A Wealth of Murder

Hints

Hidden Notes

  • To tackle this case, you'll first want to make sure you've uncovered all the evidence.
  • Take a look inside the lipstick tube. Who could have written this love note, and to whom?

  • Jill collected a number of odd and suspicious items to send to you. What could be the significance of the torn novel page in Tim's pocket?

Messages from Tim

  • Jill's letter has a helpful clue for decoding each note.
  • According to Jill, the messages from Tim were encoded based on which room each guest was staying in. Compare the room descriptions in the house brochure with the doodle on each note to match the guests to their rooms.
  • It looks like Vida started to try to decode her message from Tim. Why might she have crossed out "flower", "daisy", and "blo[o]m" before settling on "gre[e]n"?

Suspect Means

  • According to Jill's letter, the killer used a fist-sized stone pyramid as the means for the murder and then discarded it in the Ballroom trash can. Where did the pyramid come from, and how did it end up in the ballroom?

  • Cross-reference Murray's participant notes and the house brochure to learn more about the pyramid.

Suspect Motives

Once you decode each of Tim's messages, cross-reference the new information with the rest of the evidence. Have you learned anything that might recontextualize a piece of evidence and point to potential motives?

 

Amber

  • To determine Amber's potential motive, cross-reference her note from Tim, the supplement bottle, and the Morpho Method pamphlet.

 

Bob

  • The background information can help you get to know Bob better. Bob is a relatively new member of the group and, unlike the rest of the suspects, has only recently come into his wealth.

 

Murray

  • To determine Murray's potential motive, take a closer look at the graduation card, Jill's letter, and his note from Tim.

  • In her letter, Jill says Tim doesn't have a daughter. Why else would Murray give Tim the graduation card?

 

Phoenix

  • The message from Tim to Phoenix mentions someone's name. Where have you seen that name before?

 

Roma

  • Decoding the message from Tim to Roma may help you understand the significance of the lipstick tube's contents.

 

Vida

  • How does Tim's message for Vida differ from the rest of the notes?

Suspect Movements

  • Thanks to the psychoactive effects of the tea, each participant's notes during the tea ceremony aren't the most descriptive or clear. Try cross-referencing with the room descriptions in the house brochure to figure out where each suspect was during each phase of the ceremony.
  • Follow the breadcrumbs – according to Jill, each suspect dropped their personal totem in one of the rooms at some point during the tea ceremony.
  • Jill made sure to dig up some background information on each of the suspects. What have you learned about each suspect's character that could help you match them to their totem?
  • According to the background information and Jill's letter, Bob has quite the sweet tooth.

  • Roma's profile is a bit sparse, but the other suspects shed some light on her character. What do they say about her in the participant notes?

Suspect Opportunity

  • Jill's letter and the torn novel page contain crucial information regarding where and when the murder took place.
  • Comparing participant notes will help you verify some alibis. Whose notes can you trust?
  • A good detective always has a pen on hand to take notes. Try marking up the map on the house brochure to better visualize how the suspects might have traveled between different rooms.

Reveals

Game Finish

  • Bob Heck is the killer. To complete the game, open the solution envelope and read the solution letter found inside.

Hidden Notes

  • There is a love note within the lipstick tube. Comparing handwriting samples, you'll see that Roma wrote the love note.
  • The torn novel page contains a hidden message. Read the circled words.
  • The torn novel page's secret message says "morning snickerdoodle speak again in m bedroom see you at sunset."

Messages from Tim

  • The room assignments are as follows:

    • Amber – mountain doodle = Mount Room
    • Bob – sandcastle doodle = Beach Room
    • Murray – toilet doodle = Master Bedroom / Suite (the only bedroom with an en suite bathroom)
    • Phoenix – jellyfish doodle = Ocean Room
    • Roma – moon doodle = Night Room
    • Vida – flower doodle = Green Room
  • Tim encoded each message using a keyword cipher. Vida correctly identified "green" as her keyword.
  • In a keyword cipher, a new substituted alphabet is created by writing down the traditional alphabet and then directly below it, writing down the keyword (omitting any duplicate letters) followed by the remaining unused letters of the alphabet. Follow Vida's example to decode her note – "A" became "G" in the new alphabet, "B" became "R", and so on.

