Vahan Kazanjian
56. A shrewd antiquities dealer from Istanbul known across the Levant for brokering rare Byzantine and Seljuk treasures. Calculating, distrustful, and traveling with valuable relics locked in his cabin.
British archaeologist and epigraphist
50. Former museum curator traveling east to consult on excavations. Impeccably spoken, austere, and visibly annoyed by train delays and customs inquiries.
“I spent the entire late evening in the lounge car reading Edward Gibbon by the hearth. Mademoiselle Engel was practicing her violin at the rear of the train, and the music carried through the corridor until nearly half past eleven. I had no reason to leave my seat.”
Ottoman silk merchant and collector
42. Wealthy merchant from Pera with extensive commercial connections. Passionate about Anatolian antiquities and known to harbor bitter grievances against aggressive Western brokers.
“I retired to my compartment before eleven to go over my silk shipments and invoices. The blizzard outside was unbearable, and I did not open my door again until the commotion started. Whatever happened to Kazanjian, he brought his enemies with him from Istanbul.”
Austrian concert violinist
28. High-strung musical prodigy en route to a recital series in Tehran. Highly protective of her instrument and sensitive to noise and freezing drafts.
“The conductor forbade me from disturbing the first-class passengers, so I took my violin to the baggage car after dinner. The draft back there was bitter, but I played through my études for hours. I knew nothing of any tragedy until the conductor came running.”
Sleeper car head conductor
36. Veteran railway employee responsible for the sleeper carriages. Diligent, watchful, and deeply concerned with passenger comfort during unexpected delays.
“With the train buried in snow drifts, my only concern was keeping the stoves burning and the pipes from freezing. I patrolled the corridors and serviced the heaters all night long. At twenty past eleven I took a hot water bottle to Mr. Kazanjian and found his door unlatched.”
Case #10 · Hard
The Anatolian Sleeper, stranded near Sivas · January 24, 1928
A ferocious blizzard stalls the sleeper express in an Anatolian mountain pass. Deep in the freezing night, the conductor knocks on Compartment 3 with a hot water bottle and finds the antiquities broker Vahan Kazanjian bludgeoned to death.