Under the Cover of Darkness

The Crossword Puzzle

Jack valued his lunch break. A complete hour without listening to his manager boring everyone about targets and profits. A complete hour taking a walk through the park near his office, watching the squirrels play and him smelling the flowers that grew along the path.

At the end of the park was always rewarded with a sandwich from his favorite deli and a sit on the bench nearby. After eating his lunch, Jack would spend the remaining time eyes closed breathing in deep the fresh air, before his walk back to the office with the afternoon much the same as the morning.

However, unbeknown to Jack. Today was going to be different.

Lunch time began in the normal way for Jack. As soon as he saw 11:58 on his computer, he shut down the laptop, grabbed his jacket from behind the chair and headed for the stairwell. Upon reaching the ground floor he swiped himself through the turnstile and out into reception. With a quick wave to Susan the receptionist he was out of the building and free for an hour.

His lunchtime walk looks promising in the warm sunshine. Jack removed his jacket slung it over his shoulder and with a purposely stride headed for the park.

The first person he encountered in the park was Maryland. It was the name Jack gave to the man he'd seen every lunchtime sitting reading a book as well as eating a packet of Maryland cookies.

Next, were the Pilates twins. Two identically dressed women stretching on their yoga mats. One looked over as Jack passed. He waved and both women acknowledged him with a nod.

The last person Jack met on his way through the park was Brooke who was one of the head gardeners. "Going to be a warm one". She took off her hat, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

"Sure is". Jack answered. "You make sure you stay hydrated". Jack waved his water bottle at her. Brooke smiled, replaced her hat and went back to attend the flower bed.

As Jack approached the end of the park he saw Sam's Deli and opposite his favorite bench and like every day it was free and waiting for him.

Jack always ordered the same baguette every day. Salami with a dash of Dijon mustard. Jack paid for his meal which included a cup of coffee and headed back outside.

Now, there was an unwritten law in the universe that the bench outside Sam's Deli on a weekday was reserved for Jack Slater. Only today, someone didn't get the memo. To Jack's horror he saw a folded up newspaper sitting on his bench. He would have sworn that it wasn't there when he went into the deli. Which means someone had claimed his bench when he was inside!

Jack looked around. There was no one in sight who looked like they were making their way back to the bench to sit and reclaim their paper. Well, that was something. So, the newspaper must have been discarded by a passerby. Jack sat down, pushed the paper to one side and began to enjoy his baguette and coffee.

When he had finished he got up walked across the path to the opposite waste bin and deposited his rubbish. On his return to the bench he was reminded of the newspaper still sitting alongside.

"Damn it!" He said out loud. "I forgot that was still there. I could have put that in the waste bin too!".

Jack sat back down and closely looked at the newspaper.

There was something about the newspaper that looked odd. On inspection there appeared to be only one thing printed on it. A crossword. No other news items, no photos. Just a crossword grid. However, even this looked strange. There were no clues printed alongside the grid. Neither were there any numbers on the puzzle that would have corresponded with any written clues. Just an empty crossword puzzle grid with occasional squares blacked out.

How bizarre, thought Jack. Who would go to the trouble of printing a crossword puzzle without clues? Then Jack thought. Maybe it's a prop from the nearby film studio. That was it, it was a film prop accidentally left by a stagehand.

Contented with solving this mystery, Jack closed his eyes and titled back his head for a few moments before he had to make his way back to the office.

He must have dozed off because he was suddenly awoken with a start by someone whispering in his ear. "Play."

Jack snapped open his eyes, heart pumping, anxiously looking from side to side. "Who, who said that?" But no one was in sight. Brooke was too far away attending to the flower bed and the other customers from Sam's Deli were sitting outside at their tables oblivious to Jack's sudden awakening.

Despite it turning into a hot afternoon, a chill ran down Jack's spine. He was about to leave the bench and return to the office when he glanced down at the newspaper. This time some text was starting to appear above the crossword. Black squiggles, like maggots, squirmed and wriggled their way to form letters and then words.

Jack grabbed the paper "What the...!"

The formation of the words finally stopped to reveal:

'Welcome to today's crossword puzzle. How brave are you to complete this conundrum? The prize on completion will be financial wealth previously unknown to you. Remember, once started you have to finish or face the consequences. Some clues will be easy some will be hard. Are you ready?

Jack should have walked away there and then. There was something unholy unfolding before his eyes. Words don't write themselves onto a newspaper, not in this world and some of text seemed threatening. But something had now enchanted Jack. The idea of being rich beyond his wildest dreams was too much of a lure to him. He found it difficult to pull himself away from doing the crossword. Could he complete it in the time left on his lunch break?

He hunted for a pen. He was about to go and ask someone when as if the newspaper was reading his mind, a fountain pen materialised in front of him.

Jack took off the lid and waited for the first clue. The black squiggles appeared again.

Across: A vessel for drinking or a unit of measuring. 3 letters.

Jack thought for a minute, then wrote the word CUP. The letters fit the grid then suddenly disappeared in a puff of green smoke a sign he had answered correctly.

Down: A boys name in the middle of the year. 5 letters.

This needed thinking about. Time was running out and it looked like he had stumbled on clue two. So, the answer had to be in the five months starting from July. He read the clue again and wrote down the months: July, August, September. October, November. And there he saw it. Take the first letters from each month and you have JASON.

He penned in his answer and waited. To his relief the puzzle accepted his answer then as like last time evaporated into green smoke.

He was getting on well, but it was now time to go back to the office. He watched as the third clue appeared.

Down: Severe or a tomb.

Jack knew the answer but really had to get going. He grabbed the newspaper and left the bench. Quickly, he walked along the path back to the office. The weather by now had taken a turn for the worse, winds had picked up bringing heavy rain.

Jack held his jacket over his head. Brooke was hurrying to pack her tools away and Maryland was taking cover under a tree.

Jack made it to the park entrance only to find the gates locked! Why had the gardeners done that. Now in a hurry, Jack ran across the lawn, head down and slipping on the wet grass. He continued, trying to find a way out of the park. Unfortunately, Jack didn't see the large hole in the ground up ahead. Wet and muddy he slipped and fell into the hole breaking his neck.

Jack let the newspaper fly from his hand. He hadn't completed the crossword and so the last clue had taken him. If only he had written GRAVE, maybe the clue would have given him his fortune.