THE WRONG GUN
by J.P. Hailey
When big, dumb gun-collector Russ Timberlaine comes to Steve Winslow (The Naked Typist, 1990, etc.) fearing that the .45 once owned by historic gunslinger Pistol Pete—and that's now been stolen from him—will be used to commit a crime, Steve hatches what seems like a bright idea: In addition to running a ballistic test on the fake revolver that's been substituted for the real thing, he'll buy a third .45 and return it to Timberlaine without telling him of the switch. During the house-party/gun-auction immediately following, of course, a .45 is used to kill gun expert Jack Potter, and the original Pistol Pete revolver is found next to the corpse. ``Keep your eye on the gun,'' dogged Steve tells the jury as his client goes on trial, unaware of just how many other switches—some threatening to himself, some unexpectedly droll—will be revealed. As usual, a breezy legal romp with no-frills counselor Winslow. Relax and enjoy—but don't bother following the gun; you might as well try winning at three-card monte.