No 12315, Saturday 12 May 2018, Skulldugger

Across

1. Phosphorus compound for plague (6) PESTER {P}{ESTER}
4. Field of vision (6) OPTICS (CD)
9. Dazed stare when stupid person encounters genius initially (4) GAPE {Genius}{APE}
10. Knight price-fixing, outcry not quite as you imagined it (10) SURPRISING {~ SIR PRICING}
11. The chap in Centre Square (6) COHERE {CO{HE}RE}
12. Places // bases (8) PREMISES (DD)
13. Frugality as company lessens dissipation (9) CLOSENESS {CO+LESSENS}* Defn ok?
15. Hollow, cold welcome (4) CAVE {C}{AVE}
16. Group of misinformed slacktivists starts to raise environmental issue (4) SMOG (Acrostic <=)
17. Robin's communist at heart (9) REDBREAST {RED}{BREAST}

21. Smart set's strange-looking resting place (8) MATTRESS {SMART+SET}*
22. Canadian hockey player's freak streak (6) SKATER {STREAK}*
24. Overwhelmed by expectation, loitered around in plant (10) HELIOTROPE {H{LOITER*}OPE} A self effacing editor needed here
25. Take a trip with this // tart (4) ACID (CD &D)
26. Explosive charge turns up in police department (6) PETARD {P{RATE<=}D}
27. Leave with rector for Sabbath, then go back (6) RECEDE {(-s+R)ECEDE}

Down

1. Wolf, ape mutilated this creature (7) PEAFOWL {WOLF+APE*}

2. Uncovered, revised, edited memories like this can be unreliable (5) SIEVE {rEVISEd}*
3. Asiatic middlemen in the rear (7) EASTERN {mEn}{ASTERN}
5. Plot for prison not entirely unsatisfactory! (6) PARCEL {PAR}{CELl} Unsatisfactory = Below par
6. Scrutinise urge to avoid extreme violence (9) INSTIGATE {INveSTIGATE} Not sure how this clue works
7. Frank's misdemeanour before getting caught (7) SINCERE {SIN}{C}{ERE}
8. Response is so positive after management's appeal (13) PREPOSSESSION {RESPONSE+IS+SO+P}*
14. Quick tip for potential winners here (9) SHORTLIST {SHORT}{LIST}
16. Changing direction in extortion upheaval (5-2) SHAKE-UP  {SHAKE ((-down)+(UP))}
18. Surround // hound (7) BESIEGE (DD)
19. Steps outside hospital room for antiseptic (7) STERILE {ST{ER}ILE}
20. She lets children terrorise houses (6) RENTER (T)
23. Guadalajara's eastern border produced base ingredient in tequila (5) AGAVE {guadalajarA}{GAVE}

Reference List

Phosphrous=P, Chap=He, Company=Co, Cold=C, Welcome=Ave, Police Department=PD, Rector=R, Sabbath=S
Before=Ere, Caught=C, Positive=P, Hospital room=ER

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution, Indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous

GRID

Bhargav's Talepiece

The bouncer and the dancer - Part 33

The CLOSENESS of the woman did SHAKE UP the cop. But what was SURPRISING (to him) was the photo handed over.

Anyways now that he had the clue (or was it?) he had to continue in his mission in a SINCERE manner...The ACID test lay in his getting to the target.

Even as he moved in an EASTERN direction to get our of the restaurant he was BESIEGED with a group of revelers.

One among them snatched the photo and handed it over to a SKATER who RECEDED inside the restaurant.

Maybe I have had one drink too much thought the cop. Ah!

He recognized the RED BREAST on the T-Shirt of the skater.

So how many more countries are after that SHORT LIST in the envelope?

What happened next?