“You make a good witness,” Bill complimented her. “Is that all?”

“I think Tracey may have been the last person to see Ron alive. She said she was waiting for Andrea to pick up some papers at the realty office when Ron drove by in his truck. She waved at him, he waved back, and then she watched him turn at my corner. That must have been close to eight because Andrea and Tracey came into the coffee shop right after I opened and…” Hannah stopped speaking and began to frown.

“What is it, Hannah?” Bill picked up his pen again. “You just thought of something, didn’t you?”

“Yes. If Tracey saw Ron at eight, he was already twenty-five minutes behind schedule.”

“How do you know that?”

“Ron was supposed to be here at seven thirty-five. He delivers to the school and then he comes straight here. I’ve been on his route since I opened this place and he’s never been more than a minute late.”

“And that’s why you went out in the alley to look for his truck?”

“Not exactly. We thought he’d broken down. Tracey said she heard his truck backfire right after he turned into the…” Hannah stopped in midsentence, her eyes widening in shock. “Tracey heard it, Bill. She thought it was a backfire, but she must have heard the shot that killed Ron!”

Bill’s lips tightened and Hannah knew what he was thinking. It was terrifying to think that Tracey had come so close to the scene of a murder. “I’d better get out to the dairy and tell Max Turner what’s happened,” he said.

“Max isn’t there. Ron told me that he was leaving for the Tri-State Buttermakers’ Convention this morning. It’s in Wisconsin and I think it lasts for a week. If I were you, I’d talk to Betty Jackson. She’s Max’s secretary and she’ll know how to reach him.”

“Good idea.” Bill drained his coffee mug and set it down. “This case is really important to me, Hannah. I passed the detective’s test last week and Sheriff Grant put me in charge.”

“Then you’ve been promoted?” Hannah started to smile.

“Not yet. Sheriff Grant has to sign off on it, but I’m pretty sure he will, if I do a good job. This promotion would be good for us. I’d be making more money and Andrea wouldn’t have to work.”

“That’s wonderful, Bill.” Hannah was genuinely pleased for him.

“You don’t think it’s wrong to use Ron’s murder as a springboard to my promotion?”

“Absolutely not.” Hannah shook her head. “Somebody’s got to catch Ron’s killer. If you do it and if you get a promotion, it’s only what you deserve.”

“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”

“Me? I never say what I don’t mean, not when it’s important. You should know that by now!”

Bill grinned, relaxing a bit. “You’re right. It’s like Andrea says: Tact isn’t really one of your long suits.”

“True.” Hannah conceded the point with a smile, but it still stung a little. She thought she’d been very tactful with Andrea over the years. There had been countless occasions when she could have cheerfully strangled her sister, and she hadn’t.