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Chapter 155.

The skinny guy behind the desk frowned at me. "I'll see if the manager can see you now." He picked up a phone and punched a number.

I stood with both hands on the top of my cane looking around the office. An old-fashioned cork board held notices pinned to it, some looking older than the board, with curled and browned edges.

The metal desk was covered with piles of paperwork, some threatening to fall over. A few clipboards hung on hooks on one wall. I walked over to read them, but the skinny guy hung up his phone and said, "I'm afraid he's not available. Come back another day." As an afterthought, he added, "Please."

"Can I leave a message?" I took the top sheet from one of the piles and pulled out a pen.

"Oh, no. Please. I've got a clean sheet here, I think." He opened a drawer and shuffled items inside, pulling out a grubby but blank piece of paper and handing it to me.

I had to complete my charade of course. Writing something unintelligible, I signed it with an even more indecipherable signature, folded the note and handed it across the desk. "Please make sure your manager gets this. I expect to hear from him before tomorrow morning."

I turned and left, but didn't go immediately to my car. I continued around the building to see what was in the back. Five delivery trucks were lined up facing away from the building. All had the name of the fruit company on them. Nothing unusual, since deliveries were mainly made early in the day.

There was nothing further to see here. I started back for my car, and then I stopped. Something I'd seen, perhaps out of the corner of my eye, encouraged me to turn around and go back to look at the trucks again.

They were all neat and clean, not a scratch or dent in any of them. Where was the truck that Morgan used to ram the windows at the Black Keys? I supposed it could have been repaired by now, or even still in the shop, but there'd only been five clipboards in the office and there were five trucks out here.

I mentally listed the questions I had. Rudy might be able to help me with some. Even Petey might know something. Smiling, I returned to my car and drove to the hospital. The morning stop hadn't been a waste. I just had to parlay it into the information I needed.

I was so lost in thought as I entered the elevator to go up to my office that I didn't notice her at first, not until she spoke.

"Dr. House. Are you just now arriving?" There was a slight smile on Bev's lips.

"I had an errand to run first. Here to see your sister?" I wondered whether Jess had talked to her yet.

She nodded. "She wanted her Nook. I guess she's getting bored, cooped up here. There are just so many magazines and daytime TV shows a person can take."

"You're staying at her place?" I hadn't thought about where Bev might be living, but knew it wasn't with her father. Or with Marcello.

"Marlene insisted."

The elevator dinged as we reached Marisa's floor. Rather than continue on to my office, I got off with Beverly.

She raised her eyebrows at me, perhaps surprised that I was still at her side, and then let them drop. "I talked to your girlfriend this morning."

"She's worried about her father's involvement with your erstwhile boyfriend."

Bev grinned. "I got that impression."

"So?"

"I got the job at his restaurant, but I haven't learned anything yet. Mr. Giordano called an all-staff meeting for this afternoon, so I'll be able to find out who else he's hired, but I haven't caught even a glimpse of Giancarlo or even Mike Morgan." We'd reached Marisa's room.

I slid open the door but didn't enter. "You know what Morgan looks like?"

"Oh, yes. I'll know him if I see him."

"But he doesn't know you?"

She shook her head. "Although, Giancarlo does. I kinda hope he doesn't show up." She smiled at her sister. "Morning, Marlene. Here's your e-reader."

Marisa took the device and smiled back. "Hi, Bev. And Dr. House, too. How is everyone this morning?" She sounded more chipper than she had.

I thought it best to leave the sisters together. "I have to get back to my office. Bev, when you're through here, stop by." I kept my tone as casual as possible.

"Sure. See you later." Bev's attention was back on her sister.

My conversation with Beverly wasn't over, not by a long shot. In addition to the information I wanted Bev to obtain from Giordano, I wondered if Jess brought up Marisa's party when she talked to her earlier.

The team was assembled in the conference room, each absorbed in trivial pursuits. Newspaper crosswords, medical journals. Taub was playing solitaire with a real deck of cards. I guessed we still didn't have a patient. Since we turned Marisa's case over to Wilson, we'd only had one brief one that was resolved quickly.

I didn't expect a call from Jess, since I knew she hadn't learned anything from Bev. Of course, I wouldn't have minded talking to her.

Instead, the only message on my phone was from my boss. What did she want now? I frowned as I played it back. No surprise. She wanted to know why Marcello was avoiding her. I was avoiding her, too.

The next message was from Rudy. "I talked to the fruit delivery man today. He says he's never heard of Mike Morgan. He's one of five drivers for Bernini, only started a week ago. Nice young guy named Pete."

