Thank you all again for your wonderful comments, and for making this story a favorite. Happy New Year to you all.
Chapter 94.
The doctor left to order more specific tests on Julio and we returned to the waiting room.
Bertoli had answered my questions frankly, but there were still a few things that bugged me. "Do you always show so much interest in your staff?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. But especially if they're immigrants the way I was just a few years ago." He looked through the glass. "Julio's a good kid. Listen, I know what you're thinking. He was sent here to avenge his cousin's death."
"You knew about that?" That was strange, since Julio said he wanted to keep it from his boss.
Bertoli turned to me. "You think I'd hire someone without looking into their background?" He chuckled. "That's a good way to ruin a business."
"Why are you telling us?" Wilson was now curious.
"Because I figure he told you, or at least the ladies." He nodded at Jess. "Anyway, I figured that once he was here in this country, he realized it wasn't the way to go. He's a bright kid. He can make something of himself, just needs some help, know what I mean?"
"So you offered to send him to school." I wanted to keep him talking.
Bertoli smiled at us. "He told you that, too? Yeah, he had a head for math. I can use someone in the office that I can trust. I'm still hoping he'll work out."
"What about his family?" Jess asked. "They sent him here for a reason. What'll they do if he doesn't carry out his orders?"
"I'm beginning to think that this kidnapping wasn't ordered by the Locarnos but by his cousin's husband."
"Do you know the husband's name?" I hadn't even considered that possibility, but given the situation, it was as likely as any. "More to the point, does he own a garage or car dealership in New Jersey?"
Bertoli's eyes opened wide. "How did you know that?"
"He does?" Wilson was just as startled.
A vigorous nod confirmed it. "His name's Molina. Carlo Molina. He's a big shot in Sicily, according to my sources, but here? A small fish. He owns two car shops, one in Trenton and the other between there and Princeton. Custom paint jobs, detailing, that sort of thing. Mainly they work on Italian sports cars and luxury sedans."
I exchanged a glance with Jess. "We think that's where Julio and the women were held. They were poisoned by residues on the cloth used to gag them. I don't know why they'd be using bleach at a car shop, but the ethylene glycol that caused their problems is a common ingredient in antifreeze and brake fluid. If they used rags that had been washed but not completely, it would explain a lot."
Bertoli shrugged. "Could also be the car they used to grab them had a leak. It doesn't necessarily mean they were held at one of Molina's shops."
"True. But we don't have much more to go on." I tapped my cane a few times. "I'd like to take a look at the auto shops, especially the one closer to your restaurant."
Jess wasn't satisfied. "None of this explains why they let us go for such a small ransom, or even what they were trying to accomplish by kidnapping Julio."
"Do you have another explanation? A plan that'll get us more information?" I asked.
She shook her head. "I want to go with you, see whether the place smells of bleach."
"Count me in." Wilson never looked more determined.
"Me too." Bertoli grinned.
Jess looked at her watch. "But first I want to go see my sister. Wilson, are you coming with me?"
He nodded.
"I'll be there in a minute." I still had a few questions for Bertoli and wanted to hear the answers without Jess or Wilson around.
Jess nodded at me and walked off with Wilson.
"What are you holding back?" I demanded.
Bertoli blew out a breath. "You're sharp, you know that? Can't put anything past you. OK, seeing as how I think we're on the same side here, I can tell you that the Locarno family loaned me the money to start my restaurant. Oh, I've paid 'em back, but I still owe 'em one, you know what I mean? So when they heard that Carlo Molino was sending someone, I told 'em I'd handle it."
"That's why you hired Julio, and tried to redirect him." Some things were beginning to make more sense to me.
"Yeah. Hey, it helped the Locarnos and it was the best for Julio, too. The only thing I worried about was that Molino would want to know why he didn't carry out his orders, and might retaliate."
I rubbed my chin. "Kidnapping him was a dumb move."
