Ashes to Dust (Las Vegas Mystery)

thinking,” Snow said, spreading his hands. “I’m sure you feel that you deserve to spend time in hell to serve penance for every rotten thing you’ve done in your life. But all the years you’ve spent living in Barstow should have accomplished that.
    “I say, put everything that’s past behind you. Move forward. I know you have doubts right now. You’re probably wondering how you got yourself into this mess you’re in right now. And that now there’s no way out.
    “But I’m here to tell you that isn’t true. I’m about to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime. The chance to turn back the clock and have it over again. As if this never happened.”
    Roberts’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
    Snow put his hands together, clasping them. “Here’s the deal, Jack. Anybody in this room interested in pressing charges against Jack for this incident that’s taking place right now?”
    No one spoke.
    “Anybody?” Snow said. “If so, speak up.”
    No one spoke.
    “What about you, Kevin?” Snow asked. “You want to file a complaint against Jack?”
    Snow heard a high-pitched squeak from behind him. “No sir. No way. I’d just as soon forget it. That’s fine with me.”
    “Okay,” Snow said. “Here’s what we do, Jack. You release the hammer on that revolver, very gently. Set it on the coffee table with the muzzle facing away from everyone. You think you can drive okay?”
    Roberts nodded. His eyes began to tear.
    “After you put the gun down, I want you to get in your car and drive back to Barstow. Duke and Sally will follow you to make sure you do that. And they’ll stay there with you until this investigation is complete.
    “Not only will you pay us for our services that you contracted for, but you will also pay the complete bill for Duke and Sally. Kevin pays nothing. I think that’s only fair.”
    Roberts’s words were thick with emotion. “Why would you be willing to do this for me?” he said.
    “Because we’re all good people here, Jack,” Snow said. “And if you’re dead or in jail, Alice and I won’t get paid.”
    Jack Roberts nodded. He stood up and smiled, tears running down his face.
    Then he raised his aim above Snow’s head.
    The .38 bucked.
    An instant later the room exploded with gunfire.
    Roberts flew backwards, landing on his back, blood oozing out of him onto the carpet.
    With the smell of cordite in the air, five sets of wide eyes stared at the lifeless body on the floor. Not a word was uttered for a moment.
    Finally Jim Snow spoke up.
    “Jesus,” he muttered. “That didn’t turn out too good.”

“It’s hard to believe,” Jim Snow said. “Our first major case, and we conclude it by shooting our own client.”
    He was sitting in Alice’s office in his swivel chair near the end of her desk. Alice sat behind her desk, with Duke Ellis and Sally Hollister seated in the client chairs across from her.
    “I take full responsibility for this,” Ellis said. “It was my watch, and I fell asleep. Had I been awake, we would have intercepted him before he got to the front door.”
    “Ah, don’t get down on yourself, Duke,” Snow said. “These things happen. It never benefits anyone to assign blame. And if you’d have been awake and confronted him, he’d probably have shot you first.”
    “I’ve been thinking about it,” Alice said. “All night last night, in fact. And if it had turned out differently, Kevin Miller would probably be dead.” She turned her head to Snow. “I have to hand it to you. You saved his life, Jim. That took a lot of courage to step in front of that gun and try to talk Roberts down. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
    Snow took a sip from his commuter mug and shrugged. “It didn’t take any guts,” he said. “I never had time to think about it. If I had considered my options thoroughly, I probably would have stayed outside on the patio.”
    “And if you’d had your gun with you,” Alice said, “there would have been four bullets in Roberts and one in Kevin Miller. I would say everything turned out for the best. Even though I’m having a tough time dealing with having to shoot someone.”
    “You’re not alone, Alice,” Ellis said. “It turns my stomach just thinking about it. But I have to say, there are a lot of things I have to do that I’m not crazy about.”
    Sally nodded. “Like getting out of bed most mornings.” She cackled.
    Ellis chuckled along with her and then turned his eyes toward