I apologize for how long it's been since the last chapter, but I had little time to write while I was away.

Thanks for reading, and you know how much I love your comments.

Chapter 126.

Jess and Nina still had the problem of a company name. The two that Jess mentioned to me earlier turned out to be taken, and neither of the sisters was enamored of my latest suggestion, Hell on Wheels.

Jess shook her head. "It sounds like a food truck."

"Yes, one selling devil's food cake." Nina rolled her eyes.

I left them to continue brainstorming.

My next task was to find out when Mike Morgan moved to Princeton. Was it right after he was released from prison? If I could learn that, and also where, and especially when Molino might have learned about him, it would go a long way toward solving all of the mysteries.

The trouble was, I didn't know where to start. Or did I? Hadn't Jess said her father kept track of Morgan's prison stay and release? Guess I had to tackle Papa Giordano one more time. I only hoped it was the last time I would be pumping him for information.

First I called Marcello and made my appointment with him. He couldn't see me until early the next afternoon. That would be after Jess' sonogram. I thought a few minutes before calling Peter Sr. It would be best to talk to him after I saw Marcello in case I had to ask Giordano something based on what I learned. He wasn't there, so I left a message asking him to meet with me the next day at three.

Unfortunately, that left me with several hours where I had nothing to do. I would have volunteered to work in the clinic if it meant I didn't have to think about the look on Jess' face in Dr. Jerome's office, and later when she made the appointment for the sonogram. Was it the waiting room full of couples who truly wanted to become pregnant? The pictures of smiling families?

The easiest thing to do would be to ignore the issue. But I knew it wouldn't go away. When we went for Jess' ultrasound, every time we went to Jerome's office, and every test he sent us for would bring it up again. Best to settle it now, so we both knew where we stood.

I had to get her to talk about this, preferably at a time and place I controlled. Perhaps after dinner and a couple of glasses of her favorite wine. Or maybe later after a rousing bit of lovemaking. No, the first would be better.

Coming up with that plan hadn't taken long enough. Now I had time on my hands, and my mind kept going back to those photos. I've had enough infant patients, toddlers like Christopher and younger ones. But I could always focus on what was wrong with them, not how – cute they are. I could understand our visit to the fertility doctor bringing out the maternal instinct in Jess. They say a woman can tell that her biological clock is ticking faster and faster. So what was I feeling?

No. I'd always known I wouldn't be good father material. I refused to believe I was changing my mind. Still, I wouldn't want to deprive Jess...NO!

Before my mind could settle, I received a call from Jess.

"Dr. Jerome's office called." She sounded upbeat. "The blood tests showed we're both fine. Isn't that great?"

"Great." I didn't even try to muster any enthusiasm. "So you don't need the ultrasound?" Maybe we could avoid that.

"Oh, they still want me to go for it." Her happiness wasn't dampened. "Well, you're probably busy. We can talk about this later. I just wanted you to know."

"Uh-huh. Later." I closed the connection, my mind in turmoil. I forced myself to think about something else. There was no one in the conference room, and there was nothing on the white board. I strode to the board and took a marker, starting to list everything I knew about Francesca Molino and her husband down the right side, including what we learned in Jerome's office. Then along the left side I wrote what I knew about the accident that killed Jess, Nina and Petey's mom. The only thing the lists had in common was Morgan, and the fact that they were killed in car accidents. Francesca had been alone in the car. Or had she?

I returned to my office to review the articles I'd saved about her death. I was right. There were no other victims, no one else present. Back to the board.

The two accidents happened years apart. Either Morgan was a really bad driver, or he hit both cars intentionally. I returned to the conference room, with nothing new to add.

Chase came in while I was studying the board. "What's that?"

"Doesn't concern you."

"Are you still trying to find out what happened to a woman you never met? To implicate her husband, whom you've also not met?"

"I want to know why Julio was abducted, and Jess and Nina with him."

"I'd say you should become this compulsive about your cases, but then you are." He stood beside me, looking at what I'd written. "Who's this Mike Morgan?" He pointed to the name on both lists.

"He was the one driving the other car both times."

"Both times?" Then he did a double take. "He killed Jess, Nina, and Petey's mother, as well as Francesca?"

I nodded.

He let out an attempt at a whistle. "No wonder you're so interested." Chase looked at the board again. "It could be coincidence."

