I could see from Rafael’s eyes that he hadn’t entirely believed the story himself. That the possibility had entered his mind that Mama G had deliberately done something-inconceivable though it might seem—to slot the Azzies off. But he needed to believe a simpler story. He’d been a lonely man, an orphan who yearned for a family. That’s what the "discovering my roots" phase had been all about. He wanted Mama G to be exactly what "José" said she was. A frail grandmother who needed the support of a strong, protective grandson.