Date night is the right time for escape-room or killer-hunting games

This magnifying glass was supposed to be for decorative purposes only - a $5 Home-Goods find that looks cute stacked atop the oldest books on my shelf.

Yet here I am, on a Saturday night, squinting through its dusty lens in the hope that I'll spot a well-hidden clue on the piece of paper in my other hand. One couch cushion over, my boyfriend frantically types random letters we found on another piece of paper into Google Translate, hoping they turn into real words in another language.

I sigh. Maybe we're overthinking this. But what if we're not? What if these little details are how we end up catching a murderer?