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The Merry Marauder posted:Look at the capital letters under each of the words I circled in the coded text.  I even looked at those capital letters previously when someone pointed out that the horizontal portions all end with a capital letter. I still didn't pick up on what they spelled out.The Merry Marauder posted:I like this. Was Australia using their own pound in 1889? If so, that might account for the inflated ticket price if it was purchased there. They weren't, no, and even when the Australian pound was introduced (in 1910), it was 1:1 with the British one.
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Dec 5, 2015 20:12
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 09:29 |
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I'm ready to go ahead with 6 SE (possible mint clue), but want to confirm that it's still the #1 choice in light of the additional detail from the cryptic message.
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Dec 6, 2015 16:53
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I think I vote for Fred Porlock at 18 NW.
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Dec 6, 2015 17:03
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If it helps, I'm fine with visiting Porlock as well. If SE 6 is a complete dud, then in the interest of time we could even skip right past it to that...
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Dec 6, 2015 17:07
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Sounds fair. Either or both, really.
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Dec 6, 2015 17:09
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Case 2, Clue 11 6 SE (Cummins & Goins) The clerk at Cummins & Goins checks the log and tells us that four messages were delivered to C. Donald at Mrs. Jetley's Boardinghouse, the last on the 4th. "Do you remember the man who sent the messages?" "Yes, he was an older gentleman. He wore a long coat and a top hat. I remember specifically his eyes. They were dark and deep-set under bushy eyebrows. There was no kindness in them." I think the impact of that would have been greater had the signature of the note not been discovered. Just in case people don't recognize the description, since in-game this image has been shown (though not explicitly with this case). CPs visited: 13 SE, 3 SE, 20 WC, 10 EC, 13 SW, 11 SE, 2 SW, 30 SE, 7 SE, 22 WC, 6 SE non-clues: 1 NW I can go through with the next clue tomorrow, since I've a feeling we know where we want to go.
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Dec 6, 2015 22:47
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That's... not what I expected, I have to admit. So. The main obstacle to concluding this case right here and now is, I would say, that we lack any direct evidence that it was Roger who killed our victim. It's certainly a plausible series of events, but there is no evidence that we have that clearly proves he knew about their rendezvous.
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Dec 6, 2015 23:03
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While that's true, I'd expect to get that by interviewing staff at the theater, and we know the game doesn't really permit that. Lestrade does have to have a few things to do off-camera to earn his pay. We might just want to wrap it up - we have to answer questions, not try it in court, after all.
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Dec 7, 2015 00:46
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Hyper Crab Tank posted:That's... not what I expected, I have to admit. This is my feeling as well. I'd be down to see what Porlock has to say but I fear he wouldn't tell us anything we don't already know.
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Dec 7, 2015 05:38
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Make your votes official as to whether we want another clue or to close the case. The decision will be final in about 15 hours.
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Dec 8, 2015 01:59
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Yeah, I'll go with Porlock. I think unless that pushes us in a radical new direction though we should take the quiz after that.
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Dec 8, 2015 09:28
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Agreed.
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Dec 8, 2015 17:13
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Case 2, Clue 12 18 NW (Parsons & Sons Toy Shoppe) Sam Parsons hands us a miniature safe with a small operating tumbler lock and a note to go with it: The note is in a fancy script typeface: quote:Have to get down under to crack it. CPs visited: 13 SE, 3 SE, 20 WC, 10 EC, 13 SW, 11 SE, 2 SW, 30 SE, 7 SE, 22 WC, 6 SE, 18 NW non-clues: 1 NW I'd expect this isn't going to prompt new investigations, and I'll likely post the quiz in about a day and a half.
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Dec 8, 2015 18:07
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Well, that about seals it. "Down under" seems to square well with the theory that our victim is Australian (or perhaps a reference to digging your way into the bank?), and a safecracker. I think we're ready for the quiz.
