which have punctured the heart and lungs and damaged the liver; a broken pelvis; cuts and tears to the right groin and testicle; many cuts and bruises on the torso in addition to two enormous lacerations on either side, one nine by seven inches long, and the other nine by four; torn skin on the front and back of the arms; legs cut so badly that muscles and tendons can be seen; the right leg broken in two places, with bone protruding through the skin.
V
THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS that Rivera died not long after he disappeared. The medical examiner told Allison that his stomach cavity contained a residue of brown matter, presumably the potato chips he ate before leaving home around four p.m. Since he did not pay the parking attendant, he must have arrived at the parking lot sometime after six that evening, which is when the attendant goes home. If the crash D. and I heard around ten was the sound of Rivera falling through the roof, that leaves six hours between the time he left home and the time of his fatal plunge.
At some point in those six hours, he found his way to the roof of the Belvedere without being seen. The roof is not easy to get to, even for those familiar with the building. Twice, when we first moved in, I went up there to sunbathe. In doing so, I was effectively trespassing, since the roof is definitely out of bounds. It’s a dangerous place. A single thin iron railing immediately opposite the access door is the only barrier against the drop. When I lay down and closed my eyes, the edge of the building always felt much closer than it was, though it was never really very far away. It was too hot and scary and uncomfortable to stay up there for long. Both times, when I got up after lying in the sun, I found myself overwhelmed with dizziness, and had to sit down until I had recovered my balance.
The roof is reached via a ladder in the attic, but the attic is hard to find. There are two ways to get there. One is through a door, accessible only to staff, at the back of the 13th Floor nightclub. The other way is through a door in the service area next to the kitchens on the twelfth floor, which is also off-limits. This door is marked “No Entry.” A resident’s key card is needed in order to take any of the building’s four elevators, but even the card will take you only to the tenth floor. To go any higher, the elevator must be unlocked by the concierge.
From the attic, however, the ladder that leads to the roof is not difficult to find. The rest of the attic space is taken up by the elevator mechanisms, heating and cooling ducts, insulated pipes, fuse boxes, storage areas, and a loft space lit by a dusty glass skylight. When I was up there, someone had put a table and two chairs in this space; on the table were a pack of cards and an ashtray full of stale butts. There was also a dead fern hanging from the rafters in a plastic pot. I wondered whether the bartenders or cleaning staff were using the loft as a place to relax or nap between shifts. Farther back was a narrow hallway leading to a series of small, low-ceilinged rooms where the hotel’s staff once slept.
According to the police report, “it was determined that the roof was accessible.” I do not know where this information came from or what it means, but it is true that in 2006, when Rivera found his way to the roof, the elevator was often left unlocked, many of the fire doors were not alarmed, the security cameras didn’t always work, and the bartenders at the 13th Floor would go up to the roof to smoke, so the roof access door was usually left unlocked.
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