“Anyway,” Andrea continued, “I came here to tell you that Bill’s also excused himself from the case.”

Hannah’s mouth dropped open and she clicked it shut again. “But what’s going to happen if all the top detectives are off the case?”

“He’s got two guys who just passed the detective exam, but they’ve never worked an actual case before. Bill figures they can do some of the legwork, but he needs someone to direct the investigation. He’s calling in Stella Parks from the Cities to take Mike’s place temporarily. She’s coming in tonight.”

“Who’s Stella Parks?”

“She heads up the detective division that Mike used to run in Minneapolis. He worked with her and recommended her for the job when he left. Bill met her when he went to that law enforcement conference in Miami. He says she’s tough as nails, brave as a lion, and she has a mind like a steel trap.”

“That’s three clichés in a row. Does she deserve them?”

“I think so. Bill talked about her, and I got the impression that she’s a real force, if you know what I mean.”

Hannah knew exactly what her sister meant. If Detective Parks was that tough, she might be able to handle the case. She’d check with Mike to find out more about her. But Stella Parks wasn’t the issue, now. Her main concern was Andrea and how she felt about Bill’s excusing himself from the case.

“So are you upset about Bill?” Hannah asked, wondering if she should duck just in case Andrea threw something.

“Of course I am, especially since he doesn’t have an alibi.”

“He wasn’t home with you?”

“He was home, but not until almost three in the morning. He told me that he was driving around checking on a backlog of skip traces. You know what skip traces are, don’t you?”

“I think so. People who have a court date but don’t show up?”

“That’s right. A couple of bail bond companies contract with the sheriff’s department to locate the skip traces and bring them in. The department gets paid for every skip trace they apprehend, and that gives them extra revenue. They use the skip trace money for additional overtime, and personal equipment, and things like that.”

“Did Bill find any skip traces?”

“No, and that’s the problem. Nobody was home. And that means he doesn’t have an alibi.”

“But not having an alibi doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a suspect.”

“That’s true.”

“You need a motive to be a suspect. I mean, somebody would have had to see Bill with her in a compromising situation before…” Hannah stopped abruptly as tears welled up in Andrea’s eyes. “No!”