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Post by jervistetch on Aug 6, 2017 1:28:09 GMT
I remember that Dragnet episode, brimfin.
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Post by Salzmank on Aug 7, 2017 19:44:43 GMT
alfromni , brimfin , jervistetch , BATouttaheck , Pete , Staccato , soullimbo , persistenceofvision , et al. Another one, inspired once again by Author! Author! (thus without a "correct" solution, as Pete asked that I clarify) but changed slightly to make it even more inexplicable. The scene is again New York in the '30s. A man rushes wildly into O'Brien's Book Store and asks for $20 worth of books-- any books the clerk has. Well, the clerk--it's a young woman; let's call her Miss Jones--is confused, but the customer insists, so Miss Jones takes a motley selection of books off the shelves. The customer quickly glances over the titles. "Fine--fine," says the customer, seeming somewhat frightened. "No--no need to the wrap them up. Here's $20, and send them to this address." He hands her a slip of paper with the address (an actual address, I hasten to add--a rather fancy home in the Upper East Side) on it. "Will you do it, miss? Thank you. And here's an extra $20 for you so that you can do something extra: before sending them, please rip out the last page of every book." Miss Jones cannot believe what she's hearing. "I know it sounds strange, miss, but I ask you to do it. It doesn't matter if the last page has words on it or if it's blank--rip 'em all out." Why does he have this unusual request?
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Post by brimfin on Aug 8, 2017 0:49:42 GMT
Still here (from time to time, anyway). I looked at images of shelf paper and saw one that hangs down slightly at the edge. A diamond could be stuck to the back of that and go unnoticed even by frantic searchers.
Is that the answer you seek? |
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Post by Salzmank on Aug 8, 2017 1:05:12 GMT
Still here (from time to time, anyway). I looked at images of shelf paper and saw one that hangs down slightly at the edge. A diamond could be stuck to the back of that and go unnoticed even by frantic searchers.
Is that the answer you seek? No, sorry, but your idea is certainly ingenious. Umm... I will say it was closer before if that helps any. |
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Post by alfromni on Aug 8, 2017 16:34:23 GMT
Salzmank - Re "Last Page"
If we imagine the New York of the late 30s, the customer could be a German agent contacting his cell contained within the American Bund. The last page ripped from a number of books could be a signal for a preordained meet between members to discuss a forthcoming sabotage operation. Not mentioned in the script, but a $20 receipt would be attached to the books to further authenticate the "message".
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Post by Salzmank on Aug 8, 2017 16:54:24 GMT
Salzmank - Re "Last Page"
If we imagine the New York of the late 30s, the customer could be a German agent contacting his cell contained within the American Bund. The last page ripped from a number of books could be a signal for a preordained meet between members to discuss a forthcoming sabotage operation. Not mentioned in the script, but a $20 receipt would be attached to the books to further authenticate the "message".
An absolutely brilliant idea, Al. And it need not even be the Bund, but rather any secret organization. And those silly guests on Author! Author! (and I) never even thought of it... |
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Post by alfromni on Aug 8, 2017 17:00:29 GMT
Thanks.  Guess I read too many spy novels. :-) |
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Post by Salzmank on Aug 8, 2017 17:07:54 GMT
alfromni, I suppose the main objection would be that the Bund, or any such group, would probably not take all the risks involved in using purchased books as a code—bound to be noted and remembered. Unless... This one member forgot his what he was supposed to do until right before the meeting? |
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Post by alfromni on Aug 8, 2017 17:23:00 GMT
Salzmank "bound to be noted and remembered."Well how else are they going to be caught? Afaik they all were. And through similar silly mistakes. They weren't a very bright bunch. The O'Brien's Book Store could be part of the set up, i.e. Irish Republicans joining and using the Nazis in their own fight against the UK.
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Post by brimfin on Aug 8, 2017 23:52:24 GMT
Into This Air I asked my wife to look at jervistetch's answer and then give me a hint without giving it away. She said my paragraph 2 rather than 4 was closer to the answer. So I stopped mulling about shelfpaper and went over the shell bit again. I remembered seeing an old jewelry box adorned with shells. I found some photos online of such jewelry boxes, many with shells large enough to hide a diamond it yet small enough that a person might not think to look there. I could ask if that's right, but my wife already said, "You got it!" so I'm pretty sure that's it. |
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Post by Salzmank on Aug 9, 2017 1:11:48 GMT
Into Thin Air I asked my wife to look at jervistetch's answer and then give me a hint without giving it away. She said my paragraph 2 rather than 4 was closer to the answer. So I stopped mulling about shelfpaper and went over the shell bit again. I remembered seeing an old jewelry box adorned with shells. I found some photos online of such jewelry boxes, many with shells large enough to hide a diamond it yet small enough that a person might not think to look there. I could ask if that's right, but my wife already said, "You got it!" so I'm pretty sure that's it. Yes, indeed, that's it. (I hope you like it!) Substantiating evidence: Gregg was by the bedside when he shot her. |
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Pete
Sophomore
@petermorris
Posts: 111
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Post by Pete on Aug 9, 2017 3:17:30 GMT
Salzmank - Re "Last Page"
If we imagine the New York of the late 30s, the customer could be a German agent contacting his cell contained within the American Bund. The last page ripped from a number of books could be a signal for a preordained meet between members to discuss a forthcoming sabotage operation. Not mentioned in the script, but a $20 receipt would be attached to the books to further authenticate the "message".
