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Authors: Michael D. Beil
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make sense to you, as a puzzle? See, that's what I don't get. You have these two simple equations with six blanks, but only one clue. Find the answer and you get the next clue. But let's say we're able to figure out the clues. How does that help us solve the puzzle?”
“Yeah, shouldn't there be a map or something?” I say.
Raf hunches his shoulders. “Maybe one of the clues leads you to the map. So, what's in this for you guys, if you find it?”
“Well, nothing, really,” Margaret says, “if you are referring to financial compensation.”
“So you're doing this out of the kindness of your hearts?”
“We're
doing this out of the kindness of
our
hearts,” I correct. “You're going to help.”
“Okay okay, I'll do what I can. But I can't be coming over to this side of town every day. Crosstown buses are a nightmare.”
Margaret shakes her head. “Oh, quit whining. You won't have to. This is a logic problem, and we're going to approach it logically—one step at a time, one clue at a time. No matter how smart this Caroline was, between the three of us and Rebecca and Leigh Ann, we should be able to solve it—
unless
…”
Wait a second—is that a crack in her relentless confidence?
“Unless what?”
“Well, what if one of the clues refers to something personal—something that only Caroline and her grandfather knew about?”
“Then we'll just have to ask Caroline,” I say. “We know enough about her to track her down. But other than something like that, you guys do think we can solve it, right?”
Raf nods confidently. “Why not?”
Margaret snatches the letter back from Raf. “You see how he says that it's one of a pair, and that the other one is in the Met? We should go to the museum and look for the other one!” She is getting really excited again, her confidence firmly reasserted.
“Um, guys,” Raf says. “Have
you been
to the Met? It could take you a week to find it there. Or it might be in storage someplace, or they could have sold it to another museum.”
“Au contraire,” I say. “We know exactly where to look. This guy, Caroline's grandfather, was an expert on early Christian relics, according to Ms. Harriman. That's where we'll go.”
“Saturday?” Knowing that it is more command than question, both Raf and I agree to be on the steps of the museum at noon.
“Now, let's take a look at clue number one.”
Time Management Margaret. We're together and we have a task to complete, so why put it off?
In which I solve the first piece of the puzzle
(and perhaps take more credit than
I deserve-what's it to ya?)
The three of us put our brains together and figure out the first clue right there in Perkatory. Like
that!
I notice something about the letter from Caroline's grandfather that seems strangely coincidental. He said that he was certain that Caroline's knowledge of religion, classical languages, mathematics, literature, philosophy, and art should be sufficient to solve the puzzle. Six subjects, six clues. A coincidence? I think not. Were they listed in order? How the hell should I know? But it seems perfectly reasonable.
We settle on the idea that the clue refers to something in the field of religion and feel thoroughly confident. We
have
gone to Catholic schools all our lives, after all. Using a Magic Marker, Margaret prints the clue on a sheet of notebook paper and sets it on the table:
“It could be a sequence. You know, what comes next?” Raf suggests.
“Or a date,” I say. “Isn't L used in Roman numerals?”
“L is fifty,” Margaret answers. “But why mix types of numbers? What would it be, 502324? Doesn't make sense. L for ‘left’? Left side of the church? Are the pews numbered, maybe?”
I scrunch up my face. “I don't think so. It kind of looks like a license plate number. Or a taxi number.” I sound out the letters in my head but get nothing.
Raf sits up suddenly. “Oh my God. We need a Bible. It's
a religion
clue, remember? This is so
“Yeah, shouldn't there be a map or something?” I say.
Raf hunches his shoulders. “Maybe one of the clues leads you to the map. So, what's in this for you guys, if you find it?”
“Well, nothing, really,” Margaret says, “if you are referring to financial compensation.”
“So you're doing this out of the kindness of your hearts?”
“We're
doing this out of the kindness of
our
hearts,” I correct. “You're going to help.”
“Okay okay, I'll do what I can. But I can't be coming over to this side of town every day. Crosstown buses are a nightmare.”
Margaret shakes her head. “Oh, quit whining. You won't have to. This is a logic problem, and we're going to approach it logically—one step at a time, one clue at a time. No matter how smart this Caroline was, between the three of us and Rebecca and Leigh Ann, we should be able to solve it—
unless
…”
Wait a second—is that a crack in her relentless confidence?
“Unless what?”
“Well, what if one of the clues refers to something personal—something that only Caroline and her grandfather knew about?”
“Then we'll just have to ask Caroline,” I say. “We know enough about her to track her down. But other than something like that, you guys do think we can solve it, right?”
Raf nods confidently. “Why not?”
Margaret snatches the letter back from Raf. “You see how he says that it's one of a pair, and that the other one is in the Met? We should go to the museum and look for the other one!” She is getting really excited again, her confidence firmly reasserted.
“Um, guys,” Raf says. “Have
you been
to the Met? It could take you a week to find it there. Or it might be in storage someplace, or they could have sold it to another museum.”
“Au contraire,” I say. “We know exactly where to look. This guy, Caroline's grandfather, was an expert on early Christian relics, according to Ms. Harriman. That's where we'll go.”
“Saturday?” Knowing that it is more command than question, both Raf and I agree to be on the steps of the museum at noon.
“Now, let's take a look at clue number one.”
Time Management Margaret. We're together and we have a task to complete, so why put it off?
In which I solve the first piece of the puzzle
(and perhaps take more credit than
I deserve-what's it to ya?)
The three of us put our brains together and figure out the first clue right there in Perkatory. Like
that!
I notice something about the letter from Caroline's grandfather that seems strangely coincidental. He said that he was certain that Caroline's knowledge of religion, classical languages, mathematics, literature, philosophy, and art should be sufficient to solve the puzzle. Six subjects, six clues. A coincidence? I think not. Were they listed in order? How the hell should I know? But it seems perfectly reasonable.
We settle on the idea that the clue refers to something in the field of religion and feel thoroughly confident. We
have
gone to Catholic schools all our lives, after all. Using a Magic Marker, Margaret prints the clue on a sheet of notebook paper and sets it on the table:
“It could be a sequence. You know, what comes next?” Raf suggests.
“Or a date,” I say. “Isn't L used in Roman numerals?”
“L is fifty,” Margaret answers. “But why mix types of numbers? What would it be, 502324? Doesn't make sense. L for ‘left’? Left side of the church? Are the pews numbered, maybe?”
I scrunch up my face. “I don't think so. It kind of looks like a license plate number. Or a taxi number.” I sound out the letters in my head but get nothing.
Raf sits up suddenly. “Oh my God. We need a Bible. It's
a religion
clue, remember? This is so
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