Murder Thy Neighbour - James Patterson Page 0,2

been trying to get them to repair the roof. The house needs work all over, but the roof is her main worry. She’s afraid it might start leaking onto her side of the property, causing damage inside the walls.

“Nope,” says the man, grinning broadly. “I own the place. I just bought it.”

Ann can’t help but smile.

“Oh, wonderful,” she says. “I’m your new neighbor.”

The man tucks the extension cord under his arm, freeing up his hand to offer it to Ann.

“Pleased to meet you,” he says. “I’m Roy Kirk.”

CHAPTER 3

“I LOVE YOUR PLACE,” Roy says to Ann, looking admiringly at her side of the row house. “I’m sure you’re tired of living next to this eyesore,” he adds, hooking his thumb to his own property.

“It just needs a little work,” she says, downplaying it.

“Hopefully it won’t be long before it looks as good as yours,” Roy says.

They talk for a few minutes. Ann likes Roy right away. He’s outgoing and energetic. Though he does seem a bit young to be tackling such a large renovation project, and she wonders if he really knows what he’s getting himself into. Will he be so enthusiastic a month or two from now?

But Roy’s big, innocent smile wins her over. She doesn’t expect them to be best friends. After all, her forty-fourth birthday is just around the corner and she doubts he’s even thirty yet. But Ann thinks they’ll get along just fine, which is a relief to her. She’s heard horror stories about bad neighbors in row houses.

Roy asks her what she does, and Ann explains that she works in marketing and gives piano lessons on the side.

“Music is my passion,” she says. “I raise money for the Pittsburgh Symphony. You better be careful—I might hit you up for a donation.”

Ann says it as a joke, and Roy laughs and pats his hand against the brick front of his home.

“Sorry,” he says. “All my money is going into this baby.”

“Of course,” Ann says, smiling. “I definitely don’t want to interfere with your renovations.”

Ann asks what Roy does for a living, and he tells her that he has a home-repair business, which helps calm her fears about his being up to the renovation project.

“I used to deliver pizzas, but now I’ve got my contractor’s license,” he says, nodding toward his property. “The city’s trying to get rid of its tax-delinquent houses. You can get places like this for dirt cheap.”

Roy explains that he lives just down the street, and that he hasn’t decided whether he’ll move in here or sell this house after his renovations are complete. Ann can’t help but feel a little disappointed. She’s just met Roy, but he seems like he’d be a good neighbor. She hopes he doesn’t end up selling the place to someone she won’t like.

“This is a great neighborhood,” Roy says. “So much potential.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Ann says.

She tells him about the neighborhood association she’s a part of, which has formed to help improve the area. So far they’ve held some community cleanups and a neighborhood yard sale, but there’s been talk of trying to do more. The members want to organize community events, such as holiday parades, and find a way to build a promenade along the nearby Monongahela River. A community garden has been discussed. There are a few empty lots in the area that would make perfect locations for a public park, where they could hold picnics or other events.

Ann, who has a lot of experience with fund-raising through her work with the symphony, knows what a long shot it is to hope for some of the items on the group’s wish list, but she’s heartened by Roy’s enthusiastic reaction.

“I bet in five years this neighborhood is going to be something special,” Roy says.

He looks out at the twilight and says he better get to work. He wants to unload his equipment tonight before it gets dark. The house doesn’t have any electricity.

“It was nice meeting you, Ann,” he says, extending his hand again.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Roy,” Ann says, shaking it again. “Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Ann walks back into her house. As she’s sipping her wine, she feels happy. Roy seems like a friendly young man, and discussing the future of the neighborhood has left her excited. Her new neighbor’s enthusiasm is infectious. She can’t help but think of all the possibilities for the community around her—as well as for