Solution to 22A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.
ACROSS
1 Be impatient in sting to nab a fellow with heroin in backward region of Asia (5,2,3,3) CHAFE AT THE BIT {CH{A}{F}EAT}{TIBE{H}T<=}
8 Short story penned by Balzac on television (5) CONTE [T]
9 Hot girl online wanting love — perhaps it will brighten things up (4,5) NEON LIGHT {HOT+G+oNLINE}*
11 Fall behind with legs shaking over old cycle (4,6) LOSE GROUND {L{O}SEG*}{ROUND}
12 Unsophisticated enthusiast turned noisy (4) NAFF {FAN<=}{F}
14 Fish head and duck sent back (7) CAPELIN {CAPE}{NIL<=}
16 Raze old building finally in Indian city (7) EXPUNGE {EX}{PUN{b...nG}E}
17 Fellows crushed by revolutionary assault right away in seconds (7) MOMENTS {MrO{MEN}TS<=}
19 Checks the fit of dress in store (5,2) TRIES ON* &lit
21 Fiend’s advance repulsed by soldiers (4) OGRE {GO<=}{RE}
22 Pose elaborate queries about qualifications (10) ?E?U?S?T?S (Addendum - REQUISITES {REQUI{SIT}ES*} - See comments)
25 Won in Perth? Extremely unexpected, I’m excited (9) TRIUMPHED {PERTH+Un...eD}+IM}*
26 Held ring to get married around noon (5) OWNED {O}{W{N}ED}
27 Theme song by genius about protecting environment at end of concert (9,4) SIGNATURE TUNE {GENIUS}* over {NATURE}{c...rT}
DOWN
2 A command to surrender with rebellious invasion over (5,2) HANDS UP {H{AND}SUP<=}
3 Chick left creep involved in affair (10) FLEDGELING {F{L}{EDGE}LING}
4 Prenatal test briefly conducted by pro in maternity reviewed (5) AMNIO [T<=]
5 Most difficult ordeal, tackling angry rhino (9) THORNIEST {T{RHINO*}EST}
6 Slippery characters in picture about to abduct student (4) EELS {S{L}EE<=}
8 Little consolation that’s provided by ice pack? (4,7) COLD COMFORT [DD}
10 Conceited nob desperately needs ecstasy after drinking booze heartily (6-5) TOFFEE-NOSED {TOFF} and {E+NEEDS}* over {boOze}
13 Wet blanket left under pillow, primarily covered by stains (10) SPOILSPORT {PORT}<=>{S{Pi...w}OILS}
15 Revolting crime! Lock soldiers killing maiden inside military shelter (6,3) NISSEN HUT {SIN<=}{S{mEN}HUT}
24 FBI agent and spymaster involved in setting up bug (1-3) G-MAN {M} in {NAG<=}
Reference List
Fellow = F, Heroin = H, Girl = G, Old = O, Noisy = F, Right = R, Soldiers = RE(Royal Engineers), Noon = N, Left = L, Student = L, Ecstasy = E, Maiden = M, Popular = IN, Union = U, Spymaster = M
TalePiece
By Dr RKE
My little CONTE today is about Fred Boyle (FB), a G MAN. FB is a FLEDGELING officer with the FBI. As luck might have it, he has not so far handled any sensational case, the kind that makes it to the frontpages. All he seems to have done is to SIT IN ON numerous briefings and do the REQUISITE paperwork for the cases handled by his seniors. Naturally, he is CHAFING AT THE BIT for some action. But would he have guessed that he was going to become a star in the department, when he got that call from Chief John Drucker?
He was driving his pregnant wife Dora to the hospital for an AMNIO, when that call came. The chief barked his orders “Fred, check out if Al Salvatore is admitted to the hospital you’re going to. He has been escaping my net for long- slippery as an EEL- and keep it discreet”. Fred knew that Al Salvatore OWNED several legitimate businesses, but many of them were suspected to be only a front for the huge crime empire he ran. No one in the department had TRIUMPHED in tracing any crime all the way to this OGRE.
After dropping Dora in the antenatal department, Fred finds by sweet-talking to the receptionist that someone who matches the description of Salvatore is in room 308. In a few MOMENTS Fred enters the room quietly. The card on the door says the patient in there is a Mr.Golgi, but the aliases that Salvatore uses have been INGRAINED into every FBI officer. The half-drunk MARTINI on the bedside table is evidence that the man sitting with his back to the door, looking out at the NEON LIGHT through the window, is not an ordinary sick patient. Salvatore senses the movement behind his back and snaps “NAFF off, don’t you disturb me”. Fred says “I am the Guest Relationship Manager here. I just want to make sure you are comfortable”.
I have to EXPUNGE the profanities that this TOFFEE-NOSED man mouthed as he turned around to face Fred. Holding a loaded revolver in his hand, Salvatore shrieks “It is my turn to say HANDS UP, you fibbie”. Fred, standing by the bedside table, in the blink of an eye, picks up the glass of martini and tosses it at Salvatore’s face, while at the same time taking a well aimed swing with the leg, that knocks the revolver from the thug’s hand – all in one fell swoop. They both desperately reach for the gun. This is no time to LOSE GROUND and the younger and fitter Fred gets on to it first. He pins down the mafia man to the chair and just then he hears the SIGNATURE TUNE of his chief’s phone’s ringtone outside the room. John Drucker and his men rush in to arrest Salvatore. The all-knowing Chief tells Fred, “You have done your bit. Now go take care of Dora”.
It is some COLD COMFORT for Fred when he sees his face coming up on the TV news that night, though the news anchor mentions only the name of Drucker. He knows his stock in the department has gone up several notches for his derring-do though the public will not learn of it. This is the THORNIEST part of being low in the pecking order, but have faith, Mr. Fred Boyle, your time will come soon.
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