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Dec 8, 2015 18:14
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Case 2 is closed. Quiz Part 1 1. What was the murdered man's name? 2. Who killed him? 3. Why was he killed? 4. Where was he from? Part 2 1. What was the message in the cipher? 2. Who sent the cipher? 3. What was the significance of the supervisor's cap and overalls? 4. On what street did Holmes first live in London? I'd been making a conscious effort to avoid using the term 'cipher', because it shouldn't be considered one except in a broad sense of the word. But there it is in the quiz anyway. Answers will be posted some time tomorrow.
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Dec 10, 2015 00:32
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Part 1 1. His name was Charles P. MacDonald, and all his aliases were variations on his name. We've found nothing so far to clue us into what the P. might stand for. 2. Roger Thornberry killed him. 3. The motive was jealousy: MacDonald had slept with Thornberry's girlfriend, Minnie Cavill, the night before. So Thornberry killed MacDonald out of revenge. 4. Given the "down under" pun in the latest clue, I'm willing to go along with the thread's consensus that he was from Australia. Part 2 1. The message was "meet roger gold noon sixth mint out cox". 2. It was sent by Moriarty. 3. The supervisor's cap and overalls were part of the disguise MacDonald would have worn as his pretext for being around the bank whose safe he was going to crack: he was allegedly supervising the digging going on outside. (And Roger Thornberry was one of the diggers.) 4. What? Is this going to be a pattern in this game -- one question in each case relating not to the case itself, but to Holmes trivia? I could easily find this with an Internet search, but that would be cheating. I don't know: the only Holmes address I know is the famous 221B Baker St.
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Dec 10, 2015 01:44
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4. I have a vague memory of it being on Montegue St. but I'm not certain. Edit: #4 for part 2 of the quiz, I mean FlavoFibe fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Dec 10, 2015 |
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Dec 10, 2015 01:50
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Yep, concur with all the answers, and the answer question 2-4 is indeed not 221b Baker Street, since one of the first things that happen in A Study in Scarlet is Watson and Holmes moving in there... but I also don't have any recollection of what it would be. You know, the interesting thing about that message is that it really is a cipher, it's just that the plaintext does not contain the true message. The actual message was steganographied into the ciphertext, and I guess the cipher itself was just a distraction.
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Dec 10, 2015 09:03
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Tax Refund posted:4. What? Is this going to be a pattern in this game -- one question in each case relating not to the case itself, but to Holmes trivia? I could easily find this with an Internet search, but that would be cheating. I don't know: the only Holmes address I know is the famous 221B Baker St. I think this is the case, but remember that all the Part 2 questions are bonus points. They are there to counterbalance the fact that the player is likely to need more clue points than Holmes. We haven't seen any yet that ask about false leads, but they also exist for some cases. Quiz coming in a few hours. And come to think of it, 'message in the cipher' probably is a good way to phrase it. Still, I did want to avoid saying 'try to solve the cipher' which would have been misleading.
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Dec 10, 2015 20:07
