Puzzles & Games
May 26, 2025
Background
Covent Garden’s legendary small‐business incubator “The Market Vault” discovered that its communal ledger—containing member rent payments and schedules—has disappeared. The ledger vanished overnight from a lockable filing cabinet in the shared back office. Security cameras cover the hallway but not the inside of the office itself; all we have is a single timestamped hallway capture at 9 PM showing someone entering the supply closet. When staff returned at 8 AM, the ledger (and supply‐closet key) were gone.
Persons of Interest
Marina Vos (Incubator Manager)
Late 30s, responsible for managing rent schedules. Had sole duplicate key.
Leo Fitzroy (Local Baker)
Early 40s, rents a stall. Overdue on rent by two weeks. Visited the back office at 5 PM to pay.
Ivy Chang (Artisan Perfumer)
Mid 20s, rents a shelf. Seen carrying a large notebook to the office at 7 PM.
Tomás Ruiz (Night Custodian)
Works 8 PM–4 AM. Last seen locking the back office at 8 PM. Claims he never saw anyone in the office again.
Clues & Evidence
Supply Closet Camera (9 PM): A overhead shot shows a slim figure in a hoodie slipping into the supply closet door. The date/time stamp reads 2025-06-02 21:00. The zip‐off hood partially obscures their face; build appears female.
Office Door Hinge Scratches: Fresh shallow metal scrapes on the inside hinge of the filing cabinet.
Notebook Pages: On the floor of the back office, torn pages from a spiral notebook. The writing is a rent schedule with “Leo Fitzroy” highlighted in red ink.
Custodian’s Clipboard Log: At 8 PM, Tomás logged that he “secured all offices” and “checked supply closet”. No mention of the ledger.
Footprint in Supply Closet: A single women’s sneaker print, size 7, in a thin layer of dust.
Central Question
Who stole the ledger, and how did they bypass the locked filing cabinet without triggering the hallway cameras again? What was their motive?
