Another charming smile. “I’m not that old, Chief.”

I don’t smile back this time. “Were you alone?”

“I was with a couple of buddies.”

“What are their names?”

His eyes narrow. “Well, I was with an old friend of mine by the name of Todd Long. Alex Miller from work was there, too.” He cocks his head. “Do you mind if I ask why you’re asking me about Sunday night?”

I pull out my notebook. “How long have you known Todd Long?”

“Oh, gosh, since grade school. I beat him up once when we were in sixth grade.” He smiles. “We’ve been friends ever since.”

“Good friends?”

“I’ve known him for a long time, but we’re not real close.” He shrugs. “We kind of drifted, especially after he got popped on that burglary charge. Different lives. You know.” He pauses, gives me a sage look. “Is Todd in some kind of trouble?”

“I just wanted to verify his whereabouts.”

Warner’s eyes widen. “Wait a minute. That’s the night . . .” Putting his hand to his chest, he falls back in the chair as if flabbergasted. “This doesn’t have anything to do with that Amish family, does it? The family that was murdered? Jesus Christ, there’s no way Todd had anything to do with that.”

“I’m basically ruling people out at this point.”

“That’s a relief. For a moment there, I thought you were looking at Long.”

“This is just routine.” I tell him about the witness seeing a dark truck in the area. “We’re checking the owners of every vehicle that matches that description.”

“I gotcha.” He whistles. “Pretty shocking crime.”

“Did you know any of the Planks?” I ask. “Never met them.”

“What about Mary Plank?” I watch his eyes closely, but they reveal nothing.

“No, why do you ask?”

“She worked at Evelyn Steinkruger’s shop.”

“Ah.” He grimaces appropriately. “Never met her. I’m sorry.”

Rising, I start toward the door. “Thanks for your time.”

“Hey, no problem. I hope you guys get him.”

“Don’t worry,” I say. “We will.”

Uncertainty dogs me as I walk back to the Explorer. I should feel better now that Long’s alibi has been verified. But something about my visit with Warner vaguely disturbs me. Maybe because I can tie him to the shop where Mary worked. I know it’s a small town and coincidences are more likely to occur. Still, it’s enough for me to add him as a person of interest.

I’ve been racing against the clock for almost three days now, and all I have are dead ends leading to dead ends. A cycle that makes me feel like a hamster running on a wheel.