Solved! The Puzzling Case of the Prolific Puzzle Maker

— From the Archives: A 1920s Article by Lanie Price —

Victor Stone, c. 1924

Dear Reader,

Last week, we dug deep into the enigmatic demise of Victor Stone. By day, he was a respected proprietor of a quaint bookstore, and by night, a sought-after creator of diabolical crossword puzzles for the Harlem Chronicle. Yet his life was cut short in a shroud of mystery and suspicion.

Stone, aged 55, was found slumped over his desk in his well-appointed apartment on Edgecombe Avenue. He was alone except for the remnants of an alluring box of chocolates with a few missing sweets, a note, and a crossword puzzle.

With its lid half-open, the box of bonbons tempted anyone who dared to take a bite, its sugary scent veiling the venomous doses of arsenic within. It was clear that Stone had indulged in the deadly gift without knowing its true nature until it was too late. The note, penned with care from a supposed admirer, sat near the box. In his hand, still clutched as in life, was a crossword with one cryptic clue scrawled in red: "Look closer." And so began our journey down the dark alleyways of Stone's final mystery.

The Clues

• The Crossword Puzzle: A meticulously crafted puzzle with clues hinting at personal aspects of Stone’s life and relationships.

• The Red Ink Clue: “Look closer,” a cryptic message likely intended as a final hint.

• The Poison: Arsenic, injected into chocolate bonbons.

Persons of Interest

I interviewed the following individuals, known persons of interest, each with a potential motive. These were the statements they made:

• Henrietta Keith, a passionate jazz singer at the Cotton Club and Stone’s former lover: "I loved Victor deeply, but he betrayed me."

• Reginald Blackwood, rival bookstore owner: "He was ruining my business and I wanted him out of the way. But I wouldn't have gone so far as to kill him."

• Beatrice Monroe, an editor at the Harlem Chronicle: "He was greedy and kept demanding more money than we could pay him. But he was a genius, and his puzzles sold a lot of newspapers. His death is a significant loss in revenue. I'm considering creating a collection of his puzzles and selling them as a book. Like an artist long gone. Now that he won’t be producing any others, such a book might sell well.”

• Thomas Gardner, a local pharmacist and avid fan of Stone’s puzzles: “I was his greatest fan. He had an incredible mind for puzzles but a heart as hard as stone. He drew me in, used me, then tossed me away. But no, I’d never have hurt him.”

A review of the statements and solving of the puzzle led to the unmasking of the killer. Read on to see our conclusion and how we reached it.

Path of Reasoning

• The Red Ink Clue: The key to solving Stone’s murder lies in the crossword puzzle with the note “Look closer.” This suggests that the puzzle contains hidden clues pointing to his killer.

• Clues in the Puzzle:

  • H’s alibi - COTTONCLUB: Conveys Keith’s claim that she was performing at the Cotton Club at the time of Stone's death.

  • Poison - ARSENIC: Identifies the poison.

  • Local pharmacist - THOMAS: Points to Gardner, who had the knowledge and access to poisons.

  • Spurned lover - GARDNER: Explains why Gardner felt used and tossed away.

  • Threatened Stone - REGINALD: Stone's clear statement that Blackwood had threatened him, it undermines Blackwood's dubious claim that he wouldn't have resorted to murder.

  • Stone’s weakness - CHOCOLATE: Identifies Stone’s known weakness, a clue he must've inserted at the last minute when he realized he'd been poisoned and that it was too late for rescue.

  • Rival bookstore owner - BLACKWOOD: Underscores the reason for Blackwood's animosity.

  • Ex-lover - KEITH: Confirms that it was Keith who'd had the romantic relationship with Stone, while Gardner, the spurned lover, only wished for one.

  • Passionate jazz singer and a woman scorned - HENRIETTA: Emphasizes Keith’s anger at the way Stone ended their affair.

  • Calculating newspaper editor - BEATRICE: Describes Monroe’s calculating nature and possible motive for eliminating the demanding puzzle maker.

  • Kept poison on hand to kill rats in her office - MONROE: Suggests Monroe’s access to poison.

  • Obsession turned deadly - MADFAN: Undersc0res Gardner’s deadly obsession with Stone.

• Analyzing Statements:

  • Keith’s statement reflects resentment and hurt but no direct indication of planning a murder.

  • Blackwood’s statement shows a motive but also a questionable denial of intent to kill.

  • Beatrice’s statement focuses on financial disputes and potential posthumous profit, showing a calculating mindset, but again no immediate plans to kill.

  • Gardner's statement reveals deep emotional conflict and obsession, aligning with the clue “Obsession turned deadly.”

• Conclusion:

Thomas Gardner, the local pharmacist and Stone’s obsessive fan, is the killer.

• Gardner had both the motive and the means. His deep-seated feelings of being used and discarded, combined with his access to arsenic, point to him as the murderer. Acquaintances later described troubling encounters between Stone and Gardner, supporting the puzzle's final revelation.

I contacted Gardner and told him the Harlem Chronicle was about to publish an exposé explaining its findings and asked whether he wished to comment. Gardner slammed down the phone, disconnecting. I later learned that he’d quickly thrown some clothes in a satchel and rushed outside — right into the arms of waiting police investigators. I’d sent them advanced notice and they’d been waiting for him. Ironically, Gardner had nearly performed the perfect crime. While our deductions were revelatory, they certainly wouldn’t have stood up in court as proof of his crime. When combined with his decision to flee, however, the secrets hidden within the puzzle sufficed to send him to prison for a long, long time.

Gardner confessed, hoping to get a lighter sentence. He explained that he chose arsenic for its slower onset of symptoms compared to cyanide. This allowed Stone to ingest multiple doses before realizing something was wrong.

"I then obtained a box of high-quality chocolates—something that Stone, known for his sweet tooth, would find irresistible—and injected each chocolate with a small amount of arsenic. I knew that the poison would eventually kill him but wouldn't be immediately detectable."

Gardner said he repackaged the chocolates in an elegant box, making it look like a gift from a secret admirer. He included a handwritten note, posing as an admirer who appreciated Stone’s puzzles. He then mailed the package to Stone’s bookstore, ensuring it arrived without any direct link back to him. The note and packaging made it appear as a genuine, well-meaning gift.

Stone was aware that he might be in danger, given the tensions with Keith, Blackwood, Monroe, and Gardner. But he found the chocolates too tempting to resist, especially given the flattering note, and started eating them over several days. The gradual buildup of arsenic in his system led to his declining health. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late.

Thank you, dear readers, for joining me in this investigation. Your insights and theories were invaluable. Victor Stone’s tragic demise is a poignant reminder of the complexities hidden within our community. Together, we have unraveled the mystery within Stone’s final puzzle, bringing justice to a brilliant mind taken too soon. Stay tuned for more stories as we continue to explore Harlem’s untold mysteries.

Yours in pursuit of the truth,

Lanie Price
Society Reporter for The Harlem Chronicle
21 June 1925

(Note: This case is a work of fiction and the characters involved are wholly imaginary.)