It took him half a second to see who’d arrived, and another half a second to realize he was in deep shit.

He turned and ran.

I bolted after him.

Ms. Plimpton said, “What on earth?”

“He did it!” I heard Jeremy say. “He sent that guy to kill us!”

“What?” Gloria said.

Bob was on the far side of the kitchen, attempting to open the sliding glass door. But a wooden stick down in the track, designed to keep out burglars, had thwarted him. I caught up, grabbed him by the back of his jacket, and flung him across the room. He stumbled over two kitchen chairs, scattering them, and landed on his side. There was the look of a trapped animal in his eyes.

“Don’t get up,” I told him. “If you try, I’ll fucking kill you.”

He seemed convinced.

“You look as surprised to see me as Galen did. They just arrested him. They’re coming for you next.”

Jeremy, Gloria and Ms. Plimpton had joined us in the kitchen. The two women were open-mouthed at the scene.

“Is it true?” Gloria asked Bob. “You sent someone to kill them?”

“It’s bullshit!” Bob said. “Whatever they’re saying, it’s bullshit.”

“You haven’t heard half of what he did!” Jeremy shouted. He was trembling again. I was feeling immensely worried for him. He was totally on the edge.

Pointing at Bob, he said, “He helped that shitbag Broadhurst! The two of them put me in the car!”

Ms. Plimpton looked like she’d just seen a pig fly through the kitchen. “What?”

Jeremy said, “They framed me! They made me think I’d done it! They made the world think I’d done it!”

Ms. Plimpton glared at Bob. “My God, is this true?”

What struck me, at that moment, was that Gloria didn’t ask that question, or anything close to it. My eyes were darting back and forth between her aunt and Bob. Maybe she was just in shock.

“I told you, don’t listen to them,” Bob said. “This is crazy.”

“No, it’s not crazy,” I said. “I got it all from Galen. We know what happened.”

Jeremy turned to his mother. “You hear what I’m saying? You hear what this son of a bitch did?”

Gloria, her voice softer than I was used to, said, “I’m sure there’s some explanation.”

“What’s that mean?” Jeremy asked. “Don’t you believe us?”

I said, “I think she does, Jeremy.”

Gloria turned my way.

“You don’t look like this part is new to you,” I said to her.

“Gloria?” Ms. Plimpton said. “What’s he talking about?”

“The part about Bob sending a hit man after us, you looked surprised at that,” I said. “But not the other part.”

The room suddenly fell very silent, all eyes, even Bob’s, on Gloria.

“Mom?” Jeremy said. He was full-out shaking now.