“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded, stalking straight up to the sheriff. “I am dragged from my bed once again? Why am I never allowed to sleep in peace, eh? I am told the sheriff wishes to speak with me. Okay, I say. First I must wash and shave and get dressed, but no. The say I must come now. You treat me without respect because I am a foreigner. I shall complain to your superiors.” He fished in his pocket, took out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling then blowing out smoke in what could only be described as an insolent manner.

“No, son, you’ve got it wrong.” The sheriff looked relaxed, as if he was about to enjoy what was coming. “I treat you this way because I know you killed Mr. Goldman.”

“You know? How do you know?” Juan demanded. “You try to pin this on me because I am foreign. I know how the police work in America. They like to find the—how you say—scapegoat. They don’t care about the truth. But I say this—if I killed Mr. Goldman, where is your proof?”

“Well, as a matter of fact I have my proof right here,” Sheriff Billings said in his slow drawl. “You see, someone saw you kill Goldman.”

“Who? Who saw me? What nonsense is this?”

“This young lady saw you,” the sheriff answered. He stepped aside to reveal Bella.

Juan appeared to notice Bella for the first time. “Wait,” he said, frowning. “You are not Stella. Who are you?”

“She’s Stella’s sister,” I said. “She came here to steal the candlesticks. . . .”

“A common thief?”

“Better than a common murderer,” Bella said defiantly. “And that’s right. I was going to steal the candlesticks, but I saw you kill Mr. Goldman. I climbed down the wall and in through the window.”

“Down the wall? That is not possible. What are you, a fly?” He was still insolent, defiant.

“Do you want me to demonstrate?” Bella started for the window.

The color had drained from Juan’s face, then his eyes flashed with anger. “He deserved to die,” he said. “He insulted me and my culture and my religion and my family. When I met him in Spain he was so polite, so excited. He would make me a big star, he said. And I thought this would solve our problems. My family is no longer rich. We can no longer afford to run our hacienda. I believed I would go home with money and fame. But when I came here, I found out he was a liar and a thief.”

“A thief? What did he steal?”