A Crossworder's Holiday (13 page)

It was Belle who finally broke the magical spell. “So, there was a rumor that Katlin had a love affair with Tom?”

“Not in those words
per se
,” Angus responded slowly. “But I believe that was the general feeling hereabouts which, given Richard's intensely proud personality, must have been unendurable. He was a man of truly Victorian Era sensibilities. And for someone like that, being a suspected cuckold would have been—”

“Now who sounds Victorian?” Judith teased.

“At least I've made the transition into the twentieth century—”

“Except that we've entered the twenty-first—”

“Picky, picky.”

“At least you're not time traveling with old Livius Andronicus,” Judith said while Rosco asked a simple:

“Who?”

“Don't get him started, Rosco … We're talking 240 B.C. A former Greek slave turned Roman poet and dramaturge … Angus's latest scholarly work is a reinterpretation of Andronicus's Latin translation of the
Odyssey.
”

“I see what you mean.” Belle laughed, then changed the subject. “So … Richard, the purported ‘crossword fiend'—”

“Aha!” burst in Angus. “I knew we'd get you hooked on our wee chronicle of suspense!”

Judith turned to Belle. “When we bought the house, we were told that after Katlin's disappearance, Richard became a regular hermit, even ordered the electric light shut off, and never ventured into town—”

Angus continued. “When Father Time finally came knocking, the house went vacant, and remained so for many, many years. Apparently, no one in the village wanted any part of it—”

“Some people even claimed it was haunted,” Judith added.

“Quite a natural conjecture, too,” her husband agreed. “It didn't help that the owner had been a ‘Richard.' Too many brains jumped to allusions of King Richard III—the little princes locked away in the Tower, and all that other historical gore—”

Judith interrupted again. “It took two newcomer newlyweds to take a leap of faith and purchase the place. Angus
et moi
snagged it at a bargain price.”

“Although it's not going to be any ‘bargain' refurbishing these ancient walls, I can assure you.” Across the candlelit table Angus gave his wife a smile.

“Elbow grease is all we need.”

“
And
a pot of buried treasure if we're to accomplish the myriad renovations you've set your heart on.”

“What became of the gardener in question?” Rosco asked after a moment.

It was Judith who answered. “Ah, here's where the plot really thickens. He also vanished without a trace.”

Belle's gray eyes grew wide. “But wouldn't the police have immediately assumed that Richard—?”

“With no
corpora delecti
?” Angus replied. “And no substantive leads either? What could they possibly charge him with?”

“Katlin was American,” Judy said. “Did we tell you that? Like me … Married to an Englishman—and a scholar.”

Belle regarded her friend. “I trust you fare a good deal better.”

Judith smiled again. “Oh, I am … I am …”

I
T
was that night that Belle found the crossword. Or rather a piece of one. Hand-drawn on a yellowed scrap of aged paper, the puzzle lay beside her nightclothes when she opened the dresser drawer. She picked it up, turning to show it to Rosco, but he'd disappeared into the bathroom. As she crossed the room, a sudden icy draft wafted across her shoulders. She shivered as the paper's thin corners fluttered in the agitated air, then grabbed a heavier sweater, tossing it hastily over her shoulders.

“You won't believe what I found,” she called through the door that separated the “lav” from the bedroom.

“Is it black and white, and does it have letters and corresponding numbers?”

Belle laughed. “You know darn well it is … So, who put you up to this little trick? Angus or Judy, or both?”

Rosco reemerged. “Whatever they did, they did on their own.”

Belle gave him a knowing glance, then concentrated on the crossword, perching on the bed as she did so. “You three have done yourself proud … This is quite intriguing …”

Rosco looked down at her, an amused smile on his face. “I thought you were complaining of jet lag toward the tail end of dinner.”

Belle cocked her head to one side. “Is that a subtle hint?”

“I didn't think it was that subtle.”

Belle laughed again, then dropped the torn word game on the nightstand. “You're right … Practical jokes can wait.”

A Ghost of Christmas Past

Across

1. 
Bath, e.g
.

4.  “___
on a Grecian Urn
”

7. 
Siouan

10. 
Hostelry

13. 
Where C. Parr died

15. 
___Barrios, Sp
.

16. 
Born

17. 
Rumpelstiltskin's rod

18. 
Alphabet starter

19. 
Past

20. 
London to Cambridge dir
.

21. 
Certain title

23. 
Water, Sp
.

25. 
Doctrine

28. 
Christmas decoration

31. 
Male sheep

32. 
Town on the Meuse

33. 
Kalita's son

34. 
Attempt

35. 
Shade maker

37. 
March date
.

38. 
What evil men do with good women

40. 
Equal, comb. form

43. 
Salutes

44. 
American fiver

47. 
A—land

49. 
Certain cars

50. 
High card

51. 
Logical lead-in
?

52. 
Scottish cap

53. 
Sprouted

54. 
Minster Lovell
___

55. 
Havana Mrs
.

56. 
24-Down foe

58. 
4-Down updated

60. 
Encumbent

64. 
Crew

65. 
Irish grp
.

66.  ___
Falls

67. 
Unusual

68. 
Evanston, Ill. sch
.

69. 
Canadian prov
.

70. 
Evergreen

Down

1.
Snake sound

2.
Small dog

3. “
I
”

4. “
Ye___Sweet Shoppe
”

5.
Costa___Sol

6.
Ogle

7
Siberian town

8. “
V
”

9.
Future King of Sweden
?

10. “
VI
”

11.
Not pos
.

12.
New, comb. form

14.
Sicilian town

22.
Double-check the gun

23.
Mona Lisa, e.g
.

24.
Lincoln's Men; Abbr
.

25. “
III
”

26.
Domingo or Antonio

27. “
IV
”

29.
Knot

30. ___
Royal Highness

32.
Big___house

36.
Confused

38. “___
twinkle in his eye.
”

39.
Road curve

40.
Attention getter

41.
Gorilla, e.g
.

42. “
II
”

44. “
VII
”

45.
Chill

46.
___castle

48.
Borrowed

53.
Pirate quaff

55.
Quarrel

56.
Pigeon noise

57.
Unhappy

59.
Muslim month lead-in

60.
Greek god

61.
Writer Anais

62. “___
long, you'll learn the truth
”

63.
Uncooked

To download a PDF of this puzzle, please visit
openroadmedia.com/nero-blanc-crosswords

The Answers

To download a PDF of the answers, please visit
openroadmedia.com/nero-blanc-crosswords/answers

A Crossworder's Holiday

The Proof of the Pudding

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Mum's the Word

A Ghost of Christmas Past