The Hidden

In the kitchen, he greeted Lieutenant Gray, who really did seem to have done a complete one-eighty, judging by the way he and Meg were laughing about something. Gray had a sandwich in front of him. A large pot of coffee sat on the stove and there was a big plate of sandwiches on the counter.

Gray smiled and said a friendly hello, then added, “I gather you guys were just at the morgue.”

Diego nodded. “And I’m glad we did. Did you know that your medical examiner is also a historical reenactor? He named that exact model as the possible murder weapon.”

Gray nodded. “Yeah, I know. And he’s right, according to the forensic lab. Handmade bullets out of an antique mold. The bullets weren’t antique, though. They were made of new materials, melted lead and gunpowder. Someone was in the museum and stole the gun that killed Mr. and Mrs. Parker,” he said solemnly, then tried to lighten the mood with a joke. “Or maybe Nathan Kendall has come back to kill people for... I don’t know, trespassing on his land or something. Hell, that statue downstairs looks pretty damn lifelike. Maybe it stole that gun and gets up to no good at night, when everyone else is asleep.”

Diego saw Scarlet’s eyes widen. “How sure are you that the gun that’s missing from the museum is the gun that killed the Parkers?” he quickly asked Gray, hoping to focus people’s attention away from Scarlet.

Gray looked at him curiously. “Let’s see, an 1849 Colt pocket percussion revolver is missing, the same weapon the murderer used and not exactly your garden-variety gun. Hell yes, I think the murder weapon is the one that’s missing from the museum.”

“Do you have a suspect in mind?” Diego asked.

Gray shrugged, frustrated. “The department got and executed a search warrant for the Conway Ranch, but the gun wasn’t anywhere to be found. It’s at the bottom of a lake somewhere, I suspect. We’ve questioned everyone who was here at the time of the murders, but there’s no evidence pointing to anyone at all.”

“The museum has no security to speak of and never has,” Meg pointed out.

“A situation that’s about to change,” Diego interjected.

“Meanwhile,” Meg said, shooting him a frustrated look, “there’s nothing but a basic lock on the door.Before Ben hired Scarlet, no one was living upstairs, and in fact the apartment was still being renovated. Dozens of workers were in and out, and the door was left open half the time. Foolish on his part, if you ask me, given the value of his collection, but his choice.”

“I’m sure you’re right and the murder weapon came from the museum, but since there was ample opportunity for pretty much anyone to steal it, that also means pretty much anyone could have used it,” Diego said. “I’d pretty much guarantee, though, that your killer is someone who knew in advance about both the museum’s weapons collection and the Kendall family history, quite likely someone who’d already visited the museum at least once.”

“Which is pretty much anyone who’s ever stayed or worked here at the ranch, at least when it comes to knowing about the guns. The family connection is another matter,” Gray said. “We’re not fools, Agent McCullough. I have men going over lists of all the workers and past guests.”

“It could also be someone who lives in the area and knows about the museum and the ranch’s history,” Matt said.

Gray nodded. “Which is pretty much everyone in town. And then there are all of us who are descended from Nathan Kendall.” He nodded at Scarlet and grinned.

Diego wasn’t sure why, it looked to him that there was something scary about that grin. “True, though I’m not sure why one of the man’s descendants would want to kill any of the others. It’s not as if there’s an inheritance involved.

“Listen,” Diego said, looking at Gray. “We need a security upgrade for this place. Can you give me the name of someone reliable who can put in better locks and arrange a security system? I’d like the locks changed by tonight.”