Detective Ray Knight of the 61st precinct had been losin’ it in the past six months. Most of it was gone. Waves of paranoia swept out to sea. And a long swim in Brighton Beach or Coney Island purified his brain too. Dr. John Ross told him he was almost cured. He’d be able to return to active duty soon. Unfortunately, the kingpin he had testified against last year was being sentenced today. And Ray was freakin’ out again. Flooded with terror and drownin’ in an ocean of paranoia.
“He’ll be away for a very long time, Ray.”
“But Doc, he’s got boys on the streets. Could kill me from inside.”
“Could have killed you a year ago, Ray. But he didn’t.”
“He’s waitin’...”
“Waiting for Godot?”
“Doc, I know he’s watchin’ me. Feel his eyes burnin’ my flesh. Watchin’ and waitin’.”
“Stop it, Ray! Thought you were almost cured. You sound paranoid again. Remember, Ray, if the kingpin’s watching, he’s looking with dead eyes. Almost legally blind.”
“Yeah. But...”
“So what do you want, Ray? A new face? New identity? New location?”
“Just some medication-to calm my nerves for a few weeks.”
“Well, I’m a psychologist. I don’t prescribe medication. Of course, I know a psychiatrist who does. Her office faces the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights.”
“A lady shrink?”
“She’s the best and...”
“Okay. I’d like an emergency appointment today.”
“Maybe. Still, I’ve got to tell you... You’ll have to lie on a couch-none of this face to face stuff. Can you handle it?”
“Yeah. What’s she gonna do? Blow my brains out while I’m tellin’ her my Freudian dreams?”
At noon, 1010 WINS announced that the kingpin was gonna do long, hard time. Ray was shakin’ all over-even though he had an appointment with Dr. Miriam Madden at 3 o’clock.
At 2:30, Ray walked on the Promenade, his eyes dartin’, shootin’, searchin’, huntin’, for the hunter. No hunter! Only mothers and children and old folks. Well, it was almost time for Ray to get his head shrunk once more.
Upstairs, in the brownstone, Dr. Madden waited for Ray.
“Come in, Detective Knight,” the elegant blonde doctor said seductively. She turned and sashayed into her rectangular office, her long, slender legs fitted into spiked high heels and a delicious rump clingin’ to a tight mini.
Loose as a goose, he lay on her black couch and spilled the beans. Told all-what he knew about the kingpin and others-old stuff which was public knowledge and new stuff-a Death Sentence for a few more rats. Yeah. Just a raincheck for a rainy day. A sweet insurance policy-including the name of a P.I. pal of his who had some V.I.P. info in a safe deposit box-just in case Ray got iced.
“Jack Hood’s the best-has an office on Kings Highway. Can find him almost every night in Dunkin’ Donuts. Guy’s got a sweet tooth.”
“How interesting. But it’s time to stop.”
“One more thing, Doc-the medication! I need it!”
“Didn’t forget, Ray. Yet there is-one more thing!”
Imperceptibly, her right hand pressed the buzzer as she repeated: “Relax. It’s almost over.”
Clutchin’ the camera, he entered the waitin’ room and sauntered to the inside door. Opened it and entered the office where Ray lay on the couch.
Ray jumped up. Looking quizzically, he said: “Dr. Ross, whatya doin’ here?”
“I’m into photography these days. Gonna take a few pictures.”
“Pictures?”
“Of you, Ray!”
“Are you nuts, Doc?”
“I suppose so. But the kingpin doesn’t mind. He’s eager to see...”
“See what?”
Dr. Ross ignored Ray’s question as he videotaped Ray’s anguished face.
“What’s goin’ on here?” Ray begged Dr. Ross, oblivious of Dr. Madden behind him.
“What’s goin’ on, Ray? Don’t you remember? You told me this morning! You figured it out!”
“What did I figure out?”
“That Dr. Madden’s gonna blow your brains out while I videotape the whole thing! Just an ol’ fashioned snuff film for Dead Eyes, before he’s pronounced 100% blind!”
“No!” Ray cried out, staring blankly at Dr. Ross. Paralyzed by terror, he couldn’t turn around to look Death straight in the eye.
