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“There’s no lab here They’ll have to send the gun to Lubbock or Amarillo Most likely they’ll send the body there, too”

Marie stared down at her hands The nails were chewed to the quick Sky reirl

“Stella’s brother keeps a Glock in the drawer below the cash register,” she said “I saw it a feeeks ago when I was looking for change Do you think—?”

“Anything’s possible But a lot of people have those guns Is there some way to look in the drawer? If it’s still there, at least we’ll know it isn’t the one the deputy found”

“We can look now,” Marie said, rising “I’ve got a key to the bar because that’s where the only bathroom is in this dump Nobody’s here at this hour Come on”

She yanked on her jeans and shoved her bare feet into her boots The key, chained to a sheeton a nail hammered into the door frame Sky followed her down the dim hallhich smelled of urine and stale tobacco smoke At its end, Marie unlocked a door It opened onto a narroooden stairway leading down to the bar

Motioning Sky back, Marie checked to make sure the place was really eister “Stella locks up the ht, but I’m pretty sure the Glock stayshere” She opened the drawer, pulling it all the way out and looking underneath “It’s gone”

An ominous chill crept down the back of Sky’s neck “There are plenty of reasons the gun ht not be here When was the last time you saw it?”

Marie checked the other drawers and shelves behind the bar “I only saw it once—it was about the time you came and found me That’s beenwhat? At least aback the way she’d found it

“Just supposing—and it’s a long shot—that this gun turns out to be the murder weapon What reason would Stella or her brother have to shoot Coy?”

“I was just thinking about that,” Marie said “According to what Lute told al pies Coy did coabout the marijuana, she could’ve seen him as competition and had him bloay”

“I take it she doesn’t know Coy was your brother”

“Not unless Coy slipped up and told somebody”

“Now that he’s been killed and the law’s involved, the relationship’s likely to come out Maybe it’s time to think about your own safety” Sky reached for his wallet and pulled out a handful of bills “Take this,” he said “It should be plenty to get you back to Oklahoo”

“Keep yourthe lanced anxiously toward the front door “Coet out of here”