SUPER CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Doing nothing to help recover (4-4)

5 The name of the female I note (6) 10 Show what it is that tells you the radio is switched on? (3,5,2,5)

11 Go back and reverse the car into a tree, stupidly (7)

12 Cases of the shakes (7)

13 Big, but not immeasurably so? (8) 15 There’s a gun outside, love, in the garden shed (5)

18 Fashions at the end of the war years (5) 20 As before, run after the animal (8) 23 Set on the left of the lake bed (7) 25 Including one man somewhere in Spain (7)

26 An order one’s still obeying (4,5,3,3) 27 Asks one please not to have hard clues (6)

28 Bet I put in a liqueur (8)

DOWN

1 Again and again about to pack it up and take life easy (6)

2 As he folds the article, putting it in a case (9)

3 A task to keep the boy in: a composition (7)

4 Wander about with a compass (5)

6 Very busy, but sounding happy (7)

7 Utter children (5)

8 He’s ahead of you in the line (8)

9 As opposed to the search for victory (8) 14 A little support for the arm (8)

16 Is he laying it on about how he wants a job? (9)

17 Say it’s terrific, but it doesn’t take the strain (6,2)

19 Scattered the rest about the day after (7) 21 Catches the girls who appropriated the ring (7)

22 Ever and again embracing, hold in high regard (6)

24 Make a copy of and sign (5) 25 Completely shielding the English family (5)

CON-ARTIST DEFENSE

Tuesday, September 18. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the daywatch out of Bunco. The boss is Capt. Stewart. My partner’s Bill Gannon. He’s a good player. My name’s Friday.

We got a call about a scam at a club in Ventura. We checked it out. The suspect was still playing. One of his opponents spoke with us.

“It was terrible, officer. Terrible.”

“Just the facts, ma’am.”

“I’ll give you the facts. That man sitting West conned my partner out of a cold slam. He led the king of hearts, and my partner took the ace and led a trump to her queen — and West played low!”

Second Trump

“Naturally, declarer went back to dummy with the ace of diamonds and led a second trump to her jack. This time West won and led a heart. My partner ruffed and drew trumps, but she couldn’t get back to dummy for a club finesse. Down one.

“The man’s a con artist. Cuff him!”

We arrested West for perpetrating a slam scam. At trial, the judge said he wished he could defend as well.

Daily Question You hold:

♠ 8 3 ♥ A 4 2 ♦ A 8743 ♣ 8 4 3. Your partner opens one spade, you respond 1NT, he bids two hearts and you return to two spades. Partner then bids three spades. What do you say?

This hand is deceptive. You have only eight points, but they consist of aces, including one in partner’s second suit. Your twospade preference did not promise better support than you have. Bid four spades. Partner may hold A K 10 7 6 5, K Q 10 3, 2, K 7.

Answer: South dealer Neither side vulnerable