a gun at anyone unless you intend to use it?”
“Shut up, Russell!” She pointed the gun straight at him.
“Of course I know that! Furthermore, I’ve got a
concealed weapons permit, a federal firearms license, a longstanding membership in the NRA, and I belong to the local
chapter of OFF, the Organization of Firearms for Females.”
“Then you’re legal.” Gene Jarman shrugged.
“Now, now,” Killegrew said without his usual hearty reassurance, “let’s not get excited. Andrea’s the problem here. I
can hardly believe she’d kill herself.”
With a wary eye on Margo, Gene led Ava to one of the
other sofas. “Brandy would be in order,” he said to no one
in particular.
Judith started to bolt out of the room, then looked at
Margo. “May I?” she asked, feeling childlike and stupid.
Margo lowered the gun. “Go ahead. But don’t anybody
forget I won’t hesitate to use this.” She patted the weapon,
then slipped it back into her suede bag.
Renie went into the dining room with Judith, where they
found two half-empty bottles of brandy. “I don’t blame
Margo,” Renie said in a tense voice. “This is absolutely horrible.”
“It sure is,” Judith agreed, gathering up some of the other
liquor bottles and motioning for Renie to get some glasses.
“I’m beginning to feel as anxious to get out of here as Margo
is.”
“At least she’s armed,” Renie said. “I wouldn’t mind having
an AK-47 about now.”
Judith gave a little snort. “You’d be lucky not to shoot
yourself. Or me.”
Giving Judith a hapless look, Renie led the way back into
the lobby. Once again, Gene had taken over the questioning,
but his manner had become slightly more deferential.
No one refused the brandy. Indeed, Killegrew swallowed
his in a gulp, and Nadia inhaled the fumes for such a long
time that Judith thought she’d suck the liquor right up her
nose.
“Let’s begin,” Gene said calmly, “with you, Ava. You
mentioned that Andrea’s door was unlocked?”
“It was.” Ava gave a short, grim nod. “We knocked, of
course, but she didn’t respond. We thought maybe she was
in the bathroom, so we went in.” Ava hesitated, lifted her
chin, and continued. “Andrea was in bed, and we assumed
she was asleep.”
“What did you do then?” Gene asked quietly.
Ava glanced at Nadia, as if for confirmation. “I called to
her. Nadia had stayed in the doorway.”
“And?” Gene prompted.
“Nothing. I knew Andrea was upset about Leon,” Ava went
