“Professionally. He specializes in reproductive medicine and complex fertility cases.”
“Was he involved six years ago?”
“No.”
“Then how did he become involved now?”
“I do not know.”
Mother Caridad leaned back.
“You believe someone has continued arranging procedures under Esperanza’s former name.”
“That appears likely.”
“Could a clinic do that without her understanding?”
“Not lawfully.”
Mother Caridad studied the doctor.
“And in practice?”
Paloma’s face tightened.
“A patient could misunderstand forms, especially if she trusted the person guiding her. A clinic could also believe proper consent had already been obtained. But repeated pregnancies would require repeated medical contact. There should be memories.”
“Unless she was sedated.”
Paloma looked down.
“Yes.”
Mother Caridad’s expression hardened.
“I will not accept another vague answer tomorrow.”
“You should not.”
“Will Doctor Serrano speak with us?”
“I asked him to meet us at Elena’s address.”
“You gave him the address?”
“I gave him the name. He already knew where she lived.”
Mother Caridad rose slowly.
“He knows Elena.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you not lead with that?”
“Because I learned it only an hour ago.”
Paloma reached into her bag and withdrew a folded note.
“He said something else.”
Mother Caridad took it.
The note contained a sentence Paloma had written during the telephone call.
Elena Valdés has spent the last three years trying to prevent another pregnancy.
Mother Caridad read it twice.
“That does not fit what we assumed.”
“No.”
“Did he explain?”
“He said the explanation belonged to Elena.”
“Convenient.”
“Perhaps. But he did not sound evasive.”
Mother Caridad folded the note.
“How did he sound?”
“Tired.”
The answer unsettled her more than defensiveness would have.
A dishonest person might be frightened, angry, or careful.
A tired person was often someone who had been carrying the truth too long.
They left at sunrise.
Sister Lucía stood at the convent gate with Miguel in her arms and Tomás beside her. The boy had insisted on giving Esperanza a small cloth pouch filled with smooth stones from the garden.
“For the road,” he explained.
Esperanza crouched and kissed his forehead.
“What should I do with them?”
“Keep them.”
“All of them?”
He nodded seriously.
“So you come back.”
She hugged him.
“I will come back.”
