The Key Word is a mystery short story by Isaac Asimov.
Part of the Larry Mysteries series, it was first published in the 1977 collection The Key Word and Other Mysteries. It was later collected in The Best Mysteries of Isaac Asimov.
Summary[]
Larry's father, a detective, is frustrated by his inability to break a code used by suspects. The code is based on a daily-changing key word, and no notebook containing the system has been found. During a search, a suspect was found with that day's New York Times, which was microfilmed. Larry's father brings the paper home, hoping to find a pattern, but finds nothing.
Larry, who was working on the crossword puzzle in the paper when his father angrily snatched it away, points out that the puzzle was already partially completed. He notes that the solver had worked only on a small patch in the middle, unlike the usual method of starting from the beginning. He observes that one of the solved clues was "twenty-seven across" and the newspaper was from the 27th of the month.
Larry theorizes that the key word for the code is taken from the crossword puzzle clue whose number corresponds to the day of the month. His father tests the theory, the code is broken, and the case is solved.
Characters[]
- Larry
- Larry's father
- Larry's mother
- The suspect