"It sure was." Bertoli swallowed. "See, I figure the kidnappers were told to rough him up a bit, but when they grabbed him, the two ladies were with him and they didn't know what to do, so they took the three of 'em somewhere while they checked with their boss about what to do next."
"And the only thing anyone could come up with was to ask for a ransom?" I snickered. "I would think Molino would be smarter than that."
Bertoli shrugged. "Maybe."
"Well, thanks for telling me. You going to hang around here until they decide what they have to do for the kid?" I stood.
"Yeah. Like I said, he's a good kid. Deserves a break. I'd still like to give it to him."
I decided it was time to join Jess and Wilson. "I hope you can." I left him there and limped to the elevator.
When I arrived at Room 324, Nina was asleep and Jess and Wilson were talking in hushed tones. "How is she?"
"Resting comfortably," Wilson said. "They determined that her exposure wasn't enough to be very damaging, but she'll have to be monitored for a while. Her body has to rest a few days. I think they'll release her tomorrow."
Jess stared at me. "What did you ask Bertoli?"
"How did you know that's why I stayed?"
She rolled her eyes.
Wilson grinned. "He was obviously keeping something back." Even he had noticed. So much for my thinking it was only me.
I studied them both. "He's got connections to the Locarnos, and he explained why he thinks Molino was behind the kidnappings."
Jess scratched her head, then nodded it. "That makes some warped sense."
Wilson still looked puzzled.
"I'll explain later. For now, we still have to check out Molino's car shop, the one between Princeton and Trenton."
"What, tonight?" He sat down with a thud.
"No time like the present." I rubbed my hands together.
"It'll probably be closed."
"What better time to sneak in and have a look around?" I started for the door. "I'd like to do it while Bertoli's preoccupied with Julio."
Jess put a hand on Wilson's shoulder. "If you'd rather stay here and wait for Nina to wake up, we'll understand."
He glanced at the bed and shook his head. "She'll sleep for several hours now." He sighed and stood again. "Alright. Let's go."
We drove out to Old Trenton Road. I'd located the auto shop with my GPS. It wasn't that far away.
The building was dark except for the street light outside. The parking lot was empty. As we got out of the car, Jess held up a hand, indicating we should be quiet for a minute. In the distance I heard a train whistle. There was a general hum of traffic noise on the busy road.
She shook her head. "I can't be sure of anything."
"Didn't you say you heard a plane?
She nodded.
"I think there's a regional airport not too far away." But we didn't hear the sound of any jets or even smaller planes. I started for the building, gravel crunching under my feet.
"I forgot that!" Jess said. "That gravel sound. I guess that's common enough, though, huh?"
"I'd say most lots around here are paved."
The glass front door of the large one-story building was padlocked, not surprisingly. We walked around toward the back, but were stopped by a chain-link fence.
"I'm surprised there's no guard watching the place." Wilson walked over to the fence gate to examine the lock. Immediately, a huge dog came running at him from the other side, barking and growling. Wilson backed away. "Now I know why."
"Jess, did you hear a dog at any time while you were being held?"
She shook her head. "I don't smell any bleach, either."
Through the fence we could see a large number of cars, some with tarps over parts of them. "They must do a good business." I walked back to the front of the building.
"Maybe we should come back when they're open." Wilson tugged at the lock without any result.
"Why don't we come back with a car that we want detailed," Jess suggested.
The question was whose car. I doubted they'd work on my old beauty, and there was nothing they could do to Wilson's Volvo that would make it cooler. I smiled at her. "We should bring in your sports car."
But she shook her head, a gleam in her eyes. "Nina's BMW would be better."
She was right.
"Do you think anyone will recognize Jess?" Wilson asked.
"I can take care of that," she said. "A little makeup, a change in hairstyle and clothes. If any of the kidnappers are around, they'll never know I'm the same person."
So, with that plan in mind, we returned to Princeton.
I should be able to post one more chapter before I leave on a short trip at the end of the week.