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“Didn’t they come when you called for them?”

“No. They laughed at me when I yelled that the store was getting robbed and I needed them to help inside.”

“They didn’t believe you.”

“No. They were loading trucks and they wouldn’t come and help me. What a bunch of assholes.”

“Then what?”

“I ran around the outside of the building and I watched for the robbers to leave. I wanted them to be gone so I could go to Savanna’s office and help her. I couldn’t go near her office with them in there ripping it apart. I could hear them yelling at her and throwing things around.”

“You were wise to wait and stay away from them. Did you manage to see what were they driving?”

Bonnie handed me a crumpled slip of paper. “Tag off of a light blue Ford F-150.”

“Nice one, Bonnie. One more thing and then you can go home and get some rest. What did the guys look like?”

“At first, I thought I knew one of them from high school, but I wasn’t sure. He had a red beard and longer hair—never had that in high school—and I wasn’t sure it was him.”

“Name?”

“Burke Foster, but I’m not sure. He looked different.”

“I’ll run the tag and it will give me one of them. That was great thinking on your part when you were so upset.”

“You have to catch those guys, Sheriff. They murdered Tim and I loved him. Everybody who worked here did.”

“Tim was a great guy,” I said.

“Doctor Olson is here, boss,” said Billy.

“Great. Did you finish the other interviews?”

“Yep, but we don’t know who the customers were.”

“I can look at the receipts in the computer,” said Bonnie, “but not until…”

“Yeah, let’s wait on that. You sit in the break room and have a coffee and I’ll call you when you can use the computer.”

“Yeah. I could use a coffee. I’ll make a fresh pot for you guys too.”

I watched as Bonnie walked away, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. I couldn't blame her, it had been a long day already and it wasn’t over yet.

Billy helped Doctor Olson move Tim after the preliminary examination behind the counter was complete. Tim was placed in a body bag and taken out to the coroner’s van.

As soon as the way was clear, I got Bonnie from the break room and helped her get access to the computer that kept track of sales.

“Take your time, Bonnie,” I said.

Her hands shook badly as she tried to look back and pull up the last two sales Tim had entered.

“Nothing says they had time to buy anything,” I said. “Maybe they didn’t. You’re doing a great job.”

“Here they are,” said Bonnie. “Liz Miller and Seth Thomas.”

“Fantastic. We can track them down and get their statements. Billy is going to drive you home and I want you to lie down and get some rest. This has been brutal for you.”

“Okay, thanks Sheriff. I hope you catch those fuckers. They just destroyed my life today and I want them to die for what they did to Tim.”