Chapter 10 - The Other Mother
Rachel Lawson lived in a narrow brick house in Queens with her six-year-old son, Noah.
She hugged me before I could decide whether I wanted her to.
Then she saw Grace.
Her expression changed.
“Oh, sweetheart.”
She touched Grace’s blanket.
“They did it again.”
I stepped away.
“You said my father was with Ryan.”
Rachel nodded.
“Six years ago.”
She led us into her kitchen.
Noah was upstairs with his grandmother.
Rachel placed a folder on the table.
“My husband and I used Hale Fertility.”
“We were told his genetic material had been used.”
“When Noah was two, he needed surgery.”
“Routine testing revealed my husband couldn’t possibly be his biological father.”
I swallowed.
“What happened?”
“My husband confronted Hale.”
“Three days later, Ryan Bennett appeared at our house.”
I looked at Luka.
“What did Ryan say?”
“He offered us money.”
“Two hundred thousand dollars.”
“In exchange, we signed confidentiality agreements.”
“Did you?”
“My husband did.”
“I didn’t.”
Rachel’s eyes hardened.
“He was terrified.”
“He died eighteen months later.”
“Heart attack.”
“Maybe it was natural.”
“I don’t know anymore.”
She slid a photograph toward me.
Ryan stood outside Hale Fertility.
My father was several feet behind him.
“You said they were together.”
“I thought they were.”
Rachel looked embarrassed.
“Until last month.”
“What happened last month?”
“Your father contacted me.”
My breath stopped.
“He’s alive?”
“He called from a blocked number.”
“He told me what really happened that night.”
Rachel pointed at the photograph.
“Robert wasn’t working with Ryan.”
“He was following him.”
Relief hit so hard I nearly cried.
“He was investigating.”
“Yes.”
Rachel opened another envelope.
Inside was a photocopy of a consent document.
Ryan’s signature appeared at the bottom.
“He authorized the payment to my husband.”
Naomi photographed every page.
Rachel looked toward Luka.
“Robert told me someone would eventually come asking about M-17.”
“What did he tell you?”
“He said M-17 was different.”
“Different how?”
Rachel looked at Grace.
“He said it was the case that could prove intent.”
Nobody spoke.
“What intent?”
“That Hale wasn’t making mistakes.”
Rachel’s voice dropped.
“They were deliberately substituting genetic material.”
“And your husband was helping choose which families received which samples.”
My chest tightened.
“Why?”
“Money.”
“Blackmail.”
“Influence.”
“Sometimes inheritance.”
Rachel’s gaze settled on Grace.
“But Robert said M-17 was supposed to be their masterpiece.”
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
Before she could answer, headlights swept across the kitchen window.
Three black sedans stopped outside.
Luka stood immediately.
Rachel went pale.
“I didn’t tell anyone you were coming.”
Luka looked through the blinds.
May you like
Neither had we.
Someone had followed us.
