Puzzle Pack #1 Puzzle 39 Answer

Bobby’s clue says that the two criminals above Vicky are connected. Above Vicky are Bobby, Gabe, Kay, and Peter, and Bobby is already known to be innocent, so the clue can only be affecting Gabe, Kay, and Peter. With exactly two criminals needed there, the connected pair has to include the middle person so the two criminals can touch within that group. So Kay must be criminal.

Above Vicky are Bobby, Gabe, Kay, and Peter, and among them Bobby is innocent while Kay is criminal. Bobby’s clue says both criminals above Vicky are connected, so there must be exactly two criminals in that group above Vicky. Kay is already one of them, which means the only possible second criminal above Vicky has to come from Gabe or Peter. Kay’s clue says column B has an odd number of criminals, and column B currently has Bobby innocent, Kay criminal, and only Gabe, Peter, and Vicky still unknown. If Vicky were innocent, Gabe and Peter would be the only unknowns left to satisfy both clues at once, and that is impossible. So Vicky must be criminal.

Vicky’s clue says Lucy has exactly 2 innocent neighbors, and only 1 of those 2 is also Kay’s neighbor. Among Lucy’s neighbors, the ones who are also Kay’s neighbors are B2 Gabe, C2 Hal, B4 Peter, and C4 Ronald, so the other innocent neighbor must come from Lucy’s neighbors who are not Kay’s neighbors. That means C2 Hal and C4 Ronald cannot be that “not Kay’s neighbor” innocent. Since the clue allows only 1 innocent among Lucy’s neighbors who is also Kay’s neighbor, and Hal and Ronald are both in that group, this step identifies them as not innocent. So Hal and Ronald must be criminals.

Hal’s clue directly says that Nancy is one of Jane’s three criminal neighbors. That identifies Nancy as a criminal.