“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.