An absolutely brilliant idea, Al. And it need not even be the Bund, but rather any secret organization. And those silly guests on Author! Author! (and I) never even thought of it... Just to be clear: this is a puzzle without a "correct" solution, you're just daring people to come up with any answer that fits? I don't object to this type of puzzle, but could you clearly indicate them as such. |
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Post by Salzmank on Aug 9, 2017 3:24:55 GMT
An absolutely brilliant idea, Al. And it need not even be the Bund, but rather any secret organization. And those silly guests on Author! Author! (and I) never even thought of it... Just to be clear: this is a puzzle without a "correct" solution, you're just daring people to come up with any answer that fits? I don't object to this type of puzzle, but could you clearly indicate them as such. Correct, and I'll mark them as you wish in the future. There are the solutions that the people on Author! Author! came up with, but I don't feel that they're particularly satisfying as solutions. Just wondering if our group can come up with better concepts (as Al's is)... |
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Post by alfromni on Aug 9, 2017 22:56:42 GMT
Salzmank - Just a little more on "The Last Page"...
You noted that my plot "need not even be the Bund, but rather any secret organization."
Not really, before the 20s/30s books weren't as abundant and as inexpensive for anyone to buy, afterwards espionage and secret signal/messages to cells (especially during and after wartime) were far more sophisticated. The era of the late 30s and the American/German Bund was just perfect for my plot. It may not work in other circumstances.
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Post by Salzmank on Aug 9, 2017 23:07:14 GMT
Salzmank - Just a little more on "The Last Page"...
You noted that my plot "need not even be the Bund, but rather any secret organization."
Not really, before the 20s/30s books weren't as abundant and as inexpensive for anyone to buy, afterwards espionage and secret signal/messages to cells (especially during and after wartime) were far more sophisticated. The era of the late 30s and the American/German Bund was just perfect for my plot. It may not work in other circumstances.
Yes, indeed, and it works well with the time period. I'm still not sure that the German-American Bund would have wanted to risk exposure of anything secret at the time (they had the facade of trying to avoid any direct connection with Hitler), which is why I was somewhat reluctant, I suppose... Still, your solution is brilliant, in my opinion. |
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Post by alfromni on Aug 9, 2017 23:32:34 GMT
Salzmank - True, but I didn't refer to the Bund as a whole, but a cell within the Bund. Notwithstanding, there was certainly Bund collusion with Nazi agitators, and recruitment from it to the Nazi cause. Most of the offenders were eventually rounded up, but some did choose to go to Germany to enlist. Some American banks and companies were doing business with Nazi Germany via diverse routes and means right throughout the war.
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Post by Salzmank on Aug 9, 2017 23:36:18 GMT
Salzmank - True, but I didn't refer to the Bund as a whole, but a cell within the Bund. Notwithstanding, there was certainly Bund collusion with Nazi agitators, and recruitment from it to the Nazi cause. Most of the offenders were eventually rounded up, but some did choose to go to Germany to enlist. Some American banks and companies were doing business with Nazi Germany via diverse routes and means right throughout the war. Oh, of course, but I was just talking about the facade. |
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Post by alfromni on Aug 9, 2017 23:43:00 GMT
Our own ex-king (Edward VIII) was not squeaky clean in this area either, nor others of the UK elite. :-)
Any more from Author Author?
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Post by Salzmank on Aug 10, 2017 0:17:17 GMT
alfromni Sadly, there are only two episodes of Author! Author! still extant, and some of the puzzles have answers that seem very clearly indicated. But I can try to listen to those episodes again soon! By the way, I still wonder if anyone else-- jervistetch, brimfin, Pete, BATouttaheck--has another answer. I'm trying to work on my own.
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Post by jervistetch on Aug 10, 2017 1:27:20 GMT
Salzmank. I want you to know that I've been wrestling with The Last Page since you posted it. I can't wait for someone to solve it because I don't think it's going to be me. One question: Is the particular address to which the books are to be sent a famous address? One that people with knowledge of the Upper East Side in the 30's might realize, "Oh, that must be the address of ..."? |
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Guess I read too many spy novels. :-)