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Case 2 Solution Part 1 1. What was the murdered man's name? Charles P. MacDonald.(25) I'd say this is worth 20 points for first & last name, 5 points for the 'P', which is not seen anywhere else than the ticket. None of the others in Part 1 would seem to allow for partial credit. 2. Who killed him? Roger Thornberry.(25) Not that they asked, but with a stiletto. 3. Why was he killed? Jealousy over Minnie Cavill.(25) 4. Where was he from? Australia.(25) This might be worth ~5 points for knowing 'outside the British Isles'. Part 2 1. What was the message in the cipher? meet roger gold noon sixth mint out cox. (10) See below for what it means. 2. Who sent the cipher? Professor Moriarty. (10) 3. What was the significance of the supervisor's cap and overalls? They were part of the disguise to cover the robbery at Cox's. (10) 4. On what street did Holmes first live in London? Montague-street. (10) Revealed in "The Musgrave Ritual". He was just round the corner from the British Museum. Holmes solved the case in 5 Clue Points. They were Mrs. Jetley's Boardinghouse (7 SE), Bar of Gold (33 SE), Fred Porlock (18 NW), Cox's Bank (22 WC), and Roger Thornberry (30 SE). All the answers given were correct, the only points lost were in the extra clues required. That still leaves us with 105 points, a better than perfect score and a job well done! Now for Sherlock (with an interpolation to cover where I think the oversight in this case is):  "A simple case," says Dr. Watson, warming his hands at the fireplace. "Except for that damned cipher...don't know how that figures in." "Simple in some ways, Watson, but not ready to be closed." Lestrade, the expression on his face having changed from one of disagreement at Watson's remark to one of puzzlement at Holmes', speaks up. "I find nothing simple about it, 'damned cipher' or otherwise. If you would kindly explain it to me, Mr. Homes, I'd be much obliged." "Of course, Inspector... The first place of inquiry was 7 Long-lane, SE, Mrs. Jetley's Boardinghouse, in an attempt to establish an identity and background for our very mysterious friend." "How on earth did you manage that?" asks Lestrade. "From the note with the street directions, Inspector. Our man's destination was clearly Simpson's Cigar Divan — he had a cigar from there and Simpson's is on Villiers — but his point of departure was somewhat more obscure; after all, the street from which one begins is usually not included in directions. "Our man began his journey by turning left onto Borough High-street. Looking at the map, there are but four streets from which one can turn left onto Borough High-street so as to be traveling south." "Why south?" "In order to turn onto Borough-road from Borough High, one must be travelling south. So our man either began from London Bridge Station or from 7 SE. I dismissed the former. If one were coming into town to visit Simpson's, why stop at London Bridge Station? Why not continue on to Charing Cross? By simply canvassing both ends of the 7 SE block, I discovered Mrs. Jetley's where the mere mention of bright red hair evoked a most satisfying response." "To put a name to our man we use two principles. First, personal items are usually reliable with regard to inscribed names. Second, most false names are but a composite or variation of the real name. His shaving mug was inscribed 'Mac', he was known to Mrs. Jetley as Charlie Donald, and a steamship ticket bore the name M.P. Charles. Keeping our two tenets in mind, I suggest that his name was Charles P. MacDonald. Although, Inspector, a communication with the Australian authorities listing all the possible variations would clear up any doubt." "What told you he was from Australia?" "The steamship ticket, principally. The amount of the passage was put at 160 pounds, indicating a trip of considerable distance. He was definitely English, yet spoke with an intonation unfamiliar to Mrs. Jetley. Australia suggested itself as the point of origin. A visit with Jardine, Matheson and Company should confirm or deny that suspicion. "The only name associated with MacDonald, for so we'll call him, was a performer at the Elephant and Castle, Miss Minnie Cavill. A page out of the playbill had been removed and Miss Cavill's name circled. There was a notation beside the name: 'Beautiful.'" "So MacDonald's death had something to do with her?" "The coincidence of place, the Elephant and Castle, certainly pointed that way. However, at the time I was more interested in the stethoscope, the overalls, and the street supervisor's cap, especially as they related to the cipher." "Which is simply a substitution code," beams Wiggins. "The key is in the date, which is all wrong. He was killed on the 4th, yet it's dated the 5th! If you displace the alphabet by five to where 'E', the fifth letter in the alphabet, becomes 'A', the first letter, then the cipher is broken! See?" We gather round to read his translation: pre:A knife AngeL caMe jUst on Spirit kIss yOu a BlaDe skIll kEpt keeN eNgageD a quiD kill sHe advAnces Where knigHt in jesT play taG a rApiEr an adze aBjure paSt paId PleasUres if dIrk on ageNt keEp bodkin Near those seeK