As much as House has uncovered, there's still a lot for him to investigate. I think this chapter adds a few more pieces to the puzzle.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

Chapter 121.

Ricky's grandfather didn't answer his own phone, of course. But when I mentioned my name to the minion who did, Locarno came to the phone. "What can I do for you, Dr. House?"

"I'm calling on behalf of the hospital."

He sighed. "You want a donation?"

"No. Well, we wouldn't turn one down, but what I'm calling about is the hospital board. We have an opening or two. If you're interested, I'm sure our administrator, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, would be happy to have you."

"I'm already on the boards of two other hospitals in the area." Locarno sounded annoyed.

I had to lay it on thick. "And that means you have experience dealing with doctors and hospital policies and the like."

He sighed. "What do you really want, Doctor?"

I knew he'd be sharp. You don't get where he was without brains. But I hadn't expected him to be so suspicious. There was one other thing to try before I admitted the truth. "We have a situation, someone who's trying for a hostile takeover, and we need to preempt the threat. I'm sure you've dealt with similar situations in the past. We need a highly respected, civic-minded businessman like you."

It took him a minute to respond. "And who is attempting the takeover?"

I took a chance. "His name is Carlo Molino."

"The name means nothing to me." It was hard to tell from his voice whether that was the truth. Being a successful businessman requires the ability to hide emotions, play your hand close to your chest.

"He's acting through Peter Giordano." Let's see whether that name gets a different response, I thought.

"From Dorsey?" He laughed. "I don't think you really have a problem. Giordano is all bluster, no real clout."

Bingo. "You know the man?"

"I've met him on occasion."

And he's not trying to hide it. "You don't think much of him."

"Small potatoes. He may be a big fish in the small pond of Dorsey, but outside of it..." Locarno chuckled. "He'd never make it in Princeton or Trenton."

"He's about to try. He's moved here."

"Has he? I hope he doesn't expect to be taken seriously by the business community."

"He plans to start with a restaurant, but he's also pushing to join the hospital board. I guess that'll give him the prestige he lacks."

"At the behest of this Molino you mentioned. What exactly is the connection between them?" He couldn't hide his curiosity.

"I was hoping you could tell me that."

"Me? I'm sorry Doctor. While I know a bit about Peter Giordano, I never heard of this Molino."

"That's strange. He owns at least two successful businesses in this area, although he lives in Italy."

He chuckled. "Do you know how many businesses there are in Trenton alone? I can't possibly know every business owner."

I sensed I couldn't get further with the man, but I didn't want the call to be in vain. "What about the hospital board? Are you interested?"

"I'll think about it. Perhaps one of my sons would be a better choice. Yes, maybe I'll mention it to Marcello." He closed the connection without saying goodbye.

It was two-thirty, time for me to head over to the hotel for my meeting with Giordano. I realized I now knew something about him and his standing in the community that I didn't before. The call to Locarno wasn't a waste at all.

Giordano was waiting where he said he'd be, sitting at a high top table and nursing a glass of something amber. Guess he drank when he was anxious about something. As I sat down, I signaled that I wanted to order a drink, too. A waiter appeared and I ordered Maker's Mark.

"A bourbon man." Giordano smiled.

"Sometimes." I screwed up one side of my face. "Have you ever had Maker's Mark 46?"

"Can't say as I have. But you didn't arrange to meet with me to talk about whiskey."

I scratched the side of my face, prolonging his agony. "No."

"You said something about a proposition. This doesn't have something to do with my daughters' new business, does it?"

I shook my head. "I know I mentioned the Locarnos to you before."

He nodded. "What about 'em?"

"I heard that they're maneuvering to put a member of the family on the hospital board. The very seat you're planning on buying your way into."

Maybe it was the light, but his face seemed to turn three shades darker and much redder. "They can't do that!"

"I'm afraid they can. As much money as you have, they have hundreds of times more. And they're well-established and connected in this part of the state." I watched his eyes, although it was impossible to be sure of what he was thinking.

