farrell in the Judge's Chambers.

Fixing rows and columns from the extreme-position clues cascades through the board and leaves Dominic alone with Curtis in the Judge's Chambers.

Step-by-step deduction

  1. Before placing anyone, each clue eliminates cells:
  2. • Anita: was standing on the floor; row 3 already belongs to Dominic; column A already belongs to Dominic; row 7 already belongs to Graham; column G already belongs to Graham; row 6 belongs to Erica; row 2 belongs to Felix; only Curtis and the killer were in the crime zone (the Judge's Chambers), and those are already Curtis and Dominic; row 1 belongs to Benjamin. Only E4 is left.
  3. • Benjamin: was in the Courtroom; row 3 already belongs to Dominic; column A already belongs to Dominic; row 2 belongs to Felix; nobody else can occupy column B, so it must be Benjamin. Only B1 is left.
  4. • Curtis: Curtis cannot be in the Lobby: the crime zone holds exactly two people and Erica and Graham are already there, and with Curtis that would be more than two; row 3 already belongs to Dominic; column A already belongs to Dominic; row 7 already belongs to Graham; column G already belongs to Graham; row 6 belongs to Erica; row 2 belongs to Felix; nobody else can occupy row 5, so it must be Curtis; nobody else can occupy column C, so it must be Curtis. Only C5 is left.
  5. • Dominic: was on the stairs; was the westernmost person of all, and since there is one person per column somebody occupies column A: that is Dominic. Only A3 is left.
  6. • Erica: was standing on the floor; was in the Lobby; row 7 already belongs to Graham; column G already belongs to Graham; nobody else can occupy column D, so it must be Erica. Only D6 is left.
  7. • Felix: was in the Records Office; was sitting in a chair; column G already belongs to Graham; nobody else can occupy column F, so it must be Felix. Only F2 is left.
  8. • Graham: was the easternmost person of all, and since there is one person per column somebody occupies column G: that is Graham; was the southernmost person of all, and since there is one person per row somebody occupies row 7: that is Graham. Only G7 is left.
  9. That already places Dominic at A3, Graham at G7, Curtis at C5, Anita at E4, Benjamin at B1, Erica at D6 and Felix at F2.
  10. With all seven placed, the only people in the Judge's Chambers are Curtis and Dominic: Dominic was alone with the victim.
Solved map of Black File #105: Anita E4, Benjamin B1, Curtis C5, Dominic A3, Erica D6, Felix F2, Graham G7
The solved map: Anita E4, Benjamin B1, Curtis C5, Dominic A3, Erica D6, Felix F2, Graham G7.

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