We arrived home too late last night to post, but a little late, here's this week's chapter.

Thanks for reading my story. Leave a comment if you enjoyed this chapter.

Chapter 153.

"What kind of news?" I asked Bertoli, wondering whether it had to do with Molino, Bev or even Tina or Julio.

He ushered us to a nearby table and sat with us. "I was able to convince my daughter to stay in town for a while. She didn't really want to return to Palermo and that canagglio, that criminal."

I nodded. "She asked Jess' father for a job." I watched his face for a reaction.

"She did?" He was genuinely surprised and maybe something else. "Doing what?"

"Whatever he needs in his new restaurant," Jess said. "So you didn't put her up to it?"

He hesitated. "No. Why doesn't she want to work for me?"

"It's probably better if she doesn't. We don't want Molino to know your relationship to her," I pointed out.

Bertoli nodded. "Of course. That makes sense."

"So that's your big news? Seems to me we knew more than you did." I smiled.

"Oh, no." He held up his hands. "That wasn't all." He looked around to ensure we weren't overheard and lowered his voice. "I spoke to Julio about the kidnapping. I understand now why you were all taken." He nodded at Jess. "I knew you and your sister were caught along with him. But something didn't sit right with me. Remember that they asked for very little ransom?"

I did, and I'd wondered about it myself, but we'd dismissed it because we believed it was only a way to scare Julio and force him to carry out his orders from Molino.

"How did they know we could even come up with that amount?" His eyebrows went up and then all the way down. "And why did they release everyone so quickly? Huh?"

"You don't think it was a ploy to get us to trust Julio, do you? Why?" Jess didn't accept that. I didn't either.

"Oh, no. No. He's a good kid and he has no intention of harming any of the Locarnos. Not just Tina, but the rest of her family. No, that wasn't Molino's plan."

"Then what do you think he was after with the abduction, and what's your news?"I wondered why he was taking his time to get to it.

"Tina said something today that makes me think I know why Molino's after the Locarnos, and that ties into him arranging the abduction. Let me ask you this: what do you know about a connection between Molino and your girlfriend's family?" He asked me, but lifted his chin in Jess' direction.

"I understand that Peter Giordano knows Molino somehow, although I never figured out how." Several things came together in my head, the fact that Jess and Nina were taken along with Julio, Bev's sudden desire to work for Papa, even Molino arranging for Morgan to avoid serving time for his wife's death, after he did for killing Jess' mother. "Are you saying he intended to have the girls kidnapped, not Julio?"

"That's what I think." He folded his hands together in front of himself. "I think he needed something to keep Giordano from talking about...something. Even though it didn't work out that way, even though Giordano may not have even known his daughters were taken, your father has kept quiet. You said my daughter asked him for a job?"

"Yes." Jess' face was filled with conflicting emotions. "Do you think she's trying to find out what my father knows?"

Bertoli smiled. "My daughter may be ahead of us all. I think she knew about the connection between Molino and Giordano, but she never said a word."

All of that made sense, but I still had a question. "But where do the Locarnos come in?"

"Whatever Molino is planning, the Locarnos stand in his way." He shrugged. "I expect he's regrouping right now, knowing that the Locarnos are well protected, not the easy target they might have been when he first sent Julio here." He sighed. "I'm afraid there's worse to come. Hopefully, Bev can learn something from Giordano. It will help us all to be prepared for whatever's around the corner."

Jess had a stricken look on her face, complete with eyes filling with tears. "I've had my problems with my father, but I never thought he might be deeply involved with a man like Molino." Her voice was husky with pain.

"It's always possible that Molino had a hold over him and he's been forced to cooperate." That seemed most likely to me.

"For so long?" She couldn't stop the tears from overflowing. "Greg, maybe we should go home. I'm not feeling so well right now."

"Probably all that food you scarfed down at the tasting." I shrugged it off. "Besides, we came here to talk to Tina, although with this new intell, I'm not sure it's necessary."

Jess took a deep breath, let it out and nodded. "Okay. Let's not stay long, though."

"I'll bring Tina over right away." Bertoli got to his feet and looked around for the teenager. "Maybe you'd like a cup of tea, Jess?"

"Thanks. That might help." Her slight smile disappeared once he was gone.

While we waited for Tina, I drummed my fingers on the table, but I couldn't bare to see Jess in such distress. "Jess, let's not jump to conclusions. This is just Bertoli's theory."

She shook her head. "I have to be prepared to accept the fact that my father is a lying, no-good bum."

Tina rushed over and took the chair Bertoli had been sitting in. "Jess, what's wrong?"

"Did Mr. Bertoli tell you what he thinks?" She swallowed loudly.

