Page 120 of Things We Do in the Dark
“I told you, I gave the bathroom a quick look after the cleaning crew left. But I didn’t actually go inside.” Zoe looks up again, and this time she sits back in her chair. “What’s going on? Why are you interrogating me?”
Paris crosses her arms over her chest and waits. Drew is leaning on the kitchen counter, pretending to browse through Jimmy’s cassette collection.
“The last time I was physically inside Jimmy’s bathroom was the night of his charity gig,” Zoe says. “Remember I told you he was upset with his performance? When we got home, he wanted to practice in the bathroom so he could see himself in the mirror.”
Paris nods.
“When he got upstairs, he called down and said the tape in the deck was full, and he asked for a fresh one. We only had one tape left, so Ibrought it up to him, and then filed the other one in his office.” Zoe holds up the package of Maxell cassettes. “And then I ordered him another batch. Right after he told me to go home.”
“Wait.” Paris stares at her for a moment, then turns to Drew, who’s still pretending he’s not paying attention. She turns back to Zoe. “Are you telling me that the cassette in the tape deck wasnew?”
“Yes.”
“And you put it in at what time?”
“Nine thirty or so, right before I left.” Zoe is exasperated. “What are you getting at, Paris? I feel like you’re accusing me of something.”
“The police confiscated the cassette that was in the stereo as part of their evidence.” Paris speaks slowly, trying to process this new information. “That cassette had Elsie’s voice on it right at the end. It wasn’t anything much, something like, ‘Did you forget we had plans?’ And then Jimmy stopped the recording.”
Drew is looking at her, nodding. He seems to understand exactly where this is going, even though it’s clear Zoe does not.
“But when the police asked Elsie about it—” Paris stops abruptly.
Elsie has entered the kitchen, finished with her work call. In her hand are several return shipping labels that she grabbed from the printer in Jimmy’s office, and she hands them to Zoe.
“When the police asked Elsie what?” she says to Paris. Then she turns to Drew, looking him up and down. “Hi. Elsie Dixon. And who might you be?”
“Drew Malcolm.” He shakes her hand.
“What is it?” Elsie looks around. “What are we talking about?”
“Elsie.” Paris works to control her voice. Internally, she wants to scream. “When was the last time you saw Jimmy?”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
If not for Jimmy’s old stereo playing a Fleetwood Mac song, the kitchen would be completely silent. It feels like everyone is holding their breath, and all eyes are on the petite lawyer.Thunder only happens when it’s raining…
“Elsie,” Paris says again. “I need you to answer the question, please. When did you last see Jimmy?”
“You already know when I last saw Jimmy.” Elsie tucks a lock of silver hair behind her ear. “The detective asked me that during your first interview, remember? It was a few days before he died. Tuesday. I came here to the house to pick him up for breakfast.”
“And that’s how your voice got on the tape,” Paris says. “The one Detective Kellogg asked you about. The one of Jimmy practicing.”
“Are you telling me or asking me?” Elsie looks around the kitchen, aware that everyone is staring at her. “Yes, that’s how my voice got on the tape. Now, why don’t you just say what you’re actually trying to say?”
Zoe’s gasp is sharp and loud, and they all turn to her. She finally understands what Paris is getting at, and her eyes widen as she stares at Elsie.
“Oh my God, you lied,” Zoe says, a hand over her mouth. “You fucking lied. That cassette with your voice on it wasn’t from Tuesday morning. It was from the night Jimmy died. I put in a new tape at nine thirty, before I went home. Which means that you were here, at the house, in his bathroom, after I left. Why would you lie about being here that night unless you…”
“Elsie, what did you do?” Paris’s voice is soft. She can hardly believe this is happening. “Did you kill Jimmy? Did you kill Jimmy and set me up?”
Elsie’s face is bright red, and she glares at them both. “You two have some nerve accusing me—”
“Nobody’s accusing you of anything, ma’am,” Drew says. “They’re just catching you in a lie, is all.”
Elsie throws her hands up. “This is ridiculous. You are all out of your goddamned minds. We all know Jimmy killed himself.” She turns to Drew, her voice shaking. “And I don’t know who the hell you are, but you can shut the hell up.”
“Thenwhy lie?” Zoe cries. “It was you who disabled the smart home system and wiped all the data usage reports, wasn’t it? You didn’t want anyone to know you were here. What, did you use Jimmy’s facial recognition to get into his phone after he—” She chokes. She can’t finish the sentence.
