No 12958, Wednesday 10 Jun 2020, Arden

Solution to 17D 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   Coppers stride out showing camaraderie (6,2,5) ESPRIT DE CORPS*
10 Finally, all the data collected points to these clues (5) LEADS Tail Acrostic
11 Scientist ready to accept supply current (9) CAVENDISH {CA{VEND}{I}SH}
12 With laws restricting entry he made his fortune (4,5) BILL GATES {BILL{GATE}S}
13 Cowboy film centred around a compound (5) ESTER  {wESTERn}
14 Showing no interest in exposing eye shade (7) YAWNING {eYe}{AWNING}
16 Tough situation for some sailor to return (7) RATTRAP {PART}{TAR}<=
18 Evenly keeps blue green centrepiece (7) EPERGNE {kEePs}{GREEN*}

20 Support for President — Al Gore, perhaps (7) PERGOLA {P}{AL+GORE}*

22 Hard to stop fighting before force landing (5) WHARF {W{H}AR}{F}
24 Will check time to get approval (9) TESTAMENT {TEST}{AMEN}{T}
26 Logic of relationship over style (9) RATIONALE {RATIO}{ELAN<=}
27 Echo sounder takes net revised distance (5) ASDIC DIStAnCe* [CA]
28 A punitive symbol Mark allows for short term (7,6) SCARLET LETTER {SCAR}{LET}{LET}{TERm}

DOWN
2   Bird seed covered with everything (7) SWALLOW {S{W}{ALL}OW}

3   Leaving the electronic signal in loop (9) RESIGNING {R{E}{SIGN}ING}
4   6 jumps up, it is understood (5) TACIT {CAT<=}{IT}
5   Hear! Hear! women will come down (9) EAVESDROP (~eves){EAVES}{DROP}
6   Cat could jump, not quiet... (5) OUNCE pOUNCE
7   ...is not in each line (7) PAINTER {P{'AINT}ER}
8   Moving to New York — bold people form an influential group (3,3,7) OLD BOY NETWORK*
9   Keen to do something ethical? On the contrary... (5,8) SHARP PRACTICE {SHARP}{PRACTICE}
15 ...dog circled tea garden (5,4) GREAT DANE*

17 Call on a sickly, heartless and terrible woman (9) T?R?A?A?T (Addendum - TERMAGANT - {TERM}{A}{GAuNT} - See comments)
19 The last ice age was a bit stretched (7) ELASTIC [T]

21 Outstanding on water, reportedly (7) OVERDUE {OVER}{DUE}(~dew)
23 Meal for fifty four houses (5) FLOUR {F{L}OUR}
25 Wife in market? Good! (5) SWELL {S{W}ELL}

Reference List
Ready = CASH, Current = I, President = P, Hard = H, Force = F, Time = T, With = W, Electronic = E, Quiet = P, Fifty = L, Wife = W

Dr RKE's TalePiece

Ms. Ester Mordecai, a renowned PAINTER, had been named by her father, a Rabbi, after the Jewish Queen Ester in the Old TESTAMENT. She lived alone in a mansion that overlooked the WHARF of the Pittsburgh Port, with only her GREAT DANE for company. Her only occasional visitor was her ex-batchmate and art dealer, BILL CAVENDISH. This charming man had joined the art school once but RESIGNING himself to the fact that he had no talent for drawing, he went on to become an art dealer instead. Over the years, he had built a good OLD BOY NETWORK, through which he got to know important LEADS about the latest works of art and also the well-heeled buyers.  His charming behavior was a façade that hid his many SHARP PRACTICES.

This morning, Bill Cavendish opened the GATES of Ester’s mansion and as he walked under the PERGOLA, he remembered the steamy affair he had had with her back at the art school. He rang the bell several times. Ester, who was not a morning person, was rudely awakened and she opened the door YAWNING, in her sheer nightgown with the ELASTIC carelessly tied around the waist. He looked at the stunning figure, took a SWALLOW and said “honey, I just came to tell you, I have found a collector from New York for buying your “Silver EPERGNE” oil-on-canvas. She offered 20000 dollars but I have told her that you would settle for nothing less than 30 grand for this SWELL work of art”. Ester, who had not had a major sale in the last few weeks, thought of her OVERDUE credit card payments and so was quick to take the offer. She said she wouldn’t mind settling for even 25 K, provided the money comes fast. The deal was done in minutes, he wrote out the check, had the unique painting packed and he placed it in the boot of his car.

He came back into the house and even without EAVESDROPping, you could guess that they exchanged sweet nothings- one thing led to another- suffice it to say that they rediscovered the passion of their art school days. Cavendish then left hurriedly forgetting to take his phone. Ester picked up the phone to call Bill and was shocked to see a text message  flashing on the screen. “50K, final for Silver Epergne”.  She thought, “Oh God, he has had me and my painting for a song”.  Shocked, she picked up her last OUNCE of energy, noted the number from which the message had come and texted from her own phone to that buyer from New York.  “Don’t get into Cavendish’s rattrap. He plans to sell you a fake painting. Insist on seeing the SCARLET LETTERs “EM” which I put in everyone of my works as a “nina”- Ester Mordacai”. After all, she was every bit as sharp as the Biblical queen after whom she had been named. There never was any “nina” in her paintings ever.