Lakeside Slaughter: The Last Vacation

Hints

Decoding Note on Ad

  • Much like with the other encoded notes, the writer of this message left a clue for solving it by circling the word "count".
  • Each pair of numbers separated by a slash represents a single letter. This is a form of a book cipher.

Decoding Note on Guestbook Page

  • The writer of this partially encoded note took the time to circle the number 13 at the bottom of the page.
  • The encoded words in this message were generated using a shift cipher with a shift of 13.

Decoding Note on Menu

  • Someone wrote a strange message on the back of the menu, but they also circled “order number” on the front page. This is a hint for decoding the message.
  • The encoded message is a mixture of letters and numbers. Each number corresponds to one of the dishes on the menu.
  • Try replacing each number in the encoded message with the first letter of the name of that order number’s dish.

Encoded Notes Author

  • To identify who wrote this series of ominous notes, compare the handwriting with the rest of the handwritten documents amongst your evidence.

Game Finish

  • Remember, Monica told Ryan before the party that she was going to get something to prove that Zachary was up to something. Was she successful?
  • Revisit the suspicious items Monica enclosed in the locked time capsule. The encoded notes were collected from around the rental, but where did the pill bottle come from? And what could be so suspicious about an empty pill bottle?

Logging On

  • First, read Ryan’s Letter to understand the basics of this case. Ryan mentions that there’s some additional evidence available online. To view this evidence, head to philaxsecurity.com/loonlanding and enter the password UNPLUG. You’ll then be prompted to enter the rental property’s wifi password, which can be found on the house rules. Enter the second password, W4ND4L4ND, to finish logging in.

Suspects

Means

  • The Autopsy Report reveals that Monica was struck in the head with something, and comparing the crime scene photo with Ryan’s security camera photos will show that she died in the living room.
  • The final security camera photo taken on Sunday has already revealed the addition of something, but what’s missing from the living room?

Opportunity

  • According to the autopsy report, Monica died around 11:15 pm. The killer had to have been at the Bosleys’ rental at that time.
  • The welcome packet will let you know when the fireworks began. Try using that time stamp as a reference point to confirm suspects’ locations toward the end of the party.
  • Usman is quite the charismatic character. What does he reveal to the police in his witness statement?
  • Cross-reference the witness statements from Wanda, PJ, Justin, and Riley. Where was Wanda after the party?
  • Wanda claims that she went straight home, but PJ says she wasn’t there when he stopped by. Why would Wanda lie?
  • The security camera photos on the Philax website include helpful time stamps. Make sure to compare the Friday and Sunday photos to spot any differences.
  • PJ claims that he was sitting in his car until 11:33 pm. Have you uncovered any additional evidence that could confirm or reject this alibi?
  • Make sure to train your careful eye on all the photos amongst your evidence, not just the security camera photos. Do you notice any similarities, differences, or recurring details?
  • Ryan’s security cameras captured a figure in a white hat standing outside their rental on Friday at 10:42 pm, shortly before Monica was killed. Where have you seen this hat before?
  • Justin’s photos, the security camera photos on the Philax website, and the Lakeside Living article all show the same white hat with a red band. How many of these hats are there?
  • What do all the other suspects say about Riley?

Time Capsule Lock Combination

  • Monica presented the locked time capsule to Ryan along with Monica’s note. There are three digits on the lock and three numbered riddles in her note.
  • The locked time capsule is a sentimental gift commemorating Monica and Ryan’s relationship so far. Take a look at Ryan’s letter and his witness statement to learn more about their relationship.
  • To solve the first riddle, look for a song, a first moment, and the back of the current moment as Monica drafted these riddles.
  • To solve the second riddle, you’ll need to find the T-shirt Monica is recalling from their first hike in the woods.
  • In the third riddle, Monica is reminiscing about all the years they’ve spent together so far.

Uncovering Additional Evidence

  • Any phone numbers you see are all in operation; try calling them!

Reveals

Decoding Note on Ad

  • To decode each letter of this message, you’ll have to count the lines and letters in this ad, much like you would with a book cipher.
  • In each pair of numbers, the first number represents the line number and the second number indicates the letter of that line. For example, 10/1 points to the first letter of line 10: “D” in “Damp Dan’s”.
  • Decoded, this message reads “Don’t think I won’t protect what I have”.