Tina glanced my way and then back. "Yes." She put a hand on Jess' arm. "Don't think the worst of your father, not until we know anything with any certainty."

"That's what Greg's been trying to convince me."

"Because you have to. It won't change anything if you're upset. You've lost any remaining faith you had in your father. Now we have to find out what he knows and what his part is." I kept my voice as soft and soothing as I could.

Jess sighed. "Why don't we ask Tina what we came to find out, and forget about my father for a few minutes. We're here to talk about hers."

A furrow formed between Tina's brows. "What about my father? He's dead. He died a few years ago." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"Before your mother was killed." It was a fact.

"Yes."

"What do you remember about how he died?" I asked.

"They said it was natural causes."

"And you believe them? Who told you that?" I watched her face.

"My mother and grandfather. Father was sick for a brief time. His heart, I think. And then..." She looked off into the distance.

"Did you have a good relationship with him?" It was Jess turn to ask questions.

A fleeting smile softened her face. "We played games. Card games and Scrabble. He was very good. At first he let me win, but as I got older he must have realized I could hold my own because he didn't anymore."

"So you missed him." Jess' face lost its stricken look.

"I still do, maybe even more than my mother. She was terrific too, but I guess we weren't as close. But what do my parents have to do with anything? Aside from the fact that you think Mike Morgan killed my mother, what do they have to do with Molino?"

I tilted my head. "That's what we're trying to find out."

Jess nodded. "We saw a picture of you, your brother and your uncle at your mother's funeral."

"And?"

"And your grandfather was talking to Mr. Bertoli," I told her. "So I guess they knew each other even then, huh?"

"I didn't know that. No one ever told me."

I remembered what Mrs. Curci told us. "Did your grandfather ever talk about a trip he took to Palermo?"

"Palermo? Isn't that where Julio's from? What was he doing there?"

"Trying to open a business. Julio's mother mentioned it." I shrugged. "Carlo Molino stopped him and he left."

Tina shook her head. "But that doesn't make sense. It would be a motive for Grandpa to hold a grudge against Signor Molino, not the other way around."

I scratched my ear. "That's what we thought. I just wonder what else happened while he was there."

"Did Molino ever come here?" she asked.

"He came to check over the auto repair places he owns, although not recently." Julio told us that.

"The place my brother brought his car after his accident, right?"

Jess nodded. "Ricky saw Molino's wife there, but never Molino himself. Tina, can you talk to your grandfather, perhaps ask him about his time in Palermo, maybe find out whether he's had any other dealings with Carlo Molino?"

"I can try. Is there anything else I can do?"

Jess and I exchanged glances. She smiled at the teen. "Maybe your uncle or brother would answer questions about your parents' deaths that they wouldn't answer if Dr. House or I asked."

Tina nodded. "That I can do. No one talks about it, but I've had questions of my own for quite some time. I think you've convinced my uncle and brother that Morgan was responsible for my mother's death. Maybe they remember something they didn't understand at the time, but now makes more sense."

"We'll ask Bertoli how long he's known your grandfather, and maybe more about their relationship."

"This is beginning to sound like one of those mystery stories where everyone is connected to everyone else, but not necessarily in the ways you expect." Tina grinned. "If it wasn't so serious, it would be fun. Well, I'd better get back to work. Mr. Bertoli doesn't pay me to sit here and chit-chat with customers. Should I send him over to talk to you again?"

Jess nodded. "He was going to bring me some tea, and I'd still like some."

Tina stood. "Sure. And how about some chocolate fondu?"

"I thought you'd never ask." I smirked at her. She winked at me and strolled away.

"Tina's right. The connections we're finding are baffling. Still, they're beginning to make sense. I hate to admit it, but Bertoli's theory about my father seems more and more likely."

Bertoli himself brought over a tray containing a pot of tea and cup for Jess and a bowl of the molten chocolate with pieces of cake, fruit and cheese to dip in it.

I rubbed my hands together and then dipped a couple of strawberries. "How long have you known Tony Locarno?" My eyes were on my dessert as I waited for Bertoli's response.

"It seems like forever." Bertoli didn't try to hide it.

"Why didn't you mention it before?" Jess asked.

His shoulders went up and stayed there a while before dropping. "I didn't think it was important. But now. Yes, I've known him a long time. When I first came here, I worked for one of his companies, and helped with some of the charities he sponsored." He chuckled. "Did he tell you he left me in charge when he went to Italy to open one of his clinics?"

So that's the business he wanted to open. "I understand Molino wouldn't allow him to set up business in Palermo."

"Yes, that was the only city where he couldn't."

"And you didn't think it was important to tell us about that connection between the Locarnos and Molino?" Jess stirred her tea.

He had a puzzled look on his face. "I thought you already knew."