She’s wearing another of her loose T-shirts, orange, with SAVE THE PLANET written in white across her chest. As she jams her hands in the pockets of her jeans, I realize she’s not as much at ease as she’d like me to think.

Do I care? This is my place. My sanctuary, like medieval churches when the king got on your case. “Take your own advice and go save the planet, Tully. It needs busybodies like you.”

“I’m not leaving until I’ve had my say.”

“I’ve had a bellyful of you and your family!”

She walks closer, leans her palms on the table. “On Sunday when I saw the bruises on Cassie’s knees and she wouldn’t tell me what happened, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t really think you were responsible for hurting her, Brick. Although I did wonder if maybe you’d knocked her down by mistake and warned her not to tell.”

“I threaten her with machetes every day of the week.”

“Someone was responsible for those bruises. I didn’t want it to be you—but I had to ask, Brick. I had to! Because it was Cassie and she’s only four years old.”

A crow starts yammering in a tree outside the window. “You think the worst of me every chance you get.”

“Not anymore, I don’t ... I know you take Cassie to the beach and the library, and I saw you protect her from Snyder. It’s been driving me crazy, not being able to understand you—the bully and the brother. Two sides, and how was I supposed to put them together?” Her whole body’s leaning across the table now. “So before you picked her up on Sunday—before I asked you about the bruises—I took her aside and tried to talk to her.”

“You’ve got no right to — ”

“She told me how every evening you read to her before bed, then you kiss her good night. That you cook supper for her and comfort her when she has nightscares. None of this adds up to bullying.”

“None of it’s any of your business,” I say in a choked voice.

“It is when Cassie has big bruises on her knees, and more on her back. Because I saw those too, when she was playing with Caramel.”

Black wings swoop past the window and the cawing fades into the distance. “So why didn’t you show Rolf?” I say bitterly. “That way you could have set the cops on me.”

“I had to talk to you first! I’d done a number on you with Rolf already, and I sure didn’t want to do it again. When I asked you about the bruises, you looked so ... defeated. As if you couldn’t deal with one more thing.”