  • Use each suspect's room name as the keyword for their encoded note. The decoded messages are as follows:

    • Vida: "Your CMO called. Needs guidance on commercial."
    • Amber: "Reporter called. You're covering up birth defects?"
    • Bob: "Toni called. Tax fraud? Embezzlement? I can be silent."
    • Phoenix: "Sarabeth called to make sure you got her letter. Trouble, Phoenix?"
    • Murray: "Not enough. Ruining earth for batteries. What would the media say?"
    • Roma: "Got your note. Not interested. Sorry."

Suspect Means

  • The murder weapon was a granite pyramid that came from the mineral room; Murray handed it to someone on his way to the walled garden between phases two and three of the tea ceremony. You'll need to track each of the suspects' movements in order to reveal the identity of the shadowy figure.

Suspect Motives

Amber

  • According to the Morpho Method pamphlet, 700 mcg is the maximum recommended daily amount of vitamin A for adult women. The supplement bottle shows that Amber's lil' pills contain 1800 mcg of vitamin A.
  • Tim didn't hesitate to blackmail Murray over his secret and has now told Amber in his message that he knows she's been covering up the birth defects caused by her supplements.

Bob

  • Tim also tells Bob that he has discovered his incriminating secret regarding tax fraud and embezzlement. He suggests he "can" be silent, but that silence will come at a price.

Murray

  • According to the graduation card, Murray has given Tim a one-time gift of monetary contribution, supposedly in celebration of Tim's daughter's graduation. A close reading of the message from Tim to Murray will reveal Tim's displeasure over the one-time nature of this gift.
  • In the encoded note, Tim says Murray hasn't given him enough and threatens to reveal to the media how Murray's battery company is ruining the earth. Tim was blackmailing Murray and demanding more money for keeping this secret.

Phoenix

  • Sarabeth Johnston called to follow up on her lawyer's letter. Tim might have known about Phoenix's legal troubles and used this knowledge to his advantage, blackmailing Phoenix.

Roma

  • In his message, Tim curtly tells Roma that he received her love note but isn't interested. Tim's rejection of Roma's romantic interest gives her a potential motive.

Vida

  • Compared to the rest of the suspects' interactions with Tim and his messages to them, Vida does not appear to have a strong motive.

Suspect Movements

  • Each of the tokens can be matched with their owner:

    • Sweet-toothed Bob chose a donut keychain as his totem.
    • Indecisive Roma used a decision die as her token.
    • The gemstone belongs to wellness guru Vida.
    • The earth marble helped Murray stay grounded during the ceremony.
    • Amber dropped the skull in the sauna.
    • Finally, the snake belongs to Phoenix.

  • Each suspect's location during the tea ceremony should look like this:

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4
Amber Hall (marble floors) Yoga Studio (sand + rocks in zen garden) Yoga Studio (same as last phase) Sauna (warm spot by water)
Bob Study (jackrabbit taxidermy) Library (read all these books) Beach room (monkey in a pale room) Pool (wet)
Murray Master Bedroom (sleeps in his room) Mineral Room (lots of rocks) Walled Garden (garden grass) Walled Garden (stayed)
Phoenix Hall (approached Amber) Longe (seen by Bob) Dining Room (seen by Vida) Dining Room (seen by Vida)
Roma Ballroom (purple floors, mirrors) Game Room (new high score) Night Room (dark, stars, eggplant) Night Room (fell asleep)
Vida Conservatory (nature, shouting by hall) Conservatory (flower) Wall Garden (grass by kitchen) Walled Garden (only two locations)

Suspect Opportunity

  • According to the torn novel page and Jill's letter, Tim was killed in the master bedroom after phase three of the tea ceremony, close to sunset. However, tracking the suspects' movements during the tea ceremony will show that none of them was clearly in the master bedroom during phase three. Who was lying?
  • Vida and Murray confirm each other's alibis, as their participant notes both mention talking with someone in the walled garden. They were both in the garden during the time of the murder, so neither of them is the killer.
  • Since Vida is not the killer and had no reason to lie about her whereabouts, you can safely trust her observation that Phoenix was in the dining room during phases three and four. Phoenix did not have the opportunity to murder Tim.
  • Amber heard Roma scream during phase two and saw Bob jump in the pool during phase four. The yoga studio and sauna are next to each other, making it unlikely that she ventured to the other side of the villa during the tea ceremony.
  • Roma saw Bob when she woke up in the night room during phase four. At this time Bob would have been heading toward the pool room to jump in, but tracing his route from his beach room to the pool room on the map in the house brochure doesn't bring him past the night room. Where was he coming from instead?
  • Retrace Bob's steps throughout the entire tea ceremony, replacing the beach room in phase three with the master bedroom.
  • If Bob walked from the library to the master bedroom instead of the beach room, he would have crossed paths with Murray leaving the mineral room, giving him the chance to receive the pyramid.

