Birthright

Hummingbird.”
    “That’s right. Alone,” she added before he could ask. “Look, you already know about my confrontation with Dolan yesterday, at his job site.” She looked toward her Rover, where the spray-painted graffiti stood out sharply against the dull green. “I was pissed off somebody vandalized my car. I still am. But I don’t kill somebody for vandalizing, or for knowing somebody who vandalized. If you’re looking for an alibi, I don’t have one.”
    “She never left her room,” Jake said and had both Callie and the sheriff turning toward him. “Mine’s right next door. You started playing the cello about eleven. Played the damn thing for an hour.”
    “So get another room if it bothers you.”
    “I didn’t say it bothered me.” Just as he didn’t say he’d lain in the dark, listening to those low, somber notes, wishing for her. “She plays Bach when she’s trying to settle down and turn her head off for sleep,” he told the sheriff.
    “You recognize Bach,” Callie said. “I’m impressed.”
    “I know your pattern. It rarely deviates. She finally quit about midnight. I imagine if you asked whoever’s in the room on the other side of hers, they’d verify that. Her Rover was parked right outside, next to mine. I’m a light sleeper. If she’d gone out, I’d’ve heard the engine start.”
    “I spoke with Mr. Dolan yesterday afternoon, in response to your complaint.” Taking his time, Hewitt reached in his pocket, pulled out a notebook. He licked his index finger, turned a page. Licked, turned, in a methodical rhythm until he found what he wanted. “When you and the deceased argued yesterday, did you physically assault him?”
    “No, I—” She broke off, grabbed hold of her temper. “I shoved him, I think. A little push.” She demonstrated, pushing a hand against the solid wall of Hewitt’s chest. “If that’s a physical assault, I’m guilty. He jabbed his finger in my face a few times, so I figured we were even.”
    “Uh-huh. And did you threaten to kill him if he didn’t stay out of your way?”
    “No,” Callie said easily. “I said I’d stuff his head up his ass if he tried to mess with me again—which is an uncomfortable position, but rarely fatal.”
    “You had a set-to with Dolan yourself, just yesterday.” Hewitt turned to Jake.
    “I did. Mr. Dolan wasn’t happy with the situation. He wanted us gone, which is why, I assume, he came out here last night.” Jake sent a meaningful look toward the Hefty bag. “If he’d known anything about what we’re doing here, how we do it, why we do it, he’d have known this was useless. Problem was, he didn’t want to know anything about what we’re doing. Maybe that made him close-minded, even self-serving, but he shouldn’t have died because of it.”
    “I can’t say I know a hell of a lot about what you’redoing either, but I can tell you you’re not going to be doing it for the next couple days, at least. I need you, all of you, to stay available.”
    “We’re not going anywhere,” Callie replied. “He didn’t understand that either.”
    “While I got you here.” Hewitt licked his finger, turned another page. “I swung by the hardware store in Woodsboro yesterday. Seems somebody bought a couple cans of red spray paint matches what’s on your car over there.”
    “Somebody?” Callie echoed.
    “I had a talk with Jimmy Dukes last night.” Hewitt’s face moved into a sour smile. “And his friend Austin Seldon. Now Jimmy, he claimed he bought that paint to fix up his boy’s Radio Flyer, but the fact is the wagon’s rusted to hell, and the paint’s gone. Didn’t take long for them to fess up to it.”
    “Fess up to it,” Callie repeated.
    “Now I can charge them, lock them up for it if that’s how you want it done. Or I can see to it they pay to have your car fixed up again and come on around here to give you an apology face-to-face.”
    Callie took a deep breath. “Which one did you go to school with?”
    Hewitt’s smile warmed a bit. “Austin. And it happens he’s married to a cousin of mine. Doesn’t mean I won’t lock him up, lock both of them up, if you want to press formal charges.”
    “When I get an estimate on the paint job, I want a certified check in my hand within twenty-four hours. They can keep the apology.”
    “I’ll see to it.”
    “Sheriff?” Jake waited until Hewitt had slipped the notebook back in his pocket. “You probably know Austin well enough to