Case No. 002 · London, 1910
A Quarter Past Murder
London's greatest clockmaker is dead, and his smashed watch says 9:15. Six suspects, one stopped watch and a trail of lies from Big Ben to the Old Bailey. Who did it?
London, 1910. Saturday morning. In a workshop full of ticking clocks behind Westminster Abbey, Sir Tobias Tock, the finest clockmaker in the Empire, lies dead beside a cup of tea. His pocket watch smashed when he fell. It stopped at 9:15.
Scotland Yard has already arrested his apprentice, the only other person in the house at 9:15, and he goes before the judge this afternoon. Detective Barnaby Quill, home from Munich with Würstl the dachshund in tow, thinks the Yard has it wrong. He needs sharp eyes to prove it.
From Westminster to the Old Bailey, you'll question a suffragette, a society widow, a rival clockmaker, a music-hall magician and a Fleet Street gossip, with help from a muffin man, a ballad seller and a Cockney cabbie. Everyone has a motive. Everyone has an alibi. And somewhere in the city, a clock is lying.
- Start
- The Boudica statue at Westminster Bridge, by Westminster station
- Finish
- The Old Bailey, round the corner from St Paul's
- Route
- Westminster Bridge · Parliament Square · Horse Guards · Trafalgar Square · Seven Dials · Covent Garden · Temple Bar · St Bride's · St Paul's · Old Bailey
The suspects
Six alibis. One liar.
Bertie DunnThe apprenticeFound the body. Already in handcuffs, and the only one in the house at 9:15.
Winnie TockThe nieceA suffragette with a stick of chalk. Inherits the whole business.
Delphine DarlingThe fiancéeA glamorous widow from Bath. The wedding was next Saturday.
Silas SprocketThe rivalLost the commission for the King's own watch, and never got over it.
The Great FandangoThe magicianThe victim exposed his famous trick in the papers. His card was found under the body.
Ivy InkwellThe gossipThe victim was suing her newspaper. The trial was due on Monday.
Good to know
Before you set off.
Where does it start, and how do I get there?
At the bronze statue of Boudica in her chariot, at the end of Westminster Bridge, right outside Westminster Underground station (Jubilee, District and Circle lines). It finishes at the Old Bailey, a few minutes from St Paul's station.
When's the best time to go?
Any day in daylight. Every puzzle is solved from the street, so you never need a ticket to get in anywhere. Go before 4pm if you'd like to see the mounted troopers at Horse Guards. Weekend mornings are quietest in the City.
Do we need to know London?
Not at all. The case map shows the way to every stop, and every answer can be found on the spot or worked out from the story.
How is it scored?
Each solved puzzle earns 100 points. Hints, wrong answers and skips cost points. Name the right killer for 200 more, then prove it for bonus points. Your rank at the end is perfect for bragging.
Is it accessible?
The route is about 4.7 km on pavements, with a gentle climb up Ludgate Hill near the end. There are cafés and pubs all along the way, and you can pause any time and pick up later.