Who ready KnoW "Knives and dirks?" wonders Lestrade. "Our man certainly was stabbed. The capital letters may mean something." "Though I did notice one of the words -- 'Spirit' was misspelt. If you shift it directly, it comes out as 'Spirpt'. I figured it was a mistake, but maybe it has some meaning?" ponders Wiggins. "No, that word definitely held no meaning for either the sender or receiver. As this was prepared on a type-writer, the man who wrote it could not see the letters or his mistake. When checking over the message afterward, he found it to be perfectly correct, because he did not see that word." "So it's decoded with a different key? But all the other words seem to fit." "I'm afraid Wiggins, that the last line of your translation is the most telling," says Holmes, "'Those seek who ready know.' The key is the number 5, but Professor Moriarty is practicing the old adage that the best place to hide something is in plain sight. Forget your substitution; go back to the original cipher and read the letters down in their columns. Five columns over, including spaces, we find a word, 'meet'. Continue on, counting over five columns each time and reading down." "Meet...roger...gold...noon...sixth...mint...out...cox," reads Wiggins. "The capitals do mean something; certain of them do. Each of the message words is followed by a capital. Read them out, Wiggins." "M...O...R...I...A...R...T...Y, Moriarty!" "My God! that's so simple. Why didn't I think of it?" Watson is prepared to answer Lestrade but Holmes continues on before he can. "MacDonald's murder was at once incidental to the cipher and the sinister robbery plot and yet connected to it. Professor Moriarty was planning a job for which he needed a specialist, MacDonald. Given the stethoscope, Mrs. Jetley's comment on MacDonald's dexterity with a coin, my own observations of his hands and the clue left by Porlock, a miniature safe, MacDonald's specialty was obviously that of a cracksman. "Now, MacDonald's contact with Moriarty was through Roger Thornberry, the Roger of the ciper and, according to the barman at the Bar of Gold, a master with a stiletto, a long, thin knife of Italian origin. "The cipher indicated that the Royal Mint was out as a target and the alternative was Cox's bank. On my visit there, I noticed digging across the street, supposedly under city supervision. It went a long way to explain MacDonald's overalls and the supervisor's cap and the overalls posessed by Thornberry." "You mean the the digging is being conducted by Moriarty's men! I'll have them rounded up in no time." "There is still the murder to be disposed of." "Yes, of course," apologizes Lestrade. "Sorry to interrupt." "Quite independent of his part in the robbery or his association with Thornberry, MacDonald chanced upon Miss Cavill. He went to the Elephant and Castle every evening for a week, bought her jewelry — A. Marx & Co. is a jeweller — and, no doubt, escorted her on the night of the third to the Bridge House Hotel. Unfortunately, Miss Cavill was already possessed nof a very jealous and dangerous paramour, Roger Thornberry. The poster in his room giving Miss Cavill top billing and the photograph of a fair-haired lady in theatrical costume establish the connection." "Thornberry, hum!" exclaims Lestrade. "I'll have him under lock and key immediately!" "You may not get the chance, Inspector. That is what I meant when I said the case is not yet closed. I doubt if Professor Moriarty will take kindly to the fact that his plans have been scotched. He may already have collected payment from Thornberry. Thus, by an injustice, justice is done."
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Dec 11, 2015 00:36
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 I'm actually surprised we scored that high! It felt like we were wasting so much time being dumbos with the cipher and visiting less-than-helpful locations. It seems the "mint" in the message was indeed referring to the Royal Mint, though not in a capacity we expected. I wonder if there were any additional clues that would've made that more explicit. Also, it means the 6 SE thing was pure coincidence... that's kind of amazing, too. And we never even thought of the Bar of Gold. I wonder if we would've even found it on a lookup. Kangra posted:As this was prepared on a type-writer, the man who wrote it could not see the letters or his mistake. Hah, that's a clever way to explain it, given the typewriters of the time (though I still doubt it was intentional on the authors' part).
