Sleuthic

The Black Files · November 10, 2026 · Difficulty: Investigator

Black File #152 — SolutionThe Stairwell

Missed the case? Play Black File #152 →

The case

Clifford Vaughn, maintenance worker, was found dead at Fifth Street Parking Garage at 11:15 PM. Seven people were at the scene. Exactly one of them was alone with Clifford in the same zone.

The evidence (10 clues)
  1. Frank was sitting on a sofa.
  2. Denise was sitting on a sofa.
  3. Esther was sitting on a sofa.
  4. Anita was the westernmost person at the scene.
  5. Denise was the easternmost person at the scene.
  6. Anita was the northernmost person at the scene.
  7. Anita and Frank were in the same zone.
  8. Bianca and Denise were in the same zone.
  9. Gordon was the southernmost person at the scene.
  10. Bianca was farther north than Denise.

The answer

The killer: Gordon Delgado, alone with Clifford Vaughn in the Entrance Ramp.

Fixing rows and columns from the extreme-position clues cascades through the board and leaves Gordon alone with Clifford in the Entrance Ramp.

Step-by-step deduction

  1. Before placing anyone, each clue eliminates cells:
  2. • Anita: was the westernmost person of all, and since there is one person per column somebody occupies column A: that is Anita; was the northernmost person of all, and since there is one person per row somebody occupies row 1: that is Anita. Only A1 is left.
  3. • Bianca: was in the same zone as Denise, and Denise can only be in the Stairwell Lobby; was farther north than Denise, and Denise is no farther than row 4; column G already belongs to Denise; row 2 belongs to Frank; nobody else can occupy column F, so it must be Bianca. Only F3 is left.
  4. • Clifford: Clifford cannot be in Level One: the crime zone holds exactly two people and Anita and Frank are already there, and with Clifford that would be more than two; Clifford cannot be in the Stairwell Lobby: the crime zone holds exactly two people and Bianca and Denise are already there, and with Clifford that would be more than two; column A already belongs to Anita; row 4 already belongs to Denise; column G already belongs to Denise; column D belongs to Frank; row 7 belongs to Gordon; nobody else can occupy row 6, so it must be Clifford; nobody else can occupy column B, so it must be Clifford. Only B6 is left.
  5. • Denise: 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 Denise. Only G4 is left.
  6. • Esther: was sitting on the sofa; row 1 already belongs to Anita; row 4 already belongs to Denise; row 2 belongs to Frank; column D belongs to Frank; row 3 already belongs to Bianca. Only E5 is left.
  7. • Frank: was sitting on the sofa; was in the same zone as Anita, and Anita can only be in Level One; row 1 already belongs to Anita. Only D2 is left.
  8. • Gordon: was the southernmost person of all, and since there is one person per row somebody occupies row 7: that is Gordon; column A already belongs to Anita; column G already belongs to Denise; column D belongs to Frank; nobody else can occupy column C, so it must be Gordon. Only C7 is left.
  9. That already places Anita at A1, Denise at G4, Bianca at F3, Clifford at B6, Frank at D2, Gordon at C7 and Esther at E5.
  10. With all seven placed, the only people in the Entrance Ramp are Clifford and Gordon: Gordon was alone with the victim.
Solved map of Black File #152: Anita A1, Bianca F3, Clifford B6, Denise G4, Esther E5, Frank D2, Gordon C7
The solved map: Anita A1, Bianca F3, Clifford B6, Denise G4, Esther E5, Frank D2, Gordon C7.

Play today's case →