Page 89 of Sharp Force

I don’t see any leftover slices or have the impression that Georgine or Zain did much in the way of cooking. There are packages of deli meats, takeout containers of yogurt, potato salad, soups, macaroni and cheese, and bags of premixed salad with packets of dressing. Also ketchup, mustard, jellies and jams, and a couple bottles of white wine.

In the freezer are ice cube trays, packages of hot dogs and hamburgers, a bag of frozen cherries, a skull-shaped bottle of Crystal Head Vodka.

“Zain called in the pizza and paid for it in cash when it was delivered, based on the receipt,” Marino tells me.

“How do you know he’s the one who called in the order?” I ask.

“It’s his cell phone number on the receipt.”

“And you know it’s his number how…?” I hope to hell he didn’t call it.

“I asked Janet. That was earlier before I decided not to talk to her anymore.”

“If Graden Crowley was telling you the truth, Georgine wasn’t home when the pizza was delivered.” I’m working out the timeline. “She was with him at the Christmas party until he dropped her off here at nine p.m. It would be helpful if we can verify that.”

“It shouldn’t be hard. A lot of people would have seen her there. They can’t all lie about it. And hopefully cameras picked it up,” Marino says.

“Unless they’re not working like most of them, including the ones here.” I open the stainless-steel trash can at the end of the counter.

Pulling out the bag, I look inside.

“I took a peek earlier,” Marino says. “Nothing grabbed my attention.”

My gloved hands dig through paper towels, paper plates, coffee grounds, a tuna fish can, numerous water bottles. Also, an empty bottle of Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs champagne, and a few pizza crusts.

“Are we to assume Zain ate an entire large meat lover’s pizza by himself?” I ask.

“I know I could. I could do it right now,” Marino says.

“And you’re almost twice his size.”

I pluck the champagne bottle out of the trash, setting it upright on the counter.

“It doesn’t fit with everything else I’m seeing,” I tell him.

I point to the oak wine rack to the left of the refrigerator. The four reds and three whites are premier cru burgundies. I saw two bottles of white Bordeaux inside the refrigerator, and they aren’t cheap either.

“All of it is French and expensive.” I’m standing in front of the wine rack looking at the labels. “Maybe that means nothing. But the champagne is from California and inexpensive, comparatively speaking. I’m wondering if it was a gift from someone.”

CHAPTER 29

Iopen the dishwasher. Inside are three champagne glasses, several plates and bowls, the silverware holder full. Dishes have been rinsed but not washed.

“Why three glasses?” I ask. “Maybe somebody was drinking with Georgine and Zain last night?”

“Somebody like Graden Crowley?” Marino takes photographs of the wine rack. “Maybe when he brought her home, he came inside for a while. Maybe the champagne is from him.”

“That’s crossing my mind.”

Inside what I suspect was once a china closet is a stackable washer and dryer. Both are filled with what appears to be Zain’s clothing. He was home last night while Georgine was attending the hospital’s Christmas party. Yet he couldn’t empty the dryer and start another load of wash.

“I have little doubt that Zain was accustomed to people picking up after him,” I comment as I leave the kitchen for the dining room.

There’s not so much as a chair inside, a metal plate over the opening in the ceiling for a light fixture. Heavy damask draperies are drawn across the windows. Around a corner is a hallway, andmidway down is the curved oak staircase leading up to the second and third floors.

The first open doorway is the main bedroom, the lights out. The wooden blinds are closed inside, the sharp, pungent odor of bleach slamming into my senses. It’s overwhelming through my surgical mask. I change my gloves and booties, putting on a plastic face shield.

“I realize the power was out when you first got here, everything dark.” I stand in the doorway looking in at the shape of the body on top of the bed. “But do we know if the light switch was on or off?”