Transcripts

Graduation Card

Inside → Murray

Dear Tim,

I want to congratulate your daughter for her determination and perseverance. Despite what you may think, her graduation has increased my respect for her tenfold. I know my monetary contribution is appreciated, though I do hope it is clear that this is a one-time gift from me. Just because I am impressed your daughter successfully graduated once does not mean I will feel the same way about any subsequent commencements.

 

All the best,

Murray

Love Note Hidden within Lipstick Tube

I've been forced into an alien world my whole life. Now, alone, I finally have choices ahead of me. I want to choose you. I want you to show me your world.
Would you like to have dinner sometime? I'd be willing to try fast food.
Despite our differences I'm sure we're very compatible.


xoxo

Messages from Tim to...

Amber

Front → Tim

  • Am
  • [doodle of a mountain]

 

Back → Tim

  • Ptkjprtp umggtn. Yjspt ujvtpdib sk odprc ntaturq?

 

Bob

Front → Tim

  • Bob
  • [doodle of a sandcastle]

 

Back → Tim

  • Toni abllhc. Tbx drbuc? Hmehzzlhmhnt? I abn eh silhnt.

 

Murray

Front → Tim

  • Murray
  • [doodle of a toilet]

 

Back → Tim

  • Klq eklrbc. Ordkdkb esoqc alo usqqeodep. Wcsq wlrht qce jetds psy?

 

Phoenix

Front → Tim

  • Phoenix
  • [doodle of a jellyfish]

 

Back → Tim

  • Sorocntf eojjna tm koin surn ymu dmt fnr jnttnr. Trmucjn, Pfmnlgx?

 

Roma

Front → Tim

  • Roma
  • [doodle of a moon]

 

Back → Tim

  • Bms ymuq lmst. Lms dlstqtrsth. Rmqqy.

 

Vida

Front → Tim

  • Vida
  • [doodle of a potted flower]

 

Back → Tim

  • Ymuq EKM egjjan. Laans cufnglea ml emkkaqefgj.

 

Back → Vida

  • ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
  • FLOWERABCDGHIJKMNPQSTUVXYZ
  • DAISYBCEFGHJKLMNOPQRTUVWXZ
  • BLOMACDEFGHIJKNPQRSTUVWXYZ
  • BLOSMACDEFGHIJKNPQRTUVWXYZ
  • GRENABCDFHIJKLM

Participation Notes

Amber

Page 1 → Amber

  • NAME: Amber
  • GOALS: I guess what I want is to know that there's nothing better I can do. Nothing more fun or rewarding than being a CEO. Is business really what I want? How else can I make money?
  • PHASE 1
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: I guess the marble floors are beautiful. The doorway is a really impressive way to come in here. The light through the courtyard I can see is a lovely golden color.
    • Thoughts about yourself: Why'd he have to say that? Now I'm upset. I hate raising my voice. If he worked for me, I'd have him fired.
    • Additional thoughts: I just want my phone to see if I can get a signal. I don't think that's too much to ask. And I certainly don't think anyone else should have an opinion about it. Now I'm late to phase 2. Good thing Phoenix came over and reminded us about the time or I don't know what I would have done.
  • PHASE 2
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: Looks like as good a place as any. Sand and rocks in front of the window, sand and rocks beyond the window.
    • Thoughts about yourself: I need to stretch out. I feel [scratched-out scribbles] compacted.
    • Additional thoughts: Did someone just scream? Across the hall. I've had enough of that for one night. This is way too much stress for any "healing." I'm going to stay here for a while. Actually, it sounded like Roma. Maybe she finally decided something.

 

Page 2 → Amber

  • PHASE 3
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: Same as they were.
    • Thoughts about yourself: I feel better.
    • Additional thoughts: I think I'm ready for a schvitz.
  • PHASE 4
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: It's so quiet in here. It's nice.
    • Thoughts about yourself: I like quiet. And warmth.
    • Additional thoughts: Maybe I should move to Arizona. How long should I stay in here? I cracked open the door in case. Someone just jumped in the water! Are we swimming now? Should people swim if they drank the tea?

