Roboku
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Case 59: who took the Ancient Treatise?
An urgent call has come in from the staff at the library: the Ancient Treatise, normally kept in the Café, 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
- 1Lobby
- 2Café
- 3Restoration Room
- 4Office
- 5Periodicals Room
- 6Conference Room
- 7Reading Room
- 8Vault
- 9Reception Area
- 10Study Room
- 11Restrooms
- 12Archive
- 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
- EEsteban
He's right next to the Restrooms. - ZZara
She's next to a shelf. - XXiomara
She's right next to the Lobby. - LLucy
She's 7 rows away from the Café. - BBilal
He's in the Lobby and in row 7. - MMartha
She's on a seat. - AAncient Treatise (stolen item)
It's 5 columns away from the Restoration Room.
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
- Esteban's clue: He's right next to the Restrooms. 27 cells remain possible.
- Zara's clue: She's next to a shelf. 5 cells remain possible: E7, D8, F8, E9 and G9.
- Xiomara's clue: She's right next to the Lobby. 15 cells remain possible.
- Lucy's clue: She's 7 rows away from the Café. 2 cells remain possible: A3 and B5.
- Bilal's clue: He's in the Lobby and in row 7. It leaves a single cell: G7.
- Martha's clue: She's on a seat. It leaves a single cell: B10.
- The stolen item's clue: It's 5 columns away from the Restoration Room. It leaves a single cell: E1.
- Bilal can only be on G7. No one else can be in row 7 or column G, and no other character can be in the Lobby.
- Martha can only be on B10. No one else can be in row 10 or column B, and no other character can be in the Vault.
- B5 has already been ruled out, so Lucy can only be on A3. No one else can be in row 3 or column A, and no other character can be in the Reception Area.
- The Ancient Treatise can only be on E1. No one else can be in row 1 or column E.
- Every cell still open to Zara is in row 8, so no one else can be in that row.
- Every cell still open to Zara is in the Restrooms, so no other character can be there.
- Every other cell the clue allowed has already been ruled out, so Esteban can only be on F5. No one else can be in row 5 or column F, and no other character can be in the Reading Room.
- E7, F8, E9 and G9 have already been ruled out, so Zara can only be on D8.
- Every other cell the clue allowed has already been ruled out, so Xiomara can only be on H9.
Conclusion: Esteban is the only person sharing the Reading Room with the Ancient Treatise, which is on E1. He is the thief.