Nancy Drew 27: The Deadly Device Hints

How do I get into Ellie's cell phone?

  • 1 of 14: After you escape from the photo lab --
  • 2 of 14: -- go to the lounge between the two cubicles to find two new objects. One is Ellie's cell phone, which is on the coffee table.
  • 3 of 14: It's got a very odd password, much more complicated than the old enter-your-birthday type my phone has. Read to the end of this hint for the way to break into Ellie's cell phone.
  • 4 of 14: You'll find a hint to this on Ellie's desk --
  • 5 of 14: -- inside the Mark Twain book. Remember that odd note on the last page?
  • 6 of 14: It had a long number, which is her keycard number, along with three connected circles and the note, "Each set = 15" (or 21 for masters). There's something familiar about those three connected circles ...
  • 7 of 14: That's essentially the same pattern of the password program on Ellie's phone. It seems probable, then, that what the hint is saying is --
  • 8 of 14: -- that you need to place the numbers in the circles in such a way that every line adds up to 15 (or 21 for masters).
  • 9 of 14: For amateurs, what you have here is what's known as a Magic Square turned on its side. Every line adds up to 15, and any way that you do this is good.
  • 10 of 14: If you want to do it yourself but are having difficulty getting started, put 5 in the center and build it from there. Don't forget that the edges also have to add up to 15, not just the lines that go through the middle.
  • 11 of 14: For masters, the puzzle is considerably more difficult. This isn't a square; it's a hexagon, and it's a pill, even with three numbers in place.
  • 12 of 14: In addition to the six lines that go through the middle, you also have to consider the six lines around the edge. What a PILL.
  • 13 of 14: Here's a starter hint: put 7 in the middle. That will give you three of the lines through the center, which gives you one number on each of the six sides. If you're a math-oid, which I definitely am not, the rest of it will be easy-peasy. I bet.
  • 14 of 14: And here's the flat-out answer, for the rest of us: