Room for Murder Daily › All cases › Case #12
The School Affair
Uma had just announced a secret. Ten minutes later, the secret died too.
🔎 Solved by 5 detectives · median time 7:08 · 80% with no help at all
Can stand / sit on: chairstoolbench
Solid — nobody there: tabledeskfridgesinktreebushgrandfather clock
What the witnesses say
Olivethe mayor
“There was a table in her row. She was somewhere west of Basil.”
“There was a table in her row. She was somewhere west of Basil.”
Theothe teacher
“There was a tree in his row. There was the grandfather clock in his column.”
“There was a tree in his row. There was the grandfather clock in his column.”
Basilthe vicar
“He was diagonally next to Olive. He was somewhere west of Rufus.”
“He was diagonally next to Olive. He was somewhere west of Rufus.”
Rufusthe fisherman
“He was beside a sink.”
“He was beside a sink.”
Felixthe magician
“He was beside a tree.”
“He was beside a tree.”
Ivanthe tailor
“He was diagonally next to Felix.”
“He was diagonally next to Felix.”
Umathe victim
Found dead — alone in a room with the killer.
Found dead — alone in a room with the killer.
The rules
- Exactly one person in every row and every column.
- Nobody stands on solid furniture; chairs, sofas, benches, beds and rugs are fine.
- Every statement is true. “Beside” means the square directly next to it; north is up.
- The victim was alone in a room with exactly one other person: the killer.
Show the answer and the solution to case #12
The killer was Theo (the teacher) — the only other person in the Classroom with Uma. Olive: F5 · Theo: C1 · Basil: G6 · Rufus: B7 · Felix: D4 · Ivan: E3 · Uma: A2.
How to solve it, step by step
- Theo: “There was a tree in his row. There was the grandfather clock in his column.” Only one square on the whole plan fits: C1.
- Felix: “He was beside a tree.” Of the squares that fit, only D4 is still open — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
- Every square left for Rufus is in row B, so row B is Rufus's — nobody else can be in row B.
- Every square left for Ivan is in row E, so row E is Ivan's — nobody else can be in row E.
- Read Basil's statement — “He was diagonally next to Olive.” — against where Olive can still be: Basil can only be on G3, G5, G6 or G7; Olive can only be on F2, F5, F6 or F7.
- Row A still needs someone, and only Uma can still stand in it — so Uma is somewhere in row A.
- Read Basil's statement — “He was somewhere west of Rufus.” — against where Rufus can still be: Basil can only be on G3, G5 or G6.
- Read Olive's statement — “She was somewhere west of Basil.” — against where Basil can still be: Olive can only be on F2 or F5.
- Column 6 still needs someone, and Basil is the only one who can still stand in it. In column 6, “He was diagonally next to Olive. He was somewhere west of Rufus.” fits only G6.
- Olive: “There was a table in her row. She was somewhere west of Basil.” And Basil said: “He was diagonally next to Olive.” With Basil on G6 and Basil on G6, only F5 still fits — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
- Rufus: “He was beside a sink.” And Basil said: “He was somewhere west of Rufus.” With Basil on G6, only B7 still fits — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
- Ivan: “He was diagonally next to Felix.” With Felix on D4, only E3 still fits — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
- Uma, the victim, has no statement — but only one square is left in a free row and column: A2, in the Classroom.
- Everyone is placed. Uma lies in the Classroom, and the only other person in there is Theo. Theo is the killer.
The book
80 more cases in Room for Murder
Five chapters of floor-plan mysteries, from cosy cottages to a lying-killer chapter, with answers in the back.
Book 2
Room for Murder: Thanksgiving
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Book 3
Room for Murder: Winter
90 cosy Christmas floor-plan mysteries in snowed-in Juniper Falls — a stocking stuffer for puzzle lovers.