A heart surgeon dead at a reunion dinner in Vienna. Cardiac arrest — or a perfectly disguised murder?
Saturday, October 5th — Vienna's Inner Stadt, the historic heart of the Austrian capital. Zum Goldenen Hirsch occupies a 17th-century building on Bäckerstraße, its entrance marked only by a small brass plaque and a discreet doorbell. There is no sign, no menu in the window, no indication that behind the oak door lies one of Europe's most exclusive dining experiences. Membership is by invitation only, limited to 200 members, with a waiting list that stretches back seven years.
Dr. Stefan Kessler had been a member for fifteen years — one of the club's most visible and valued patrons. He dined at Zum Goldenen Hirsch at least twice a month, always in the Mahler Room, always with the 2015 Gevrey-Chambertin that owner Maximilian Engel kept in reserve for him. Stefan was a creature of refined habit: the same table, the same wine, the same sommelier.
4 people had the means, the motive, or the opportunity. Only one of them is the killer.
Work through the full case file the way a real detective would: read the police report, walk the crime scene, question every suspect, and study the evidence — including Modified Wine Cork, Autopsy & Toxicology Report, Operating Room Vital Signs Recording, Restaurant Security Footage, Syringe and Potassium Chloride Vials, Confrontation Letter Found on Victim. Cross-reference statements against the physical evidence, spot the contradictions, and build your theory before you make your one and only accusation.
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