Clues & Culprits › Archive › Oct 1, 2026 Easy walkthrough
Oct 1, 2026 Full Proof Walkthrough
Every verdict in the Easy case “The Second Duchess of Fenwick”, in an order where each step is proven by the statements already on file.
Play it first Just a hint, please
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. The order below is one valid route; any order where each verdict is proven when you enter it reaches the same answer.
Spoiler: show the full walkthrough
Start: Celia (C1) begins the case proven innocent.
Joan and I share the same verdict: both criminal or both innocent.— Celia, heir (C1)
Step 1: Joan (B3, librarian) is innocent. This follows from Celia’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 2: Basil (B1, magistrate) is innocent. This follows from Joan’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Nobody above me is a criminal.— Joan, librarian (B3)
Step 3: Felix (B2, card sharp) is innocent. This follows from Joan’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 4: Dexter (D1, heir) is a criminal. This follows from Felix’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly one of Dexter and me is innocent.— Felix, card sharp (B2)
Step 5: Greta (C2, magistrate) is innocent. This follows from Basil’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
None of us magistrates is a criminal.— Basil, magistrate (B1)
Step 6: Esme (A2, librarian) is a criminal. This follows from Greta’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
There is exactly one innocent to my left.— Greta, magistrate (C2)
Step 7: Hugo (D2, card sharp) is innocent. This follows from Dexter’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
None of my neighbors is a criminal.— Dexter, heir (D1)
Step 8: Olive (C4, heir) is innocent. This follows from Esme’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly one of Olive and me is a criminal.— Esme, librarian (A2)
Step 9: Lionel (D3, heir) is a criminal. This follows from Olive’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly one of Lionel and me is a criminal.— Olive, heir (C4)
Step 10: Pia (D4, card sharp) is innocent. This follows from Hugo’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
All three of us card sharps are innocent.— Hugo, card sharp (D2)
Step 11: Kira (C3, painter) is a criminal. This follows from Lionel’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly four of my five neighbors are innocent.— Lionel, heir (D3)
Step 12: Mila (A4, painter) is innocent. This follows from Pia’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly one of Mila and Lionel is a criminal.— Pia, card sharp (D4)
Step 13: Iris (A3, painter) is a criminal. This follows from Mila’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly two of my three neighbors are criminals.— Mila, painter (A4)
Step 14: Ada (A1, librarian) is innocent. This follows from Iris’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Only one of the four people in the corners is a criminal.— Iris, painter (A3)
Step 15: Nico (B4, painter) is a criminal. This follows from Kira’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly two of my eight neighbors are criminals.— Kira, painter (C3)
The final lineup
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ada innocent | Basil innocent | Celia innocent | Dexter criminal |
| 2 | Esme criminal | Felix innocent | Greta innocent | Hugo innocent |
| 3 | Iris criminal | Joan innocent | Kira criminal | Lionel criminal |
| 4 | Mila innocent | Nico criminal | Olive innocent | Pia innocent |
What happened
The copy took three summers. Iris, Kira and Nico painted it in the old dairy, one thin layer of varnish a week, while Esme forged a provenance letter in the archive so the real Duchess could be sold abroad as a 'lost study'. Dexter and Lionel — two heirs with titles, debts and a buyer in Geneva — swapped the frames during the fireworks. Celia's livestream undid them: in the background of a clip about canapés, the Duchess was leaving by the servants' stair.