She obviously knew something I    
didn't.                                
     “What's up Dr. D? Let me in on it 
too.”                                  
     “Once a year, as a courtesy to my 
friends, I inspect their dwellings to  
see how easy it is for someone to get  
in and blow their brains out with a    
shotgun.”                              
     “Nice imagery,” I said, trying to 
stop myself from going off on a fantasy
trip about shotguns blowing up water-  
melons, grapefruits, and other people’s
heads, but then, I remembered yesterday
morning.                               
     Luckily, Darryl ignored my comment
and continued, “This is my first year  
doing your place, Crim. Your front door
has a really good lock on it, but      
unfortunately for you, I know a trick  
* that makes it easy to open.”             
     I wanted to ask what the trick    
was, but he addressed that immediately,
“It’s a professional secret, so don’t  
bother asking what it is.”             
     Ok, I thought, his secrets are    
like a magician’s, but when I looked   
over at Rhonda, she had that evil grin 
again, and I wondered if she knew the  
trick.                                 
     Before I could ask, Darryl was    
already giving me the rest of his      
report. “I did have a little trouble   
with your back door, and that's good,  
but the two doors to your cellar       
weren't that much of a problem. It only
took me a few seconds, and that’s not  
good.”                                 
     “You jimmied both our cellar doors
to get in the house?”                  



CHAPTER 14: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31st
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