Clue: Heathermire Hall [DT]

BrumalHunter wrote:Okay, so I've asked six questions so far.

1. Is Dr Vermillion the alibi of Mr Blanche?
2. Is Mr Crow the alibi of Mr Mauve?
3. Is Prof. Pecan the alibi of Ms Mercury?
4. Is Dr Canary the alibi of Mr Crow?
5. Is Mr Mauve the alibi of Ms Zinnia?
6. Is Prof. Pecan the alibi of Miss Moss?

And so far, I have three separate chains.
~ ... → Miss Moss → Dr Vermillion → Mr Blanche → Miss Blue → Butler
~ ... → Ms Mercury → Prof. Pecan → ...
~ ... → Mr Crow → Mr Mauve → ...

My theory was that you could use either one long chain or a chain and one or more circles, but I realised you probably wouldn't have, for example, "Dr Canary → Mr Crow → Mr Mauve → Dr Canary" be the case, which means it has to be the long chain. I know that rules out Miss Moss as the murderer, since she's next in the chain, but I still need to know who her alibi is.

Assuming the chain is intact, I shouldn't ask questions that would compromise its integrity. That sounds confusing, but it simply means I shouldn't ask questions that would place characters on the opposite end of a chain.

Okay! My next questions are:
7. Is Ms Zinnia the alibi of Miss Moss?
8. Is Mr Mauve the alibi of Ms Mercury?

Wolfical wrote:Your logic is so bewilderingly impressive that I can't understand it. But it works somehow. xD The chain idea is smart!

7. No
8. Yes!

BrumalHunter wrote:Oh-ho! That is very good to know. And thank you for the compliment. ^_^

1. Is Dr Vermillion the alibi of Mr Blanche?
2. Is Mr Crow the alibi of Mr Mauve?
3. Is Prof. Pecan the alibi of Ms Mercury?
4. Is Dr Canary the alibi of Mr Crow?
5. Is Mr Mauve the alibi of Ms Zinnia?
6. Is Prof. Pecan the alibi of Miss Moss?
7. Is Ms Zinnia the alibi of Miss Moss?
8. Is Mr Mauve the alibi of Ms Mercury?

My updated chains!
~ ... → Dr Canary → Miss Moss → Dr Vermillion → Mr Blanche → Miss Blue → Butler
~ ... → Mr Crow → Mr Mauve → Ms Mercury → Prof. Pecan → ...

I'm excited now! See, I had narrowed down the alibi of Miss Moss to either Ms Zinnia or Dr Canary, since all the other options were invalid and I had already asked whether Prof. Pecan was hers. I then saw Mr Mauve had a question mark, so I couldn't rule him out, but now I can! Since Ms Zinnia isn't her alibi, it must be Dr Canary! (This incidentally means LadyLizzLovelace was as lucky in her first question as I was.)

Thus, the answer to my next question will determine who the murderer is. I could ask whether Prof. Pecan or Ms Zinnia is the alibi of Dr Canary, but that would be a waste. I know it's between the the two of them, so if it's not one, it'll be the other. However, the alibi of Mr Crow is still unsettled.

9. Is Ms Zinnia the alibi of Mr Crow?

What a delicious final question! If the answer is yes, then it's a spectacular example of irony - Mr Crow can't be the murderer, because his archnemesis is his alibi, and she is the murderer! (Naturally, this would make Prof. Pecan the alibi of Dr Canary.) But if the answer is no, it means Ms Zinnia is the alibi of Dr Canary and Prof. Pecan is her alibi by default, which leaves Mr Crow as the only person unaccounted for - the person most likely to have been the murderer, the mafia boss, was the murderer after all! (This would also leave both black names on opposite ends of the list. O.o)

You must write a novelised version of this someday. It would have to be approached in a very different manner, but it would be lovely to read and review.

Anyway, I shall eagerly await your answer now!