LOCATION: Mid-Atlantic
CHALLENGE: 
DATE/NUMBER: 14-Dec-2002/53,54-62
MAP:
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever
remains, however improbable, must be the truth. -- Sherlock Holmes,
the Sign of the Four
A caper is afoot.
It has come to light that Men Without Hats' hatbox has been absconded
with. Not only is the existence of such an artifact a scandal in and
of itself, with a host of rogues standing to benefit from either its
discovery or obfuscation, but it turns out that it is obliquely referred to
in one of McBrae's maps, hence the place has been crawling with
treasure hunters. Inspector Culpepper had been investing
rumors of the box's existence before the crime, but he has been AWOL
since going out to investigate an anonymous tip as to where the box might
be stashed. Fortunately, he somehow anticipated the crime and set up
some strategic surveillance before disappearing.
So now its your problem. To make matters worse, the surveillance
notes are disorganized, incoherent, and incomplete. What we do know
is that there are nine figures involved, all men, all but one of them
has a rock solid alibi, and they all took it on the lam after the crime
came to light, which was some time in mid December, 2002. We also know
that they ended up in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. We have
reason to believe that they keep moving around since then, tho.
So, in order to solve this mystery, you'll have to hit the trails and see
if any clues turn up. If you're lucky, you'll see their fingerprints or
even be able to interrogate them directly. With the clues you find, and
the notes below, hopefully you'll be able to solve the mystery, finger the
thief, and induce a confession as to where the box is stashed ... tho
solving the mystery should be rewarding in its own right.
- Every man who had a ticket to the Men Without Hats concert had
a hat.
- After the crime, the man caught carrying a box was accused by two others --
he quickly changed the subject by asking them where the Hat Trick Club was
located, and if they enjoyed it.
- Before the crime, three men with hats were scratching their heads over the
clues to getting to the mystery gathering, which they had memorized. The
only thing they did figure out was that, being weaponless, they would
not figure it out.
- At the time of the crime, one man was showing off his Flutterby stamp to the
other as the Men Without Hats concert usherette took their tickets.
- The bald man can't stand hockey, but he likes men without hats. While
he was pondering where the treasure was, he observed that bald men who
are hatted aren't obviously bald, yet hirsute men who are hatted obviously
wear hats. He was also surprised to learn that there were no no shows at
the Men Without Hats concert (but he prefers bands like Iced Earth, so
what would he know?).
- Only one man who was at the Men Without Hats concert took it on the lam in
Pennsylvania.
- At the time of the crime, either a man who later took it on the lam in
Delaware, or the man who took it on the lam at the
Mad Hatter's Hitchhiker Hotel, was
at the mystery gathering.
- At the time of the crime, two men, one with a hat, one without, were seen
at the Hat Trick Club; one of them was showing the other his Flutterby stamp.
- At the time of the crime, one man with a weapon who later took it on the lam
in Maryland was at the Hat and Mouse Club, as was a man without a hat.
- After the crime, the man with the gun prevented the men in the Hat Trick
Club from taking it on the lam in Maryland.
- At the time of the crime, a man with a treasure map was seen sneaking
into the Men Without Hats concert.
Whodunnit? Can you finger the thief by name? If so, he'll confess and tell
you where he stashed the box. But make a false accusation, and who knows what
these rogues will tell you ... I wouldn't trust it ...