Decoding Note on Guestbook Page

  • To decode the illegible words in this message, move each letter 13 places forward in the alphabet. For example, the letter R would decode to the letter E.
  • Decoded, the message on the guestbook page reads “I see everything that goes on in this place. Watch your step.”

Decoding Note on Menu

  • Order number 2 on the menu starts with the letter C, order number 4 starts with the letter A, and order number 58 starts with the letter R. But E, F, U, and L in the message’s first word are not encoded.
  • Decoded, the message on the back of the menu reads “Careful, Justin’s been snooping around. I know the skeletons in your closet.”

Encoded Notes Author

  • PJ was the one writing these notes, but who was the intended recipient?

Game Finish

  • A good detective makes sure to preserve his/her evidence without damage, but don’t be afraid to dig deeper. Do over-the-counter vitamins typically come in prescription-style bottles?
  • Peel back the fake vitamin label on the pill bottle to reveal the true label beneath it.
  • You can deduce that Zachary has been disguising the sleeping pills in the pill bottle as vitamin supplements for Riley’s supposed chronic condition, and Monica discovered this secret.
  • Zachary Renstadt is the killer. To finish the game, open the solution envelope and read the solution letter found inside.

Suspects

Means

  • The oar handle that was leaning against the living room wall on Friday but is missing from the security camera photo on Sunday matches the description of Monica’s injuries in the autopsy report. Where is the oar handle now?
  • The photo of the Renstadts’ living room in the Lakeside Living article was taken on Sunday. The missing oar handle can be seen beside the fireplace.

Opportunity

  • The police think Ryan is guilty, but PJ’s witness statement will corroborate Ryan’s alibi; Ryan was watching the fireworks out on the pier during the time of the murder.
  • Usman was setting off the fireworks from his boat during the time of the murder and did not have the opportunity to head inside the Bosleys’ rental after the party.
  • The Sunday 0931 photo on the Philax website features a silver coffee pot that wasn’t there before. Where did it come from?
  • After the party, Wanda snuck into the Renstadts’ house and stole Riley’s aunt’s silver coffee pot for her collection of trinkets and decorations.
  • Now that you’ve identified PJ as the writer of the unsigned encoded notes, which indirectly share his displeasure with Wanda over failing to pay him, you can more confidently believe his statement that he was sitting in his car at the time of the murder, mustering up the courage to speak with Wanda.
  • The killer was wearing a white hat with a red band, and both Justin and the Renstadts appear to own a hat in this style.
  • Riley states that she was so tired, she went to bed at 10:30 pm. The rest of the suspects corroborate this alibi by mentioning her chronic fatigue. Therefore, the white hat must belong to either Justin or Zachary.

Time Capsule Lock Combination

  • Each of the three numbered riddles in Monica’s note corresponds with a digit for the lock on the locked time capsule.
  • According to Ryan’s letter, the first time they met, Monica introduced him to The Decemberists.
  • The back of Monica’s note lists a song by The Decemberists as the sixth playlist song. The first digit of the lock combination is six.
  • Ryan’s profile photo on the reservation details shows the couple in the woods, and Ryan’s shirt has the number five on it. The second digit of the lock combination is five.
  • The third riddle shares Monica’s desire to make the next year together count, which would have been “one more than what we’ve got already”. Reread Ryan’s witness statement to see how long they’ve been together.
  • Ryan tells the detective that they dated for three years and have been married for three years. The couple has been together for a total of six years, and one more than that is seven. The third digit of the lock combination is seven.
  • The combination to the locked time capsule is 657.

Uncovering Additional Evidence

  • PJ’s business card and Wanda’s voicemail greeting for the number listed on the keychain both direct you to call PJ at 410-417-8829. Once you do so, you’ll discover a new number to call: 301-531-4267.
  • Calling PJ’s other number will tell you more about his construction company, Santos Building Management, LLC. It seems as though Justin is working with this company.

