Page 16 of Paranoia

He twisted the lock on the handle of the front door. He wanted to make sure the place was secure for whoever found Roger Dzoriack. Doyle caught himself smiling as he closed up the apartment. It would look like a suicide inside a locked apartment.Perfect.

Just as Doyle turned toward the staircase, the door to the apartment next door opened. A woman, about thirty, with very long, straight black hair looked out and smiled.

She said, “I’m so glad Roger had a visitor. Are you a relative?”

All Doyle could think wasOh, shit.

CHAPTER 25

NO FATHER IS unhappy when his whole family is doing something together. I didn’t really care about a cooking show, but I enjoyed having the kids around me. I was happy Mary Catherine was engaged and not alone in bed. But I still had a sense there was something else at work here.

Then it became clear to me.

My grandfather, sitting in a chair Brian had dragged in for him, called to Ricky, who was sitting on the floor in front of the bed with the other boys. Seamus said, “Ricky, this looks like a show you should try out for. Based on that guy’s accent, I bet it’s gotta be filmed somewhere in New York.”

Ricky was quick to answer. “It’s filmed in Brooklyn. Some of it in a studio and some of it at his restaurant.”

I held back my smile at Ricky’s instant response and robotic delivery. This was clearly something the two of them had plannedand practiced. I said, “Getting to Brooklyn’s tough sometimes. I’m glad none of us has to deal with going all the way down there from here on the Upper West Side.”

Ricky was quick to say, “They do a lot of filming on the weekend, so it doesn’t interrupt the kids’ school schedules. I read that Mr. Carmelli, the host, says he never wants his show to interfere with education.”

“If he cares so much about the kids, why is he yelling at them?”

“Because he wants to make them better chefs.”

I’d had enough fun. I said, “Ricky, would you like to try out for the show?”

His smile told me he’d already applied.

CHAPTER 26

BEFORE KEVIN DOYLE could even think, Roger Dzoriack’s pretty neighbor had introduced herself as Elaine. When she invited him into her apartment, Doyle accepted. She’d already seen him. He needed to figure out how to contain this.

There was a bag of groceries sitting on her kitchen counter. A quick glance told him she was a fitness buff. And she ate healthy. He could’ve probably figured that out just by looking at her.

All he could think about was how this perfect assignment had gone off the rails at the last possible moment. He gave her his NYPD cover story.

Elaine said, “I try to keep an eye on Roger, but he doesn’t like to be looked after.”

“I got that impression.”

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“No thank you. I really have to be going.”

Elaine touched his arm with her right hand and said, “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you come by to visit Roger again soon.”

Doyle tried to think of something to say, but he knew what had to be done. He really didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t leave a witness who’d seen him so clearly. There was no sense in delaying it. He leaned forward like he was going to say something. He moved his right and left hands at almost the same time, his left reaching behind Elaine’s head and gripping her neck and hair, his right moving to her chin. He didn’t hesitate. He used his weight, leverage, and strength to rotate her head quickly.

Elaine never had a chance. He heard her neck pop like it was a champagne cork. She went limp immediately. When he released his grip, Elaine tumbled into his arms, her startled brown eyes staring right at him.

Doyle gazed down at her for a moment. Elaine’s open eyes felt like an accusation. Now he had a new problem. What to do with her body? He couldn’t just leave it in the apartment. It would throw Roger Dzoriack’s “suicide” into question.

Doyle pushed Elaine into a sitting position on the couch. He dug his burner phone out of his pocket and dialed a number in Manhattan. As soon as someone answered, Doyle said, “I need to speak to Amir.”

“Hold one second.”

After a short wait, a voice Doyle recognized came on the line. “Who is this?”

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