Sleuthic

The Black Files · October 16, 2026 · Difficulty: Senior Detective

Black File #127 — SolutionCurtain Call

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The case

Florence Kim, producer, was found dead at Palace Theater at 3:35 PM. Seven people were at the scene. Exactly one of them was alone with Florence in the same zone.

The evidence (11 clues)
  1. Derek was sitting on a sofa.
  2. Beth was sitting in a chair.
  3. Derek and Gary were in the same zone.
  4. Curtis was the northernmost person at the scene.
  5. Aaron was the easternmost person at the scene.
  6. There were exactly 2 people in the Box Office.
  7. Curtis was the westernmost person at the scene.
  8. Beth and Curtis were in the same zone.
  9. Aaron was the southernmost person at the scene.
  10. Ernest was farther west than Gary.
  11. Derek was farther west than Gary.

The answer

The killer: Aaron Trask, alone with Florence Kim in the Stage.

Fixing rows and columns from the extreme-position clues cascades through the board and leaves Aaron alone with Florence in the Stage.

Step-by-step deduction

  1. Before placing anyone, each clue eliminates cells:
  2. • Aaron: was the easternmost person of all, and since there is one person per column somebody occupies column G: that is Aaron; was the southernmost person of all, and since there is one person per row somebody occupies row 7: that is Aaron. Only G7 is left.
  3. • Beth: was sitting in a chair; was in the same zone as Curtis, and Curtis can only be in the Dressing Room; row 1 already belongs to Curtis; column A already belongs to Curtis. Only F2 is left.
  4. • Curtis: was the northernmost person of all, and since there is one person per row somebody occupies row 1: that is Curtis; was the westernmost person of all, and since there is one person per column somebody occupies column A: that is Curtis. Only A1 is left.
  5. • Derek: was sitting on the sofa; was farther west than Gary, and Gary is no farther than column E; row 1 already belongs to Curtis; row 2 belongs to Beth; nobody else can occupy column C, so it must be Derek. Only C5 is left.
  6. • Ernest: was farther west than Gary, and Gary is no farther than column E; row 7 already belongs to Aaron; row 1 already belongs to Curtis; column A already belongs to Curtis; row 2 belongs to Beth; column F belongs to Beth; there were exactly 2 people in the Box Office, and those are already Derek and Gary; nobody else can occupy row 6, so it must be Ernest; nobody else can occupy column B, so it must be Ernest. Only B6 is left.
  7. • Florence: Florence cannot be in the Dressing Room: the crime zone holds exactly two people and Beth and Curtis are already there, and with Florence that would be more than two; row 7 already belongs to Aaron; column G already belongs to Aaron; column A already belongs to Curtis; row 2 belongs to Beth; column F belongs to Beth; there were exactly 2 people in the Box Office, and those are already Derek and Gary; nobody else can occupy row 4, so it must be Florence. Only E4 is left.
  8. • Gary: was in the same zone as Derek, and Derek can only be in the Box Office; Ernest was farther west than Gary, and Ernest is at least at column B; row 7 already belongs to Aaron; column G already belongs to Aaron; row 1 already belongs to Curtis; row 2 belongs to Beth; column F belongs to Beth; Derek was farther west than Gary, and Derek is at least at column C; nobody else can occupy column D, so it must be Gary; row 5 already belongs to Derek. Only D3 is left.
  9. That already places Aaron at G7, Curtis at A1, Beth at F2, Derek at C5, Ernest at B6, Florence at E4 and Gary at D3.
  10. With all seven placed, the only people in the Stage are Florence and Aaron: Aaron was alone with the victim.
Solved map of Black File #127: Aaron G7, Beth F2, Curtis A1, Derek C5, Ernest B6, Florence E4, Gary D3
The solved map: Aaron G7, Beth F2, Curtis A1, Derek C5, Ernest B6, Florence E4, Gary D3.

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