| Erle's onetime rival | 24 |
| Erle's one-time rival | 25 |
| Dame of mystery writing | 23 |
| Dame Christie | 13 |
| Creator of Tommy and Tuppence | 29 |
| Creator of the detective Hercule | 32 |
| Creator of Hercule and Jane | 27 |
| Christie who wrote a mystery novel about bridge (but presumably never closed one on purpose to be a dick) | 105 |
| Christie who wrote "Ten Little Indians" | 49 |
| Christie who created Miss Marple | 32 |
| Christie who created Hercule Poirot | 35 |
| Annual award for mystery writers | 32 |
| 1979 Vanessa Redgrave movie about a mystery writer | 50 |
| 1979 Vanessa Redgrave film | 26 |
| 1979 Dustin Hoffman movie | 25 |
| “And Then There Were None†author Christie | 54 |
| Century plant | 13 |
| Tequila source | 14 |
| Desert plant | 12 |
| Tequila plant | 13 |
| Spiny plant | 11 |
| Mescal source | 13 |
| Rope source | 11 |
| Plant used to make tequila | 26 |
| Yucca's kin | 15 |
| Spiny-leafed plant | 18 |
| Source of sisal hemp | 20 |
| Rope fiber source | 17 |
| Plant with fleshy leaves | 24 |
| Member of the lily family | 25 |
| Century plant, e.g. | 19 |
| Yucca's plant family | 24 |
| Mojave plant | 12 |
| Mescal ingredient | 17 |
| Desert growth | 13 |
| Desert bloomer | 14 |
| A daughter of Cadmus | 20 |
| Spiny-leaved plant | 18 |
| Source of mescal | 16 |
| Sisal plant | 11 |
| Pulque source | 13 |
| Plant with spiny leaves | 23 |
| Century plant, for one | 22 |
| ___ nectar | 10 |
| Yucca relative | 14 |
| Yucca family | 12 |
| Tequila's origin | 20 |
| Tequila ingredient | 18 |
| Sweetener source | 16 |
| Succulent used in tequila | 25 |
| Spiny-leaved ornamental plant | 29 |
| Spiny-leafed tequila source | 27 |
| Spiny-leafed flower | 19 |
| Source of some nectar | 21 |
| Source of a fiber for rope | 26 |
| Sonoran succulent | 17 |
| Sisal source | 12 |
| Sisal or yucca | 14 |
| Sisal | 5 |
| Plant used to make mescal | 25 |
| Plant of the amaryllis family | 29 |
| Plant family that includes the yucca | 36 |
| Pita source | 11 |
| Patrón source | 16 |
| Mexican desert plant | 20 |
| Mesoamerican plant | 18 |
| Maguey, for one | 15 |
| Its spikes resemble candelabras | 31 |
| Hemp-yielding amaryllis | 23 |
| Cactus variety | 14 |
| Amaryllis | 9 |
| Aloe | 4 |
| Desert plants | 13 |
| Century plants | 14 |
| Tequila sources | 15 |
| Southwestern flora | 18 |
| Mescal sources | 14 |
| Sisals, e.g. | 12 |
| Plants used to make tequila | 27 |
| Plants used to make mescal | 26 |
| Mescal plants | 13 |
| Magueys, e.g. | 13 |
| Century plants and others | 25 |
| Staring intently | 16 |
| Focused | 7 |
| Transfixed | 10 |
| Riveted | 7 |
| Goggling | 8 |
| Goggle-eyed | 11 |
| Visually rapt | 13 |
| Like rubberneckers | 18 |
| Visually transfixed | 19 |
| Looking intently | 16 |
| Like curious onlookers | 22 |
| Bureau: Abbr. | 13 |
| Govt. bureau | 12 |
| Part of CIA: Abbr. | 18 |
| Travel bus. | 11 |
| Govt. org. | 10 |
| Govt. group | 11 |