“He must be exhausted after riding his bicycle in that terrible sun,” Teresa said, her voice full of thick motherly sympathy.

“Boys his age love to make up big rescue stories when they know they’ve broken the house rules.”

Mariana swallowed hard, her throat making a dry click in the quiet room.

“He didn’t make anything up,” Mariana said.

“We’ll discuss that when tempers have cooled,” Teresa said softly.

“The important thing is that we protect our family name from outside gossip.”

A man’s voice, deeper and dry as paper, came on from the other end of the line.