An Inheritance Of Murder

You may recognise the symbols as Brahmi symbols however this code is not written in Brahmi. It is a code which just uses the same symbols.

This is a letter substitution cipher. Letter substitution ciphers are easier to crack the more coded messages you have, so gather all coded notes onto one sheet then try cracking them using the blog on letter substitution ciphers to help.

You should be able to start to recognise patterns in the codes as you find them, the vowels for this code are: I =E =A =O =U =

The loose note translates to: "We can't go on like this we must stop for both our sakes." Matching up these letters should help you decode the other notes found in the diary.

Only 10 letters are ever used. What cipher only uses 10 letters?

This telegram is in Knock code. (You can read about knock codes on the blog). Each letter block is composed of 2 letters. So 2 letters together make 1 letter of the original message. Create a 5 x 5 grid and use the first letter in the pair to create the x axis line and the second letter in the pairs to create the y axis line, then fill in the letters as you find them. Make your life simpler by breaking up the telegram into blocks of 2, so you know which 2 letters go together (this saves you getting out of sequence and pairing up the wrong two letters).

Telegrams will usually end with "STOP" to mark a full stop. Using the last 8 letters of the code (I W S O F O R A), this will give you the first 4 letters you can substitute correctly so IW = S etc.

Consider what the telegram may be about. Look for likely word combinations related to the story so far.

Look for the word "REPORTS" using the letters found in "STOP". It is given in the 3rd sentence (after the 2nd "STOP").

Look for the words "Brighton Trunk Murderer" (First sentence.)

IM = B, RN = C, RM = D, IN = G, SN = H, SM = I or J, FW = K, RW = L

Firstly – do not worry if you cannot solve this yet, many people cannot solve this until box 4 or after. You may want to wait rather than spoil it for yourself and try to solve it too early with limited information.

It is in 5 letter blocks – which indicates a one-time cypher pad.

One time cipher pads rely on both sender and receiver having access to the same pad/translation tool.

What you need to solve this code is in the box you have already

First three W's spell CON this may give you the first three letters of the cipher pad used see if you can spot it now. Cigarette card: Taken by itself this cigarette card is not necessarily helpful especially if you've solved the telegram code in box 1 already. But if you haven't solved the telegram code yet – this often helps identify letter patterns. HOWEVER this cigarette card IS helpful in determining the relationships of certain people within the plot and who may have had access to various codes and decryption abilities. So work out who this could have belonged to by reading the diary. Agatha's letter: This provides insight into the murder…but contains no other codes. Loose stick: This is used by Marie to create the code coming in box 3.

Is there anything mentioned in the letters which gives a clue to what this code might be.

How can you read words if you are blind?

You are looking at braille. Use a standard English braille alphabet to help solve this. Make sure you have it facing the right way around and the right way up. As Braille needs to be read the right way around! Letters from Agatha: Contain a few clues to Marie's discovery that Constance Brown may not have died of natural causes.

You've seen this style of code before

Decode the first half of the document using the alphabet grid you created last time in box 1 and it will explain why you can't easily solve the second half

Work out what letters remain in the 2nd half to determine your possible pair of 5 letter words used on the X and Y axis and work out your possible pairs.

Find the word STOP (the last 4 letters of the telegram)

Look for a name from the story (a man's name).

You've seen the start of this code before. The pencil scribbles on this code show you how it was worked out. A few more pencils scribbles are provided on this coded note to give you a few extra letters in the cipher pad code. Again don't worry if you can't translate it immediately. More help is provided in later boxes.

It is in 5 letter blocks – which indicates a one-time cypher pad.

One time cipher pads rely on both sender and receiver having access to the same pad/translation tool.

What you need to solve this code you already have in your items.

The first word is CONSTANCE this may give you the first few letters of the cipher pad used see if you can spot it now.

The code on the reverse is a vigenere cypher. Find out how to solve those on the Cosykiller blog

The key is in front of you. It is not as long as the message being sent, therefore needs repeating multiple times. It is something both the sender and recipient will have received/ been familiar with.

The key is 7 letters long, 2 separate words repeated. It is a drink.

Read the letters carefully and think about codes Marie has mentioned before. She talks about reading "Tale of two cities" how were the coded messages passed in that book?

Marie isn't a knitter – but what does she do for a living?

Use a needle and thread and stitch through the holes – does the pattern created look familiar? (If you can't stitch – join the holes up with a pencil line)

Short dashes are "dots" long dashes are dashes. Can you work out the code used?

It's morse code.

If you are finding it hard to translate, remember it is a double sided piece of card. Try the other way around, or the other way up!

Use the same method used to decipher the braille in box 3.

There are a few coded symbol codes in this box. A few are copies of other notes found in the diary in box 1. (Marie was simply sending them to her friend for help). However there is at least one that needs translating and another one that is hidden.

One symbol code is invisible to the eye, it is located on the back of an item found in one of the letters.

The code is on the reverse of the Mrs Sims sketch. To reveal the hidden code you can try either UV light, candle/flame to heat the paper, or heat the paper in the oven or use an iron.

This is a one-time cypher pad. Check the cosykiller blog for assistance.

The pad will be the same as the pad used in box 4.

If you are still stuck, the first word of the decoded message should read "NEED".

You've seen these coded symbols before and should be able to translate it based on your solutions in previous boxes.

The transcript is in Viginere

See if you can work out what word may have been used. Could it be the same as box 5?

The key for this knock code is used in a previous telegram.

The same key is used as in the 2nd half of the telegram in box 4.

The key is found on a loose document in box 2. The drawing on the bottom right should help you identify it.

The same key is used as in the 2nd half of the telegram in box 4.

The first decoded word is "Given" the workings out for this are shown on the bottom of the paper.

Not every code is in the items found by the inheritance hunters Fairhall and Brett.

This postcard is a viginere cipher

Is there anything odd about the way Bonnie's address is written

Think of the postcard as a mirror once side translates the other.

If you look carefully at the numbers they are broken into groups of three.

The first two numbers are a date

Refer back to the burnt diary

The third number is the line reference

Look for the splodge.

This is a viginere cipher. It's starts with an old cipher key and changes to a new a new cipher key.

This is a knock code

Sport and Hagen are the two key words for the x and y axis

STOP is the last word on the page

Look for the word APPROPRIATE within the text

The final few words are: "In the event of my death stop."

This is a vingiere cipher

The code word is mentioned in the government document.

The code word is the item being delivered to the orphanage.

As per the acrostic on the invoice document – the box should be opened by pinching the top and bottom corners on a diagonal. It is still, but will open. No need to use a hammer unless you get incredibly frustrated. The solution is hidden inside!