Hello there, and welcome to your murder mystery. 

Before you begin your journey with Inspector Piper, there are some things you will need to know first. 

To solve your mystery, you will have to follow Pipers journey across Lancaster University to interview all the relevant suspects. 

At each location you will have to solve a clue in order to open up the information you need to solve the crime. 
 
The answer sheet to all the clues has been forwarded to you in your purchase email. However we recommend only looking at the sheet if you are well and truly stumped. All the answers can be found by keeping your eyes open and looking around. 

You will have to self navigate through the Uni, following the signage throughout the university grounds, in order to find you locations: so if Piper goes to Pendle College, you will have to work your own way there in order to find your clue and work out your evidence.  The locations you choose to go to will be in a (relatively) ordered fashion....so as long as you don't go and chase a dead lead. 

At each page you will get some information from an individual or suspect; and we do recommend taking a pen and paper with you to make notes to help you on your quest. 

If you still are feeling stuck getting towards the end there are hints you can call on in order to give you a little extra nudge before you come up with your decision. These will be on the last few pages and you will have to click on the hint button to unlock. You can go back and forward in between pages (previous and next button) however do try not to close the page as you will have to restart from the beginning. 

Hints will be prompted when they are available - they are worth taking as they may provide you will some extra information that will lead you to solve this sneaky crime. 

When you make your final guess; that is the end of it. Once you press complete you will be taken through to the results page....and only then will you work out if you have the brain power of Holmes or the critical thinking of a gnat. 

We wish you the best of luck; and when you are in your start point of Alexandra Square, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4XX click ready to begin.

Piper has been called to the University after the sudden and violent death of one of the Union president nominees. In an election that was plagued with allegations of fraud, corruption, and violence; it has led to this tragic event on the eve of the election.

Speaking to his officer in the field, it is well known that two of the candidates have been having an affair, and that at least one has accused the deceased of paying university officials to ensure “an improved vote count”.

There were physical altercations between Holly Worthing and the deceased after a recent election event, and Nathan Batley is convinced that the deceased has cheated on his exams to ensure he met the required grades to run for president.

Can you work out I) the murderer behind this evil act II) find the weapon and III) work out why they did it?

The Deceased: Stephen Murphy - Graduate

The accused reps from the collages:

Peter Johns - Bowland

Holly Worthing - Furness

Rachel Order - County

Nathan Batley -  Cartmel

Abi Adams - Fylde

Alannah Blockley - Pendle

Lauren Nightingale - Grizedale

Natalia Gruber - Lonsdale

Hello Boss. I have a few updates for you about the murder. We can confirm everyone on your suspect list was present at the time of the attack. The lights were out for a good 20 minutes, and no one claims to have seen or heard anything of note. There was loud music played through a speaker that kept going, and drink was flowing as well, meaning getting consistent recollections of the night has been a bit tricky. We know that both Alannah and Natalia separately have complained about Stephen’s unfair lobbying of the university lecturers, and that alongside the physical altercation with Holly, there is history between Stephen and Peter Johns, following on from a sporting dispute last year. We also know Stephen was involved in a secret relationship with someone, but everyone is being coy about this; and we have yet to find out who.

Sorry I can’t help any further. It may be best heading down to the crime scene to check out what CSI are telling us.

Good luck boss!

You find Peter sat in the study, although he is inside, he is wearing sunglasses. You approach him and ask him about the occurrences of last night.

“Shhhh, not so loud. My head is sore. To be honest I don’t remember much from last night. I was about 10 shots in when the lights went. The next thing I remember is loud noises and people screaming. I just headed home and went to bed. Woke up this morning to hear the news. Bad times ey.”

You ask him about the reports of physical violence between the pair.

“Oh that” he answers looking nervous “That was nothing, just a couple of lads having a dispute over a rugby game. Not like it cost me the chance to be picked for the national team or anything” He mutters quietly. You hear the resentment in his voice. You see Peter carrying a hockey bag over his shoulder but no stick in it. You make a note of this.

You thank him for his time and move on.

You quickly find Rachel sitting by the tree in the courtyard. She looks incredibly sad and appears to have been crying. You introduce yourself and ask her what she knows about last night.

“Oh, this is devastating, Stephen was one of my closest friends on the committee. This is shocking. I know he wasn’t the most well liked but he always tried to do what was best for the students here.”

You ask her about what she remembers.

“Well, everyone seemed to be having a good time. Holly was up in the gallery dancing as usual. The drinks were flowing and music playing. Stephen wasn’t a big drinker but seemed to be letting loose. I was listening in to Pete and Nathan gossip when suddenly it plunged into darkness. There were yells and everyone seemed to be laughing. I remember hearing a sudden bang, but someone then said they had just fallen over, I think it was a male voice.