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Dec 11, 2015 10:04
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My feeling is that at some point they intended the typo to be there, to signal to the player that something's wrong with decoding it as a cipher. But then that got lost somehow, probably because they couldn't figure out how to make it a better clue. The Ystari version that had people in fits has a hint that says something like "there must be something about that word" and another that mentions a "code within a code" which tended to send some people in the wrong direction. I think the code is a good way to do a 'how could I miss that' obvious solution, but it has the problem in being too clever by half in that the actual message is inscrutable. It is very clearly a puzzle for the player, not a message an actual person would send. That 'gold' translates to "Bar of Gold", which, of course, can't be found in the directory unless you check pubs, is the worst of its sins, but the Royal Mint is a problem as well. There are literally no clues to visit or follow up on that suggest what 'mint' means. Should you happen to surmise that it's the Royal Mint and see if there's a clue there, you'll find nothing and think it's a dead end. Nothing about MacDonald's behavior ties him to the Royal Mint; it seems he spent all his time either checking out Cox's (presumably examining the vault or activity of the guards?) or supervising the digging. Possibly he was never even involved in the mint job. So why would Moriarty even mention the other plan? If they were simply the 'Cox crew' and biding their time until the signal was given, they only need to be told one thing: Go. If he was in fact working on the mint, there ought to have been at least a hint of it in his rooms or somewhere. Still, I do think it's a good (if tough) case in unraveling a murder where the evidence trail is very faint. It may not have been the best to marry with the cryptic message, but then again maybe having that as something to work on keeps it from feeling like there are no real clues. You all did a great job figuring out the code in the end, and finding some of the tougher clues (like Mrs Jetley's). As for the Cummins & Goins clue, I very nearly posted that it was a non-clue, because I knew there was nothing to the mint, but then checked anyway and had to laugh. The amazing thing is that this case has the smallest number of clues in the game, so it was even a bigger coincidence that this landed on an actual place. A similar thing nearly happened with Cox's bank, when you were considering checking the hotels. There is precisely one 'silly' clue in this case: The League of Red-Headed Gentlemen, which has a London address in the directory (they don't dissolve until October 9th, 1890, I believe). They mention having had an annual meeting the night before and that all members were present. MacDonald would of course be disqualified from membership for not being a native of London.  Next case will be started Monday or Tuesday. There'll be less murder this time around.
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Dec 12, 2015 21:03
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There are a few things about MacDonald's behavior that I don't understand, still. Like why is it significant that he visited the bank near closing hour every day? He made a point of telling his chess partner it was an important appointment. Also, if he spent hours playing chess, when was he supervising the dig?
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Dec 12, 2015 21:32
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Here's the newspaper archive leading up to the next case. June 10, 1890    June 26, 1890    January 22, 1891   
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Dec 14, 2015 20:37
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Case Three The Case of the Pilfered Paintings 22 January 1891  We are sitting around the fire at 221B Baker Street listening to Holmes pontificate on the stories from the morning paper when we are interrupted by the frantic clanging of the doorbell. A tall white-haired gentleman in his late fifties is immediately shown in by Mrs. Hudson. Holmes rises from his chair, removing his cherrywood pipe from his mouth, and says, "Ah, Sir Simpson, a not unexpected pleasure to see you. We have been talking, as is all of London, about the theft of the two de Kuyper paintings from the National Gallery last night, so a visit from the Gallery's director is not a surprise. Won't you sit down and tell us what you know of this unfortunate affair?" Holmes has walked over to the fireplace and is refilling his pipe with his tobacco from the Persian slipper that hangs from the mantel. Sir Simpson Witcomb wearily lowers his tall frame into the chair that Holmes has just vacated and begins his story. "As you may know, about six months ago, July 1st to be exact, an auction was held at Armitage's Gallery for two recently-discovered de Kuypers. Before that time there were only six known paintings by that great, but elusive master. Four are in the Louvre in Paris, one in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and one in the private collection of Lord Winslow Smedley of London. So, you can imagine what excitement was caused in the art world when those two paintings were put up for auction. In May, when my head curator, Brady Norris, returned from his holiday in Belgium, he informed me of the impending sale. I immediately went to the Gallery's Directors for authorization to purchase the paintings. As you know, I was successful at the auction and the paintings went to the National Gallery for 125,000 pounds, a large sum but less than we had anticipated. We were fortunate that the auction was held in London on such short notice so many of the