“He can’t handle basic household pressure, so he makes up elaborate stories.”

“Teresa, the police officer took down a long report,” Beatrice said, her voice trembling a little.

“The boy fell off his bicycle doing reckless tricks on the pavement,” Teresa said, looking Beatrice straight in the eye.

“He scraped his knee because he breaks every rule, and now his father is using a garage appliance to cover for an unruly child.”

Two hospital volunteers behind the information desk stopped sorting files and looked up.