 

Bob

Page 1 → Bob

  • NAME: Bob
  • GOALS: If I'm being honest, which is hard, I think I want to be accepted by my peers. I did a lot to get where I am but I still feel out of place. Is this the way it's always going to be?
  • PHASE 1
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: Creepy room. There's a jackrabbit looking at me. Like it knows something.
    • Thoughts about yourself: Nothing. I feel empty. Or numb, maybe.
    • Additional thoughts: This is pointless. Not that I don't appreciate being here. But I need to get in touch with Toni.
  • PHASE 2
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: This room is impressive. There's no way Murray has read all of these. Bizarre. I can't believe I'm the only one who's come in here.
    • Thoughts about yourself: Still nothing. Maybe a little peckish? I need a sign or something.
    • Additional thoughts: On the way here, I passed Phoenix leaving the lounge. Looked sad. Maybe he needs a cookie.

 

Page 2 → Bob

  • PHASE 3
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: Stupid little monkey in a pale room. What's with all the creepy animals in this house? Home sweet home I guess.
    • Thoughts about yourself: I wish I had my phone.
  • PHASE 4
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: Wet
    • Thoughts about yourself: Wet
    • Additional thoughts: Maybe I sh

 

Murray

Page 1 → Murray

  • NAME: Murray
  • GOALS: I want to keep doing what I'm doing!
    Although, now that I think about it, I suppose I could better integrate my environmental ideals into my business ventures.
  • PHASE 1
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: Same as it ever was. This is home. One of my favorites. An architectural sensation. Sublime.
    • Thoughts about yourself: My back is aching. Somewhere in the lumbar region. I should start sleeping somewhere else.
    • Additional thoughts: I'm not sure the tea is affecting me. I'm starting to doubt this whole process. But
  • PHASE 2
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: Darker than I remember. So many rocks. Why do I keep these? They're beautiful, surely, but they don't do much, do they?
    • Thoughts about yourself: I'm not used to this, but I'm uncertain. The stones make me feel uneasy, they're so beautiful.
    • Additional thoughts: I need to take the pyramid. Granite. Granted. I need to take it somewhere safer.

 

Page 2 → Murray

  • PHASE 3
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: I bumped into someone. Shadowy figure, I couldn't focus on their face. They didn't apologize but I knew such a strong force of character had to have the pyramid. They'd keep it safe. Now, the garden.
    • Thoughts about yourself: Oh boy. I took off my shoes. The grass feels really nice. I should make all the floors grass.
    • Additional thoughts: She's here! It's good to see old friends when I'm feeling rather disconnected. Like when a spoon finds a dish to run off with.
  • PHASE 4
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: It's much calmer here. I'm glad I stayed.
    • Thoughts about yourself: I know I'm successful. I know the world knows it. Am I happy? I can't tell. I feel like shoes are the great metaphor of my life. I found a comfortable pair, so I kept wearing them. But now that they're off I feel freer, happier.

 

Roma

Page 1 → Roma

  • NAME: Roma
  • GOALS: I want to know what to do with myself. I want to make a damn decision for myself for once.
  • PHASE 1
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: This floor is crazy. The purple!
    • Thoughts about yourself: God, I can see like every angle of my face in this room. I look so weird sometimes. Like, what's with my eyes?
    • Additional thoughts: I think the tea is hitting me. I feel tired, but empowered. I'm done not making my own decisions.
  • PHASE 2
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: This is more my speed. I'm going to shoot for a new high score.
    • Thoughts about yourself: I just want to have fun. Why does everyone suddenly think I need to make decisions?
    • Additional thoughts: Top 10 score! I feel so like incredible! I could scream! I will! Lol that felt awesome. I should start a business with these. That would be cool. Damn, getting sleepy again.

 

Page 2 → Roma

  • PHASE 3
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: It's so dark in here. Like a womb. The stars are beautiful. But they're not real. Nothing here's real.
    • Thoughts about yourself: I'd rather not right now
    • Additional thoughts: Why don't they call it eggplant? Silly I think the
  • PHASE 4
    • Thoughts about yourself: Whoops I fell asleep
    • Additional thoughts: Was that Bob I saw?

 

Vida

Page 1 → Vida

  • NAME: Vida
  • GOALS: I'm excited to have some fun and learn about myself. You know, I've always thought there was something more in me and I'll be absolutely delighted to find out what that is!
  • PHASE 1
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: What a delight in this desert! I was not expecting this!
    • Thoughts about yourself: I think I need to find more nature in my life. I feel calmer here.
    • Additional thoughts: I thought I heard someone yelling just now. Some argument in the servant's room, maybe. No, out the other way. That really ruined my moment. I'll stay here for the next go-round.
  • PHASE 2
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: I just saw this cute little flower I've never seen before. It looks like a little purple jug or something. Delightful little thing.
    • Thoughts about yourself: I feel happy, actually. This flower makes me happy. And things are going better, now I've found something to do.
    • Additional thoughts: Delight. Delight, delight! Where else can I find more?

