Chapter 17.

Amusement parks were not my thing, especially commercial establishments like Disney World and Universal Studios. I like to have fun as much as any kid, and I love the kind of movies they've turned into rides, but the crowds, smells, and noise turn me off. Still, if that's where Petey was, I might make an exception. Or I could send someone else...

I saw Thirteen coming towards us. "Ever been to Orlando?" I asked her.

It was a question she hadn't expected of course. "Why are you asking?"

"It's possible my brother went there," Jess told her.

Thirteen looked from one of us to the other. "So that's where we're going next?"

"Someone will have to go," I told her. "I think I'd better stay here and continue with my tests."

"Send Foreman," Thirteen suggested with a smirk and a glint in her eyes.

I laughed at the thought of Foreman in one of those places. "Yes. Good call. As soon as he finishes setting up the scans he suggested we'll send him off on a little fishing expedition."

When Foreman returned from talking to the technicians in radiology, telling them what he needed, we broke the news to him. By then, Jess had gone home. But I was beginning to rethink what I thought of her. It might be a good idea to encourage her to stick around.

"I've never been to Disney World," Foreman said with a frown. "Wouldn't it be better if you sent someone else?"

"Nah. I really think you'd be best. You wouldn't be distracted by the rides and the food," I argued.

He winced, then groaned, certain there was no way he could get out of it.

"You can leave tomorrow morning," I told him.

"How will I know him when I see him?" he asked.

It was a good question, one I hadn't thought of. Why hadn't I? But I supposed we could get a picture or two from Ellie or Petey's sisters. I might even be able to talk one of them into going with him. "I'll see whether Nina or Jess can go too," I told him.

The more I thought about it, though, the more it bothered me that either of them would be going with him. Maybe I'd been wrong. Maybe I should go myself. With Nina. The thought should have made me feel good, as good as I felt when I thought I'd be going to the Poconos with her, and only her. But somehow it left me a little cold. I guess I was over her before I'd even made a move.

I pulled out my phone and found her number. The phone rang three times on her end before she picked up. "Hello, Dr. House. Have you gotten any results?"

"Mostly negative ones," I told her, surprised a bit that she'd even ask. "I've been thinking of sending one of my staff to look for your brother, but he doesn't know what Petey looks like."

"How do you even know where he might be?"

"Jess suggested that he might have gone to Orlando."

She was quiet a long time. I had to look at my phone to be sure we were still connected. "I hadn't thought of that, but she may be right. He always wanted to go there."

"So, will you do it? Go to Florida with one of my staff?"

"I'm not sure I can get away right now," she hedged. I could picture her biting her lower lip the way I'd see her do many times before.

"Surely, your shop can go on without you for a few days," I argued.

"It isn't that," she said, but didn't elaborate.

"So what is it?"

"Well, you saw my father at lunch the other day. It's hard for me to defy him. Remember when we went to Pennsylvania, how, when we returned, he demanded that we tell him whenever we leave town again? I'd have to let him know I was going and why."

"I'm sure Jess didn't tell him when she came here to see Ellie and Christopher," I argued.

"She did?" Nina sounded very surprised. I guess her sister hadn't told her either.

"Yes, that's when I talked to her about where Petey might be."

"Our father forbade us from seeing him, the baby I mean. Petey, too, I guess," Nina said.

"And you do everything your father says," I replied.

"If I know what's good for me, yes," she said defensively. "You don't know what it's like having a father like we do. When he says 'jump', you jump."

"Believe me, I know what an authoritarian father is like. I guess it never occurred to you to rebel," I argued.

I could almost hear her shrug at the other end of the phone. "I'm not that brave."

"But your sister is?"

"Jess...I think Jess feels that he needs her too much in his business ventures to come down too hard on her when she opposes him. But she still doesn't do it openly," Nina told me. "She's rather circumspect about it."

"Sneaky you mean," I interpreted that.

"Well, yeah, I guess so."

"Would you be willing to give me her phone number?" I asked.

"I guess so, but why do you want to talk to her?"

"To see if she'd be willing to help us look for your brother." By then I was almost convinced that I'd have to go with Jess instead of Foreman.

Finally, she gave me the number, and then said goodbye. I didn't hesitate long before I punched Jess' number in. It rang four times before going to voice mail. I wasn't sure what message I wanted to leave so I just said, "This is Greg House. Call me," and gave her my number in case it didn't come up on her caller ID.

I was just about to give Foreman the good news, or bad, depending on your viewpoint, when my phone rang. It was Jess.

"Is Christopher OK?" she asked.

"For now," I replied.

"Then why did you call?"

"I'm going down to Florida to look for Petey myself, instead of sending Foreman, and I need someone to come with me who knows what Petey looks like," I told her.

"And you want me to go with you?" She sounded incredulous.

"Yes. I do."