“As long as you’re sure. Dennis has your schedule all mapped out for you. That kid is so generous, he blows my mind. Who do you know besides Annie who would send his Gulfstream to fly cross-country for one passenger? No one, that’s who. But like he said, he inherited the money, and he still has trouble thinking of it as his. But he’s willing to treat it as his if it can be used to do good for other people. My kind of guy. And he’s a hell of a good reporter in the bargain.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re his idol,” Maggie teased. “Now, tell me what happened here. Tell me everything and don’t leave out anything. I want to hear it all, every last word. Is everyone okay with my being here?” Maggie asked, her tone anxious, which surprised Ted.

“Everyone is more than okay with your being here. We’ve all been worried about you. We need your female input and viewpoint. We know very little because Lizzie knows nothing and is so consumed with Cosmo’s condition that even if she did know something, she can’t remember it. She refuses to leave Cosmo’s bedside. Jack and Harry and Dr. Wylie the surgeon literally forced her home to shower, sleep, and eat. The last thing I heard was via Charles, who said the surgeon—a personal friend of Cosmo’s, by the way—was also at his side. Cosmo had to be taken back to surgery a second time. I think he’s out of the ICU, but I’m not sure. Jack said Cosmo was trying to talk about Little Jack. That, to me, is a good sign.”

“Speaking of Little Jack, where is he? Who’s taking care of him?”

“Summer sleepaway camp. He doesn’t know anything, and Lizzie wants to keep it that way. Jack has been in daily contact with the boy.”

Maggie closed her eyes and listened to Ted’s reporter voice. Just the facts, ma’am. She was taking in and storing away all of Ted’s words so she could piece together her own version to make it work for her.

“I’m having a hard time believing Cosmo has enemies. That someone would try to kill him. Whoever it was must be a novice if they had to shoot four or five times and not kill him. Or Cosmo is the luckiest man walking the planet. Does he have enemies? I don’t know why I thought this, but I thought guys like Cosmo traveled with security. This is Vegas, after all. I must have heard that somewhere,” Maggie fretted.