I smiled. Rudy came through and Petey was now working for Bernini. I called Rudy back just in case there was more.

"Hi, Doc. You got my message?"

"Yes. This new driver, what did he look like?"

His description met Petey's to a T.

"That's Jess' brother, I think."

Rudy chuckled. "You send him in as a spy? He said it was a hard job but he liked it."

"Did he say anything else?" I wondered if he knew anything about the truck that was missing.

"Nah. Had to go, but said I was on his route so he'd be seeing me again."

"Rudy, do you happen to know the license number of the truck Morgan drove into your front window?" I asked.

"Yeah. Wait a sec. I got it right here." There was silence on the other end for a minute, then Rudy was back. "Okay, here it is. BRN1006. The one may actually be an 'I'. The cops were looking for it and couldn't find it anywhere, not even at the fruit company."

The licenses I'd seen were BRNI with numbers ranging from 001 to 005, so it made sense. Another fact-finding trip to the auto shops might be useful. "Did they check repair shops?"

"They were planning to, but I haven't heard whether they found it."

"Well, I think we're making progress. Thanks Rudy. Have you spoken to Jess today? She has some great ideas for Marisa's party."

"Yes, your girlfriend just called. I love the black and white theme. Works really well with the décor of my place. Any word on when my songbird will be back?"

"Not yet." That was another thing I wanted to check, completely unrelated to anything else and free of complications, at least I hoped so. "I'll have Dr. Wilson give you a call when he knows. Thanks for the info on the fruit company."

"My pleasure. See ya."

I wondered when I'd hear from Petey, if at all. Even though I asked him to keep me informed, he might decide there was nothing to tell.

When I looked up, Bev stood in my doorway. "You asked me to come by after my visit with my sister."

"Yeah. Have a seat." I twirled a pen through my fingers. "I have a few more questions for you, some of them not related to what we talked about before."

"Oh? What else can I tell you?"

I tossed the pen onto the desk. "What's your sister's favorite food?"

"Huh?"

"Her boss is planning a surprise party at the piano bar when Wilson finally springs her from this place. Jess and her sister are catering. A black and white party."

Bev grinned. "That sounds like fun. Hmmm, let me see." She stroked her chin and narrowed her eyes. "She used to love spaghetti. I don't know whether she still eats it, but put any kind of pasta with a marinara sauce in front of her and she'd gobble it up. Of course, that adds red to the palette. Marlene was never big on hamburgers or hot dogs, though. And salads. She could eat an entire head of lettuce on her own. No dressing. No other veggies." There was a wistful look in her eyes. "We had a pretty good childhood until her father died. Then there was only Mother." Her smile twisted into a frown. "I escaped by going off to college, but poor Marlene."

"I thought your mother disapproved of your artistic aspirations."

She nodded. "I was an education major the one year I spent at Rutgers. She thought I should be a teacher, so she didn't complain, but then I dropped out, moved to New York, to the village."

"And later to Europe?"

"About four or five years later. I was so busy escaping from Mother that I ignored Marlene." She looked down. "I regret that now. I was so self-absorbed, but I hope I've grown up enough to be the big sister she needs."

What could I say? "The best thing you can do is help with this party."

Bev smiled. "It'll be my pleasure. I'll see whether I can find out whether she still eats pasta. Maybe I'll bring her some. Would that be okay? I mean, she's not on a restricted diet, is she?"

"Not that I know of. The only consideration is whether she can swallow something. She has had treatment of her vocal cords."

"Yeah, that's why her voice is so raspy. And she said they told her not to talk too much, so I did most of the gabbing today." She got up. "Well, I'd better go. I'll let you know what happens at Giordano's staff meeting, and I'll talk to Jess about the party for my sister."

"One more thing before you go. When are the secrecy is no longer necessary, do you think there's a future for you and Marcello?"

She grinned. "I certainly hope so."

As she walked out, she passed Petey rushing toward me, hopefully to report what he knew.

He turned to watch Bev, then continued into my office. "Who was that babe?"

"The sister of a patient." He didn't have to know more. "So, what do you have for me?"

"I managed to land a job with the fruit company. Man, it's hard work loading and unloading a truck! Those crates of oranges weigh a ton!"

I nodded, waiting for him to tell me something I pertinent.

"Anyway, the office manager told us that they had one truck out of commission. Guess that's the one that bashed in that window, right? But there's still five of us driving. One of the guys has been there a while. Big guy." He held a hand high over his head. "Name's Chuck. He says the driver from that truck hasn't shown up for work since he crashed it."