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And if he goes, so will Joseph and Dennis. I can’t have that. Tell me what you think. Was I wrong?”
    “Good heavens no, Annie. You are the boss. Sometimes, you seem to forget that. Ted is exemplary, and so is Dennis. I’ve yet to meet a photographer who can hold a candle to Joseph. The paper would falter without them. Maggie has to learn to put her personal feelings aside. Although I do understand what she is going through. You know what they say, business is business, and there is no room for personal vendettas.”
    Annie got up to pour more coffee in their cups. “She’s also upset that the private detectives have come up with nothing, which is rather strange in itself.”
    Annie eyed the long, narrow length of yarn Myra was working on. “Isn’t it time to give that up?” she said, pointing to the pile of messy yarn at Myra’s feet.
    “Are you serious, Annie? If I did that, how would my friend Claudeen out in Arizona—your friend, too, I might remind you—who spent hours on Skype teaching me how to knit, feel. I can’t just quit. I’m getting better, and you know it. I would never want her to think I wasn’t trying. I know I’ll never be able to knit like she does for the terminally ill at hospice. She loves that yarn ministry we put together. My goal is to help out as soon as I get good enough.
    “Hopefully, sooner or later, I’ll improve. We need to recruit more knitters for the ministry. When I think about all those gorgeous afghans Claudeen makes for terminally ill patients, I get all choked up. She’s a really good person, as you know. Swear to me, Annie, that you won’t tell her what a messy knitter I am. It would break her heart.”
    “I’m not going to tell her. Why don’t you tie it off or whatever you have to do to finish it and let the dogs lie on it by the fire?”
    Myra sighed as she packed up her knitting. “I tried that, but they get their nails caught in the stitches because they’re too loose or something. Let’s not talk about this anymore, all right?”
    “What do you want to talk about, Myra? Christmas?”
    Myra let loose with another long sigh. “It is fast approaching. We could get in the car and drive to Yoko’s nursery and pick up the Christmas wreaths that she’s holding for us. I’m not sure anyone will be joining us this year, and I guess that’s why I didn’t really make any plans for a party or a get-together. It might be just you and me. How sad is that, my friend? And we have to help Nellie with Elias. We promised. It’s just one Christmas, Annie. Elias has to come first.”
    “I haven’t heard from anyone in quite a while; well, there was that disastrous luncheon, but no one has called to check in. It’s like we’re forgotten. I don’t like the feeling, Myra. You’re absolutely right about Nellie and Elias—they have to come first. Nellie didn’t say it out loud, but I don’t believe she thinks that Elias will be around for another Christmas.”
    Myra fingered her pearls, which adorned her neck, her lifeline to life. “I don’t either, but there’s not much we can do about that. I suppose we could go to Vegas, so you can stir up some trouble. But even that has lost its allure.”
    “Myra, look at me. What’s your feeling on our going to the FBI and asking them to initiate a search for Charles? I’ll even throw Fergus into the mix if we can make it work for us. The papers have been full lately about Jack Sparrow taking over the directorship of the Bureau. Of course, that would have to wait till January if he takes office, which I’m sure will come to pass. That would still mean from now to then, we are sitting here doing absolutely nothing.”
    “Okay, we’ll think about it. Get dressed, and let’s go to see Yoko. She might have some kind of news. We could even pop in at Nikki’s firm to see how she and Alexis are doing. What do you say?”
    “I say let’s go. I’m driving because I want to get us there today, not tonight, the way you