Murder Across Downing Square
An original crossword puzzle game by Sandy Weisz and Wil Zambole
On October 5, 2024, at the Midwest Grid Fest in Chicago, IL, we got up on stage and told this story:
We've been tracking a criminal who has been abducting puzzle constructors. We fear that one of today's constructors is next on the list. We need your help tracking him down. We know that the criminal is a cruciverbalist, and loves to hide clues in completed grids. He’s also left us a bunch of new clues. Can you help us determine where he's gone?
At this point, every team was given the three pages in the following PDF. These pages show previously published puzzles by three of the constructors who made Midwest Grid Fest puzzles: Sid Sivakumar, Zhouqin Burnikel, and Carly Schuna. Players were told they need to use these 3 grids, along with the 10 clues we were about to present, to track down the culprit.
The 10 clues are below. For each one, note the two underlined phrases. You can find the answers to these phrases in one of the three grids, if you change one letter in the grid first. Once you change the letter, the two answers can be found intersecting at that letter. Here's an example:
After each clue are two numbers, which tell you the length of each of the two intersecting entries.
- I zapped several hunks of bread with a charged particle (6A x 3D)
- What a nasty, repulsive dog; it should walk beside me (4A x 4D)
- You can’t see a part of my eye, thanks to a split-second movement
(5A x 4D) - I needed Bill, so I summoned him on the PA system (5A x 5D)
- I incurred some penalties for a custardy dessert
(4A x 5D) - My favorite alternative rock band wrote a poetic tribute
(5A x 3D) - I yelled a warning about a drive before eating comestibles (4A x 4D)
- I was laying flat, like a bit of riding gear
(5A x 4D) - I can confirm, it was Mr. Simpson!
(6A x 4D) - I only want to have a convo while I’m holding that mollusk
(4A x 5D)
Once you've solved all 10 clues, and found the 10 changed letters, you'll be able to construct a 10-letter message that answers the question: where did our suspect go to?
Once you know that answer, download and solve the final (original) crossword puzzle, keeping in mind the answer to that question.
By solving this final puzzle, and remembering where the suspect has gone, you'll be able to learn the final piece of the mystery: what's the culprit's name?