"Could."

"But you don't think so."

I shrugged. "The only way to know for sure is to look into this Mike Morgan." I touched his name with the end of my cane. "And see what else he's been involved in over the years."

"Like?"

I took a deep breath and let it out. "Like anything to do with the Locarno family."

His eyes narrowed and he looked at me to explain.

"Molino claims they're responsible for his wife's death. I want to know why. What do they have to do with the price of tea in China?"

He nodded, getting my meaning right away. "So, what do you do next?"

"I have a meeting with Marcello Locarno tomorrow."

"And meanwhile?"

I didn't have a plan for meanwhile. "Any suggestions?" Chase sometimes had a good idea. I hoped this was one of them.

"Do you know where Morgan is living now? Where he's working?"

I shook my head. "I haven't been able to find out but it is something to look into."

"Mrs. Giordano was killed in Dorsey, wasn't she? And Francesca Molino here in Princeton?"

I smiled. "Yeah. Nina says Morgan lived in Dorsey before her mother was killed. I know he did time in prison, but not what happened to him after he left the care and feeding of the state of New Jersey. But Peter Giordano does."

"Petey? How would he know?"

"No, not Junior. Senior. I'm meeting with him tomorrow, too."

Chase grinned. "That makes sense. You could talk to Petey, too, though. Who knows what he remembers from the accident or about Morgan."

"I'd think he'd want to forget the whole thing. His father's attitude toward him changed after that."

"All the more reason he might have something he needs to vent about."

It didn't take me long to realize how right he was. I nodded and left without a word to try and track down Jess' brother. He hadn't been around since we finished the hyperacusis study, but Jess and Nina said he'd be working with them on their new venture, so I called her.

"Have you seen your brother lately?"

"Petey?"

"You have another one you haven't told me about?"

"No, of course not. Um, last time we saw him was yesterday. He stopped by Nina's briefly to ask when we'd be needing him." Her voice sounded thoughtful.

"Did he have somewhere else to be?"

"He asked about the clothes he'd need for the job and we sent him to the uniform company we plan on using. But that was yesterday. I have no idea where he might be today." She paused. "Why are you looking for him?"

"You know me. The more brains I can pick, the better I like it."

"I don't think he knows anything that can help you. Greg, he's bound to have buried the accident and everything that's associated with it."

I wasn't so sure. "You never know what might be lurking in his mind."

"Well, good luck finding him."

"At least I'm pretty sure he hasn't gone back to Florida."

She chuckled and ended the call.

I started with his motel. Why he hadn't found an apartment yet is a puzzle in itself. I chalked it up to Petey being Petey. Imagine my surprise to find him there, watching TV, a box of pizza in front of him on the unmade bed. Or what was left of a box of pizza.

"Hi, House. Want some?"

I obligingly took the last piece and sat in the only chair in the room, a large, overstuffed armchair.

"Did you need me for something?" He took a swig from the can of Coke in his hand.

"I know you don't like to talk about it, or even think about the accident, but I need to know what you remember."

His face clouded over. "I kinda expected you to bring that up someday." He stared at the screen, some smash 'em up movie. How appropriate. He shook his head. "I was trying to drive as carefully as I could, 'cause Mom, Nina and Jess were with me. It was really bright out, and the sun was in my eyes, getting me dizzy. Guess that was from the hyperacusis. Anyway, I didn't see the truck until it hit the passenger side of the car." He rubbed his forehead. "I don't remember what happened after that."

"What do you remember about the week before then? How were your parents acting?"

"Huh? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm not sure. Nina said they argued more than usual."

"Maybe. I guess I never noticed things like that."

"Your father's attitude toward you changed after the accident. Do you know why?"

He shrugged. "He blamed me for the accident, even though the other guy was charged."

"That must have hurt."

"Yeah, especially since I thought he loved me."

"What about the other guy?"

"The other guy? I barely knew him. Why would he love me?"

I refrained from rolling my eyes. "No, I mean what do you know about him?"

"He was a truck driver for the factory, and he was drunk." He smirked. "I used to see him at Boomers all the time, at the bar."

"So Jake would know him?"

"Oh, sure. Then again, Jake knows everyone in Dorsey."

I ate my pizza slice thinking about that. A drive to Dorsey might be in order. Or I could just call Jake.