 

Page 2 → Vida

  • PHASE 3
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: Oh it's so soothing here! The grass! And the desert skyline in the distance! Amazing! If I look up I can almost see into the room with a Jill bird.
    • Thoughts about yourself: Just thrilled. Absolutely.
    • Additional thoughts: And with company, what a way to end the evening! I feel like I'm not doing this right, only seeing two spaces. But I feel like I know what makes me feel good. I think I want some birds for my home. Large ones, one like a Phoenix I saw walking into the dining room and the one that looked like a Jill in the kitchen.
  • PHASE 4
    • Thoughts about your surroundings: Delightful conversation. Wonderful view. The birds are still in their cages.
    • Thoughts about yourself: I'm astounded. I simply must recreate this at home. Or move here!
    • Additional thoughts: I thought I heard another scream just now. Maybe I'm h

Postcard

Back → Tim

Jill,
We can finally book a real trip, just us. Hot springs, shall we?


—Tim

Tim's Voicemail Audio Recording

TIM: You've reached Tim Buckland. I can't get to the phone. Please leave a message. Thanks!

Token Location List

Jill

Hello Detective,
I found these as I checked the house before we left. I believe they're the totems each person kept with them to stay grounded. They must have dropped them while they were going through the tea ceremony.
Perhaps they can help you decide where people were during Tim's murder.


—Jill

 

  • Snake — Dining room
  • Earth — Mineral room
  • Skull — Sauna
  • Die — Ballroom
  • Donut — Pool room
  • Gemstone — Garden

Torn Novel Page

Top → Jill

  • I found this in Tim's pocket before they took him away. — Jill

Solution

  • To identify Tim's killer, you'll need to determine which of the suspects had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit the murder.

 

Means

  • According to Jill's letter, the killer used a fist-sized stone pyramid as the means for the murder and then discarded it in the ballroom trash can. Cross-referencing Murray's participant notes and the house brochure, you'll discover that the granite pyramid came from the mineral room; Murray handed it to someone on his way to the walled garden between phases two and three of the tea ceremony.

 

Motive

  • Jill shares in her letter that Tim encoded his messages based on the name of each guest's room. You can compare the doodle on each note with the description of the guest rooms on the house brochure to match each guest to their room: Amber stayed in the "Mount" room, Bob stayed in the "Beach" room, Murray stayed in the master "Suite," Phoenix stayed in the "Ocean" room, Roma stayed in the "Night" room, and Vida stayed in the "Green" room.
  • In the message from Tim to Vida, the section at the bottom in a different person's handwriting shows Vida trying to decode the message and figuring out that the keyword is "green." Using this as a starting point, it can be determined that Tim's messages are encoded with a keyword cipher using the room each guest was staying in as the keyword.
  • Once you decode the message from Tim to Amber, you'll learn that Amber has been covering up birth defects. Consulting the supplement bottle and Morpho Method pamphlet will reveal the fact that Amber's lil' pills have too much vitamin A, which can result in liver failure and birth defects for pregnant people.
  • You'll see in the message from Tim to Phoenix that Sarabeth Johnston called to follow up on the lawyer's letter she had sent and Tim has picked up on the legal issues Phoenix is facing.
  • You'll discover in the message from Tim to Bob that Tim has also learned a crucial secret about Bob. Tim suggests he can be silent despite uncovering Bob's tax fraud and embezzlement.
  • The message from Tim to Murray is directly from Tim, as Jill's letter confirms that neither Murray nor Roma had received phone calls. In the encoded note, Tim says Murray hasn't given him enough and threatens to reveal to the media how Murray's battery company is ruining the earth. The graduation card addressed to Tim from Murray mentions a one-time gift of monetary contribution, supposedly in celebration of Tim's daughter's graduation. However, Jill's letter points out the odd nature of this card, given the fact that Tim doesn't have any children.
  • Close reading the graduation card and the message from Tim to Murray, you'll discover that Tim was blackmailing Murray and demanding more money, which gives Murray a strong motive for killing him. Now knowing that Tim is capable of blackmail, you can suspect that he might also have tried to blackmail Amber, Phoenix, and Bob with each of the secrets he discovered about them. Murray, Amber, Phoenix, and Bob all have a potential motive to kill Tim and keep him silent without paying him.
  • Finally, the message from Tim to Roma doesn't say someone had called for her, which means it's directly from Tim. Tim curtly tells Roma that he received her note but isn't interested. The note in question is the love note hidden within the lipstick tube. Although it is left unsigned, the love note's handwriting can be compared with the handwriting on the participant notes to determine Roma wrote it. Tim's rejection of Roma's romantic interest gives her a potential motive.

