Harry was already punching in the country code and the area code to call Yoko, but Jack knew he heard every word he’d said. Harry never ceased to amaze him.

It was a beautiful morning, Maggie decided as she trotted along to meet Ted, Espinosa, and Dennis for breakfast to plan out the day. It was early, just barely past six fifteen, and already the sidewalks were full of people heading for their early-morning caffeine fix. Under her arm, Maggie carried a copy of the Post. She pretty much knew that the boys would also have a copy, but she never was one to leave things to chance.

Maggie grinned when she saw the trio already settled in a booth at the back of Casey’s Café, which, according to Ted, served the best bacon, cheddar, mushroom, onion, and a host of other things on top of a perfectly fried egg that was piled on top of a perfectly toasted English muffin. A plate of delectable hash browns accompanied each muffin. It was up to the customers how to fit it all in their mouths. Maggie always cut her muffin in four squares. The coffee was excellent, too, and the owners offered endless refills at no extra charge.

Maggie slid into the booth and slapped the paper down, the top folded over so that the pictures on the bottom half were front and center. “Great pictures, Espinosa,” she said, reaching for her coffee cup and filling it from the carafe already on the table.

“Did anyone notify any of the nominees?” Dennis asked. “As in Lincoln Moss.”

“The paper is the announcement. That’s the purpose of the whole thing. We can’t appear to show bias in any way. You do know that Moss was nominated twice before, but there are those in this town who actually do not like him, so he didn’t win.”

“Don’t you mean they fear him?” Espinosa said.

“That, too,” Maggie said. “You all do realize that this is all rigged. We’ll figure out something later on to turn it back into the legitimate contest we’ve always run. This is just to get us into his house to do an interview. Along with the other nominees we have so far who have to be interviewed.”

“Who’s going to make the call and do the interview?” Dennis asked.

“Since it was my idea, who do you think, Mr. West?” Maggie growled.

“Can I go with you?”

“No. You are on Jason Woods. Espinosa is going with me. Ted has other interviews to do. I seriously doubt Moss will agree to an interview, but I am going to give it my best shot. I am, if nothing else, persistent. Right now, I’m thinking Moss will be afraid some of the questions will be about his wife.”

“Any news on Jack and Harry?” Ted asked as he watched the waitress approach with their breakfast.

“I was going to call Nikki but didn’t want to wake her. I’ll call when we finish breakfast,” Maggie said as she sawed through the four-inch loaded English muffin with a serrated knife. “Tell us how it went with Jason Woods, Dennis.”