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Case 31: who took the Trident of Neptune?
A routine inventory at the aquarium has revealed that the Trident of Neptune, officially listed as being in the Maintenance Room, is nowhere to be found. The insurance company won't pay a cent without a named culprit, so the pressure to solve this is real. Help the police unmask the thief.
The board
- 1Office
- 2Lobby
- 3Café
- 4Maintenance Room
- 5Gift Shop
- 6Diving Room
- 7Laboratory
- 8Terrace
- 9Main Aquarium
- 10Restrooms
- 11Storage Room
- 12Reception Area
- Plant: no character can stand on its cell, but the stolen item can be there.
- Seat: anyone can be on it.
- Shelf: no character can stand on its cell, but the stolen item can be there.
- Table: nothing can be on its cell.
- Screen: nothing can be on its cell.
Suspects and clues
- KKenji
He's 3 columns away from the Café. - AAmara
She's in row 6. - YYusuf
He's in the Main Aquarium. - LLiu
He's right next to the Main Aquarium. - MMatthew
He's in column D. - WWendy
She's next to a shelf. - FFarah
She's on a seat. - TTrident of Neptune (stolen item)
It's 1 row away from the Restrooms.
Remember the rules: no two suspects (nor the item) ever share a row or a column, each character is in a different room, and the thief is the only one sharing a room with the stolen item. Unsure? Read how to play and the clue types.
Solution
Try it yourself first: pen and paper are enough. When you want to check, open the reasoned solution.
Show the step-by-step solution
- Kenji's clue: He's 3 columns away from the Café. 4 cells remain possible: G2, G3, F4 and E5.
- Amara's clue: She's in row 6. 7 cells remain possible.
- Yusuf's clue: He's in the Main Aquarium. 6 cells remain possible: E3, F3, D4, E4, F4 and G4.
- Liu's clue: He's right next to the Main Aquarium. 16 cells remain possible.
- Matthew's clue: He's in column D. 9 cells remain possible.
- Wendy's clue: She's next to a shelf. 2 cells remain possible: I7 and G8.
- Farah's clue: She's on a seat. It leaves a single cell: A5.
- The stolen item's clue: It's 1 row away from the Restrooms. It leaves a single cell: E8.
- Farah can only be on A5. No one else can be in row 5 or column A, and no other character can be in the Reception Area.
- The Trident of Neptune can only be on E8. No one else can be in row 8 or column E.
- G8 has already been ruled out, so Wendy can only be on I7. No one else can be in row 7 or column I, and no other character can be in the Maintenance Room.
- Every cell still open to Amara is in row 6, so no one else can be in that row.
- Every cell still open to Yusuf is in the Main Aquarium, so no other character can be there.
- Every cell still open to Kenji is in column G, so no one else can be in that column.
- Every cell still open to Kenji is in the Diving Room, so no other character can be there.
- Every cell still open to Matthew is in column D, so no one else can be in that column.
- Every cell still open to Yusuf is in column F, so no one else can be in that column.
- Every other cell the clue allowed has already been ruled out, so Liu can only be on C4. No one else can be in row 4 or column C, and no other character can be in the Café.
- A6, C6, D6, E6, F6 and G6 have already been ruled out, so Amara can only be on B6.
- E3, D4, E4, F4 and G4 have already been ruled out, so Yusuf can only be on F3. No one else can be in row 3 or column F, and no other character can be in the Main Aquarium.
- G3, F4 and E5 have already been ruled out, so Kenji can only be on G2.
- The Trident of Neptune can only be in the Laboratory, and Matthew is the only character who can still get in there. Since the thief shares a room with the item, Matthew must be in the Laboratory.
- D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7 and D8 have already been ruled out, so Matthew can only be on D9.
Conclusion: Matthew is the only person sharing the Laboratory with the Trident of Neptune, which is on E8. He is the thief.