The Signature of the Chancellery
The bells had barely finished ringing when word reached the Chancellery: a theft, within the very walls. The culprit worked cleanly, but not without witnesses — and the witnesses, at last, have begun to talk. Before you, one by one, will stand Luca the Squire, Costache the Toll-Keeper and Chancellor Veniamin. The places named in the testimonies — the watchtower, the merchant's house and the mill by the river — each await their turn under scrutiny. Study the testimonies at your leisure, fit them into the grid, and pronounce your verdict without haste.
Suspects
He polishes the knight's armour and dreams of a sword of his own. For a coat of arms he would do almost anything.
1.72 m
right-handed
green eyes
brown hair
His scales weigh the goods; his eye, the merchant. Both can be "greased" at need.
1.80 m
right-handed
dark eyes
grey hair
Every charter of the kingdom passes through his hands. A comma he once moved started a war.
1.64 m
left-handed
grey eyes
bald
Locations
the watchtower
The highest point of the fortress. From here you see everything - and from below, everyone sees who climbs up.
the merchant's house
Carpets brought from overseas and a desk with more secret drawers than drawers.
the mill by the river
The wheel turns day and night. Its noise drowns out any conversation - which is why some are held here.
Open the Grid (below) to solve the case, with the testimonies at hand.
Touch a cell: blank → ✗ (excluded) → ✓ (certain) → blank. Each pair of categories meets exactly once.
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Verdict
The culprit always lies; everyone else tells the truth.
- An unsigned note, slipped under the door: "the culprit was at the watchtower".
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: the suspect with grey hair was at the mill by the river.
- The hounds caught no scent at all: Chancellor Veniamin never set foot in the place with more secret drawers than drawers.