The words started him. He looked down at Alice, with her arm raised. Here there was another man shouting at him to let go of a frightened, pregnant woman, whom he had grabbed, rather too fiercely, so fiercely she was clearly afraid he'd strike her, and he felt shame. Damn Alice and damn the man he was becoming.

Then the other words came and stung more.

He let go of Alice. "Go to your room!" he shouted, and then he turned back to the intruder. "What do you know? Get out!"

What did he know? Had Alice told him? "How do you know?!"