you’d like from this Internet adventure?”
Cora tried to see if her niece’s eyes were twinkling, but Sherry was busy scraping the pumpkin. “I’d love it if Valerie What’s-her-face and Cindy Gotsagoo were one and the same person. That would teach Chief Harper to be so damn smug.”
“Oh, so
that’s
what this is all about.”
“No, it isn’t. But I’d like
something
to make sense.”
“All right.” Sherry put the pumpkin aside, washed her hands in the sink. “Come on, let’s Google.”
They went into the office and Sherry sat at the computer.
“We didn’t get any more puzzles?” Cora said apprehensively.
“No, but I solved the last one. You wanna see?”
“Not really. What is it?”
“Another birthday card. You really need to thank Harvey.”
“I really need to rap Harvey upside the head. Did I
ask
him for these cards?”
“He doesn’t know you’re illiterate, Cora. He thinks it’s fun.”
“Can’t I just tell him, Sherry? The guy’s a real pain.”
“Sure, if you think he can keep a secret. If you don’tthink he’ll put it around the whole crossword puzzle community.”
“Of course he will. He’s worse than an old maid.” Cora raised her finger. “I didn’t say that. Don’t quote me. There is nothing wrong with people who choose not to marry. I think they’re nuts, but that’s just me.”
“Well, here’s Manny’s puzzle.” Sherry called it up on the screen. “Take a look.”
“Do I have to?”
“You need to know it if you run into Harvey.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Cora leaned over, looked at the puzzle.
“Wonderful. Seventeen by seventeen. I can kid Harvey about having puzzle envy.”
Sherry, reading over Cora’s shoulder, said, “Your favorite sci-fi movie is
Star Wars
?”
“Huh?”
Sherry pointed. “Nineteen Across. ‘Soundtrack of the Puzzle Lady’s favorite sci-fi movie.’ ”
“I guess
Planet of the Apes
didn’t fit the space.”
“Cora—”
“So I like
Star Wars
. Is that a crime? The first
Star Wars
movie was good.” Cora looked up from the computer. “Enough of this damn puzzle stuff. Can we Google?”
“Sure.”
Sherry called up the program, plugged in
Valerie Thompkins
, and hit SEARCH .
“Well, you got two hits, Cora. Both from the
Danbury News-Times
. Valerie Thompkins to wed, and Valerie Thompkins widowed. The gentleman in question is a Marvin Fleckstein. Marvin appears to have been a used-car salesman. No, that’s unfair. Actually, he was a dealership owner. Probably made a pretty penny. Probably what Valerie’s living on now.”
A PUZZLING SITUATION
by Manny Nosowsky
ACROSS
1
Nostalgic yet fashionable
6
Computer game gobbler
12
Green land?
16
Neptune’s domain
17
Actor Peter of “Becket”
18
Where the auction is on-line
19
Soundtrack of the Puzzle Lady’s favorite sci-fi movie
22
Freebie
23
Steinbeck migrants
24
Call for a dealer?
25
“Give it ___” (“Check it out”)
27
They go up and down
30
Grammarian’s shtick
33
Hole in the ground
36
___ Xing (street sign)
37
Blubber
40
Like the Puzzle Lady
44
___ tai cocktail
45
Areas
46
“Uh-uh!”
47
Grammy winner Morissette
49
Popular gas-guzzler
50
Jayhawker
52
Fill the bill?
53
Firehouse fleet
55
Make a lap
56
What the Puzzle Lady hopes you’ll do
60
Inspirational talk: Abbr.
61
Emulate Chief Dale Harper
62
Doubling prefix?
63
___ fit (tantrum, Southern-style)
64
Allen or Frome
66
Bank claim
68
Confidence games
71
Gobbled up
74
“Night” author Wiesel
78
What we have to say to the Puzzle Lady
82
“I’d hate to break up ___”
83
Gromyko or Sakharov
84
New currency
85
Like buildup on a floor
86
Injury
87
Lost one’s balance?
DOWN
1
College military unit: Abbr.
2
Say again
3
Be rife (with)
4
“Elephant Walk” climax
5
Married or single?
6
“Th-th-that’s all, folks” speaker
7
Yours, en français
8
Join the party
9
Unlike a rolling stone?
