Hark! by Ed McBain Page A

you like to serve them?” Buddy said, somewhat snippily. “Spaghetti and meatballs?”
    â€œNo, but…” Carella started.
    â€œOr maybe you should just take them over to McDonald’s,” Buddy snapped.
    â€œMaybe so,” Carella said, and rose abruptly. “Let’s go, hon,” he told Teddy, who had stood up at almost the same moment.
    â€œWe also make a nice risotto,” Buddy offered as they went out the door.
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    â€œA NYBODY COMING IN the building has to talk to me first,” the doorman told them. “Has to state his business with me,” he said. “I clear all visitors with the tenant. That’s the rule here. No exceptions.”
    â€œSo if anyone had come here for Ms. Stanford…”
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œâ€¦on Memorial Day…”
    â€œCorrect.”
    â€œâ€¦he’d’ve had to talk to you.”
    â€œWhich is what I just told you,” the doorman said, “din’t I?”
    â€œSo how’d he get in her apartment?” Eileen asked.
    â€œI got no idea,” the doorman said.
    â€œIs there a service entrance?”
    â€œYes, there is a service entrance.”
    â€œWhere’s that?”
    â€œAround the back of the building. On Eleventh. But the man taking deliveries there has to call up to the tenant, same as me. Before he lets anything or anyone go upstairs. So you can save yourselves a walk around there.”
    â€œIs there a door to the roof?” Willis asked.
    â€œOf course there’s a door to the roof.”
    â€œIs it kept locked?”
    â€œAll the time.”
    â€œMind if we take a look up there?”
    The doorman looked at them, and then wagged his head as if to say there was no accounting for people who wished to waste their time. “Let me get the super to take you up,” he said, and yanked a wall phone off its hook.

    T HE BUILDING SUPERINTENDENT seemed surprised.
    â€œLooks like somebody smashed the lock,” he said, studying the door to the roof.
    â€œLooks that way, doesn’t it?” Willis said.
    â€œSure does.”
    â€œWhen’s the last time you were up here?”
    â€œCan’t recall.”
    â€œTry,” Eileen said.
    â€œMust’ve been last week sometime. Water tank was leaking. Had to bring a plumber up.”
    â€œWhen last week would that have been?”
    â€œFriday, must’ve been. Had a tough time getting a plumber cause the long weekend was coming up. Well, it’s always tough getting a plumber. Plumbers are the divas of the building trade, you know. Guys fixing toilets, can you imagine? Divas!”
    Eileen had already taken out her pocket calendar.
    â€œSo this would’ve been Friday, May twenty-eighth, is that right?” she said. “When you last came up here?”
    â€œIf that’s what it says,” he said, and leaned over to look at the calendar in her hand.
    â€œAnd the lock was okay at that time?” Willis said.
    â€œHad to use my key to open the door,” the super said.
    â€œAnybody been up here since?”
    â€œNot to my knowledge.”
    â€œLet’s see what’s on the other side,” Eileen said.
    A doorknob was lying on the floor inside the door. The super poked a screwdriver into the hole the missing knob had left, angled it upward, and used it for leverage to pull open the door. They stepped out onto the roof.
    There were times when this city took your breath away.
    The day was sunny and bright, with wisps of white clouds scudding across an immaculate blue sky. At this time of day, the sun glinted on the gray-green waters of the River Harb below in the near distance, causing dancing sparkles of silver to glimmer on its surface. There was enough breeze to encourage the city’s sailors; at least a dozen boats skimmed along the river’s surface, bright sails billowing in the sunlight. Across the river in the next state, a