No 14128, Thursday 21 Mar 2024, Afterdark

Solution to 7D 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.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   No diet, pie baked, consumed ten in a trip (10) EXPEDITION {NO+DIET+PIE}* over {X}

6   Headless chicken? No, some other birds (4) OWLS fOWLS

10 Keep spirit in front of hearth (9) FIREPLACE {PLACE}<=>{FIRE}

11 Opposition leader managed to squander good agency (5) ORGAN {Op...n}{R{G}AN}

12 Crowd caught ex-con ultimately with grip, but some cash missing (13) CONCENTRATION {C}{ONCE}{eoN}{TRAcTION}

14 Be back at base (4) EVIL<=

15 Closeness seen with female at new diner, small joint perhaps (10) FRIENDSHIP {F}{DINER*}{S}{HIP}

17 Say, killers' target? Ice innovatively with sulphur (10) CIGARETTES {TARGET+ICE}*{S}

21 Toppers in Oxford really ace law exam (4) ORAL Acrostic

23 Supportive of lower experience (13) UNDERSTANDING {UNDER}{STANDING}

25 Stick with previous wife ultimately (5) PASTE {PAST}{wifE}

26 Marines touring California are perhaps Californians (9) AMERICANS {AMERI{CA}NS*}

27 Cannot erase hidden message (4) NOTE [T]

28 Following order and rule, collect papers in the latter half from 26, say (10) FOREIGNERS {F}{O}{REIGN}{papERS}

DOWN

1   Icy niece working to overtake two females with skill (10) EFFICIENCY {ICY+NIECE}* over {FF}

2   Father let in girl for training (9) PARENTING {PA}{RENT}{IN}{G}

3   Went down with investigator and public prosecutor on preliminary enquiry with director (6) DIPPED {DI}{PP}{En...y}{D}

4   Vehicle found at lot near gate (7) TRACTOR {TRACT}{OR}

5   One does this in theatre at work time, time before excision primarily (7) OPERATE {OP}{ERA}{T}{Ex...n}

7   Try hacking network, buggy perhaps (5) W?G?N (Addendum - WAGON {WA{GO}N} - See comments)

8   Gentleman from Kolkata gets director post (4) SEND {SEN}{D}

9   Policeman gets a bomb reproduced (6) COPIED {COP}{IED}

13 A butcher loses pig over nothing and asks for forgiveness (10) APOLOGISES {A}{LOSES+PIG}* over {O}

16 Speed up, nearly taking staff across island in cyclone (9) HURRICANE {HURRy}{CANE} over {I}

18 Hills are cooler, perhaps, heading off close to plains (6) RIDGES {fRIDGE}{p...nS}

19 Ran amok in commotion of storm (7) TORNADO {TO{RAN*}DO}

20 To meet ex-Romeo travels faraway (7) EXTREME {MEET+EX+R}*

22 Friend in Gurgaon crushed by termination (6) ENDING [T]

23 Agitation at state settled (5) UPSET {UP}{SET}

24 Wide ball held near fence (4) OPEN {O}{PEN}

Reference List

Good = G, Caught = C, Female = F, Small = S, California = CA, Following = F, Order = O, Girl = G, Investigator = DI, Public prosecutor = PP, Director = D, Gate = OR, Work = OP, Time = T, Bomb = IED, Island = I, Commotion = TODO, Romeo = R