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Case 5: who took the Secret Diary?
An urgent call has come in from the staff at the library: the Secret Diary, normally kept in the Vault, has been stolen. The theft must have happened at some point during the day without anyone noticing. Help the police unmask the thief.
The board
- 1Study Room
- 2Restrooms
- 3Periodicals Room
- 4Café
- 5Reception Area
- 6Storage Room
- 7Vault
- 8Archive
- 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.
- Window: the blue line on a wall.
Suspects and clues
- CChidi
He's in the Reception Area. - EEsteban
He's 5 rows away from the Study Room. - YYusuf
He's on a seat. - NNadia
She's in row 5. - FFarah
She's 1 column away from the Restrooms. - SSecret Diary (stolen item)
It's in column D.
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
- Chidi's clue: He's in the Reception Area. 2 cells remain possible: E6 and F6.
- Esteban's clue: He's 5 rows away from the Study Room. It leaves a single cell: B1.
- Yusuf's clue: He's on a seat. It leaves a single cell: E3.
- Nadia's clue: She's in row 5. 6 cells remain possible: A5, B5, C5, D5, E5 and F5.
- Farah's clue: She's 1 column away from the Restrooms. It leaves a single cell: A4.
- The stolen item's clue: It's in column D. 6 cells remain possible: D1, D2, D3, D4, D5 and D6.
- Esteban can only be on B1. No one else can be in row 1 or column B, and no other character can be in the Archive.
- Yusuf can only be on E3. No one else can be in row 3 or column E, and no other character can be in the Café.
- E6 has already been ruled out, so Chidi can only be on F6. No one else can be in row 6 or column F, and no other character can be in the Reception Area.
- Farah can only be on A4. No one else can be in row 4 or column A, and no other character can be in the Storage Room.
- There are as many suspects (counting the item) as rows, so each row holds exactly one. Only the Secret Diary can still reach row 2, so that is where it must be.
- D1, D3, D4, D5 and D6 have already been ruled out, so the Secret Diary can only be on D2. No one else can be in row 2 or column D.
- A5, B5, D5, E5 and F5 have already been ruled out, so Nadia can only be on C5.
Conclusion: Yusuf is the only person sharing the Café with the Secret Diary, which is on D2. He is the thief.