“I’m sure. Good luck with Mrs. Robbins.”

“I’ll need it.” Andrea turned back with a grin. “If she starts bragging about her son, the doctor, I’ll probably throw up.”

Hannah knew exactly what her sister meant. Mrs. Robbins had come into her cookie shop last week, full of praise about her son, the doctor. According to his mother, Dr. Jerry Robbins was about to discover the cure for multiple sclerosis, cancer, and the common cold all in one fell swoop.

“I need to ask you some questions, Hannah.” Bill stuck his head into the coffee shop and motioned to her.

“Sure, Bill.” Hannah handed her apron to Lisa, grabbed two mugs of strong black coffee, and followed him into the back room. On the way, she admired the way his tan uniform shirt fit smoothly over his broad shoulders. Bill had been a football player in high school, never as famous as Ron LaSalle, but he’d helped to win his share of games. Now his waist was thicker, the result of too many chocolate-covered doughnuts from the Quick Stop on his commute to the sheriff’s station, but he was still a handsome man.

“Thanks for the coffee, Hannah.” Bill plunked down on a stool and cupped both hands around his mug of coffee. “It’s getting cold out there.”

“I can tell. You look positively blue around the gills. Did you find out anything?”

“Not much. The driver’s window was open. Ron must have stopped his truck and rolled down the window to talk to his killer.”

Hannah thought about that for a moment. “He wouldn’t have rolled down his window if he thought that he was in any danger.”

“Probably not,” Bill agreed. “Whoever it was took him completely by surprise.”

“Do you have any suspects?”

“Not yet. And unless we can find a witness, the only clue we’ll have is the bullet. It’ll go to ballistics right after the autopsy.”

Hannah winced at the mention of the autopsy. To take her mind off the fact that Doc Knight would have to cut Ron open, she asked another question. “You don’t have to tell anyone that he was eating one of my cookies when he died, do you? It might put people off, if you know what I mean.”

“No problem.” Bill looked amused for the first time that morning. “Your cookies had nothing to do with it. Ron was shot.”

“I wish I’d found him sooner, Bill. I could have called for an ambulance.”

“That wouldn’t have done any good. It looked like the bullet hit his heart. I won’t know for sure until the doc gets through with him, but I think he died instantly.”

“That’s good.” Hannah nodded, and then she realized what she’d said. “I mean, that’s not good, but I’m glad it was over quickly.”

Bill opened his notebook. “I want you to tell me everything that happened this morning, Hannah, even if you don’t think it’s important.”

“You got it.” Hannah waited until Bill had picked up his pen and then she told him everything, from the time she’d first seen Ron at the dairy to the moment she’d discovered his body. She gave Bill the exact time that she had gone out through the rear door of the bakery, and the time that she’d come back in to call the sheriff’s office.