Good Neighbors (solution)

by Patrick Blindauer and Francis Heaney

Pictures of the following are presented in order, obscured by a white picket fence:

PLAYER PIANO
TESLA COIL
STEFFI GRAF
BBQ SAUCE
SOUP NAZI
MAH-JONGG
DEKU SCRUB
MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE
SAM KINISON
ADOLF HITLER
DRUM KIT
ELECTRIC EEL
HEMP NECKLACE
MUSIQ SOULCHILD
ICE CREAM
STUD FINDER
BENITO MUSSOLINI
MOTHER THERESA
SUB-ZERO
WATER TOWER
IVAN LENDL
OLD FAITHFUL
FRENCH FRIES
GRAPHIC EQUALIZER
DENNIS QUAID
KURT VONNEGUT
PUFF DADDY
HERO QUEST
GOTHIC ARCH

A letter can be inserted between the words of each phrase to form an alphabetic trigram (e.g. BLACK (L) MAGIC). Half of these trigrams are forward, and the other half are in reverse, in alternation:

PLAYER(Q)PIANO
TESLA(B)COIL
STEFFI(H)GRAF
BBQ(R)SAUCE
SOUP(O)NAZI
MAH(I)JONGG
DEKU(T)SCRUB
MAXIMUM(N)OVERDRIVE
SAM(L)KINISON
ADOLF(G)HITLER
DRUM(L)KIT
ELECTRIC(D)EEL
HEMP(O)NECKLACE
MUSIQ(R)SOULCHILD
ICE(D)CREAM
STUD(E)FINDER
BENITO(N)MUSSOLINI
MOTHER(S)THERESA
SUB(A)ZERO
WATER(S)TOWER
IVAN(M)LENDL
OLD(E)FAITHFUL
FRENCH(G)FRIES
GRAPHIC(D)EQUALIZER
DENNIS(R)QUAID
KURT(U)VONNEGUT
PUFF(E)DADDY
HERO(P)QUEST
GOTHIC(B)ARCH

Reading the forward trigrams from top to bottom yields BRINGDRESSEDUP; reading the reverse trigrams from bottom to top yields BERGMANDOLLTOHQ. Bringing the dressed-up Bergman paper doll to HQ gets you the answer, CRUSHED VELVET TUX.

William S. Bergman
William S. Bergman