“Yes, Ray,” Dr. Madden whispered soothingly as she caressed the black Executioner’s Mask ensconced in a gold box below her chair. “Oh, yes!”
“No!”
“But it’s time, Ray.” Ecstatically, Dr. Madden put on the black mask and reached for the .357 Magnum hidden behind the black couch.
“Please... I’ll do anythin’... Anythin’! Cause I ain’t ready to die!” Now, Ray’s body shook violently and his blank eyes became frenzied, leapin’ across the room but never seein’ Dr. Ross and never turnin’ around to see...
Slowly, Dr. Madden moved toward Ray, her lethal hands clutching the slick weapon and her taloned fingers around the trigger.
“Please... I ain’t ready! Need more time!”
“Oh, sweet baby!” she whispered as she bent down and kissed Ray on his forehead. “Baby needs more time!”
She rubbed the .357 Magnum against his cheeks and smiled at him. But Ray’s feverish eyes were shut tight. She hugged Ray and let him smell her exotic perfume-Eternity! “Oh, baby! Open your eyes and remember this moment forever!”
Ray’s eyes were sealed in a private tomb.
“Baby, open your eyes for Mama!” she commanded. And she clawed his face.
Suddenly, Ray’s fiery eyes opened wide and leaped into the Omniscient Camera, fleein’ from the killin’ claws of the Lion. And the Camera captured his personal terror-pure evil-the anguished, cutting Look into dark space and the Howling-his howling into the Void...
Softly, imperceptibly, she moved away, backwards, until she felt the distant heat of the Camera, until the fire at the center of her being beckoned her, until she heard the final shriek...
“No!”
And she pulled the trigger, blowin’ off half of Ray’s head as Dr. Ross filmed the end of the snuff film.
“A lovely execution, Miriam!”
“Thanks, John. By the way, Ray ratted on a P.I. named Jack Hood. Hood’s got a safe deposit box with some lethal info.”
“Splendid. We’ll get the box. Then I’ll kill Hood. I must! Remember, you promised the next one’s mine?”
“Didn’t forget, honey.”
“Just love playing executioner.”
“Yes, darling. It’s pure fun-filled with tons of adrenalin.”
“All in all, Miriam. It’s been one helluva afternoon.”
“Dead Eyes will be pleased, John.”
“Especially after he sees the film, Miriam. I’ll mail it express mail. The Authorities are deaf and dumb. They’ll let it through.”
“Of course. And Dead Eyes will be real proud.”
“Bet he shows it to the inmates-as the Saturday Night Special.”
“I hope so.”
“And maybe they’ll nominate you for an Oscar, Miriam.”
“The almost perfect ending, John, to a perfect end!”
“Almost perfect? Don’t be modest, Miriam.”
“Not I!”
“Then...?”
“Ray was a freakin’ paranoid, John.”
“Of course. That’s why he was seeing me.”
“He didn’t trust you, John.”
“Ray didn’t trust no one, Miriam.”
“Yes. But you were his shrink. So he checked you out. Followed you. Did some B&E. Probed deep. And discovered...”
“You’re looking at me strange, Miriam.”
“You sound paranoid, John. Or guilty!”
“Guilty?”
“Yes, darling. Guilty of betraying Dead Eyes. Ray saw you with Rockin’ Iron Rocco, Joe the Spider, Jimmy, the Red Scorpion, and... A bunch of Dead Eyes’ enemies.”
“No!”
“Yes, love. And here’s the sweet twist! Once he saw you consorting with the enemy, he trusted you. If you were with them, you were against Dead Eyes.”
“It’s a lie!”
“But, honey. He wasn’t ratting on you. He was boasting, toasting, revealing how you really cured him!”
“He was delusional!”
“No, dear.”
“I never...!”
Smiling sardonically, Miriam grabbed the .357 Magnum ensconced on the black couch and pointed it at John.
“Before we say goodbye, darling, could you look up at the ceiling and smile at Dead Eyes?”
“What?”
“Smile, John. You’re on Candid Camera!”
His quizzical eyes looked up and found the Camera which recorded his anguished face. He never heard the sound of Miriam’s taloned fingers pull the trigger. And the roar of the exploding bullet vanished inside the eternal howl.
