Chapter 47

• "Victoria, thank you again for helping organize the Newspapers in Education curriculum. I know you're busy, but your input was constructive. We will expand to Palm Beach because it's working so well in the Fort Lauderdale area." An older woman has been listening to Victoria at this journalism banquet for thirty minutes. She gives Victoria's arm a motherly squeeze. "You're such a dear."
• Victoria takes a brief look at me. She knows I'm upset because I was talking to David on my earpiece about the Miami project on the way over, hardly paying any attention to her. At this banquet, I've also been tersely businesslike with her, asking subtle questions about other newspaper bosses' firms and if they would be interested in selling.
• We're seated at a round table surrounded by people in this hotel banquet room, decorated in gold and white, almost dinnertime now. The space positively screams fake French decor, and there are seven of us seated close to the front. As the only person at the table who is not a journalist, I'm starting to grow bored. While sipping a martini, I resist the temptation to nibble on the two olives on the tiny toothpick in the glass.