Page 81 of Fatal Strike
Leah sensed heat rising to her face. “He is fun.”
51
SUNDAY AFTER EARLY MASS,Silvia fingered the business card belonging to Special Agent Leah Riesel. Warren wrapped his arm around her waist, comfort when she needed it. She looked at the card for the third time. Not knowing the truth left her grappling in a way that felt worse than what she might face.
Dylan hadn’t been completely honest with her when he phoned her for money. The medication he’d been getting for her had likely come from illegal means. Her head throbbed. She’d suspected as much. Now the media said the FBI had arrested a man who claimed to be a Veneno, but his name hadn’t been released. He’d been arrested at Judge Mendez’s funeral, but from where she and Warren had been sitting, she hadn’t seen his face.
Silvia needed to be sure he wasn’t one of Dylan’s friends, one who’d stopped by the house or the man who’d picked upthe cash at the dental office, the young man who’d done drugs before he arrived. She tried to relax, but until she was assured the man in custody had no connection to Dylan, her efforts were useless. Aaron Michaels and Landon Shaw had spent time in her home, and she’d lied to the FBI about them. But if she acknowledged their friendship with Dylan, then he looked like a gang member too.
Dear God, I’m sinning for Dylan. I hate myself, but what choice do I have? Father Gabriel told me to sin no more and be honest. Ican’t betray my own son.
“Honey,” Warren said, “the truth can be hard to take, but you’re a strong woman.”
He understood her. The one thing she held back from him was Dylan’s adoption. Agents Riesel and Colbert had heard the truth about her son. Why keep it from Warren? Except not this morning. Her heart and mind ached for her precious boy. Before she agreed to Warren’s marriage proposal, she’d tell him about the adoption, including the truth about Dylan’s birth mother. She believed married couples shouldn’t have secrets.
She tightened her fist. “I’ll call Agent Riesel.”
Warren kissed her cheek. “We’re in this together.”
She pressed in the number. The agent had been kind, gentle, and Silvia wanted to believe she could trust her. It rang once, twice, three times—
“Agent Riesel here.”
Silvia weighed hanging up. She’d never been a coward, only naive at times, and she’d promised herself to be strong. “This is Silvia Ortega.”
“Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?”
“The news said the FBI had arrested a man who confessedto being a Veneno. I’d like to see if he’s one of Dylan’s friends.” The words tumbled out much easier than Silvia had expected.
“Are you having second thoughts about your son’s involvement?”
“I believe in his innocence, but I want to make sure the man you have under arrest is ... a stranger.”
“He’s being held at the Galveston jail.”
“If I come tomorrow, can I talk to him?”
Warren mouthed he’d drive.
“I’ll arrange to meet you there,” Agent Riesel said. “Can we tentatively schedule around nine?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Silvia wrapped up the call, Warren offering moral support in his tender gaze. She thanked God for sending the dear man to her. If only Dylan saw his remarkable qualities ... Where had she gone wrong in mothering him?
Warren gathered her into his arms. “You need to be prepared if the man in custody is someone you recognize.”
“I believe in my son.” She closed her eyes to avoid unwanted tears. “He’d never do those terrible things.” But the doubts wouldn’t leave her alone.
52
FISHING? WAS LEAH OUT OF HER MIND?The wordtacklemeant nothing to her, except to bring down somebody she was chasing. But she’d done a lot worse than hooking a slimy worm.
Jon gripped the worn cork handle of his pole like the hand of a friend. He wound white line around a wheel and threaded it out to the end of the pole. He reminded her of a kid, so she’d try to emulate his enthusiasm in the stifling heat. New York’s summer temps never melted her like this.
He nodded at a bucket filled with rich brown dirt and worms. “Caught these fellas right after breakfast,” he said. “With last night’s rain, they were easy to find.”
“I need instructions.”
