Clues & Culprits › Hints › Oct 12, 2026 Hard
Spoiler-Free Hints for Oct 12, 2026
Stuck on the Hard case, “The Hacksaw Filed Under H”? Open one nudge at a time. Nothing below reveals a verdict unless you click a box marked spoiler.
Back to the case Rules refresher
About this case
The night before Quiver Labs' first independent audit, a burst pipe flooded its server room and wiped six years of financial records. The pipe, the plumbers say, was cut cleanly with a hacksaw.
This Hard case seats 20 suspects on a 4×5 grid. 17 of them carry a clue; the other 3 only have something to say about themselves. 7 of the steps can only be proven by reading two or more clues together.
Nudge 1 — where to start
The case opens with Dina the wellness coach (D1) already proven. Their statement is enough on its own to prove one more suspect straight away — read it word by word, especially the counting words (exactly, neighbors, between).
There are no criminals to my left.— Dina, wellness coach (D1)
Spoiler: who can I prove first?
Ada (A1) is innocent, proven by Dina’s statement.
Nudge 2 — the opening
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 1, 2 and 5, most of them in row 1. The statements doing the work are direction clues, paired verdicts and neighbor counts. One step here needs 3 statements read together. Tip: with direction clues, “above”, “below”, “left” and “right” cover the whole line in that direction, not just the next card.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Bruno’s, Cal’s and Ruby’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Greta (C2) — innocent.
Nudge 3 — after about 5 proven suspects
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, in rows 2 and 3. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, odd/even clues and “connected” clues. 2 steps here need 2 statements read together. Tip: with neighbor counts, a corner has three neighbors, an edge five, the middle eight — compare the count with what is left.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Cal’s and Greta’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Ezra (A2) — a criminal.
Nudge 4 — after about 10 proven suspects
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, in rows 4 and 5. The statements doing the work are shared-neighbor counts and neighbor counts. 3 steps here need 2 statements read together. Tip: with shared-neighbor counts, only the two to four cards touching both suspects count.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Kira’s and Omar’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Percy (D4) — a criminal.
Nudge 5 — the endgame
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 3, 4 and 5, most of them in row 3. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, comparisons and paired verdicts. One step here needs 2 statements read together. Tip: with comparisons, the smaller side may be empty — “more than” doesn’t require any at all.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Kira’s and Quinn’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Suki (C5) — innocent.
The hardest step
The toughest moment needs 3 statements at once. If you’re stuck in the middle of the case, this is probably it.
Spoiler: the statements for the hardest step
Read Bruno’s, Cal’s and Ruby’s statements together. They settle Greta.
Clue types in this case
paired verdicts ×2, neighbor counts ×6, odd/even clues ×1, direction clues ×1, shared-neighbor counts ×4, “connected” clues ×1 and comparisons ×2.
Questions
How many clues does this case have?
17 of the 20 suspects carry a clue. The rest only talk about themselves — you can hide those asides in Settings.
Where is the full solution?
The step-by-step walkthrough proves every verdict in order.