A couple of surprises (blame my Muse) that tie some things together in this chapter. But what do they mean? Where will they lead?

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Chapter 146.

There was no more word on Morgan from Rudy the rest of the afternoon, and I didn't know what to make of that. After Jess left for a meeting with Nina and their staff to go over the menus for the first party they were catering, I sat in my office for a while, thinking about Marisa and her family.

But there was no getting past the fact that I should talk to her about them. I grabbed my cane and strode to the elevator, hoping she was alone. It would be easier to get her to talk if Ricky weren't hovering. He said he had work to do at his office so his grandfather wouldn't be on his neck, so there was a good chance he hadn't returned.

Marisa seemed to be asleep. She was lying back with her eyes closed when I entered her room. But the sound of the sliding door must have woken her because she sat up with a start. "Oh, Dr. House, it's you."

I didn't know whether she was disappointed or surprised. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"No. Ricky said he wouldn't be back until tomorrow, and your team members were in earlier to do some more tests. They said I passed and Dr. Wilson would be able to begin his treatment tomorrow."

I smirked. "A lot happening tomorrow."

She nodded, but she still wasn't smiling.

"I spoke to your mother."

That brought a frown. "Why'd you do that?"

I shrugged. "You listed her as next of kin. I thought she should know you're in the hospital."

"I can imagine what she said to that. Did you tell her I could pay my own bills?"

I smiled. She did know her mother. "Yes. But it's your sister who asks for financial help all the time, not you."

"Beverly...Beverly lives a different lifestyle. She's always liked to mingle with the rich international set. I think that's why she moved to Italy." There was something in her eyes I couldn't read.

"You don't care much for your step-sister, do you?" I asked.

"Let's just say I disapprove of her. I don't know her well enough to dislike her."

"And how does she feel about you?" I couldn't ask whether Beverly would send someone to watch over her, or to do her harm, could I? But if I knew whether the older woman had some kind of vendetta against her, that would tell me a lot.

Marisa shrugged. "I guess the same applies for her. She was already seven or eight when I was born. I don't think she resented me exactly. I do know that she and my father got along."

"Whatever happened to hers?" I hadn't really thought about that before. Somewhere I'd gotten the impression he died long before Anita married Windermaker, but maybe they divorced.

"Johnny?" She shrugged again. "He's still around somewhere. He wasn't a big part of her life."

So why did I suddenly feel it was important to follow up on him? "What was his last name? Do you know?"

She started to shake her head. "Something Spanish. No, Italian. I'd have to think about it."

"How old is Beverly?" I remembered that Marisa's DOB was April 14, 1988. "About thirty-three?"

"I guess so. Why are you so interested in my sister, and her father?"

Instead of a direct answer, I told her, "A man I'm curious about is your sister's latest boyfriend. I don't believe in coincidences."

"So you're looking for some kind of connection? But how could there be?"

"Yeah, that's my problem. I may be grasping at straws." But I took a chance anyway. "I think I asked you about the names Molino and Locarno."

She nodded.

"What about Bernini, Curci, Giordano, and Bertoli?" I threw out the names of most of the players with Italian names besides Molino and the Locarnos. She'd said Beverly's father was named Johnny, so Ihalf expected her to say 'Giordano', but that wasn't the one that caught her attention.

"Bertoli!" She smiled. "That's it!"

I sat down hard in the chair at the side of her bed. Woah! Now what did that mean? But Bertoli, the one I knew, Julio's boss, wasn't named Johnny.Or was he? I didn't think I'd ever known his first name. He'd been good to Julio, helped us get the kid, Jess and Nina back when they were kidnapped. He was connected, if only slightly to the Locarnos, and not to Carlo Molino. If he really was Beverly's biodad, how did that fit into the picture? It meant, in a way, that the threads were drawing tighter.

"What's the matter?" Marisa's lips turned down at the ends. "Do you know Beverly's father?"

"I might." Unfortunately, I didn't have a picture of Bertoli to show her. "Did you ever meet him?"

She nodded. "He came to the house a couple of times to see her. A tall man, well-dressed."

"Have you ever been to the Melting Pot? It's a restaurant, serves great fondu."

"No, why?"

"The Bertoli I know owns it. You should try it sometime after you get out of here. Maybe Ricky will take you." I was still pondering how I could find out whether my Bertoli was hers. Her description fit. It wasn't that common a name. Still, too many ifs.

She sighed. "I can't wait to leave. It feels like I've been here forever. Not that there haven't been benefits." She smiled.

"Your boss is looking forward to your return. He said he'd come by to see you again tomorrow."

