Probe, Touch, turn, pull and push every single item listed in the room descript. Often the piece of furniture/doodad that has to be prodded to produce the quest item will be written up as a special mention.
Magistrate Gumboliah Brooks exclaims, "It all adds up! Albert Dimple, the butler killed Countess Cecelia with a hammer because of a love letter. He then hid a hammer in the library, and we have a witness, Lord Montgomery Estenborough. Well done!"