 

Opportunity

  • To figure out opportunity, you'll need to determine when and where the murder happened. According to Jill's letter, Tim was killed in the master bedroom after phase three of the tea ceremony, close to sunset. Additionally, the torn novel page that Jill found on Tim's body has a series of circled words. The circled words spell out a message that says "morning snickerdoodle speak again in m bedroom see you at sunset." The next step is to determine where each of the suspects was during the tea ceremony to see who could have been in the master bedroom with Tim at sunset.
  • Reviewing the participant notes and the house brochure, you'll soon see that none of the suspects are clearly in the master bedroom at the time of the murder. This means that someone is likely lying about their location, so you'll need to cross-reference some alibis in order to rule out potential suspects.
  • Vida and Murray confirm each other's alibis, as they both mention talking with someone in the walled garden. They were both in the garden during the time of the murder, so neither of them is the killer.
  • Since Vida is not the killer and has no reason to lie about her whereabouts during the ceremony, you can safely believe her statements about seeing Phoenix in the dining room during phases three and four. Therefore, Phoenix can also be ruled out as the killer, which leaves Amber, Bob, and Roma as suspects.
  • You can use the token location list and the collection of totems to further help verify some alibis. Bob's sweet tooth is mentioned in Jill's letter and the background information, so his totem is likely the donut keychain, which was found in the pool room and lines up with him being in the pool in phase four.
  • Roma's indecisiveness ties into the decision die, which was found in the ballroom. While this may seem incriminating, Roma states that she was in the ballroom in phase one, so she could have dropped it then.
  • Finally, the only person who mentioned going into the sauna is Amber, which is where the skull was discovered. Amber being in the sauna in phase four to drop the skull and see Bob jump in the pool, as well as being in the yoga studio in phase two to hear Roma scream, makes it likely that she stayed on that side of the villa for the tea ceremony. This isn't enough evidence to clear her of suspicion, but there is no evidence pointing toward her lying about her location.
  • Roma fell asleep during the time of the murder, so no one saw her to verify this alibi. However, she mentions seeing Bob when she woke up during phase four. While this initially might not seem strange, given the fact that Roma's room is near the pool room, double-checking Bob's participant notes and the map in the house brochure will reveal a discrepancy: according to Bob, he walked to the pool from his room, the beach room. But this route would not pass by Roma's night room. Instead, in order for Roma to have seen him, Bob must have been coming from the master bedroom.
  • Revisiting the timeline with the knowledge that Bob was lying about phase three, another piece of the puzzle will fall into place: Bob's walk from the library to the master bedroom would have crossed paths with Murray heading to the walled garden from the mineral room. It was at this point that Murray gave the pyramid – the means for the murder – to a shadowy figure. Looking at the timeline, the only other suspect whom Murray could have crossed paths with at this time was Vida, who has already been cleared as a suspect.
  • Cross-referencing Bob's participant notes, the torn novel page, and the description of the library in the house brochure, you'll see that Bob is the only suspect who went into the library, where he had previously torn a page from one of the books to create the message in response to Tim's blackmail threat. Nicknamed "snickerdoodle" due to Bob's known sweet tooth, Tim was instructed to join Bob in the master bedroom at sunset.
  • Jill's letter mentions dumping out a cup of cold tea, suggesting that someone didn't drink the psychoactive tea. Comparing the participant notes, Bob's writing seems more coherent than that of the rest of the suspects. Therefore, you can conclude that Bob did not drink the psychoactive tea and, as a result, was lucid enough to be able to cover his tracks.

  • Bob accepted the granite pyramid from Murray on his way to talk with Tim about the blackmail threat, ended up using it to murder Tim in the master bedroom, lied on the participant notes about being in his beach room, dumped the murder weapon in the ballroom trash can on his way from the master bedroom to the pool room, and then jumped in the pool to wash off any traces of Tim's blood.

 

  • Bob Heck is the killer. To complete the game, open the solution envelope and read the solution letter.