“She didn’t tie me up over a bracelet, Mr.

David,” Teresa said, her voice steadying as she forced the words out.

“She did that so that when you came home, you’d throw me out and never listen to me again.

But the reason, the real reason, is that last night I heard her on the phone with her brother.” Across the foyer, Vanessa took a sharp step forward.

“You have no idea what you heard,” she said, and the panic in it was total.

I put myself between them without looking away from Teresa.