Chapter 7 of 10
Friday before dawn Ray sits with his grandmother by the kettle, in one of her clear hours, which come like weather. She talks of her husband: how he fitted the little board in the old press's oak frame in 1907; how he kept things there no bank could touch; how he patted the big beam going out, as other men touch a doorpost or a Bible. Ray has heard the phrase all his life without hearing it: Papa kept his word in the press. Family shorthand, he thought: honesty, the kind carved on headstones. She stirs her tea and says it again, eyes not lost at all. He kept his word in the press, Ray. The kettle sings; Ray is already reaching for lantern, coat and shed key, a man handed the translation of a sentence he was raised inside.
Use the arrow keys to move between letters. Press Enter or Space on the first letter of a word, then again on the last letter. Press Escape to cancel.
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About this case
A chapter of The Cider Press, a mystery told in word searches. Each chapter leaves you one clue; the finale needs them all.
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Print The Cider Press as one large-print booklet: every chapter and its puzzle, a clue ledger, and the ending sealed on the last page.
How a mystery chapter works
- 1Read the scene first.Every chapter opens with a scene from the case. The word list is drawn from it, and so is the clue.
- 2Find the words.Tap a word's first letter, then tap along to its last, or press and drag. Found words color themselves in and cross off the list.
- 3One listed word is not in the grid.Find the other nine and the word left over is the chapter's clue. Note it down, or let the case page keep it for you.
- 4The finale needs every clue.The last puzzle's word list is the clues you collected, and once you find them all, the leftover letters spell out who did it, and why.