FYI: We'll be going out of town for a few days next weekend, so I don't know when I'll be able to post the next chapter. But here's tonight's.

Chapter 108.

As Jess and I walked from the parking garage to the hospital entrance, she asked, "What did you really think about the places Nina and I saw today?"

"They would both work, but I could see that you and your sister preferred the second one. The layout was probably better." I pushed the elevator button with my cane. "I have a good idea now what the two of you are looking for. If you can get it for a good price, I'd say go for it."

"Ricky's not a bad guy."

I shrugged. "He seems OK. Who knows? I expect he'll do all he can for you, especially if he thinks Nina will go out with him."

We took the elevator up to my office. The team was sitting around the conference table, looking at test results. Even Taub was back. I pushed the door open and strolled in.

"What did you find?"

"Hamill confirmed the slow development." Chase handed me her report. "And we just got the results of Rogers' genetic tests."

"So?"

"So, there's a deletion in chromosome 22. That together with the other symptoms points to DiGeorge syndrome."

I smiled. It was a good diagnosis. Unfortunately, there's no cure for DiGeorge syndrome.

"We've started to treat some of the symptoms and side effects," Thirteen said.

I inclined my head. "That's all we can do."

"We explained that to the parents, but I'm not sure they accept it, or the fact that treatment will be necessary throughout the kid's life."

The door to the conference room opened, and the patient's father walked in. "Dr. House, I see you've decided to show up."

"My team's been keeping me up to date on your son, Mr. Collins." I smiled as I made a connection. "We have our diagnosis, one no one else made no matter how many times they examined Billy. And we've started treatment. It won't cure him, but it will make his life better, and yours, too." I watched his face as I spoke. Some of the mixture of annoyance and sadness diminished, but he still wasn't happy. "Who knows, perhaps some day he can join your company, help you manage half the real estate in the Trenton-Princeton area."

Collins' eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Do you always pry into the private lives and business of your patients' families?"

"As it happens, my sister and I went to see two of your properties today," Jess said. So, she noticed, too that the name of the owner of the management company was William Collins. "We made an offer on one of them, a store and office in the Fair Haven complex."

His eyes narrowed again. "Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

She grinned. "Name's Jess Giordano. I've worked here part-time on the statistics for a study the team worked on."

"So what do you want that property for?"

"My sister and I are starting a catering business."

He frowned at her, and yet I wondered how we could turn this connection to our advantage.

Jess approached him. "Mr. Collins, I can't imagine how hard it is for you to have a child who's so sick. I hope you realize how much Dr. House and his team can do for your son. But I don't want that to influence your decision on our offer one way or another."

I wondered what she was doing, but had to go along with it. "Jess, I'm sure he's the kind of man who can separate his personal life from his business. Your offer was fair."

Collins was curious enough to ask, "What did you offer?"

"Two thousand a month. After all, it was less than a thousand square feet."

"We're asking twenty-three hundred." Collins scratched the back of his neck. "How long a lease are we talking about?"

Jess glanced at me before replying. "A year to start. We can renegotiate after that, but we're determined to make it. Some great restaurants will be providing the food. We only need someplace to meet with clients and assemble the food for delivery to their homes or other places."

"We might be able to accept twenty-two."

"You know there might be better places than that one," I threw out. "And cheaper. Until you're established, you shouldn't be paying so much for office space."

Collins narrowed his eyes at me, then turned back to Jess. "Twenty-one, and that's final."

She gnawed at her lower lip. "I noticed there were no desks in the front room. We'll have to buy at least one. And then there's the signage. We'll have to get rid of that ghastly one from the last business and replace it with our own, one with our new logo."

"We do have standards for the signs we allow our tenants. I'll send you a copy." Collins wasn't done negotiating.

"Does this mean we can have the premises for the two thousand?"

He sighed. "Oh, alright. But I'll want an eighteen month lease, guaranteed."

He turned and left the office, his original intention completely forgotten.

"What was all that about?" Chase asked.

"We're looking for office space for the catering business, and we saw two today that would work, both managed by Collins and his company."

