“It’s gone,” Liz blurted.

“What’s gone?” Silence was hard for me.

She ran flattened palms over her hair. “Perry’s handgun. It’s gone. Someone took it.”

We had a dead man and a missing gun. And two plus two often made four. “Oh, Lizzie.”

“When did you realize it was missing?” asked Anarchy.

“Just now,” Liz replied. “We didn’t think to check on it before we went to the clubhouse this morning. Then you kept us there." Her annoyance was obvious.

Perry held up a placating hand. “Where we were happy to assist you with your investigation.”

“Then we stayed and ate lunch.” Liz rubbed her fingers down the sides of her nose. “It was only a few minutes ago we realized it was gone. We came and found you straight away.

“When did you last see the gun?” asked Anarchy.

“Last night,” Perry replied. “Before dinner. There's no gun safe, so I put it on the shelf in the closet.”

“You didn’t check it when you got back to the cabin?”

“I did not,” Perry replied. “Everyone had a few drinks. When we got back to the cabin, we were tired. We brushed our teeth, drank a few glasses of water, and went to bed. I never thought to check on the gun.”

“This morning?”

“We didn’t know why we were being called to the clubhouse,” Liz explained. “If we knew someone had been shot, we’d have looked. “

Anarchy’s face was a cool mask. “You didn’t mention the gun when we spoke.”

“We thought you knew about it.”

“Oh?”

“I told Ellison that Perry brought a handgun when we were at dinner.”

I nodded my confirmation. I hadn’t thought to tell him because I’d assumed every man here had a handgun. Mel might have two.

“You only told Ellison?”

“Everyone at our end of the table heard me mention it. Probably the service staff, too. Maybe the men sitting closest to us.”

I closed my eyes and pictured the table. The men closest had been Fred and Thatch.

Anarchy’s voice had me opening my eyes. “Perry, did you tell anyone you’d brought a handgun?”

“I don’t recall.” Spoken like a lawyer.

“What kind is it?”

“A .22 caliber Luger.”

“What time did you leave the party last night?”

The two exchanged a look.

“Not sure,” said Liz.

“Who was still at the party?”

“Sumner and Graham, Tommy, Thatch and Willa, and Libba and Charlie.”

“Did you lock your cabin when you went to dinner?”

“No.”

“So, anyone could have snuck in and taken the gun after you left for dinner?”

Perry offered a rueful nod. “Do you know what killed Graham? Was he shot with a. 22?”

“We don't have ballistics yet.”

“But it was a handgun? “

“It appears to be. Remind me of your relationship with Graham.”

“We practiced law together.”

I waited, hoping Perry would mention the tobacco client.

“For how long?” Anarchy asked.