Page 64 of Fatal Strike
“Have you heard from Dylan or Elena?”
Lucinda shook her head. “If a witness saw Dylan at thechurch’s back door, then he must have been forced. It’s impossible for him to be a Veneno or have anything to do with Judge Mendez’s murder.”
“Why?”
“He wouldn’t want to hurt his mother or cause her any pain.”
“Which is why you’re questioning the fact that he left Silvia behind,” Leah said.
“I meant emotional damage to his biological mother.”
Jon’s attention zeroed in on Lucinda. “What did you say?”
Lucinda blew out a sigh. “Silvia raised Dylan from a newborn, but she’s not his birth mother. I witnessed the private adoption with Father Gabriel and a lawyer. Dylan learned the truth about three years ago while going through his mother’s papers.”
“Who is his mother?” Leah said.
“Rachel Mendez.”
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LEAH SHOULDN’T BE JOLTED BY TRUTH,any truth, but the identity of Dylan’s biological mother delivered an incredulous moment. “Rachel Mendez is Dylan’s mother, and you witnessed his private adoption?”
The secretary nodded. “The papers were signed at an attorney’s office here in Galveston when Dylan was two days old,” the woman said. “I never told anyone until this morning when I shared the secret with my husband and now you.”
“Who was the attorney?”
“Ross Kempler.”
The attorney who’d worked twenty-seven years for Judge Mendez. “Were Mrs. Mendez and Silvia friends before the adoption?”
“They met through Silvia’s dental office. Rachel came toSilvia with the adoption proposal, but I don’t know why. Since then, they’ve worked together on church committees.”
A picture formed in Leah’s mind of two women developing an unusual bond, one knit together by circumstances. “I assume he wasn’t supposed to find out about his adoption?”
“Silvia agreed to take him in under the stipulation he never learn the truth. Rachel had two more years of law school left. She modeled to pay bills, and a baby meant her future as she intended came to a halt. I know this sounds like Rachel was selfish, but adoption is a gift of love. She knew Silvia would be a better mother. They agreed in writing Rachel wouldn’t later demand him back or insist upon visitation.”
“The father?”
“Never mentioned. At least not to me.”
“Money exchanged?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
“Can you explain the circumstances around Dylan learning the truth?”
“He’d drifted into a bad crowd. Needed money and was looking through Silvia’s things for a few dollars. Found a whole lot more. When Silvia got home from work one afternoon, he had the adoption papers in his hand. After the confrontation, Silvia contacted Rachel.”
“Did Rachel and Dylan connect?”
“A couple of times. Dylan came to me, angry at both women. One woman had lied to him, and the other abandoned him. He no longer cared about either of them or himself. Soon after, he was arrested and served time. Dylan learned a lot about himself and life there. He was determined to be a better man. He reconciled with Silvia. Not sure if he ever had a meaningful conversation with Rachel.”
“Did Judge Mendez know about Dylan?”
“No idea. You’d have to ask Rachel, but then she’d know where you learned about the adoption.”
“Does it matter?” Leah said.