There was some light with phone torches, but you couldn’t see properly. Then when the lights came on, everyone cheered and just got back on with the party. It took about 10 minutes to realise Stephen wasn’t there. I searched around for him and there he was, lay down, face on the floor in the hallway to the back door.”

She bursts into tears and you sense she is overwhelmed by it all. You feel they may have been closer than just friends. You give her the number for the police counselling service and move on to the crime scene.

(Head North)

On your approach to Bailrigg House you will see a sign telling you how far it is to Bigforth Drive in metres. How far away it is? Then after this you will have to head to the house itself. Above the rear entrance to the house there are some letters engraved into stone. Can you take the middle letter and put it directly after the numbers you have just found? E.g. 1000A

You catch up with the Crime Scene Investigator at Bailrigg House.

He hands you a drawing of the scene to keep, and a burnt note found on the outside fire pit.

Keep them both safe for reference.

He can’t really give you any more information than that, other than the fire extinguisher had been removed from the wall and was thrown outside; which is odd as the cleaner remembered putting it there before the nights event.

You make your way to the Sports Centre; where you know Natalie Gruber (Head of the Sports Committee) would be waiting for you. You introduce yourself and ask her about her recollection of the night.

“Well like everyone else I had been drinking for a while, but I remember there being loads of fun and laughter. I can’t remember anything out of the ordinary. Peter was hammered and seemed to be getting quite fired up about something. I spent most of the night with Lauren and Alannah when the lights went out, coming up with a plan to make sure we stop Stephen from winning…but of course; we didn’t mean this!” She added quickly.

“Just one more thing, Stephen did have his eye on Lauren all night, she was a bit creeped out by it as he knows she has a boyfriend.”

You check the list of the cricket team.

You find the name Nathan Batley on the wall: left hand opening batsman.

They meet you outside. Both drinking coffee and looking a bag of nerves. You ask them what they remember of last night.

Nathan: “It was just a good night…well….up until the end. Abi and I had been with the cricket team social earlier, then headed to the party when it was in full flow. I was talking with Pete when the lights went; he had been on one. I think Rachel was with us as well but it is a bit of a blur. Then all hell broke loose. It was chaos!”

Abi: “Yeah, it was mayhem, no one knew what to do and I remember someone shouting ring an ambulance; I think it was Rachel, and I quickly dialled 999.”

You ask Nathan why his bat was found in the bushes.

“I have no idea. As I said we came straight from the cricket social, so I guess it must have fallen out of my bag. We had been drinking for a while and I often lose it.”

You ask Nathan about his exam accusations.

“Well Stephen’s grades dramatically improved recently, and he went from failing to a first. He either had a brain transplant or somehow knew the answers. But yet again, nothing was done about it as there was no ‘proof’.” You sense the anger in his voice. 

Your next meet takes you to Pendle College. To progress on your investigation, can you find from the harvesting calendar what fruit can be harvested in October along with red grapes 

You next meet with Alannah Blockley. The Chair of the Environmental Society. Alannah is busy potting plants with a small, yet sturdy shovel, that she carries with her on a small belt. You notice it is covered in a red substance. You ask her what she was up to when the lights went out.

“I was talking with Lauren and Nat” she replies sternly. “We didn’t want to move around for fear we would hurt ourselves.”

You ask her about her complaint against Stephen.

“Justly deserved complaint! He has his father’s money and has helped it to curry favours with some of the lecturers, ensuring he gets preferential treatment in the vote. It’s a disgrace! Although obviously the committee didn’t see it that way and he got no punishment whatsoever!!” She says angrily and with that she walks off.

Lauren greets you with a reserved smile. Her story of the nights events appears similar to Alannah’s. She was talking to Alannah and Nat when the lights went out and remembers Holly dancing up alone in the rafters. She reports Holly was shouting abuse at Stephen during the night however, she was still up there when the lights came on.

You ask her if she has any more information that may help the investigation.

“Well, this can’t come back to me ok, however Stephen was bit of a creep!  Although rumour has it that someone else was going for presidency who is in a relationship, apparently spent the night at his last week. Although I won’t say more than that!”

Holly greets you with a smile, a bottle of water in her hand. You ask her about the events of last night.

“It was all good until that oaf got himself beaten up. I’d been out with the girls and was happy as could be dancing away in my own world. Don’t really remember speaking to the others much, not that I’ve got much time for them anyways”.

You ask her about her previous run in with Stephen.

“He deserved it. He thinks his money can make him get away with anything. He thought buying a few drinks would make the girls and I able to put up with his behaviour; well he thought twice about what he said after I clobbered him one!”

You ask her who she thought may have committed the crime.

“He upsets a lot of people, could have been anyone.”

And with that, your investigation of over.