11 November 2026
Wednesday. Five suspects tonight who confessed, at the desk, that they had never been locked in anything before. I told them confessions were premature.
They asked whether the hotel was too hard for beginners. The management calls it seven out of ten. Finding things is not the difficulty; the hotel leaves a great deal lying about, as grand hotels do. Understanding what one has found, and what it means, is where the hour goes.
My advice was the advice I give my junior officers. Ask for help. The gamesmaster is watching the whole time and will send a hint the moment it is requested. There is no shame in a hint. There is a great deal of shame in being arrested out of pride.
They took a hint, then another, and came down the stairs talking all at once. I could not make out a word. Croissant could. He wagged.
— Insp. A. Brochard, Gendarmerie
