Case of the Week: The Drowned Ledger
Medium · 3 suspects
Silas Moon balanced the harbour board's books to the farthing and was disliked for it. The night crew hauled him out of the water near the slipway, both arms locked around an accounts ledger so soaked the ink ran blue down his sleeves. Tarrow dried the pages on the stove. Three of them had been torn out, neatly, with a blade. Whoever drowned the clerk had wanted the numbers to go down with him.
Quill's list of suspects ran to three names: Verity Holman (the mayor's secretary), Clemency Hext (a lobsterman) and Arthur Pengilly (the vicar's warden).
The body had been moved; the struggle itself took place at the lamp room.
Weapons: tide-clock pendulum, gaff hook, oar
Places: lamp room, sea-cave, lifeboat station
The Evidence
- Whoever was at the lamp room had the tide-clock pendulum.
- Whoever was at the sea-cave had the gaff hook.
- Verity Holman did not have the tide-clock pendulum.
- Arthur Pengilly had the oar.
Reveal the solution
The culprit: Clemency Hext.
| Verity Holman | gaff hook | sea-cave |
| Clemency Hext | tide-clock pendulum | lamp room |
| Arthur Pengilly | oar | lifeboat station |
Clue 4 settles that Arthur had the oar. Clue 3 shows that Verity had the gaff hook and Clemency had the tide-clock pendulum. Clue 1 settles that Clemency was at the lamp room. Clue 2 then fixes the rest of the ledger: Verity was at the sea-cave and Arthur was at the lifeboat station.
Want a ledger grid to work in? Get the free printable sampler.