Read Ten-Gallon Tensions in Texas: A Kate on Vacation Mystery (The Kate on Vacation Mysteries Book 3) for Free Online

doesn’t have any pistols in the house?”
    “No,” Skip said. “Was the bullet a .38?”
    José looked glum. “Yeah. Only the most common pistol in Texas. I gotta track down all the ones in town and try to convince their owners to let me test them voluntarily.”
    Skip snorted. “That’s a tall order. Want some help?”
    “Too dangerous. No self-respectin’ Texan’s gonna turn over their gun to a civilian. Hell, most of ’em are gonna resist givin’ them to me, even temporarily.”
    Skip shook his head. “And you’ll play hell getting a court order unless you’ve got pretty strong reasons to suspect somebody.”
    Like Jimmy , Kate thought, recalling the gun he’d put in his pocket before leaving the car dealership yesterday.
     “I could go along as your backup,” Skip said.
    Kate studied her husband’s face. Why is he so bent on getting involved?
    “Tell you what,” José said. “You can check with Bobby Joe Bradley for me. His daddy used to have a .38 he kept under the counter at the restaurant. I stopped by there first thing. Joellen wasn’t there and the waitresses didn’t know what had happened to it.” He stood up. “And see if you can track down your brother-in-law.”
    Skip also rose. “Okay.”
    Kate jumped up. “I’m going too.”
    “Why?”
    “What else am I supposed to do? Your mother’s entertaining the kids. We just need to be back a little before noon, to get ready for the picnic.”
    They all moved toward the back door.
    “By the way,” Skip said. “Joellen seemed real broken up about Sam. I didn’t even think she liked the guy.”
    José arched an eyebrow at him. “She hasn’t liked him all that much in recent years, but she used to be married to him.”
    Skip froze in mid stride. “Seriously?”
    José shook his head. “You’ve been outta touch way too long, man.”
    Once she and Skip were settled in their rental car, Kate said, “That gun Jimmy had yesterday, was that a .38?”
    “Probably,” Skip said.
    “You didn’t mention it to the sheriff.”
    “He’ll find out about it soon enough.” His tone was grim.
     
    At Bolton Cars, Bobby Joe’s butt was protruding from the front end of an early 1990s vintage pickup truck. His grease-stained cowboy boots scuffed on the cement floor as he wiggled around, examining the engine. “Ya need to let this baby go, Fred, and buy yerself a new truck.”
    Kate hid a smile.
    Skip cleared his throat. “Uh, have you seen Jimmy today, Bobby Joe?”
    The mechanic backed out from under the hood. “He never came in this mornin’.”
    Skip shook his head. “I reckon he was a bit hung over.”
    Which does not explain why he wasn’t home when Sheriff Gutierrez came calling , Kate thought.
    “Your father had a .38 pistol he kept at the restaurant,” Skip said. “You happen to know where it is?”
    Bobby Joe scratched his head, leaving a smear of grease in his blond hair. “I don’t recall seeing that gun since before Daddy passed. Must still be at the restaurant. Why?”
    “The wait staff said it’s not there now,” Skip said.
    Bobby Joe’s expression was a little hard to read.
    Half curious, half wary , Kate thought.
    “Why you lookin’ for it?” Bobby Joe asked.
    “I’m just helpin’ José some.”
    “Sam was killed with a .38?”
    Skip nodded.
    “You’ll have to ask Joellen ’bout that gun. I ain’t seen it in years.”
     
    Kate followed her husband onto Joellen Bradley’s front porch. She hung back some, wondering if she should have stayed at her mother-in-law’s house. These people knew Skip, but would they consider her presence an intrusion?
    Skip had to ring the bell a second time before the door opened.
    Joellen, wearing a terrycloth robe, looked out at them, bleary-eyed. “What?”
    “Good morning,” Skip said. “Can we come in?”
    Joellen stepped back and gestured for them to enter.
    In her living room, polished wood coffee and end tables clustered around a chintz-covered sofa and matching