Mexican Gothic

The next day Noemí uses her wiles—a pretty smile on Francis and the threat of tears with Dr. Camarillo, the local doctor who runs the community clinic in El Triunfo—to help Catalina. Francis loans her one of the family cars so she can drive to town to see Dr. Camarillo. Dr. Camarillo is extremely young and worried about offending the Doyles, who indirectly fund the clinic, so he is reluctant to see Catalina but eventually agrees to do so. He draws a map to help Noemí find the home of Marta Duval, a local healer, so Noemí can secure the medicine that Catalina requested. Marta Duval, Dr. Camarillo tells Noemí, is famous for her herbal tuberculosis remedy, which is likely harmless, given its popularity. Noemí departs on foot.

When Noemí finally gets to Marta’s home, she finds that Marta is an older woman who can barely see because of her cataracts. When Noemí tells Marta that she is there to pick up medicine for Catalina, Marta tells her the medicine is for sleep, but it will do no good because the house and Doyle family are cursed with an incurable corruption. In exchange for a pack of expensive imported