Case file No. 022Today's case

Nine Minutes Without Pumps

The oceanarium, the small hours. Between a quarter past three and twenty-four minutes past, the main circuit stood still for nine minutes: no filters, no oxygen, no current in the big tank. Nine minutes is exactly how long that tank lasts before it loses the whole coral colony. The cut was not electrical — somebody shut the pumps down by hand and started them again.

Difficulty EasySuspects 5Crime Somebody stopped the main circuit for nine minutes from the pump room in the small hours

Exactly 1 of the 5 are lying

A liar lies about everything they say.

Hard evidenceAlways true. They are your anchors.

1The log for the pump room records exactly one person during the incident.

2The log for the tank walkway records nobody during the incident.

3The log for the quarantine room records exactly one person during the incident.

Plan and suspectsPlace the suspects where they were during the incident. Each room’s eye shows what can be seen from it. You can also drag a token onto a room.

Tap a token to select it, then tap a room on the plan. Tap a placed token to send it back.

♂Wendell

Head of maintenance

I was over in the tropical hall. I saw Ignatius in the cold room.

♀Araminta

Quarantine biologist

I never left the quarantine room. There was nobody there but me. In the pump room, which I could see from my spot, there was one person.

♂Bartholomew

Night watchman

I never left the tank walkway. Where Verity was is the tank walkway.

♀Verity

Scientific director

I never left the tropical hall. What Araminta is telling you is the truth. We were 2 in my room, not one more.

♂Ignatius

A collector's buyer

I was in the cold room. Verity is telling the truth. From where I was I could see the tropical hall: there were 2 people.

Place all 5 on the plan