Jack almost jumped out of his seat when Maggie pulled into the underground garage. “I cannot wait to take an ice-cold shower and put on clean clothes that don’t smell!” he bellowed as he opened the door and sprinted to the private elevator that would take him to the penthouse. Maggie was only a few steps behind, with Cyrus out ahead of both. He was also the first one into the elevator. He was panting as if he’d just run a marathon.

Inside Annie’s penthouse apartment, Jack quickly filled a large bowl with cold water from the refrigerator. Cyrus lapped greedily.

“He drank almost the whole bowl, so give him fifteen minutes to cool down, then will you take him out, Espinosa? I have to take a shower and wash the stink off me. Just drop him off in my room when you get back,” Jack said.

Maggie looked around at the laptops and papers spread all over the dining-room table. She itched to know what was going on, but like Jack, she needed to go to her room and shower and put on clean clothes. “I’m never coming back here in the summer. Never! So, you all hear me? This heat will kill you. How do people live here?” she grumbled as she headed for the door, Jack in her wake. “We’ll be back shortly. What’s for dinner, Charles?”

“Meat loaf, new potatoes, fresh peas and carrots, homemade crusty bread, and a blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream,” Charles called to her retreating back. Cyrus barked to show that he approved the menu. “Dinner is at six, so take your time.”

“Make lots of gravy,” Maggie shot back. “Don’t forget to put those little peppercorns in the gravy.”

Charles threw his hands in the air the minute the door closed behind Maggie and Jack. He looked over at Fergus, who was holding up the bottle of multicolored peppercorns. He was grinning from ear to ear. “It’s understandable, Charlie. You have a lot on your mind.”

“Can you imagine the uproar at the table when the gravy is served with no peppercorns? I’d have to take the red-eye to somewhere to lick my wounds.” Charles decided to change the subject, since he didn’t want any visions of him climbing aboard the red-eye to parts unknown. “Any word from Avery or Abner?”