Free A Clue for the Puzzle Lady by Parnell Hall Page A

about that.”
    “Can I trust you not to report that fact?”
    “As long as it’s irrelevant to the murder. If your relationship itself became newsworthy …”
    “How could it?”
    “I don’t know. But if it did, that’s another matter.”
    “And just who would determine that?”
    “Circumstance would determine that.”
    “Circumstance is not a who.”
    “All right,” he said. “I’m a who. And I will not abuse your confidence. Unless I have a reason even you would find hard to dispute.”
    “Can one dispute a reason?”
    “I’m sure
you
can.”
    “Fine. You’re not going to report the relationship. Now how about easing off the Puzzle Lady angle altogether?”
    “That again would depend on circumstance.”
    “Such as?”
    “Give me a break. If the clue turns out to mean something—”
    “I would be very surprised. Look, we gave the police chief help because he asked for it. Not because we think there’s anything to it. The idea that this is a crossword puzzle clue is Chief Harper’s idea. Not ours. If you must know, Aunt Cora doesn’t even think it’s a crossword puzzle clue at all. She thinks a much more likely explanation is that it stands for the fourth grave down in line five.”
    Aaron Grant blinked. “What’s that?”
    “Count four graves down from where the girl was murdered. Then line five would be the grave in the fifth row.”
    “Are you serious?”
    “No. That’s the whole point. A theory like that has as much validity as the theory it’s a crossword clue—i.e., none at all. Now, we can treat this as a crossword clue, and Aunt Cora can supply all kinds of solutions, like the ones you reported in your paper, but you and I both know it isn’t. So why don’t you cut us a little slack?”
    Aaron Grant frowned. “I think I made myself perfectly clear. If I can give you a break, I will. But I still haven’t met Miss Felton. If I could talk to her, get her reactions firsthand—no offense, but you have to go to the source—well, then, I might be in a position to do what you want.”
    “In short, you’d like us to cooperate, and you can’t promise a thing.”
    “I’m glad you understand.”
    “I was being sarcastic.”
    “I know.”
    Sherry took a breath. “You’re not amusing me.”
    “Not even a little?”
    “In your dreams.”
    While Sherry and Aaron were talking the red Toyota pulled into the driveway and Cora Felton and Chief Harper got out.
    Aaron Grant’s grin was enormous. “Well, well, well,” he said. “The gang’s all here.”
    “Aunt Cora. Chief Harper,” Sherry said. “What are you doing?”
    “Dodging reporters,” Cora replied happily. She spotted Aaron Grant. “And who might this be?”
    “Funny you should ask,” Chief Harper said sourly. “This is the reporter I told you about. The one who put you on page one.”
    “Sherry?” Cora Felton said.
    Aaron Grant put up both hands. “I’m not going to pretend this isn’t wonderful. I came out to see you, Miss Felton. I’m glad you’re here. Your niece and I were just discussing how much of the puzzle angle I should print. But I must confess, the headline POLICE CHIEF DODGES REPORTERS is just so catchy that—”
    “Very funny,” Chief Harper said. “I’m not dodging reporters. The news crews showed up at the cemetery, and I didn’t feel like giving them a quote.”
    “I don’t blame you.”
    “And as for you, Aaron, I didn’t know you were running the crossword puzzle piece. I wish to hell you’d checked with me before you did.”
    “And why is that?”
    “It’s an angle I’d like to play down. As far as the public’s concerned. If it really is a clue, I’d like to frustrate the killer by
not
publicizing it. You see what I mean?”
    “It’s a little late for that,” Aaron Grant said.
    “He means if there’s another one,” Sherry said.
    “Another one?” Aaron Grant said. “Is there another one?”
    “No, there isn’t,” Chief Harper said. “But if there was, we