Card A-1 • Key Clue
The Physician's Observation
"The cause of death is not in question. The smell of bitter almonds was unmistakable, and the colouration of the skin is consistent with one substance and one substance only: potassium cyanide. Lord Ashworth was poisoned. The question is not how. The question is who had access to the poison."
Confirms: Poison
Points to: Darkroom
Host Note
Give to Dr. Pembroke. This establishes the method and immediately raises the question of cyanide access — pointing toward the darkroom and anyone with keys to it.
Card A-2
The Overheard Argument
"On Friday evening, between nine and ten o'clock, raised voices were heard from the billiard room. The words 'fraud', 'ruin', and 'I will see you in prison before I let you walk away' were clearly audible to at least two guests in the adjacent corridor."
Points to: Hugo Blackwell
Red Herring
Host Note
Give to Lady Vivienne. This points strongly at Hugo and is intended to make him the primary suspect in Round 1. He is guilty of embezzlement but not murder.
Card A-3 • Key Clue
The Darkroom Cabinet
"The darkroom chemical cabinet, located adjacent to the study on the ground floor west wing, was found unlocked this morning. The cabinet contains, among other photographic chemicals, a bottle of potassium cyanide — used in the toning process. The bottle has been handled recently. The lock shows no sign of forced entry."
Critical Evidence
Points to: Key Holder
Host Note
Give to Thomas Graves. Combined with A-1, this establishes the murder weapon's source. The key question becomes: who had a key to the darkroom? Only Edmund and Cecily.
Card A-4
The Forged Will
"The document found on Lord Ashworth's desk purports to be his last will and testament, dated three days ago, naming Colonel Reginald Ashworth as sole beneficiary of the estate. However, the paper stock is inconsistent with Lord Ashworth's usual stationery, and the ink appears fresher than the date would suggest."
Points to: Col. Ashworth
Separate Crime
Host Note
Give to Mr. Finch. This exposes the forgery and makes Reginald a strong suspect — but it's a red herring for the murder. It does, however, reveal that someone entered the study after the death.
Card A-5
The Missing Half-Hour
"Between six o'clock and half past six this evening, Lord Ashworth's study was unattended. He had left for the drawing room at approximately five fifty-five, intending to return after changing for dinner. He never returned. The study door was found locked from the inside when the alarm was raised at seven fifteen."
Establishes Window
Points to: Key Holder
Host Note
Give to Lady Constance. This establishes the murder window and raises the locked-room question. The door was locked from inside — but Cecily relocked it using the key and the interior latch mechanism.
Card A-6
The Threatening Letters
"Among Lord Ashworth's private correspondence, a series of four unsigned letters has been discovered, the most recent dated ten days ago. Each letter warns Lord Ashworth to 'cease his inquiries or face consequences.' The handwriting is disguised, but the letters were posted from London."
Red Herring
Points to: Hugo Blackwell
Host Note
Give to Dr. Pembroke (second card). The letters were sent by Hugo, who was trying to intimidate Edmund into dropping the fraud accusation. They are not connected to the murder.
Card A-7
The Solicitor's Letter
"Three days before his death, Lord Ashworth wrote to his solicitor, Mr. Finch, requesting his presence at the Manor this weekend. The letter states: 'I have discovered an irregularity in the household accounts that requires immediate legal attention. I intend to make a formal complaint on Monday morning.'"
Critical Motive
Points to: Household Staff
Host Note
Give to Mr. Finch (second card). This is the most important motive clue in Set A. It establishes that Edmund knew about the embezzlement and was about to act. The phrase "household accounts" points toward someone with account access — Cecily.
Card A-8
The Colonel's Movements
"At approximately six forty-five this evening, Thomas Graves observed Colonel Ashworth near the east wing of the Manor, some considerable distance from the study. The Colonel appeared to be walking quickly and was carrying what appeared to be a folded document."
Points to: Col. Ashworth
Confirms Forgery
Host Note
Give to Mrs. Crane. This places Reginald near the house at 6:45 — after the murder window — and the "folded document" is the forged will he was carrying to plant. It confirms his guilt for the forgery but also his alibi for the murder.
Card A-9
The Insurance Policy
"Lord Ashworth updated his life insurance policy six weeks ago, tripling the payout to fifteen thousand pounds. The sole beneficiary is Lady Constance Ashworth. Lady Constance was not informed of this change."
Red Herring
Points to: Lady Constance
Host Note
Give to Miss Arabella Voss. This is a deliberate red herring pointing at Constance, who has a confirmed alibi. It adds drama and gives Constance something to react to.
Card A-10
The Destroyed Letter
"Among the ash in the drawing room fireplace, fragments of a letter have been partially recovered. The handwriting matches that of Lady Vivienne Hartwell. The legible fragments read: '...cannot allow him to...the will...Constance must not...I warn you, Edmund...'"
Red Herring
Points to: Lady Vivienne
Host Note
Give to Col. Ashworth. This is Vivienne's letter confronting Edmund about the will. It looks damning but is not connected to the murder. It does, however, reveal that Vivienne knew about the changed will.
