Previously on Murder on Ice...

After proving Anne's innocence through evidence uncovered from Harrison's phone, Sofia confronted Anne with questions about her secret romantic relationship with Nathan. Anne revealed that shortly before Nathan died, she saw him acting suspiciously secretive in his office; he appeared to be hiding something from her on his computer screen. This caused Sofia to get her sights on Nathan's office as a potential source of as-yet-uncovered evidence.

The only problem: Nathan's office has been locked ever since he died, and Sofia will need help finding her way in.

Hints

Computer Password

• Pay attention to Nathan's password hint: "Snow over snow, looped letters in order they show up on L". What documents and items have snow on them? Is there a way for these things to interact with one another?
• You might assume that the "L" in the password hint refers to Lillian. This is not the case. Try to find another important figure in Nathan's life whose name begins with the letter L.

Keypad Combination

• The keypad combination to Nathan's office is seven characters long.
• Nathan set up his office's keypad combination because Carol forced him to comply with a rink policy. He had somewhat of a sense of humor when choosing the numbers for the combination.
• Nathan created the combination to his office using the rules of the rink that he habitually breaks. Look through the episode's documents for references to rules that Nathan commonly breaks.

Logging On

• Check Sofia's letter for the specific task Sofia assigns you. She asks you to figure out the keypad combination to Nathan's office. Head to threepinescase.com and log in using the password SALCHOW. When you're ready to tell Sofia what you've found, you can communicate with her through the site's messenger.

Reveals

Computer Password

• The "snow" referenced in the password hint on Nathan's computer refers to the images of snowflakes on the ashtray and the rink rules. Find a place where the snowflake images on the clear ashtray lines up with a snowflake on the rink rules and pay attention to which letters on the ashtray are circled by the drawings on the rink rules.
• The letters on the ashtray that are circled when the item is correctly aligned with the rink rules are C, H, Y, S, and O.
• The letters C, H, Y, S, and O must be rearranged in the order they appear on the dog tag; the tag belongs to Lutz, Nathan's dog, whose name begins with the letter L.
• The password to Nathan's computer is YSCOH. Send this password to Sofia through the messenger at threepinescase.com in order to complete the episode.

Keypad Combination

• The following documents reference rules that Nathan has broken: bulletin post, card from Nathan, and Marcus's memo.

• Nathan frequently breaks the following rules:

  • 1. Bikes and scooters must remain outside.
  • 4. No pets allowed in the building. Service animals allowed everywhere except the ice.
  • 6. No smoking or use of tobacco products on the premises.
  • 12. No speed skating during public sessions.
  • 17. No throwing things from the upper floors.
• However, this is not the final form of the office passcode. There is one more important detail that will affect the numbering of these rules. This detail can be found in the Birdlr screenshots.

• The combination needed to enter Nathan's office is 1174612. Send this combination to Sofia through the messenger at threepinescase.com in order to advance the story and receive the next objective.

Transcripts

Answering Machine Message Audio Recording

Answering Machine: You have no saved messages and one new message. First new message:

Sofia (angry): Listen, you stupid, shallow, conceited jerk! I have more to say. You're burrowed up so far up your own ass, acting like you don't care about attention or prestige or money, but none of it's true, is it? At the end of the day, you basically stopped being my coach the second you found someone you thought could be more famous than I ever will. Have fun landing the first quad axel in history with her while my career dies on the sidelines. Sorry I wasted ten whole years trying to be your student. I might not be a genius, but I am a brilliant skater. A BRILLIANT skater. If you had given me the attention I needed, I would have made it to nationals.

Sofia (softened tone, but still upset): (sighs) Look, I think I left my skates at the rink, please bring them to practice tomorrow. I haven't given up on myself just yet, even if you have.

Card from Nathan

Interior of Card

Hey LV,

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you need to hear it. After working with you the last month, I've gotten a real good feel for what you can and can't do. As harsh as it sounds, you can't land the quad. We have to stop pushing for it before you get hurt. I'm so, so sorry.

We already knew the move was likely impossible, and considering your battle with lupus, your joints just can't handle the kind of training we'd have to do to attempt it at this stage. That said, let's finish out the competition strong.

I shouldn't have gotten your hopes up. Sometimes I get so invested in fighting for a student that I set up unrealistic goals. When Sofia didn't make the tournament, I petitioned the ASA official that would hear my case to get her in. Of course, that didn't work.

You must be pretty pissed at me right now. We can talk this through in person if you want, but I'll tell you now that you won't change my mind.

Remember that destressing exercise I taught you? Where you write your feelings out on a slip of paper and throw it down from the track before practice? I do it all the time, even though Carol hates it. Might be good for you to try that before practice.

Sorry again kiddo,

Nathan

Finale Audio Recording

Sofia: What the hell was that email?

[Her phone starts to vibrate.]

Sofia: Hold on, Kingston's calling.

Kingston: Hey there, skate sleuth. Just got the email you forwarded and I'm freaking out.

Sofia: I know. The way he phrased things, it implies... I don't know.

Kingston: If I'm reading this right, it means that golden boy Nathan LaPalma was involved in something slimy. Some kind of cheating, doping, or good old-fashioned sabotage.

Sofia: It might not be what it looks like.

Kingston: I'm sure plenty of people will agree with you there. And then plenty of other people will disagree, and The Lee Report will turn into a high-traffic hotbed of discourse and speculation.

Sofia: What? You can't post this before we find actual proof to back it up.

Kingston: Come on, what could possibly explain this away?

Sofia: I don't know, but I think we should take at least a couple more days to verify it.

Kingston: I know this must be hard for you to take in, but there's no point in standing in the way of journalism just because you don't like the idea that your coach didn't live on the pedestal you built him.

