The Rook’s Puzzle - Crime Scene

You carefully step over the yellow police tape and survey the scene. Police are spread out around the room, carefully bagging anything and everything that could be considered evidence.

Detective! An older, balding gentleman in a suit waves you over. Right over here. As he walks you to a small table, he rambles off information about the robbery to catch you up to speed. The cameras went dark 15 minutes before the alarm was tripped, but we think The Rook was already on his way out. Jewelry, Gems... the auction house estimates 1.3 million in value on the black market. You figured out Lambertville, but he was a step ahead of us.

You approach the table and begin carefully looking at the clues left behind. The Rook has tormented law enforcement for years. So confident that he has an unmatched intellect, he leaves clues to his next target alongside his established calling card... a Rook from a chess set.

Work your magic detective. Where is this guy headed next? There are hints of desperation in the man's tone. Your reputation precedes you as the only person who can consistently unravel the Rook's clues... just not fast enough to actually catch him.

You carefully survey the clues, starting with the classic chess piece he leaves at each one. You tip it over and see the number 6 written on the bottom, a recurring clue letting you know how many characters long his puzzle's answer will be.

There is a book, a napkin, and a set of wedding rings.

The book's pages are all blank, and the cover has the number 21 written on it with a permanent marker. Although blank, the first page credits Brantley Hargrove as the author. The final page is half torn out, with part of the page missing. The portion of the page says "Final <blank> con will be held in <blank> 2020."

The napkin has the words "Destroyed 1961" scribbled on it. The napkin has branding for "Jimmy’s on the Pier", suggesting it came from that establishment.

The wedding rings are not overly extravagant. Upon inspection the woman's ring is inscribed with the date: Jul 25, 2014. The gem in the ring has a strange shape. It's a triangle rather than a symmetrical diamond shape, and with its rectangular mount, it reminds you of the YouTube logo.