Cyrus leaped up onto the bed and stretched out. Jack laughed. God, he loved that dog.

Forty minutes later, Jack and Cyrus stepped out of the private elevator into the foyer of the penthouse. The scent of freshly roasted coffee and bacon struck his nostrils, reminding him of how hungry he was. Cyrus barked to show he was in agreement as he pranced into the huge penthouse and made the rounds so everyone could pet him and tell him how glad they were to see him. He waited just long enough to see where Jack was going to sit at the dining-room table before he found a spot next to his master’s chair. He flopped down and closed his eyes just as Harry arrived and sat down next to Jack.

“Okay, we’re all here now,” Jack said, “so let’s hear something. Right now, I’ll take anything you all want to share. Abner told me that Ted and Espinosa got a copy of the police report. Somebody clue us in.”

“Not much on it, Jack. The gunning down, the shoot-out, whatever you want to call it, went down in an area of town that is being, I guess the word is, refurbished. Renovated or whatever. It was originally an area off-limits to most people because of the crime and decay. The renovations have been going on for years, and real progress is being made. Cosmo owns it, along with a partner. Not sure whether it was gang related because their turf was invaded. No one has been arrested. Someone, no one knows who, called 911 when shots were fired. I did a little research on the area in question, and while originally seedy and less than desirable, it has never been known for gunfire. An ambulance came, and the first responders did what they had to do and whisked Cosmo to the clinic. He was able to tell the first responders where to take him, then he was out. As far as we know, he never said another word.”

“That’s it?” Jack said, disbelief ringing in his voice.

“Pretty much,” Dennis said. “I did some digging, too, and that whole quadrant of the city is owned by Cosmo Cricket and someone named Zack Meadows. I googled him, and he’s on the Gaming Commission, so it’s a safe bet he’s a good friend of Cosmo’s. In addition, three blocks of buildings are inhabited by senior citizens. The buildings and their grounds are in tip-top shape. It’s the only nice, decent part of that whole area, which is otherwise full of decaying buildings, but that’s changing on a daily basis. Maybe an eighth of a mile up from the complex is a little park with benches, where the seniors go to play checkers, chess, people-watch, that kind of thing. As I said, the area is being refurbished, but slowly.” Dennis spread his hands, palms up, as if to say, There you have it.

“I have a call in to Mr. Meadows, asking him if he’ll meet with us,” Charles said as he set a large platter of bacon and waffles in the center of Annie’s long dining-room table. Fergus then placed a platter of scrambled eggs, toast, and pancakes at each end. Warm syrup and melted butter followed as the gang dug in. Charles’s number one rule of not talking business during mealtime was paid no never mind as everyone started talking at once.