1. There are only two coats on the coat rack, and only one of them, the inner coat (that is the coat from the person who came earlier) has a puddle below it.
2. Piston Puss implies he was the last person to arrive (“I joined the others”) and mentions taking off his coat indoors, so the outer coat, the dry one, must be his.
3. Both Ms. Clampett and Midge Gregory deny coming in with their coats.
4. Assuming they’re both telling the truth, the inner coat, the damp one, must belong to Notgo Meszadams.
5. Jarvis says he was shoveling snow outside the house and there are puddles beneath his snow boots and shovel.
Therefore the killer is…Notgo Meszadams, who snuck in before Jarvis began shoveling, killed H. K. Krispies, and snuck out to join the others after Jarvis finished, which is why his clothing is the only one’s besides Jarvis to leave behind a puddle.
The clues I picked up on:
1. There are only two coats on the coat rack, and only one of them, the inner coat (that is the coat from the person who came earlier) has a puddle below it.
2. Piston Puss implies he was the last person to arrive (“I joined the others”) and mentions taking off his coat indoors, so the outer coat, the dry one, must be his.
3. Both Ms. Clampett and Midge Gregory deny coming in with their coats.
4. Assuming they’re both telling the truth, the inner coat, the damp one, must belong to Notgo Meszadams.
5. Jarvis says he was shoveling snow outside the house and there are puddles beneath his snow boots and shovel.
Therefore the killer is…Notgo Meszadams, who snuck in before Jarvis began shoveling, killed H. K. Krispies, and snuck out to join the others after Jarvis finished, which is why his clothing is the only one’s besides Jarvis to leave behind a puddle.