Sleuthic

The Black Files · October 19, 2026 · Difficulty: Specialist

Black File #130 — SolutionNight Shift

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The case

Evelyn Sato, nephew, was found dead at The Aldridge Residence at 10:45 PM. Seven people were at the scene. Exactly one of them was alone with Evelyn in the same zone.

The evidence (9 clues)
  1. Gordon was standing on the floor.
  2. Daniel was sitting on a sofa.
  3. Angela was standing on the floor.
  4. Angela was the westernmost person at the scene.
  5. Daniel was the easternmost person at the scene.
  6. Brenda and Daniel were in the same zone.
  7. Gordon was the northernmost person at the scene.
  8. Faye and Gordon were in the same zone.
  9. Colin was farther north than Daniel.

The answer

The killer: Colin Thornton, alone with Evelyn Sato in the Back Garden.

Fixing rows and columns from the extreme-position clues cascades through the board and leaves Colin alone with Evelyn in the Back Garden.

Step-by-step deduction

  1. Before placing anyone, each clue eliminates cells:
  2. • Angela: 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 Angela; row 4 already belongs to Colin; row 5 already belongs to Daniel. Only A6 is left.
  3. • Brenda: was in the same zone as Daniel, and Daniel can only be in the Living Room; column G belongs to Daniel; row 1 belongs to Gordon; row 4 already belongs to Colin; row 5 already belongs to Daniel; nobody else can occupy column F, so it must be Brenda. Only F3 is left.
  4. • Colin: was farther north than Daniel, and Daniel is no farther than row 5; column A belongs to Angela; column G belongs to Daniel; row 1 belongs to Gordon; only Evelyn and the killer were in the crime zone (the Back Garden) and only Colin and Evelyn can be there. Only D4 is left.
  5. • Daniel: was sitting on the sofa; was the easternmost person of all, and since there is one person per column somebody occupies column G: that is Daniel; Colin was farther north than Daniel, and Colin is at least at row 2. Only G5 is left.
  6. • Evelyn: Evelyn cannot be in the Living Room: the crime zone holds exactly two people and Brenda and Daniel are already there, and with Evelyn that would be more than two; column A belongs to Angela; column G belongs to Daniel; row 1 belongs to Gordon; nobody else can occupy row 7, so it must be Evelyn; column D already belongs to Colin; column B belongs to Gordon; column C already belongs to Faye. Only E7 is left.
  7. • Faye: was in the same zone as Gordon, and Gordon can only be in the Foyer or the Living Room; column A belongs to Angela; column G belongs to Daniel; row 1 belongs to Gordon; row 4 already belongs to Colin; column D already belongs to Colin; row 5 already belongs to Daniel; row 3 belongs to Brenda; column B belongs to Gordon. Only C2 is left.
  8. • Gordon: was standing on the floor; was the northernmost person of all, and since there is one person per row somebody occupies row 1: that is Gordon; column D already belongs to Colin. Only B1 is left.
  9. That already places Colin at D4, Daniel at G5, Angela at A6, Brenda at F3, Faye at C2, Gordon at B1 and Evelyn at E7.
  10. With all seven placed, the only people in the Back Garden are Evelyn and Colin: Colin was alone with the victim.
Solved map of Black File #130: Angela A6, Brenda F3, Colin D4, Daniel G5, Evelyn E7, Faye C2, Gordon B1
The solved map: Angela A6, Brenda F3, Colin D4, Daniel G5, Evelyn E7, Faye C2, Gordon B1.

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