Clues & Culprits › Hints › Oct 9, 2026 Hard
Spoiler-Free Hints for Oct 9, 2026
Stuck on the Hard case, “Contraband on Chair Forty-Two”? 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 Rosa Pass chairlift carries skiers from Switzerland into Italy and back. For two seasons, Swiss watches worth €14 million have been turning up in Milan without passing through a single customs post.
This Hard case seats 20 suspects on a 4×5 grid. 16 of them carry a clue; the other 4 only have something to say about themselves. 5 of the steps can only be proven by reading two or more clues together.
Nudge 1 — where to start
The case opens with Bruno the ski patroller (B1) 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).
None of the fondue chefs in Column A is a criminal.— Bruno, ski patroller (B1)
Spoiler: who can I prove first?
Mabel (A4) is innocent, proven by Bruno’s statement.
Nudge 2 — the opening
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 2, 4 and 5, most of them in row 4. The statements doing the work are if–then clues, role counts and neighbor counts. Every step in this stretch needs just one statement. Tip: with if–then clues, an if–then says nothing when its “if” part is false — don’t read it backwards.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Bruno’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Mabel (A4) — innocent.
Nudge 3 — after about 5 proven suspects
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, in rows 3 and 4. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, direction clues and shared-neighbor counts. 2 steps here need 2 statements read together. Tip: with neighbor counts, treat the number as a budget — once enough of the ring is proven, the rest is forced.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Otto’s and Petra’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Jasper (B3) — a criminal.
Nudge 4 — after about 10 proven suspects
Four suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 1, 2 and 5, most of them in row 1. The statements doing the work are neighbor counts, “connected” clues and comparisons. 3 steps here need 5 statements read together. Tip: with “connected” clues, a group of one counts as connected, so “connected” doesn’t promise two.
Spoiler: whose statements to read
Hattie’s, Otto’s, Leo’s, Tess’s and Cora’s statements, read together.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Arlo (A1) — a criminal.
Nudge 5 — the endgame
Five suspects get proven in this stretch, across rows 1, 2, 3 and 5, most of them in row 2. The statements doing the work are shared-neighbor counts, “between” clues and comparisons. Every step in this stretch needs just one statement. Tip: with shared-neighbor counts, only the two to four cards touching both suspects count.
Spoiler: whose statement to read
Arlo’s statement.
Spoiler: which suspect does that settle?
Ezra (A2) — innocent.
The hardest step
The toughest moment needs 5 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 Hattie’s, Otto’s, Leo’s, Tess’s and Cora’s statements together. They settle Arlo.
Clue types in this case
shared-neighbor counts ×2, role counts ×1, paired verdicts ×2, comparisons ×2, “between” clues ×1, neighbor counts ×4, “connected” clues ×1, if–then clues ×2 and direction clues ×1.
Questions
How many clues does this case have?
16 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.