I hope this is not becoming too convoluted, and I also hope this plotline is interesting. I'm curious myself where it will go.

Read and enjoy, and if you're so inclined, leave me a few words.

Chapter 78.

As I expected, Ellie and her son sat quietly in the corner watching Chase and Thirteen, who were reexamining some of the genetic analysis results they'd collected.

"Is there a problem?" I asked them.

Thirteen shook her head. "No. Just confirming that the data correspond to what's on these chromosome maps."

"Good." I turned to the young mother. "Ellie, we need to talk."

Her eyes immediately showed concern. "Is something wrong? It's not Christopher, is it?" She held her little boy tighter in her arms.

I shook my head. "It has nothing to do with the study or the kid."

"Ellie, we can watch him for a while." Chase reached for Christopher, who smiled at him.

I took Ellie out into the hall but didn't satisfy her curiosity until we were seated on one of the benches.

"What is it?" she prompted, her voice still filled with worry.

"How long did you work at Boomers?"

"Boomers?" She relaxed a little. "Three years or so, I guess."

"Were you ever there when the produce arrived?"

"You mean the vegetables and fruit?"

I nodded, but didn't say anything while she thought about it.

"A few times."

"Ever notice the name of the companies sending the stuff?"

"Not really, well, except for the fact that sometimes I saw the name Giordano on the boxes of melons. That kind of surprised me." Her eyes were still narrowed in thought.

I smiled. "I thought so. Is it common knowledge that your father-in-law owns Boomers?"

"My father-in-law? Oh you mean Petey's father. Everyone in Dorsey knows, of course, but I'm not sure it's common knowledge."

"No. It wouldn't be. So, Johnny Giordano, the owner of the produce company, probably didn't know that he was selling to his brother. But he had to know that Peter was the big cheese in Dorsey. I guess it didn't matter to him."

"I never heard of Johnny Giordano."

"What about Giovanni Giordano?"

She nodded. "Petey mentioned an uncle with that name a couple of times."

"He and Peter are on the outs, but it seems there are connections that Peter knows about but Johnny doesn't."

"So?"

"So, we're trying to find a way to use that to our advantage."

The puzzled look was back on her face.

"Nina is thinking of setting up a catering service, or maybe work with a restaurant to do parties and things." OK, so we hadn't even broached the idea to her yet, but Ellie didn't have to know that.

"Oh! I wonder if she'll need a waitress."

"Yes, I'm sure she will. In fact, Jess said she'd suggest that Nina hire you."

She smiled. "I'd love to work for her! And if it's on parties, I could still get a job at a daycare center during the day."

Jess' voice cut in. "There you are! You'll never guess what I discovered." Her eyes blazed with excitement.

"The moon isn't made of green cheese?"

Ellie's eyes narrowed but Jess just rolled hers. "No. I mean, of course, but that's not what I meant. My father's holdings in Uncle Giovanni's companies is lots bigger than we thought."

I wasn't surprised that Peter Sr. had more of an interest in his brother's businesses, but it had to be huge to make Jess so excited. "Cough up."

"Well, besides the three percent of the produce company in his own name, each of his businesses in Dorsey holds two or three percent for a total of about fourteen percent."

I nodded.

"And that's just the produce company. He's got a finger in the restaurant, too. Our trust funds from my mother are invested, and so is something called Mia Famiglia, which I know is a holding company of Dad's."

"Why would your father invest in his brother's companies if the two of them are on the outs?" Ellie asked.

Jess eyes smiled and she nodded. "Why indeed."

"He wants to build up to a controlling interest," I guessed.

"Yes, that's obvious. But why? Is he planning revenge?" Jess scratched her ear. "That would be just like him." She shook her head. "I can't think of any other reason."

"Perhaps he wants to show his brother that he's as big a success."

"Perhaps."

–

Armed with all the info we'd gathered, Jess and I set out that evening to meet Nina at Mario's. We arrived moments before she did.

While the sisters greeted each other, I approached the podium."We have a reservation for three in the name of House."

The hostess, clad in a long black form-fitting dress looked at her list, took out three leather-bound menus and said, "Right this way."

We were seated at a candlelit table for four. Nina looked around the place, then saw that we were staring at her. "You both look like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary."

"Nina, would it surprise you to hear that this restaurant buys its produce from your uncle?" I asked.

"Uncle Giovanni?"

"You have another one?"

"Well, yes, but not in the U. S." She looked from me to Jess and back again. "Why would you even know that?"

Jess and I took turns telling her everything we'd learned that day, interrupted only when a waiter came by for our drink orders. Nina was so engrossed in what we were saying, she didn't even notice that he was at least as handsome as Niko.

I watched the expressions on her face change from incredulity to confusion and back again several times. "But what does that have to do with me?"

Jess looked at me before replying. "Initially we were going to suggest that, rather than starting a catering company from scratch, you work with a restaurant or two to arrange parties on their premises and do home catering for them. But now we're wondering how we can best use the intel we dug up."

So she was placing the ball in Nina's court. I suppose that was only fair. It was Nina's future, after all.

"I like the idea," she said slowly. "I mean of working with a restaurant, but do either of you think that getting in the middle of whatever is happening between Father and Uncle Giovanni can possibly have a positive outcome?"

I realized that I was hoping she'd do just that so we could find out more about whatever Daddy Dearest was up to. But I couldn't force her, so I didn't say anything, leaving it to Jess to make a case.

Jess pursed her lips, then began. "The more we know about that, the more ammunition we would have against Father if he attempts to block your access to your trust funds."

Nina shook her head. "I've been thinking about that. He really has no right to keep us from getting what's rightfully ours. I'm sure we have legal rights here."

I scowled. "I wouldn't count on that."

"Nina, he's already cut me off." Jess stared at her intensely.

Nina's shoulders slumped. "How can he do that? Didn't you fight him on it?"

"He's the executor of Mother's estate."

"But how can we use the knowledge about his holdings in the companies?"

"We can threaten to tell Uncle Giovanni if he doesn't release our funds."

Nina nodded slowly. "OK. Say we do that. What more can I learn if I begin to work with any of the restaurants connected to the Giordano companies?"

That was a good question. It was time for me to chime in. "If you approach one of the restaurants owned by your uncle, you should be able to learn more about his operations and what else he's planning."

She shook her head. "He probably wouldn't speak to me, as Peter Giordano's daughter."

"It's a big organization. In the beginning, you might never have to talk to him. I'm sure the restaurant manager can make some operating decisions without consulting him."

Jess took over again. "Nina, why don't we have lunch there tomorrow, just you and I, so we can see the best approach to take."

Nina still hesitated, but eventually she nodded. "OK. What can it hurt to have lunch there?"

We let the subject drop as the waiter returned with our drinks and we ordered our meals. None of us could know then what this would lead to.