Disaster: Mechanical Lockdown
You release the bronze lever on the third dial. Instead of a smooth release, a harsh, discordant *SKRRR-CHUNK* echoes through the hollow wall behind the safe.
The internal mechanical lockout trips instantly. Heavy steel shutters drop with thunderous crashes over every study window and the double doorway. Overhead, the manor's vintage pneumatic perimeter bells begin to clang violently into the quiet night.
A recorded phonograph cylinder clicks to life from a speaker grille in the wall:
"Estate Inventory Protocol #409 initiated. Perimeter doors sealed. Local police dispatched. Estimated response time: four minutes."
Trapped in Vance's private study with zero exits and a bricked combination lock, your investigation ends under the flashing sirens of county squad cars rolling up the gravel driveway.
Where Did It Go Wrong?
The three-dial combination required deducing:
- Dial 1 (3): The hour hand on the frozen foyer clock (03:42).
- Dial 2 (4): The tens digit of the minute hand on the foyer clock (03:42).
- Dial 3 (4): The 4 Cardinal Virtues referenced in the stained-glass window and study diary.
Entering any unverified combination triggered the fail-safe lockdown.