Hidden Text

Pill Bottle True Label

Hidden Beneath Peelable Fake Label

  • BELLONA PHARMACY
    10 ASH ST
    CALVERTON, MD
  • RX 4891485
  • RENSTADT, ZACHARY
  • TAKE 1 TABLET BEFORE BED. WILL CAUSE DROWSINESS. USE CARE WHEN OPERATING A VEHICLE, VESSEL, OR OTHER MACHINES.
  • ZOLPIDEM TARTRATE 5MG TAB
  • OFF-WHITE ROUND-SHAPED TABLET IMPRINTED WITH E ON ONE SIDE AND 78 ON THE OTHER
  • LBLR: G. MENDEZ
  • PR: D. BROOM
  • QTY: 60

Transcripts

Autopsy Report

Final Page → Coroner

  • Alice Noritch, M.D.

Justin's Photos

Back of First Photo → Ryan

  • Took these from Justin’s desk. That’s our room! —Ryan

Monica's Note

Front → Monica

Dear Ry-no,

Time to connect, time to enjoy,

a time capsule made for us to employ.

Let’s make memories and unlock us,

here at a lake without any fuss.

To open the capsule you’ll need to solve

three riddles I made, each about love.

 

  1. Begin with a song,
    from the first moment to
    the back of this one.
  2. Next, remember
    that time in the woods
    our first hike together.
    Empty of “shoulds,”
    we both felt free.
    I said you smelled good
    you wore your best tee.
  3. Finally, but not least,
    these last few years —
    a drop in the lake
    of our love — let’s make
    the next year count,
    one more than what we’ve got already.

 

Back → Monica

Songs for the Lake!

  1. The Lakes — Taylor Swift
  2. Going Up the Country — Canned Heat
  3. Possum Kingdom — The Toadies
  4. First Day of My Life — Bright Eyes
  5. Around the Lake — Fools & Horses
  6. Lake Song — The Decemberists
  7. Shallow — Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper
  8. Southbound Pachyderm — Primus
  9. Crazy — Aerosmith
  10. Brown Eyed Girl — Van Morrison

Note on Ad

Back → Handwriting A

  • [“Count” is circled]
  • 10/1 11/2 10/7 ' 1/5
  • 1/5 3/17 4/4 1/4 9/13
  • 4/4
  • 3/1 11/2 10/7 ' 1/5
  • protect what I have

Note on Guestbook Page

Front → Handwriting A

  • I see rirelguvat gung tbrf ba in this place. Jngpu lbhe fgrc.
  • [“13” is circled]

Note on Menu

Front

  • [“Order Number” is circled]

 

Back → Handwriting A

  • 2-4-58-e-f-u-l,     j-u-24-12-i-n’-33    1-e-e-n     23-n-20-30-27-i-n-g     4-58-20-u-n-8.     I     6-n-20-7     5-h-e     23-6-e-l-e-5-20-n-23     i-n     y-20-u-r 2-l-20-23-e-5.

PJ's Business Card

Back → PJ

  • If you ever decide to list your home as a vacation rental I can help!

PJ's Voicemail Greeting Audio Recording

PJ: You’ve reached PJ Santos. I don’t recognize your number. If this is about new construction, please call Santos Building Management, LLC, at 301-531-4267.

Ryan's Letter

Bottom → Ryan

  • Ryan Bosley

Santos Building Management's Voicemail Greeting Audio Recording

PJ: Thank you for calling Santos Building Management, LLC. We can’t take on new construction jobs right now due to an extensive contract with a new client. It’s going to be awesome but you’ll have to wait. Unless this is Justin. You can leave a message.

Usman's Flyer

Bottom → Usman

Hello Ryan and Monica, and welcome to Loon Landing! I trust you’ll find everything clean and perfect! There’s nothing I can do about the unfinished construction, I’m afraid! I’ll be checking in to see if you need anything.

Relax, and welcome to the lake!

 

—Usman

Wanda's Letter

Front → Wanda

Dear Monica and Brian,

I appreciate the opportunity to be your host and I want to be the best you’ve ever stayed with. In an effort to be that host, I want you to know that I hear your concerns about the exposed wiring, loose oak paneling, and unfinished rooms. When Brian and I agreed to the terms of your stay, I didn’t hide anything about the status of the house. So I hope you can understand my confusion when Monica continues to submit complaints and threaten my rental license and my reputation with my neighbors.

