Carl pushed the doors to the study, hardly paying attention to his sister's presence. He was here to remove the evidence. His father had insisted that there be no guns within the manor, which was the cue for Carl to leave the room as soon as he stopped for breath. Now, with the family gathering looming, Edward Cross had insisted that the gun be kept out of sight. And Carl had just the place for it, in the kitchen.Â<br/><br/>He walked casually to the shelf at the end of the lavish room, plucking a heavy volume from the oaken shelves. He opened the leather cover to reveal that it was not a book, but a case for the pistol inside.Â<br/><br/>He cradled the book as though he was reading and glanced cautiously at Road, she was busy with something else. He smiled and took out the weapon and tucked it into his coat, returned the book to its shelf and began to leave the room. His hand rested on the door knob, then the gun fell from its hidden position and clattered on the floor noisily.Â