We're about to learn what Jess and Nina found out at their uncle's restaurant and what they're going to do about it.

I'd love to hear you thoughts.

Chapter 79.

I wished I could be a fly on the wall when Jess and Nina had lunch at their uncle's restaurant, Trevi, on the outskirts of Trenton. I had to be content knowing that Jess would tell me all the gory details, but it wasn't easy to wait for her to return to the hospital after that lunch.

It was two o'clock when she finally showed up. By then I'd resorted to rearranging the books on my shelves so that they formed equal-width stripes of black, red, blue and brown.

Jess sneered when she saw what I was doing, but didn't say anything about it. "Are you ready for my verbatim report?"

I dropped the book I was shelving and made myself comfortable in my desk chair. "Bring it on."

She nodded slightly. "The restaurant is gorgeous, well, maybe a tad overdone. All maroon and gold with marble statuettes in niches along the papered walls and a fountain at one end. The tables are hardwood and the chairs, too, except they're upholstered in a maroon brocade material. They're actually very comfortable. Nina and I were seated at a small table, covered with a snow white cloth and set with heavy cutlery and crystal glassware. There are tables of all sizes to accommodate various size groups of people."

"Enough with the travelog. Cut to the chase."

"I'm getting there." She grinned at me. "Just wanted to draw out the anticipation. OK, so our waitress took our order, but Nina and I began to ask about the menu and whether they did catering. 'The manager's been pushing to do that for ages,' she said. We left it at that until she brought our meals. I had the ravioli, by the way. Very good. Filled with meat and cheese and smothered in marinara. You'd love it."

I rolled my eyes. Besides prolonging my agony, she was making me hungry. And I'd already had lunch.

"So we asked Sandra..."

"Wait, who's Sandra?"

"The waitress. Aren't you keeping up? I can go slower."

"No, no. Go on."

"Right. We asked Sandra whether the manager was there and he was. 'Did you want to talk to him,' she asked. That's when Nina told her she was starting a catering service and she'd love to work with a restaurant as good as Trevi."

I nodded. So far so good.

"The manager came over within minutes. His name's Paolo Constantino, and he was born in Genoa. Been in the States for ten years."

"I don't care if he was born in the Vatican."

Jess laughed. "So Nina made her pitch and Paolo seemed very interested. In fact, he came up with a few twists we hadn't thought of. And then he asked her name."

I closed my eyes. I could imagine what was coming. "His attitude changed when she said her name was Giordano."

"Well, yes. But not the way you think. It increased his interest in her. Seems Uncle Johnny might still hold a grudge against Father, but he's always wanted to meet us. In fact one of the things he was angry about was that we were kept from him."

"That doesn't sound right. Why should he be so interested in the children of a brother he despises?"

"He never had any children of his own." She left it there. It did explain a lot.

"How did he know your father had kids?"

"He's in contact with the sister back in Italy, the one we tried to visit. She wrote to him after we were there and he made one attempt to see us soon after, but was rebuffed by my father. Later, all he could find out was that we were all in Dorsey, working in one way or another for him, so he gave up."

"And now he's chomping at the bit to meet you all."

She nodded. "Greg, he's lonely and he's getting old."

"How old can he be? What's your dad? Sixty, sixty-five? And Giovanni is younger, right?"

"He can help us fight our father."

"Is that what you want?"

She sighed and nodded slowly. "He hasn't been the worst father, but his determination to control us have escalated over the years. And whatever he's attempting to do now with Uncle Giovanni's companies is underhanded."

"Don't you think that anything your uncle does to alienate you further from your father is underhanded, too?"

"It's what Father deserves."

"Now you're sounding like a petulant child."

She hesitated but had to say it. "You've told me about some of the things your father did to you. Wouldn't you have liked a chance to get back at him for it?"

"But there's no way I can do that now."

She crossed her arms in front of her. "Well, I'm not going to wait until he dies. Nina and I have the opportunity to make him even more miserable than he already is, and we're going to take it." She stared into my eyes. "I thought you were with us on this."

I didn't owe anything to Peter Giordano Sr. Jess had brought me more happiness than I'd ever thought I deserved or would find, so of course I'd support her in anything she wanted to do. "As long as you're sure this is the path you want to take."

She nodded. "I'm sure and so is Nina."

"What about Petey?"

Her shoulders raised in a shrug. "We haven't talked to him about it. But he's the one who Father hurt first and the most. I think he'll be on board."

"And what if your uncle turns out to be as much of a tyrant as your father? After all, he was the one who came to this country with a grudge against him."

She shook her head. "The staff we talked to at the restaurant all said Uncle Giovanni was the best boss they ever had. Nina and I are going to try to meet him later this week. Wanna come along?"

"The apocalypse wouldn't keep me away."

She grinned and put her arm through mine. "I kinda thought you'd say that." She followed up with a kiss on my cheek. "Maybe I should try to find Petey." She let go and stepped back.

"That should be interesting."

"Don't smirk. I think the three Giordano kids should stick together on this, display a united front when we approach our uncle."

"Go forth and do your thing," I said, pointing my cane at the door.

Jess saluted, smirking herself. "Aye, aye, my capitan! I'll let you know what happens in any case."

I was beginning to think I'd created a monster. Next thing you knew, she'd try to take over the entire town of Dorsey. Where this game would go was still a question. I was just glad I'd be around to see the results.

I wondered whether anyone had a family that got along all the time, where there was no infighting or antagonism. I don't think I ever knew one like that. But the Giordanos were right up there with the strangest, and the most vengeful. Vendettas seemed to be a way of life with them. I'd have to remember to stay on Jess' good side.

I picked up the book I'd dropped when she came in, and placed it on the shelf, then sat back at my desk. Jess came flying back in.

"Greg, Petey's gone!"

"What do you mean, gone?"

"No one's seen him all day. He was supposed to have an interview today for a job as an orderly but he never showed up." Her voice was an octave lower, the way it got when she was particularly anxious.

"Did you call the place he's been staying? Tried his cellphone?"

"Of course." She leaned her hands on my desk. "What should we do?"

I shrugged. Petey had gone missing before. "Maybe he decided he'd had enough of New Jersey and went back to Florida."

She shook her head vigorously. "I don't think so. He was looking forward to the job and to be being here with me and Nina. Besides, he was doing well with his treatment and wanted to continue it."

"Have you spoken to your sister? Maybe she knows where he went."

"I just called her. She hasn't heard from him since yesterday. Greg, I'm worried. What could have happened to him?"

I shook my head. Here we go again, I thought.