10
Space bar neighbor
11
PBS benefactor
12
Clark’s exploration partner
13
Blind as ___
14
Close, in
Cora tried to see if her niece’s eyes were twinkling, but Sherry was busy scraping the pumpkin. “I’d love it if Valerie What’s-her-face and Cindy Gotsagoo were one and the same person. That would teach Chief Harper to be so damn smug.”
“Oh, so
that’s
what this is all about.”
“No, it isn’t. But I’d like
something
to make sense.”
“All right.” Sherry put the pumpkin aside, washed her hands in the sink. “Come on, let’s Google.”
They went into the office and Sherry sat at the computer.
“We didn’t get any more puzzles?” Cora said apprehensively.
“No, but I solved the last one. You wanna see?”
“Not really. What is it?”
“Another birthday card. You really need to thank Harvey.”
“I really need to rap Harvey upside the head. Did I
ask
him for these cards?”
“He doesn’t know you’re illiterate, Cora. He thinks it’s fun.”
“Can’t I just tell him, Sherry? The guy’s a real pain.”
“Sure, if you think he can keep a secret. If you don’tthink he’ll put it around the whole crossword puzzle community.”
“Of course he will. He’s worse than an old maid.” Cora raised her finger. “I didn’t say that. Don’t quote me. There is nothing wrong with people who choose not to marry. I think they’re nuts, but that’s just me.”
“Well, here’s Manny’s puzzle.” Sherry called it up on the screen. “Take a look.”
“Do I have to?”
“You need to know it if you run into Harvey.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Cora leaned over, looked at the puzzle.
“Wonderful. Seventeen by seventeen. I can kid Harvey about having puzzle envy.”
Sherry, reading over Cora’s shoulder, said, “Your favorite sci-fi movie is
Star Wars
?”
“Huh?”
Sherry pointed. “Nineteen Across. ‘Soundtrack of the Puzzle Lady’s favorite sci-fi movie.’ ”
“I guess
Planet of the Apes
didn’t fit the space.”
“Cora—”
“So I like
Star Wars
. Is that a crime? The first
Star Wars
movie was good.” Cora looked up from the computer. “Enough of this damn puzzle stuff. Can we Google?”
“Sure.”
Sherry called up the program, plugged in
Valerie Thompkins
, and hit SEARCH .
“Well, you got two hits, Cora. Both from the
Danbury News-Times
. Valerie Thompkins to wed, and Valerie Thompkins widowed. The gentleman in question is a Marvin Fleckstein. Marvin appears to have been a used-car salesman. No, that’s unfair. Actually, he was a dealership owner. Probably made a pretty penny. Probably what Valerie’s living on now.”
A PUZZLING SITUATION
by Manny Nosowsky
ACROSS
1
Nostalgic yet fashionable
6
Computer game gobbler
12
Green land?
16
Neptune’s domain
17
Actor Peter of “Becket”
18
Where the auction is on-line
19
Soundtrack of the Puzzle Lady’s favorite sci-fi movie
22
Freebie
23
Steinbeck migrants
24
Call for a dealer?
25
“Give it ___” (“Check it out”)
27
They go up and down
30
Grammarian’s shtick
33
Hole in the ground
36
___ Xing (street sign)
37
Blubber
40
Like the Puzzle Lady
44
___ tai cocktail
45
Areas
46
“Uh-uh!”
47
Grammy winner Morissette
49
Popular gas-guzzler
50
Jayhawker
52
Fill the bill?
53
Firehouse fleet
55
Make a lap
56
What the Puzzle Lady hopes you’ll do
60
Inspirational talk: Abbr.
61
Emulate Chief Dale Harper
62
Doubling prefix?
63
___ fit (tantrum, Southern-style)
64
Allen or Frome
66
Bank claim
68
Confidence games
71
Gobbled up
74
“Night” author Wiesel
78
What we have to say to the Puzzle Lady
82
“I’d hate to break up ___”
83
Gromyko or Sakharov
84
New currency
85
Like buildup on a floor
86
Injury
87
Lost one’s balance?
DOWN
1
College military unit: Abbr.
2
Say again
3
Be rife (with)
4
“Elephant Walk” climax
5
Married or single?
6
“Th-th-that’s all, folks” speaker
7
Yours, en français
8
Join the party
9
Unlike a rolling stone?
10
Space bar neighbor
11
PBS benefactor
12
Clark’s exploration partner
13
Blind as ___
14
Close, in
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