My building manager, PJ, is in the middle of renovating this house, and that’s why you’re seeing the construction. It’s also why you were given such a discounted rate. You’re benefiting quite a bit from my willingness to open my house to you for so little in return. I only ask that you stop calling me to complain about every detail out of place. I hope this also helps you to understand that there is no reason to submit a complaint to A Home Away corporate managers or leave a negative review. I wouldn’t want to mess with Karma, if I were in your shoes.

 

All the best and happy days,

Wanda

[Front of page, in Wanda’s handwriting]

Wanda's Voicemail Greeting Audio Recording

Wanda: Heellooo! This is Wanda Quinn, thank you for calling. If you have any questions regarding your stay, please call PJ at 410-417-8829.

Witness Statements

Justin

Back → Justin

  • Justin Spelling

 

Back → Detective

  • Elise Principato

PJ

Back → PJ

  • PJ Santos

 

Back → Detective

  • Elise Principato

Riley

Back → Riley

  • Riley Renstadt

 

Back → Detective

  • Elise Principato

Ryan

Back → Ryan

  • Ryan Bosley

 

Back → Detective

  • Elise Principato

Usman

Back → Usman

  • Usman Osmani

 

Back → Detective

  • Elise Principato

Wanda

Back → Wanda

  • Wanda Quinn

 

Back → Detective

  • Elise Principato

Zachary

Back → Zachary

  • Zachary Renstadt

 

