Chapter 29: The Suicide of Roger Dzoriack
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The narrator and his partner Trilling arrive at the apartment of Roger Dzoriack, a recently deceased retired cop. A young patrol officer greets them and provides an initial rundown. Inside, they find a suicide note on the nightstand, a glass of cloudy water, and Dzoriack’s body lying on the bed. The narrator says a brief prayer over the body. Trilling and the narrator search the apartment and discover a second, more aggressive Post-it note in the garbage. Alina, the medical examiner’s technician, arrives and professionally prepares the body for removal. Trilling helps her carry the gurney down the stairs. The building superintendent, Mario, explains how he found the body after using his master key because the dead bolts weren’t thrown. Mario mentions that two women in the building regularly checked on Dzoriack: Elaine next door and Lesa, a retired librarian. The narrator ensures the patrol officer packages the evidence. Though the scene appears to be a straightforward suicide, the narrator notes that Dzoriack is yet another retired cop on a list that seems to be growing.
Key Events
- The narrator and Trilling enter Dzoriack’s apartment and are briefed by a uniformed patrol officer.
- The narrator observes the suicide note and the cloudy water glass, then says a quiet prayer over the body.
- A second, angrier Post-it note is found in the garbage, reading “You can all kiss my ass…”
- Alina and her assistant arrive to remove the body; Trilling helps them with the gurney.
- Superintendent Mario describes finding the body and shares a crude remark Dzoriack once made about his door.
- Mario reveals that two neighbors, Elaine and Lesa, regularly looked in on Dzoriack.
- The narrator directs the patrol officer to package the suicide notes and other items as evidence.
- The chapter ends with the narrator’s private suspicion that this suicide may be part of a larger pattern involving retired cops.
Character Development
- The Narrator (Detective): Shows his routine respect for the dead by praying over bodies. He is methodical, observing details and doing a final sweep of the apartment. He remains professional but internally questions the apparent suicide. His worry about a growing list of dead retired cops hints at a deeper case.
- Trilling: Demonstrates genuine helpfulness by rushing to assist Alina with the gurney. The narrator hopes this trait will survive years on the job, indicating Trilling is new and idealistic.
- Alina: She is blunt and sarcastic but highly efficient, preparing the body in half the usual time. The narrator respects her professionalism despite her crude manner.
- Patrol Officer: Young and competent, she knows what she is doing and handles evidence packaging without additional crime-scene techs.
- Mario (Superintendent): A nervous but cooperative witness, he shares useful information about Dzoriack’s isolation and the neighbors who cared for him. His discomfort (due to a urinary tract infection) adds a touch of grim humor.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Suicide vs. Suspicion: The chapter presents a scene that fits a suicide profile, but the narrator’s unease grows as he mentally adds Dzoriack to a list of retired cop deaths. The pattern motif suggests that what appears simple may be part of a larger, sinister design.
- Respect for the Dead: The narrator’s prayer and his careful handling of evidence show a professional reverence that contrasts with Dzoriack’s angry, misanthropic life.
- Isolation and Community: Dzoriack’s hostile personality kept people at a distance, yet two neighbors (Elaine and Lesa) persisted in caring for him. This tension between isolation and unnoticed kindness adds depth to the victim’s backstory.
- Dark Humor: Mario’s complaint about his urinary tract infection and Dzoriack’s crude threat to him inject levity into an otherwise grim investigation, a hallmark of Patterson’s style.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 29 advances the novel’s central mystery by linking the current death to a potential series of retired cop fatalities. The narrator’s internal note that “one more retired cop [was] added to the list” signals that the story is moving beyond a single suicide. The careful gathering of evidence—the two notes, the cloudy water glass—sets up physical details that may prove important later. This chapter also deepens the narrator’s character by showing his prayer ritual and his protective feelings toward Trilling’s innocence.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What evidence does the scene present for suicide, and what detail makes the narrator doubt it?
The suicide note on the nightstand, the cloudy water glass (possibly containing a drug or poison), and Dzoriack’s body lying peacefully on the bed all suggest suicide. However, the narrator’s doubt comes from the second note in the garbage that reads “You can all kiss my ass…” which indicates a last-minute change of heart. More significantly, the narrator mentally categorizes this as another death among retired cops, implying a pattern that undermines the suicide theory.
2. How does the narrator view Trilling after he helps Alina with the gurney?
The narrator sees Trilling’s action as genuine kindness, noting that he “genuinely tried to help people. All people.” The narrator appreciates this quality and hopes it will not fade after a few years on the job, revealing both Trilling’s current idealism and the narrator’s own seasoned weariness.
3. What do the descriptions of Mario and the two female neighbors reveal about Roger Dzoriack’s life?
Mario’s recounting of Dzoriack’s threat (“I’d cut my dick off”) shows the victim as hostile and intimidating. Yet Elaine checked on him weekly, and Lesa brought him books despite his unfriendliness. These neighbors are described as “saints,” indicating that Dzoriack was difficult but not completely abandoned. His isolation was self-imposed, yet a community of care still existed around him.