buyers who would have raised the bidding were unable to attend. "The National Gallery has always taken pride in its collection of Flemish and Dutch paintings. The masterpieces of Rubens and Rembrandt have always been popular with the British public, and the de Kuypers were not disappointing in that respect. The de Kuypers became the focal point of the Flemish Room. I am sure you understand the fascination people feel when faced with objects as rare as the de Kuypers. I became absorbed and fascinated with the idea of bringing together all the known de Kuypers. All of the owners of the de Kuypers agreed and in two days the show was to have opened. Now it is postponed, I hope not forever. This could irreperably damage the Gallery, Mr. Holmes." Holmes, who has been standing in front of the fire, eyes fixed on the flames, now turns and faces Sir Simpson. "Surely the paintings are insured, Sir Simpson?" "Yes, of course. By Lloyd's. It is the loss of confidence in the Gallery's security that worries me. Other museums will not allow their paintings to be shown if we cannot guarantee their safe-keeping. I have just come from the Metropole Hotel where I met with Jean-Paul Beauclair, the curator of the Louvre, and he will not allow the four de Kuypers in his custody to be hung at the National Gallery for fear they will be in danger. I fear the same response from Amsterdam and Lord Smedley, not to mention all of the future exhibitions that may be cancelled if our security remains in doubt." "One question, Sir Simpson. Was the show well-publicized?" "Yes, indeed. It has been public knowledge for weeks. We had no reason to keep it secret. We were anticipating a large and enthusiastic response from the public." "When were the other paintings to be hung in the gallery?" "Tomorrow, Mr. Holmes." "And was this also public knowledge?" "Yes, it was. The press had been invited and a small ceremony had been planned." "And where are the other paintings now?" "The Louvre collection is now at the French Embassy. The Rijksmuseum's de Kuyper is in our storeroom. We were to pick up Lord Smedley's in the morning at his London townhouse." "Thank you, Sir Simpson. I think we have all the facts now. Hopefully, we will be able to clear this matter up in a short time. If we shall need to ask you more questions later, where will we be able to reach you?" "I will be at my home. Please feel free to call." While proportionately reasonable for fine art today, £125,000 is a fairly high price even for rare artwork in the period. A whole collection that included almost a dozen Rembrandts sold for 1 million pounds in 1910. We can just take Sir Simpson at his word, though, and accept his assessment as accurate for the story. Kangra fucked around with this message at 00:46 on Dec 16, 2015 |
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Dec 15, 2015 19:15
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I say we check out Lord Smedley's house first. Also, you have repeated the sentence that starts "The masterpieces of Rubens and Rembrandt" in the third paragraph. Delvio fucked around with this message at 12:51 on Dec 16, 2015 |
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Dec 16, 2015 00:35
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Delvio posted:I say we check out Lord Smedley's house. first Hey, they were really popular! Thanks for pointing it out. Also, an implicit look-up for Smedley: Small, Jonathan ................ 15 SE Smedley, Dame Agnes ...... 47 NW Smedley, Lord Winslow ...... 56 SW Smee, N. S. ......................... 81 WC
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Dec 16, 2015 00:53
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Sorry for not starting this case off quicker and not posting a deadline earlier; the first clue will be posted in about 12 hours.
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Dec 18, 2015 08:47
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Actually, sorry for overlooking this - it's been a busy week, what with it almost being the holidays and all. But the game is afoot once more! My first thought whenever priceless paintings and the theft thereof are involved is the possibility that one or more of the stolen paintings are fakes. It's a classic trope at this point, but it's a possibility, and I'm not just saying that because of BBC's Sherlock!  I have no basis for suggesting it at this point, but I'd like to at least keep in mind the possibility that the discovered paintings are not genuine, and that the theft is a cover-up in order to prevent embarrassment or to commit insurance fraud. I'm also reminded of Moriarty's taste for expensive artwork... he had some hanging around in his office at the university that he couldn't possibly afford if he wasn't secretly a criminal mastermind, for example.It may also be that one of the other paintings are fake, and that one of the other owners realized this (Smedley, perhaps) and wanted to stop the exhibition from opening and exposing this fact. Or he wanted the priceless paintings to himself. The same goes for any of the other owners. I think we should look up and then visit the National Gallery, to see if there's any material evidence or testimony to be gathered from the crime scene. Hyper Crab Tank fucked around with this message at 09:22 on Dec 18, 2015 |
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Dec 18, 2015 09:20
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It's a toss-up between Lord Smedley and The National Gallery. Anyone want to break it? (The National Gallery is at 24 WC, incidentally.)
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Dec 18, 2015 20:08
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Kangra posted:It's a toss-up between Lord Smedley and The National Gallery. Anyone want to break it? To the Gallerymobile!