"House, I have to get that seat. It's my in to the movers and shakers in Princeton. Opening a business, whether it's a restaurant or something else, won't be enough."

"I hear you." So I was right about his motives.

"What do I have to do to get the hospital to back me against the Locarnos?"

I pretended to think about it, knitting my brows and rubbing my chin. "Maybe if you meet with Dr. Cuddy and promise her you won't interfere with her running of the place."

"Of course. Anything."

One mission completed. I smiled at him.

He scratched his head. "I left a message for Ricky Locarno to call me about a property for my new restaurant. Now I'm not so sure I want to deal with any Locarnos."

That gave me an opening I couldn't refuse to use. "Did you hear that Ricky was almost attacked last night?"

"What?"

"Yeah. Luckily, he got away from the hoodlum who was after him, a guy called Giancarlo. From Palermo."

His thick eyebrows lifted as high as they could go. "Why would anyone be after a real estate agent?"

"Why indeed. As you know, his family has never had any problems with either the law or the mob."

"Have you spoken to him? Does he know why anyone targeted him?"

"Giancarlo was sent by a man called Carlo Molino." I watched for his reaction to the name. It was fleeting, but definitely there. "You ever hear of him?"

"No, no. How could I if he's in Sicily and I'm here?"

"Who said he's in Sicily?"

"You said this...this Giancarlo is from Palermo."

"I did, didn't I?" Should I press it, or wait for another time? No, the sooner the better. "Carlo is convinced someone in the Locarno family was instrumental in the accidental death of his wife."

"If it was accidental..."

A piece of several puzzles suddenly connected for me. I did my best to keep from reacting. "Accidents can be arranged."

He face paled. "Uh, I guess so. So one of the Locarno's arranged for Molino's wife's death."

"I didn't say that, only that Carlo says so."

He was silent for a couple of minutes, trying to hide his unease by sipping the second drink the bartender had just delivered, but his hand shook and it splashed over the side of the glass.

"Of course, if Carlo arranged it, he'd try to shift the blame to someone else." I shook my head. "Organizing your own wife's fatal accident is cold, one of the worst crimes I can think of."

He swallowed loudly. "What makes you think this Carlo fellow planned his wife's death?"

"Just a feeling I have, a hunch. But my hunches are often right on. The thing is, I don't know how he could have arranged it long-distance. There had to be someone here who helped him."

"You said he's in Sicily."

"Yeah."

"So how come the wife died here?" He was playing innocent but it wasn't working.

"We think she came here for fertility treatments. I don't think anyone was supposed to know." I sipped my own drink. Smooth, but it warmed my throat going down. "I'm not even sure Carlo knew."

"How did you find out?" Giordano couldn't hide his curiosity.

I smiled. "I'm a doctor. I have connections in the medical community." It was plausible and there was no reason for him to doubt it. It was even true, up to a point. "Tell me, Mr. Giordano, have you ever had a car souped up or detailed?"

"Huh?" He couldn't have faked his confusion over the change in topics.

"Molino owns a couple of car shops. I was just curious whether you'd ever been to one of them."

"Here in Princeton?"

"One's near here and the other's closer to Trenton."

"I've never needed anything like that."

It would be easy enough to check. For one thing, his children might know. Neither Jess nor Nina had mentioned it when we talked about Molino's shops, though. "I'll arrange a meeting for you with Dr. Cuddy. If you play nice, I'm sure she'll see things your way."

He nodded. "Thanks for the tip about what the Locarnos are planning. But you never did say whether I should still work with Ricky Locarno to find a place for my restaurant."

"I don't think there'll be a problem with that." I finished my drink. Can't let good bourbon go to waste. "I'll give you a call once I've set something up with Cuddy."

I left him slightly more relaxed than when I arrived, but I thought part of that was because I didn't pursue any connection between him and Carlo Molino. I knew there was one, though. And I thought I knew what it might be.