I had seen the deputy kneel beside me and the ambulance take me away.

I knew I had not dreamed those things.

Diane, the neighbor I had stopped speaking to, sent Renata a note asking whether I wanted to hear what she knew.

She had noticed Garrett taking our shared car more often, had heard arguments through the fence, and had once seen Loretta shout at me for trying to leave the house alone.

Diane admitted that she had wondered whether to say anything but had been frightened of making matters worse.