Chapter Thirty-FourAlistair Pope’s wide country kitchen reeked of stale air and rotting food. Through the closed windows behind her Lydia could see his back yard and the little cottage he’d called the summer kitchen. Plenty of light here, in spite of the low beamed ceiling. There was a corner fireplace at the far end, and a row of appliances and cupboards under the windows. No dirty dishes. He’d have put his breakfast things in the dishwasher before heading to Leo’s.
She crossed the bare oak floor to a wall of built-in shelves above a wooden table and chairs. One shelf held a phone, but no answering machine.
Which way to go? She chose the doorway next to the refrigerator. This led to a long dim hall covered in a threadbare faux-oriental runner. Ahead and to her right was the main stairca
