Free 65 Proof by Jack Kilborn

finding the Parker Brothers classic board game, Clue. Inside the box, instead of cards, pieces, and a game board, was a cryptogram magazine.
    “I’m going out to the car to get my deermilker cap,” Herb said.
    “It’s deerstalker. While you’re out there, call the Irregulars.”
    I removed the magazine and flipped through it, noting that all of the puzzles had been solved. Nothing else appeared unusual. I went through it again, slower, and noticed that page 20 had been circled.
    “Herb, grab all puzzle magazines you can find. I’ll meet you back here in five.”
    I did a quick search of the first floor and gathered up eight magazines. Each had a different page number circled. Herb waddled down the stairs a moment later.
    “I’ve got twelve of them.”
    “Did he circle page numbers?”
    “Yeah.”
    We took the magazines over to the dining room table and spread them out. Herb made a list of the page number circled in each issue.
    “Let’s try chronological order,” I said. “The earliest issue is February of last year. Write down the page numbers beginning with that one.”
    I watched Herb jot down 7, 19, 22, 14, 26, 13, 4, 19, 12, 16, 13, 22, 4, 7, 12, 12, 14, 6, 24 , and 19 .
    Herb rubbed his mustache. “No number higher than twenty-six. Could be an alphabet code.” He hummed the alphabet, stopping at the seventh letter. “Number seven is G.”
    “Yeah, but nineteen is S and twenty-two is V. What word starts with GSV?”
    “Maybe it’s reverse chronological order. Start with the latest magazine.”
    I did some quick calculating. “That would be SXF. Not too many words begin like that.”
    “Are you hungry? I’m getting hungry.”
    “We’ll eat after we figure this out.”
    “How about reverse alphabet code? Z is one, Y is two, and so on.”
    I couldn’t do that in my head, and had to write down the alphabet and match up letters to numbers. Then I began to decode.
    “You nailed it, Herb. The message is T-H-E-M-A-N-W-H-O-K-N-E-W-T-O-O-M-U-C-H . The Man Who Knew Too Much.”
    “That Hitchcock movie. Maybe he’s got a copy lying around.”
    We searched, and didn’t find a single video or DVD. My hands were pruning in the latex gloves. I snapped the gloves off and stuffed them in my pocket. The air felt good.
    “Was it based off a book?” Herb asked. “The guy’s got plenty of books.”
    “Could have been. Let me ask the expert.” I pulled out my cell and called the smartest mystery expert I knew; my mother.
    “Jacqueline! I’m so happy to hear from you. It’s about time I get out of bed.”
    I felt a pang of alarm. “Mom, it’s almost noon. Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine, dear.”
    “But you’ve been alone in bed all day…”
    “Did I say I was alone?” There was a slapping sound, and my mother said, “Behave, it’s my daughter.”
    I felt myself flush, but worked through it.
    “Mom, do you remember that old Hitchcock movie? The Man Who Knew Too Much?”
    “The Leslie Banks original, or the Jimmy Stewart remake?”
    “Either. Was it based off a book?”
    “Not that I’m aware of. I can check, if you like. I have both versions.”
    “Can you? It’s important.”
    Herb nudged me. “Can I have that Swedish Fish candy?”
    I nodded, and Herb waddled off.
    “Jacqueline? On the Leslie Banks version, the back of the box lists the screenwriter, but doesn’t mention it is based on a book. And…neither does the Jimmy Stewart version.”
    Damn.
    “Can you give me the screenwriter’s name?”
    “Two folks, Charles Bennett and D.B. Wyndham-Lewis. Why is this so important?”
    “It’s a case. I’ll tell you about it later. I was hoping The Man Who Knew Too Much was a book.”
    “It is a book. By G.K. Chesterton, written in the early 1920s. But that had nothing to do with the movie.”
    “Chesterton? Thanks, Mom.”
    “Chesterton was a wonderful author. He did quite a few locked-room mysteries. Not too many writers do those anymore.”
    “I’ll call you tonight. Be