Clues & Culprits › Hints › Oct 20, 2026 Easy
Spoiler-Free Hints for Oct 20, 2026
Stuck on the Easy case, “The Holding Pattern”? 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
On Friday evening, eleven flights into Halston Airport were kept circling for forty minutes 'due to congestion' that radar records show never existed. One plane that landed on time in the confusion was carrying three suitcases of undeclared gold.
This Easy case seats 16 suspects on a 4×4 grid. 14 of them carry a clue; the other 2 only have something to say about themselves. Every step can be proven from a single clue plus what you already know.
Nudge 1 — where to start
The case opens with Omar the pilot (C4) 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 innocents between me and Cora.— Omar, pilot (C4)
Spoiler: who can I prove first?
Greta (C2) is a criminal, proven by Omar’s statement.
Nudge 2 — the opening
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, in rows 2 and 3. The statements doing the work are “between” clues and paired verdicts. Tip: with “between” clues, only the cards strictly between the two named suspects count.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Omar’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Greta (C2) — a criminal.
Nudge 3 — after about 4 proven suspects
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, in rows 3 and 4. The statements doing the work are direction clues, “between” clues and neighbor counts. Tip: with direction clues, the speaker is never included, and nor is anyone in a different row or column.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Omar’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Kira (C3) — a criminal.
Nudge 4 — after about 8 proven suspects
Three suspects get proven in this stretch, in row 1. The statements doing the work are row and column counts, neighbor counts and paired verdicts. Tip: with row and column counts, count what is already proven in that line and subtract it from the total.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Mila’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Ada (A1) — a criminal.
Nudge 5 — the endgame
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, in columns C and D. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, “between” clues and paired verdicts. Tip: with neighbor counts, a corner has three neighbors, an edge five, the middle eight — compare the count with what is left.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Dev’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Cora (C1) — innocent.
Clue types in this case
neighbor counts ×4, paired verdicts ×3, “between” clues ×4, direction clues ×2 and row and column counts ×1.
Questions
How many clues does this case have?
14 of the 16 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.