Back → Detective

  • Elise Principato

Solution

  • Your first order of business, Detective, is to make sure you’ve accessed all of the evidence for this case. Ryan’s letter mentions that there are some additional photos on Ryan’s Philax website. Once you head to philaxsecurity.com/loonlanding and enter the first password, UNPLUG, followed by the second password, W4ND4L4ND, you’ll be able to see inside Ryan and Monica’s vacation rental.
  • Ryan also shares in his letter that Monica was gathering evidence in the locked time capsule, which has a three-digit combination. Monica’s note has three numbered riddles for Ryan about their relationship, with each riddle providing one digit for the lock. The first riddle mentions a song, the first moment, and the back of this one. The “first moment” can be identified in Ryan’s letter: when they first met, Monica introduced him to The Decemberists. The back of Monica’s note includes a playlist with the sixth song by The Decemberists, making the first digit of the lock six.
  • The second riddle recalls Ryan wearing his best T-shirt during their first hike in the woods. Ryan’s profile photo on the reservation details features Monica and Ryan in the woods, and Ryan’s shirt has the number five on it. The second digit of the lock is five.
  • Finally, the third riddle ends with Monica wanting to make the next year together count, which would have been “one more than what we’ve got already”. In Ryan’s witness statement, he tells the detective that they’ve been together for a total of six years, and one more than that is seven. The third digit of the lock is seven.
  • Once you open the locked time capsule with the combination 657, you’ll see a rhinoceros pin, Monica’s gift to Ryan; a curiously empty pill bottle; and a series of ominous, encoded notes that Monica believed were threatening messages directed toward her. With all of the evidence uncovered and now at your disposal, you can begin to clear suspects.
  • The police believe Ryan is guilty, but he claims in his witness statement that he was watching the fireworks at the time of Monica’s death. According to the autopsy report, Monica’s time of death was around 11:15 pm. The welcome packet will tell you that Usman began setting off fireworks at 10 pm, and PJ’s witness statement mentions that between 11:33 and 11:45 pm, someone was on the pier at the Bosleys' rental house. PJ’s observation backs up Ryan’s alibi, thus clearing Ryan of suspicion.
  • Usman also has an alibi during the time of the murder, as he admits to setting off the fireworks from his boat in his witness statement. Usman is not the killer.
  • Wanda appears to have a strong motive, most noticeably seen in Wanda’s letter when she shares her frustration over Monica threatening her rental license due to the state of the rental property. In Wanda’s witness statement, Wanda claims she went home after the party, but close reading the rest of the witness statements will reveal that Wanda actually lingered after the party to steal Riley’s aunt’s coffee pot to add to her collection of trinkets and decorations. Your careful eye will spot evidence of this detail when comparing the security photos on the Philax website: at some point between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, a statue of a llama on the side table in the living room was replaced with a silver coffee pot. During the time of the murder, Wanda couldn’t resist her magpie tendencies and was stealing Riley’s aunt’s coffee pot. Wanda has an alibi and is not the killer.
  • Next on your list of suspects, PJ has a similar motive to Wanda, as he mentions in his witness statement that Monica threatened his license due to his work not being up to code. By comparing the handwriting on the encoded notes in the locked time capsule with other pieces of handwriting in the box, you can determine that PJ wrote them. Decoding the messages (as described in the reveals above) will disclose PJ’s claims to know everything that goes on in the rental and his assertion that he’ll do anything to protect his livelihood.
  • Monica believed she was being threatened; however, when you factor in additional context from PJ’s witness statement regarding Wanda’s failure to pay him for his completed work, you’ll see that these messages were actually meant for Wanda, as he wasn’t brave enough to confront her directly. PJ’s assertion that he was sitting in his car until 11:33 pm on the night of the murder, gathering the courage to go speak with Wanda, seems to give him an alibi but can’t be definitively proven. At this point in your investigation, PJ can’t be ruled out as a suspect, but he is much lower on the list of potential suspects.
  • The decoded note on ad shares that Justin has been snooping around Wanda’s property, and the photos that Ryan took from Justin’s desk corroborate this claim. In Justin’s photos, Justin is seen wearing a white hat with a red band as he takes pictures through the window of the Bosleys’ rental. You’ll see this same image from a different angle in one of the security photos on the Philax website, as well as another image of a figure wearing that same hat as he/she stands outside the rental shortly before the time of murder.
  • These photos appear to give Justin a strong opportunity to be the murderer. He also has a potential motive, as cross-referencing the reservation details, Justin’s brochure, and Justin’s witness statement will reveal that Justin wants to build a hotel where Wanda’s rental property is located. When you call the numbers on the keychain and PJ’s business card, you’ll also discover that PJ has been hired to help with this project, proving that Justin is serious about securing the land. Justin’s hotel business ventures would benefit from Wanda abandoning her A Home Away rental pursuits due to the death of her first customer. However, the one piece missing to convict Justin is the means to commit the murder.
  • Your careful attention to detail when studying the security camera photos on the Philax website will allow you to notice an oar handle leaning against the living room wall on Friday that is missing from both the Sunday morning security camera photo and the crime scene photo. The autopsy report confirms that Monica was killed by a blow to the head, and an oar handle would fit the description of her injuries. Turning your attention to the photos in the Lakeside Living article, which Wanda’s welcome packet mentions were taken on Sunday, you’ll see that the oar handle is now beside the fireplace in Zachary and Riley’s home.
  • A photo of the Renstadts’ entryway in that article also shows that they own the same white hat as Justin, though it’s unclear whether it belongs to Riley or Zachary. Riley says that she was going to bed between 10:30 and 11 pm, and several witness statements point out that Riley is chronically fatigued, corroborating this alibi. As a result, you can conclude that the figure seen outside the Bosleys’ rented lakehouse before the murder occurred was either Justin or Zachary. Justin has motive and opportunity, while Zachary has means and opportunity.
  • The final piece of evidence needed to identify the killer is the pill bottle that you discovered in the locked time capsule. If you peel off the top lil’ pills vitamin label, you’ll uncover the true label underneath. Riley hasn’t been taking supplements for a chronic condition after all; Zachary has secretly been drugging her with sleeping pills in order to gain control of their house and her inheritance.
  • Monica suspected that something wasn’t right and purposefully fell into the lake during the party to give herself an excuse to head inside the Renstadts’ house and snoop around. She discovered the pill bottle and took it as evidence to prove to Ryan what Zachary has been doing to his wife. When Zachary noticed that the pills were missing, he went over to the Bosleys’ rental to get them back. But when Monica refused, he grabbed the nearby oar handle and attacked her. Zachary then took the oar handle back to his house in a feeble attempt to hide the evidence. Zachary has the means, motive, and opportunity to kill Monica, making him the murderer.
  • Zachary Renstadt is the killer. To complete the game, open the solution envelope and read the solution letter found inside.