Phone number?

As a detective, the crossword clue ‘Phone number?‘ piqued my curiosity. At first, I thought of possible number combinations that could fit the spaces allotted in the crossword. However, upon further reflection, I realized that this would be too obvious and predictable. Instead, I tried to approach the clue from a more abstract perspective, thinking of words or terms that could fit the concept of a ‘phone number‘. Then it clicked – a phone number is essentially a way to connect with someone through their phone, and what signifies a call connecting more than a ‘ringtone‘? A ringtone can be seen as a unique identifier that we assign to our contacts in order to differentiate between them and know who is calling us. This realization provided the perfect solution to the crossword: ‘RINGTONE‘!