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Dec 19, 2015 01:22
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Hyper Crab Tank posted:Actually, sorry for overlooking this - it's been a busy week, what with it almost being the holidays and all. But the game is afoot once more! I had similar thoughts. Can we get a lookup on the curator, Brady Norris? He was the one who first learned about the auction.
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Dec 19, 2015 03:04
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Case 3, Clue 1 24 WC (The National Gallery) Michael Balfe, the head guard, is waiting for us when we arrive at the National Gallery. "Were you on duty last night?" "Yes, I was. There were four guards on duty when the thefts occurred: myself, Gordon Dickey, Warren Early and Charlie Pickens. Our shift starts at 4 p.m. each day and the routine never varies. Upon our arrival at 4 o'clock we prepare the Gallery for its closing at 5, and the day of the robbery was no exception. By quarter past 5, all of the employees of the Gallery had left, with the exception of Sir Simpson and Mr. Norris. It is their custom to remain until the Gallery is secured. At half past 5, Sir Simpson informed me that he was going to his home and I personally let him out through the main entrance. Mr. Norris informed us that he was staying on because he was expecting a delivery. At approximately a quarter to 6, a Cummins and Goins delivery wagon arrived. Charlie and I helped Mr. Norris and the delivery men unload one large crate and two smaller crates bearing the stencil of Jardine's into the storeroom through the loading dock door. After the delivery men had left, Charlie locked and barred the loading dock door. I left Mr. Norris in the storeroom to check his shipment and returned to the guard room. At half past 6, Mr. Norris informed me that he had locked the storeroom and that he would be leaving for the evening. I let him out through the main entrance. I then made my rounds, checking all of the doors in the office wing to make sure they were secured, and I locked the door to the office wing. "At 7 the bell rang at the main entrance and there was Sir Simpson in the company of a French gentleman, whom Sir Simpson introduced as the curator of the Louvre. He informed me that he wished to show Mr. Beauclair the gallery in which the de Kuypers were hanging. I accompanied them to gallery XII and waited there while they admired the two paintings and discussed the placement of the other de Kuypers for the show. At half past 7, I showed them out through the main entrance and locked the door when they left. As he was leaving, Sir Simpson informed me that the would be at Dame Agnes Smedley's for the evening should he be needed. "Our routine consists of having one guard on patrol outside the Gallery and two patrolling inside, with the fourth remaining in the guard room by the main entrance. One of the inside patrols covers the British west wing coming back through the north vestibule, octagonal hall and back around to the entrance. The other follows a counterclockwise route through the east wing, checking the office wing as he passes the Dutch and Flemish rooms before passing through the northern galleries and the vestibules. "I took the 11 o'clock rounds through the east wing. At that time, which would have been around 11:10, the paintings were in their proper place and in good order in Gallery XII. I checked the door that leads to the office wing, then continued on around to the guard room. Then Charlie made his rounds following the same path I had just made, except when he arrived at Gallery XII, he found that the two de Kuyper paintings had been cut from their frames. I answered his alarum — that was about 11:35 — and sent him to check the loading entry and the office wing. "The only keys to the outside doors are kept in the guard room or in the custody of the patrolling guards. Sir Simpson and Mr. Norris, the only members of the staff to have keys, have keys only to the office wing door and the offices and storeroom in the office wing. Those are the events of that dreadful evening as I remember them. The other guards have given their statements to Scotland Yard and have returned to their homes." This clue comes with a map:  and a close-up with oddly crooked walls:  CPs visited: 24 WC The next clue will be decided Sunday night (London time) but may be late, as I have some friends coming into town this weekend. Kangra fucked around with this message at 07:55 on Dec 19, 2015 |
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Dec 19, 2015 07:52
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I guess the next destination is Scotland Yard for the other statements.
