"You already think he did," Bella observes again. "And you're questioning your conclusion. You need more evidence one way or another, but you're reluctant to go after it."

She puts her backpack down next to the kitchen table, considering. She's not sure of how much her next question is her projecting her own situation, but she decides to ask it anyway.

"Is it really about the ethics, or is it that you don't want to find out that he is lying?"