Nancy Drew and the Curse of Blackmoor Manor DVD Bug?

I have been playing the Nancy Drew Curse of Blackmoor Manor game, and I have encountered a problem. After loading with code 32787, I no longer have access to jokers for hints, and the game appears to be in a loop. I enter the secret pageway via the dragon entrance, but if I backtrack I end up coming out through the gargoyle entrance. There doesn’t appear to be anything I can do at this point. Do I need to start over, or is this a known bug?