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Murder on the Moored Barge

Case 012 · 17 September 2026 · Hard

Just after midnight, the moored barge on the city canal lay almost silent, its party of four guests scattered between cramped cabins and the narrow saloon. Patrick Briggs, the owner and host, was later found dead below deck during the night, the struggle short and without a sound. A sudden blackout, a brief confusion, and the killer had only a few minutes to act before the lights flickered back. Each guest claims to have stayed in one corner of the barge, holding some innocent object. The captain’s notes and the scattered traces of movement must now reveal who turned that quiet night into murder.

Suspects

• Nathan Cooper

  Harbor accountant

  Briggs’s longtime bookkeeper, Nathan knew every invoice that passed through the barge and had argued with the victim about missing funds earlier that week. He insists he stayed out of the way during the blackout, claiming he wanted no part in Briggs’s private quarrels.

  178 cm

• Rachel Kerr

  Barge co-owner

  Rachel held a minority share in the barge and had been pressuring Briggs to sell before his debts dragged her down as well. Witnesses recall a quiet but heated argument between them just hours before the blackout.

  182 cm

• Felix Turner

  Canal guide

  A freelance canal guide, Felix knew every mooring along the route and depended on Briggs for regular work. He swears he only came aboard to discuss next season’s tours and had no interest in the owner’s finances.

  170 cm

• Janet Moore

  Local journalist

  Janet had been sniffing around Briggs’s affairs for weeks, chasing a story about safety violations and unpaid crew. She claims she spent the blackout taking notes, waiting for a confession that never came.

  188 cm

Possible weapons

• the iron paperweight

  A solid iron paperweight from the barge’s tiny desk, heavy enough to stun with a single blow.

  1.1 kg

• the steel dumbbell

  A short steel dumbbell kept on board for exercise, with scuffed grips from frequent use.

  1.3 kg

• the wooden oar

  A light spare oar, propped near the rail, more for pushing off from the bank than for real rowing.

  700 g

• the brass boat-hook

  A brass-tipped boat-hook from the forward deck, used to snag ropes and fend off from other hulls.

  900 g

Places

• the bow cabin

  A cramped sleeping cabin in the bow, barely wide enough for a narrow bunk and a small locker.

  Indoors

• the stern cabin

  The rear cabin by the tiller, with a low ceiling and a view through a small stern window.

  Indoors

• the central saloon

  The narrow central saloon, with a built-in table and benches lining the wood-paneled walls.

  Indoors

• the galley corner

  A tiny galley corner along one side of the barge, with a small stove and a cluttered counter.

  Indoors

Evidence & statements

1. The skipper’s log notes an odd pairing: if Felix Turner was the one carrying the brass boat-hook, then whoever stayed in the bow cabin was the one handling the wooden oar.
2. A witness statement adds a conditional detail: if Janet Moore spent the blackout in the central saloon, then whoever stayed in the galley corner was in fact Rachel Kerr.
3. Interview notes record that Rachel Kerr was not the one handling the wooden oar during the blackout.
4. The iron paperweight is heavier than whatever was in the hands of whoever stayed in the stern cabin.
5. Exactly one of these is true, never both: whoever stayed in the central saloon was handling the wooden oar, or Felix Turner was the one carrying the steel dumbbell.
6. Witness descriptions agree that whoever was handling the wooden oar was taller than whoever carried the brass boat-hook.
7. Weight marks on the floorboards show that the brass boat-hook was heavier than whatever was with whoever stayed in the central saloon.
8. Smears of fresh galley grease were found on the steel dumbbell, still soft when the police came aboard: the killer was the one carrying the steel dumbbell.

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