"Sounds like you and Nina are serious about this business," Thirteen said. "I never thought you'd pull it off."

"Well, we haven't, not yet."

"But you will. There's no doubt in my mind." Chase smiled at her.

"Thanks, Chase."

"I suppose this means you won't be helping us with our statistics any longer." Foreman frowned.

Jess shrugged. "The work on the hyperacusis study is over. You don't need me any longer."

"Speaking of which..." Chase pulled out an envelope from underneath a stack of files. "Our report will be published in the next issue of JAMA."

"When did you get that?" Taub reached for the envelope but I beat him to it.

"It came this morning. I didn't think anyone would mind if I opened it."

"How long have you known me?" I took out the single sheet of paper and read it quickly.

"I was waiting until everyone was here to tell you all about it," Chase said.

Foreman shrugged. "It's not the first time we've had articles published about our cases."

"But it is the first time we did a study that could have such far-reaching effects. And they're not only publishing the results of our study. It's the featured story for next month."

Foreman's eyes narrowed. "Let me see that." He held out a hand, but I wouldn't relinquish the paper to him.

"I can confirm what Chase said." I folded the letter, put it in the envelope and pocketed it. I wanted to cheer, but not in front of the troops.

"Well, we have to celebrate!" Thirteen said.

Taub nodded. "No need for us to stick around here any more. The patient's diagnosed and his treatment started."

"Carlson's?" Thirteen suggested.

"Sounds good. You coming, Taub?" Chase asked.

"You go ahead. There's something I have to do first."

"Something to do with your trip to New York yesterday?" I'd been curious since I'd heard about that.

His mouth dropped open. When he closed it he took a deep breath and let it out. "I knew I'd never keep it from you." He sighed and looked around at the others. "I went to see Rachel, to ask for another chance."

"And she turned you down."

Taub grinned. "She said yes."

"You're kidding!" Foreman's astonishment rivaled my own. The woman must be a glutton for punishment. How many chances was she going to give the runt? Did she think he'd changed?

"She'll be moving back to Princeton in three weeks, since she had to give notice at her company and with her landlord."

Chase smiled and patted his shoulder. "I hope it works out for you."

"Your daughter must be getting big by now," Thirteen said.

Jess had been watching the exchange and turned to me with a quizzical look on her face.

"Taub's wife left him. She and his lover had daughters at about the same time."

"Taub?"

I nodded. "You wouldn't know it to look at him, would you?"

"So, what was it you had to do instead of going to dinner with us?" Chase asked.

"I have to start getting my place ready for them."

"That can wait for tomorrow. C'mon," Thirteen urged.

"Carlson's, huh? You twisted my arm."

"Better than your nose."

"House, Jess, you coming with us?"

I shrugged and Jess answered for us. "Sure, why not."

"I'll call Ellie and see whether she can meet us there." Chase was pulling out his cellphone as he walked out.

I rolled my eyes, wondering who else would join the party.

Carlson's wasn't far from the hospital, but we took separate cars. It was a big place with a not so big parking lot and we probably should have carpooled. I took out my handicapped placard and pulled into a spot near the door, but the others had a harder time finding a space at that time of evening.

Jess and I went in and asked for a table for seven. "That'll take half an hour," the maitre d' told us. He looked at the bench near the door, but it was occupied by three elderly people. "You can wait at the bar."

That sounded good to me. There were even two seats next to each other. I ordered my usual bourbon and Jess got a glass of white wine. Chase and Ellie spotted us the minute they came through the door.

"They're setting up a table for us." Jess told them when they came over. "Did either of you want a drink?"

"I think champagne would be in order," Ellie said. "Robert tells me congratulations are in order for the entire team."

Jess smiled at her. "You should be included in that. If Greg hadn't been so determined to diagnose Christopher, the study might never have been done."

"Jess is right." Chase smirked at me. "In fact, a lot of good things came out of his persistent search for you and for an answer for Chris."

But the good things weren't over yet. I still had a puzzle or two to solve, and who knew where that would lead.