Sleuthic

The Black Files · September 28, 2026 · Difficulty: Rookie

Black File #109 — SolutionNight Shift

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The case

Fabian Hayes, billing clerk, was found dead at Lakeside Clinic at 3:35 PM. Seven people were at the scene. Exactly one of them was alone with Fabian in the same zone.

The evidence (11 clues)
  1. Anita was in the Pharmacy.
  2. Bruce was standing on the floor.
  3. Connie was standing on the stairs.
  4. Gordon was standing on the floor.
  5. Connie was in the Pharmacy.
  6. Anita was sitting in a chair.
  7. Bruce was in the Waiting Room.
  8. Dolores was standing on the floor.
  9. Edgar was sitting in a chair.
  10. Dolores was in Exam Room 2.
  11. Gordon was the westernmost person at the scene.

The answer

The killer: Edgar Lindqvist, alone with Fabian Hayes in the Staff Lounge.

Fixing rows and columns from the extreme-position clues cascades through the board and leaves Edgar alone with Fabian in the Staff Lounge.

Step-by-step deduction

  1. Before placing anyone, each clue eliminates cells:
  2. • Anita: was in the Pharmacy; was sitting in a chair. Only G1 is left.
  3. • Bruce: was standing on the floor; was in the Waiting Room; column G already belongs to Anita. Only E6 is left.
  4. • Connie: was on the stairs; was in the Pharmacy; row 1 already belongs to Anita; column E belongs to Bruce. Only F3 is left.
  5. • Dolores: was standing on the floor; was in Exam Room 2; row 3 belongs to Connie; row 2 belongs to Gordon. Only B4 is left.
  6. • Edgar: was sitting in a chair; row 1 already belongs to Anita; row 6 belongs to Bruce; column F belongs to Connie; column A belongs to Gordon; nobody else can occupy row 7, so it must be Edgar; column B already belongs to Dolores. Only C7 is left.
  7. • Fabian: Fabian cannot be in the Pharmacy: the crime zone holds exactly two people and Anita and Connie are already there, and with Fabian that would be more than two; row 1 already belongs to Anita; column G already belongs to Anita; row 6 belongs to Bruce; column E belongs to Bruce; row 3 belongs to Connie; column F belongs to Connie; row 2 belongs to Gordon; column A belongs to Gordon; nobody else can occupy row 5, so it must be Fabian; nobody else can occupy column D, so it must be Fabian. Only D5 is left.
  8. • Gordon: was standing on the floor; was the westernmost person of all, and since there is one person per column somebody occupies column A: that is Gordon; row 6 belongs to Bruce. Only A2 is left.
  9. That already places Anita at G1, Bruce at E6, Connie at F3, Dolores at B4, Fabian at D5, Gordon at A2 and Edgar at C7.
  10. With all seven placed, the only people in the Staff Lounge are Fabian and Edgar: Edgar was alone with the victim.
Solved map of Black File #109: Anita G1, Bruce E6, Connie F3, Dolores B4, Edgar C7, Fabian D5, Gordon A2
The solved map: Anita G1, Bruce E6, Connie F3, Dolores B4, Edgar C7, Fabian D5, Gordon A2.

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