Card B-1 • Key Clue
The Darkroom Keys
"A search of the household has established that only two sets of keys to the darkroom chemical cabinet exist. The first set belongs to Lord Ashworth and was found on his person. The second set was issued to Miss Cecily Drummond six weeks ago, at Lord Ashworth's instruction, to assist with organising his photographic supplies."
Critical Evidence
Points to: Cecily Drummond
Host Note
Give to Dr. Pembroke. This is the most damning clue in Set B. Combined with A-1 and A-3, it establishes that only Cecily (and the deceased) had access to the cyanide.
Card B-2 • Key Clue
The West Corridor Witness
"Mrs. Florence Crane has recalled that at approximately six twenty-eight this evening, she observed Miss Cecily Drummond leaving the west corridor — the corridor that leads directly to Lord Ashworth's study. Miss Drummond was walking quickly and appeared flushed. Mrs. Crane assumed she had been working late."
Eyewitness
Points to: Cecily Drummond
Host Note
Give to Mrs. Crane. This is the eyewitness clue that places Cecily at the scene during the murder window. Combined with B-1, it is essentially conclusive.
Card B-3 • Key Clue
The Altered Ledger
"The estate account ledger, found in Lord Ashworth's study, shows a series of small but consistent discrepancies over a period of three years. The entries have been altered in a hand that is not Lord Ashworth's. The alterations are consistent with the concealment of approximately four hundred and twenty pounds in diverted funds."
Establishes Motive
Points to: Account Manager
Host Note
Give to Mr. Finch. This confirms the embezzlement and establishes the motive. The handwriting in the ledger, if compared to Cecily's correspondence, will match. This is the final piece of the motive chain.
Card B-4
The Typewriter Evidence
"The half-typed letter found in Miss Drummond's typewriter — which she claims to have been composing between five-thirty and six forty-five — has been examined. The letter is dated this morning. The typewriter ribbon shows no evidence of use after approximately eleven o'clock this morning."
Destroys Alibi
Points to: Cecily Drummond
Host Note
Give to Lady Vivienne. This destroys Cecily's alibi. The letter she claimed to be typing was actually typed that morning — her alibi is fabricated.
Card B-5
The Study Light
"Thomas Graves has recalled that at approximately six twenty this evening, he observed a light burning in the study window. Lord Ashworth was known to have left the study at five fifty-five. The light was not burning when Graves passed at five forty-five. Someone entered the study and turned on the lamp between five fifty-five and six twenty."
Confirms Entry
Points to: Key Holder
Host Note
Give to Thomas Graves. This confirms that someone entered the study during the murder window. Combined with B-1 (only Cecily had a key), it is damning.
Card B-6
Hugo's Confession
"Under sustained questioning, Mr. Hugo Blackwell has admitted that the threatening letters found in Lord Ashworth's correspondence were written by him. He states that he sent them to discourage Edmund from pursuing the fraud accusation. He maintains, however, that he did not kill Lord Ashworth, and that he was in his room at the time of the murder."
Clears Hugo (Murder)
Confirms: Letters
Host Note
Give to Hugo Blackwell. This is Hugo's partial confession — he admits to the letters but not the murder. It clears him as the murderer while confirming his guilt for the threatening letters.
Card B-7
The Locked Room Explained
"The study door was found locked from the inside. However, examination of the lock mechanism reveals that the interior latch can be engaged from outside the room using a thin implement inserted through the keyhole — a technique known to anyone familiar with the Manor's Victorian-era fittings. The study key also fits the latch mechanism from outside."
Solves Locked Room
Points to: Key Holder
Host Note
Give to Col. Ashworth. This solves the locked-room mystery and again points to the key holder. Cecily, who worked in the Manor for six years, would know this mechanism.
Card B-8
The Fingerprints
"The cyanide bottle in the darkroom has been examined. It bears two sets of fingerprints: one set belonging to Lord Ashworth, consistent with his use of the chemical in his photographic work. The second set has not yet been formally identified, but they are small — consistent with a woman's hand."
Physical Evidence
Points to: Female Suspect
Host Note
Give to Miss Arabella Voss. This narrows the field to female suspects with darkroom access. Combined with B-1, it points directly at Cecily.
Card B-9
The Reginald Confession
"Colonel Ashworth has admitted, under pressure, that he entered the study after the body was discovered and placed a document on the desk. He states that he found the study unlocked at that point — the door had not yet been relocked by the time he arrived. He insists he did not kill his brother."
Confirms Forgery
Clears Reginald (Murder)
Host Note
Give to Lady Constance. This is Reginald's confession to the forgery. It clears him as the murderer (he arrived after the body was found) but confirms his guilt for the separate crime of forgery.
Card B-10 • Key Clue
The Study Key
"A search of Miss Cecily Drummond's room has revealed a key on her dressing table. The key matches the study lock. When asked about it, Miss Drummond states that Lord Ashworth gave it to her for correspondence purposes. Lord Ashworth's personal secretary, however, has no record of such an arrangement in the household key register."
Conclusive Evidence
Points to: Cecily Drummond
Host Note
Give to Lady Vivienne (second card). This is the final, conclusive clue. Cecily has a key to the study — the only key besides Edmund's. Combined with B-2 (eyewitness), B-1 (darkroom key), B-4 (false alibi), and A-7 (motive), the case is complete.