The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast #0)(54)

He’s not sure what he will do for work now. He could try begging for his old job at the school. If they won’t rehire him, he can move back to Staten Island and spend some time with his mother. She’s been lonely since his father died and could use some company. But Death-Cast can’t pay him to return to that call center, that’s for sure.

Breathing in that crisp morning air, Rolando is unsure where to go next. He doesn’t want to return to his depressing apartment after such a depressing night. He’d love to see Gloria and Paz and celebrate life while he can. Who knows how long it will be until Death-Cast calls him like he did with so many Deckers. Another part of him wants to see if he can find that old man, Clint Suarez. No one should be alone on their End Day.

Rolando checks his phone, and there are more than twenty missed calls from Frankie. He’s nervous and imagines the worst. Then he remembers that Gloria and Paz can’t be dead because their names weren’t read out loud during the commemoration ceremony this morning. But Death-Cast doesn’t call for near-death experiences, and what if Frankie has beat Gloria so badly that she’s been hospitalized? It wouldn’t be the first time, and he’s unsure when it will be the last.

He calls Frankie to put himself out of his misery.

“Finally,” Frankie answers. “What took you so long?”

“I’ve been working. What’s wrong? Is everyone okay?”

“I need your help on a project that’ll be huge for me and the family.”

Rolando rolls his eyes. He’s sure this is going to be like that time where Frankie wanted to borrow money so he could buy a car “for the family” and to “keep Gloria and Paz safe from the trains” and “so they can take more trips to the beach,” only for Frankie to blow that loan while gambling in Atlantic City. If Rolando had savings, he’d know better than to trust Frankie with any money again.

“What’s the project?” Rolando asks, already thinking up excuses to not help Frankie.

“I want to take pictures of Deckers.”

Rolando waits for more information, but nothing. “Like as a service?” He wouldn’t be surprised if Frankie was trying to make quick cash off Deckers who aren’t sure what to do with their money.

“No, I wouldn’t charge. I just want to be around and capture their final moment.”

What an absolutely horrific intention. Rolando stops in his tracks. “How is that going to help the family?”

“Come on, it’s obvious. Getting pictures of a Decker on the first End Day could sell for loads of money. The only Deckers I know from the news are already dead. I need names so I can find them and follow them around.”

“So you want to stalk the Deckers.”

Frankie is quiet, just like he gets right before he explodes. Except Rolando isn’t the one who will be hurt. If Gloria is telling the truth, Frankie has never laid a hand on Paz, but Rolando is scared that day isn’t too far away. Then Rolando has an idea. Instead of letting Frankie be the explosive one, he can push Frankie toward an explosion—toward the death of a Decker just like he wants. Maybe Frankie can get hurt along the way and he won’t be able to harm Gloria ever again.

“I’ll help you,” Rolando says, his heart hammering.

He’s violating the lives of these Deckers who registered for the program at their discretion. But he’s turning his back on ethics if it means protecting a woman and young boy who are at risk simply because of the man in their home. He doesn’t want to send Frankie to Clint Suarez, the elderly Decker whom Rolando spoke to for nearly an hour. That man hasn’t lived that long for it all to end with Frankie in his presence. He’s thinking back to the commemoration ceremony, still fresh in his head. There were a lot of names that stuck out, but none like the very first because he thought it was too charming for a real person.

“Joaquin Rosa called the first Decker. I don’t know if he’s still alive, but his name is Valentino Prince.”





Frankie Dario


7:01 a.m.

Frankie almost drops his phone.

Did he just hear that right? His new tenant is a Decker? The first Decker? Called by Joaquin Rosa personally? This is going to be the best day of his life. Frankie’s obviously, not Valentino’s. Though Frankie won’t be grieving Valentino, he’s very ready to exploit his death. The new tenant is going to be his golden ticket out of this building.

There’s no way pictures of the first Decker dying won’t sell for millions.

Frankie hangs up on Rolando and rushes to his window, drawing the curtain to look into Valentino’s apartment. The lights are off. He’s probably still sleeping. Or he could have been murdered by that other boy who was trying to be smart with Frankie. Serves Valentino right for picking up strangers in the streets. He runs out into the hallway and bangs on Valentino’s door.

“It’s me, Frankie!”

Still nothing.

Silence is good. Silence means he’s not alive to answer.

Frankie returns to his apartment to grab the key to 6G, just used in the middle of the night when Valentino locked himself out.

“What’s wrong, Daddy?” Paz asks, eating cereal at the table.

He leaves without answering. He unlocks the door, and if anyone gives him trouble for doing so, he’ll rat out Rolando for sharing this Decker’s name and Frankie will tell the authorities he was very concerned for the well-being of his tenant. When in reality, Frankie opens the door and steps inside, hoping to find a crime scene.