Sofia: Excuse me? First off, it's rich of you to call what you do "journalism" when you're clearly just interested in slapping a trashy headline onto your stupid blog.

Kingston: Okay, no need to come for The Lee Report.

Sofia: Nathan hated the very idea of cheating. It was all about craft to him, not winning. He'd always say so.

Kingston: Well, maybe he doth protest a little too much. You ever win a competition you felt like you shouldn't have? You ever had a competitor conveniently drop out last minute?

Sofia: No! I mean, I don't know. But it feels wrong.

Kingston: You agreed to let me do my job if I gave you what I found. I held up my end. You can't get mad when I hold you to yours.

Sofia: But I -

Kingston: - once this goes public, there will probably be an ASA inquest into Nathan. And his students, meaning you. If they find out that any of your medals weren't legit, they'll revoke them. If they think you knew about this, you'd better get interested in a different career path because your time as an athlete is over. Get a statement together and memorize it. Sorry.

[Kingston hangs up.]

Sofia: Shit. Shit! (sigh)

[Brief moment as Sofia collects herself.]

Sofia: Okay. Well, my world is maybe about to implode. (pause as she gets herself together) But in terms of the investigation, this is a good thing. As sick as it makes me feel in my stomach, we've found out something new, and big. (sighs) Next steps: The email said something about another address Nathan was at. I think that should be our next move. I'll look into it and send you what I find. Later.

Marcus's Memo

Front

ATTN: With the tournament mere weeks away, I think it would be a good time to announce to you, my esteemed colleagues, that this rink is soon to change ownership and become property of The Lourdes Group.

As such, under this new management, the employees of this establishment will be held to a higher standard of professionalism than many of you have become used to from here on out. For example, the new owners have already added a new rule, which you can see yourself on the updated list of rink rules that has been posted. It is right under the one about carrying children and strollers. They will not take kindly to repeat offenders. With that in mind, many of you would do good to recall the following:

1. All of the rink rules apply all of the time. I don't care if the rink is closed to the public; you will treat this place with respect, or you will be removed.
2. We have a procedure for requesting songs to which you can complain about not getting into the competition. Stop blaring distasteful music from your phone during practice.
3. Only skaters and rink personnel are allowed in the offices. Mothers of skaters, no matter how self-important or entitled they may feel, do not count as personnel.
4. For the last time, leave the blue sashed mascot at home. This rink hardly needs another old boy getting in everybody's way.
5. Discipline under the new coach must be lacking. There is a bike rack just outside of the double doors. Use it.
6. If I find one more can of your student's disgusting, sugar-laden energy drinks stuck to the sideboards after practice, I will personally contact his sponsor and end their support.

Note from Lillian

Front → Lillian's Handwriting

Dear Coach Lourdes,

These past few weeks, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I made a few realizations. First and foremost that I am such an idiot for talking to you the way I did. I am so sorry. I let myself forget the history we had together and acted out in the moment. I truly never meant to hurt you or let you down, just like I'm sure you haven't really meant the things you said to Coach LaPalma recently.

Even though we didn't always see eye to eye, you were always straightforward with me. Coach LaPalma, on the other hand, is a liar. He'll say whatever he needs to say in the moment to make you like him, believe in his vision. But he's all surface.

Training under him has made me feel lonelier than I've ever been in my entire life, even though I'm surrounded by more people than ever, ever since Coach LaPalma and that terrible woman convinced me to pair up with Harrison.

I thought about coming back. Coach LaPalma said it would be a waste to, but I think you were right. He doesn't care about me. He never did. I have to finish what I started I guess. Please understand. Maybe after the competition, we can revisit my old contract? I don't know. Even if you're not my coach anymore, your opinion still matters to me.

Sincerely,

LIllian

Front → Marcus's Handwriting

I knew you'd come to see reason. LaPalma is nothing but hollow promises. Have faith that we can work something out soon.

Good luck with him until then.

Solution

To Find the Office Passcode

• Carefully reading the bulletin post, it will become apparent that Nathan has a habit of breaking the rink's rules. When Nathan is pressured into setting up a keypad combination to his office, he uses the numbers of the rules he breaks as the digits of the combination as a private joke.
• The following documents reference rules that Nathan has broken: bulletin post, card from Nathan, and Marcus's memo.

• Nathan frequently breaks the following rules:

  • 1. Bikes and scooters must remain outside.
  • 4. No pets allowed in the building. Service animals allowed everywhere except the ice.
  • 6. No smoking or use of tobacco products on the premises.
  • 12. No speed skating during public sessions.
  • 17. No throwing things from the upper floors.
• In the Birdlr screenshots, Harrison mentions overhearing Nathan muttering "rules being odds than evens in ascending order". Order the rule numbers in this manner to find the keypad code.
• The keypad combination needed to enter Nathan's office is 1174612. Open the messenger on threepinescase.com and send this combination to Sofia in order to advance the story and receive the next objective.

To Find the Computer Password

• The password hint on Nathan's computer is "Snow over snow, looped letters in order they show up on L". The "snow" referenced in the password hint on Nathan's computer refers to the images of snowflakes on the ashtray and the rink rules.
• Find a place where the snowflake image on the clear ashtray lines up with the snowflake on the rink rules and pay attention to which letters on the ashtray are circled by the drawings on the rink rules.
• The letters on the ashtray that are circled when the item is correctly aligned with the rink rules are C, H, Y, S, and O.
• The letters C, H, Y, S, and O must be rearranged into the order they appear on the dog tag; the tag belongs to Lutz, Nathan's dog, whose name begins with the letter L.
• The password to Nathan's computer is YSCOH.
• To complete the episode, open the messenger on threepinescase.com and send Sofia a message with the password "YSCOH". Her response will give you details for the next episode.