Chapter 5
Jake counted eight civilians, probably neighbors, scattered around the narrow hallway and one of New York’s finest keeping them out of the way. Jake used to wonder why there were so many spectators at scenes of death and mayhem. It used to really bother him, like it was an invasion of the victim’s privacy. He changed his mind somewhat when he read an article about professional mourners in older times and how they’d provided a service to the dying and the family, by acknowledging the life of the victim and grieving the death. Supposedly it helped everyone to know the decedent had made an impact on the world, that they weren’t forgotten.
As Jake contemplated these things, he’d come to his own conclusions. He suspected people gathered at such scenes of horror as a way to feel ali
