One Down

I'm not being paranoid. It's all there in the crossword clues. . .in black and white. There's no doubt the threat is real. Today, the answers spell out my murder. May Third. Amanda. Silver Birch. Noontime. Assassination. Is Nathan, my estranged crossword-setter husband, really planning to kill me? Or is it someone closer to home? I check the door is bolted, slither to the ground, and count down the seconds to noon. There's nothing left to do, and no one I can call. Who'd believe me anyway? The lady on the ground floor has already left the building, and my new boyfriend is on holiday. Or is he? A tread of footsteps. A rap at the door, and I close my eyes, hold my breath. . .