She scrolls back up to the close-up shot of the razor the police still have, and confirms that it’s the one with the ebony handle that Jimmy bought in Germany. Which means the razor missing in the photo—which has since been mysteriously returned—is the one Elsie gave to Jimmy. Paris had used it to shave Jimmy that morning. She remembers because when she was finished, she had rinsed it, careful to ensure there were no bits of shaving cream or hair stuck in the inscription. IT’S A CUTTHROAT BUSINESS, BUT YOU SLAYED IT. LOVE, E.
And then she had left it on the edge of the sink to dry.
So who had taken it? It had to be the same person who put it back in the drawer. Considering how few people have been in the house recently, the list of possibilities is short.
Drew meets her in the upstairs hallway, his face freshly smooth. “Want to tell me what you’re thinking about?”
Again she doesn’t answer, and he follows her downstairs to the kitchen.
Still at the table, Zoe has sorted through the packages and is now on her laptop, printing return labels for the items going back. Drew walks over and picks up an eight-pack of Maxell cassette tapes sealed tightly in clear plastic wrap.
“I can’t believe they still make these,” he says, delighted.
“Right?” Zoe glances up at him with a smile. “And thank God they do, because Jimmy used them to record himself practicing his jokes. He ran through the last eight-pack in about two weeks.”
“Hey Zoe, quick question,” Paris says. “Did you happen to take one of Jimmy’s straight razors out of his drawer? Before he died?”
“Hmmm?” Zoe continues typing.
“You know, the one that was engraved, from Elsie? It wasn’t in the drawer on the day the crime scene unit was here taking photos. But it’s back in the drawer now.”
Zoe’s gaze remains fixed on her screen as she answers. “Did I ever tell you about the time Jimmy and I were traveling here to Seattle, and he tried to put his straight razors in his carry-on? TSA caught it, of course, and you should have seen their faces. If he wasn’t Jimmy Peralta, they probably would have arrested him. I was able to get it into his checked luggage.” She rolls her eyes. “Typical Jimmy. So smart in some ways, and so clueless in others.”
“Zoe.” Paris does her best to stay patient. “The straight razor. The one from Elsie. Did you take it, maybe to have it sharpened, before Jimmy died? And then put it back, sometime after the house was released back to me?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I never touched Jimmy’s razors.”
“When were you last in his bathroom?”
“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 I brought 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 was new?”
“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.