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Dec 19, 2015 08:23
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That large crate feels suspicious, especially given that the office wing opens directly onto gallery XII where the de Kuypers were hanging. My current operating theory is that the robber was delivered to the museum inside that large crate. He would then have obtained an office wing key somehow (or have been given a key beforehand by an accomplice). He waited inside the office wing hallway, or perhaps in the library, until he heard the guard check the door to the office wing and find it locked. Another couple minutes for the guard to move on, and the robber unlocks the office wing door, cuts the paintings out of their frames, and back into the office wing, locking the door behind him again. He hides the paintings in one of the rooms there -- perhaps the office of the person whose key he had -- and hides himself back in the crate again. (How he plans to leave the museum later, I don't know yet.) If this theory is true, the two primary persons of interest would be Sir Simpson Witcomb, the director, and Brady Norris, the curator. Both had keys to the office wing, and could have either have had those keys stolen, or could be a willing accomplice. Either way, I'd like to request a lookup on: Sir Simpson Witcomb Brady Norris and the four guards: Michael Balfe Gordon Dickey Warren Early Charlie Pickens Charlie, especially, is someone we're going to want to interview. He gave a statement to Scotland yard, which is where we should go next, but we might also want to interview him in person if his statement seems incomplete, so might as well get a lookup for him. Also, proceed to Scotland Yard (13 SW) next to get the statements of the other guards.
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Dec 19, 2015 08:59
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Why were both guards going into Gallery XII? This directly contradicts the head guard's testimony of how their patrols work. If Balfe was doing the east wing patrol route, then Charlie should have been on the west wing route through the vestibule and octagonal room. His route doesn't take him near Gallery XII. What was he doing there? I agree that we need to visit Scotland Yard and hear the other testimonies.
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Dec 19, 2015 09:46
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Hyper Crab Tank posted:Why were both guards going into Gallery XII? This directly contradicts the head guard's testimony of how their patrols work. If Balfe was doing the east wing patrol route, then Charlie should have been on the west wing route through the vestibule and octagonal room. His route doesn't take him near Gallery XII. What was he doing there? I figured they changed off: each person would do each patrol in some kind of rotation. Like, for example, Michael Balfe does the east wing while Charlie Pickens is patrolling outside, Gordon Dickey is in the guard room, and Warren Early does the west circuit. Then Balfe moves to the west circuit, Pickens moves to the east wing, Dickey to the outside patrol, and Early to the guard room. Or whatever rotation. But we'll know more once we get the other guards' statements. If all of them support each other, then it's likely that none of the guards were in on the crime. If there's reason to be suspicious of any guards' involvement in the crime, Pickens and Balfe would be the main suspects given what we know so far. If Balfe lied to us, the paintings had already been stolen by 11:10. If Pickens is an accomplice, then he was the one who cut the paintings out and slipped them into the office hallway, then sounded the alarm immediately afterwards. Since he was the one who got sent to check on the office and loading dock doors, that would be extremely convenient for him, but I don't think he could have counted on that.
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Dec 19, 2015 10:34
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I feel like "the paintings are still in the Gallery" is inevitable.
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Dec 19, 2015 19:26
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Look-ups: Norris: Norman-Neruda, Wilma ...... 72 NW Norris, Brady ........................ 20 WC Norte, Laura ......................... 78 EC Sir Simpson: Wisteria Lounge ................... 49 E Witcomb, Sir Simpson .......... 87 SW Witson & Co ........................... 48 E Balfe: Baldwin Card Club ................. 88 SW Balfour, M ............................... 50 SW Dickey: Dickert, Daniel ........................ 88 NW Dickey, Gordon ....................... 41 NW Diebold, Celeste ..................... 59 E Early: Eakin, Leroy ............................ 20 SE Early, Warren .......................... 4 EC Eason, Byers .......................... 3 EC Pickens: Piccadilly Hotel ...................... 26 NW Pickens, C ............................... 23 SE Pickering & Chatto ................. 86 SW
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Dec 19, 2015 20:01
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Balfe has no residence of his own? That's a bit interesting. Could mean he's down on his luck and can't afford it - an incentive to steal some precious art.The Merry Marauder posted:I feel like "the paintings are still in the Gallery" is inevitable. I don't see how they could be anywhere else given the short timeframe involved. The only other option I can think of is snuck out the loading dock.
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Dec 19, 2015 20:31
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