CASE FILE · No. 001 · 1894
The Emerald Street Murder
EMERALD STREET, LONDON · DIFFICULTY: FELONY
THE BRIEFING
Banker Edmund Blackwood was found dead in his private office on Emerald Street at approximately 11:15 PM on the 12th of March. The authorities initially ruled the death a suicide — but the inconsistencies mounted quickly. A forced door, a missing letter opener, and five people who all swear they were elsewhere. Someone is lying. The carriage company keeps meticulous logs, the household staff have given their statements, and Blackwood's ledger of outstanding debts sits open on the desk. The truth is in the data.
CLUES ON THE TABLE
- 01.The body was discovered by the butler, Donald Hicks, at 11:15 PM.
- 02.The study door showed signs of forced entry from inside — inconsistent with suicide.
- 03.At least one suspect's claimed alibi is directly contradicted by the carriage logs.
- 04.Edmund Blackwood held substantial debts owed to him by a business associate.
- 05.A private meeting between two individuals that night has been quietly confirmed by one of them.
/ THE EVIDENCE
Database Schema
The tables we have warrants for. Cross-reference them carefully.
- suspect_idINT
- nameVARCHAR(100)
- occupationVARCHAR(100)
- relationship_to_victimVARCHAR(100)
- alibi_idINT
- suspect_idINT→ suspects.suspect_id
- claimed_locationVARCHAR(100)
- start_timeTIMESTAMP
- end_timeTIMESTAMP
- corroborated_byINTsuspect_id of witness, or NULL
- log_idINT
- suspect_idINT→ suspects.suspect_id
- pickup_locationVARCHAR(100)
- dropoff_locationVARCHAR(100)
- ride_timeTIMESTAMP
- record_idINT
- suspect_idINT→ suspects.suspect_id
- debt_amountDECIMAL(10,2)
/ THE QUERY TERMINAL
Interrogate the records
This is your magnifying glass. Run queries to explore the tables and chase down clues — the terminal won't solve the case for you, but it will surface the evidence you need.
/ THE NOTEPAD
Your field notes
Jot down leads, suspicious names, patterns you've spotted. The page is yours.
/ THE ACCUSATION
Name your suspect
One name. No second guesses. The constable is at the door.
NEXT IN THE PILE
The Mislaid Sovereign →"The till is light. The ledger doesn't balance. One clerk's figures don't quite add up."