“He dragged her out the front door and forced her into his truck.”

Victoria picked up a linen napkin from the arm of the sofa and pointed at the dark brown stain near the marble hearth.

“Tell him about the ruined antique table while you’ve got him on the phone,” Victoria whispered.

Ethan flapped a hand at his mother to dismiss her, keeping the phone pressed tight to his ear.

“He’s retired military, Frank,” Ethan went on, the corporate jargon slipping back in smoothly under the fake distress.

“You know how unstable those tactical types get when they’re in a domestic dispute.”