"That'll be nice. Rudy's a great guy."

I had to agree with her. "Dr. Wilson will let you know how long your treatment will be. Recovery will take a few weeks, maybe a couple of months, but then you'll be singing up a storm again."

She grinned. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Meanwhile, rest your voice," I told her. I slipped out and headed for my office, thinking about how I might approach Bertoli. I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice her at first. She stood outside my office, wringing her hands. When I approached, her eyes narrowed. "Are you Dr. House?"

"Who wants to know?"

"My name is Beverly Windermaker. I understand you're in charge of my sister's case?"

"Was." I studied her. So this was the half-sister. Older, certainly, but just as pretty.

"What? She's not..." She didn't finish the sentence.

"No, nothing like that. Another doctor will be treating her now that my team has taken care of a simple case of allergic reaction."

Her shoulders relaxed. "I'm not sure I should see her."

"Then why are you here rather than with your boyfriend in Palermo."

"How did you know about Carlo?" She was frowning again.

"Oh, I have my ways. Come inside and we can talk. Then you can decide whether it's prudent to see Marlene." I pushed open the door to my office.

Once we were both seated, Beverly began to fidget with her hands. "Marlene and I aren't close."

I nodded.

"But she's still my little sister. I worry about her."

I tapped a pen on my desk. "Is that why you had Carlo tell Mike Morgan to watch over her?"

"Who's Mike Morgan?" She clearly didn't know the name.

"A convict with at least two vehicular manslaughter counts against him. He works as a truck driver for Bernini Fruit Company." I watched for her reaction to that.

"Is that Giancarlo's company?"

I smirked. "You tell me. I think Molino is the actual owner." I put the pen down. "You never answered my question. Why are you here, in New Jersey?"

"I told you. I worry about my sister."

"Why don't you have your biodad take care of that?"

"Johnny?" She shrugged. "He has his own problems." She sighed. "Do you know my father?"

"Good question, and one I'm curious about." I stared at her as something clicked into place. "Did he tell you to get close to Molino?" I could imagine Bertoli doing his own investigation of the man. "Because of Julio Curci?"

Her eyes widened. "How did you know?"

My turn to shrug. "It's what I'd do." I hadn't seen or heard from Bertoli in weeks it seemed. I grinned. "I'll have to talk to him about what he's learned, but I expect you can tell me anything you told him."

"Why should I?" She stood. "Look, I don't know you, and I certainly don't know whether I can trust you. I'm only here because my sister is in this hospital, and I'm worried about her."

Time to throw out some more info. "Did you know that she and Ricky Locarno have become close?"

"Ricky?" Her eyes narrowed. "Is he related to Tony?"

"His grandson."

She seemed to mull that over. "How did she meet him?"

"I introduced them. That was before I knew about you. I still don't know what your part is in this, although I have a better idea now." I blew a breath out between my half-closed lips. "Sit down. I'm not going to bite." I grimaced. "I called your mother earlier. She's not too pleased with either of you."

Beverly rolled her eyes. "My mother has her own agenda. I know she's fed up with my requests for funds, but she acts as if I'm asking for her money."

"You're not?"

"No." She tapped her chest. "It's my trust fund from my step-dad. It's my money. She's just the trustee."

"Then why is she so annoyed with you?"

"I told you. She has her own agenda. Plus, she thought he'd leave it all to her, but instead he left the lion's share to me and Marlene. I think that still rankles for her."

"It seems like she was living a luxurious life. Where'd she get the loot for that?"

Bev smirked. "Good question."

So, she was as annoyed with her mother as her mother was with her. I was beginning to like this woman, maybe even more than her sister.

"Rather than visit Marisa, I mean Marlene, she said she'd send flowers or chocolate."

She rolled her eyes. "That's our mother. Why did you call my sister Marisa?"

"You didn't know that's the name she's using for her singing career?" I countered.

"Oh, yes, that's right." She smiled. "Poor kid. She wanted to be an opera star, you know, but Mother squelched that idea early on. Wouldn't pay for lessons. I think it was her high school choral teacher who thought she should apply to Julliard, but Mother wouldn't hear of it."

"I gather she has, or rather had, a great voice."

"She did. So, whatever's wrong with her is affecting her voice?"

"Nodules on her vocal cords. But we're on it." I was curious about a few things, so I suggested, "As long as you're here, you should visit her."

Bev shook her head. "I'm not sure she'd be happy to see me."

"The only way you'll know for sure is if you do."

She took a deep breath and let it out. "Alright. I did come all this way, might as well let her know I care."

I smiled as I rose. "No time like the present."