For a moment, it seemed as if Quinn was just as tired as he had been when he had fallen asleep a few hours before. He closed his eyes and tried to think of an option, some way to get Jenny to agree to give up whatever mission she thought she was on and go someplace safe. But he knew if he just contacted her, there would be no way he could talk her into coming with him. She had already made that clear enough.
“I think I might know what we can do,” Orlando said.
Quinn opened his eyes and looked at her.
“We know she’s interested in Congressman Guerrero, and given the chance, she’ll try to contact him.”
“Why would she do that?” Nate asked. “He’s trying to kill her.”
“That’s not what she believes. She said she had to warn him. She wouldn’t warn someone she thought was trying to kill her,” Quinn said.
“Right,” Orlando said. “So I was thinking we could use that to our advantage.” She looked down at her computer and pulled up a file that had been open but hidden. “I was able to get a copy of the congress-man’s itinerary. Most of the time, he’s scheduled to be in private meetings. But he does have a couple of public appearances. Tomorrow he’s scheduled to visit a hawker center in the afternoon”—the Singapore version of an outdoor food court—“and then spend some time shopping before leaving to go back to the States in the evening. But tonight there’s a reception for the American congressional committee at a restaurant on Orchard Road called Rivera’s. Technically, the party isn’t open to the public, but the restaurant is in a shopping center.”
“Easy access,” Quinn said, starting to see where she was going with this.
She nodded. “I was thinking you could contact her on the Sandy Side message board and tell her about the reception. Maybe even tell her where a good place to spot the congressman might be.”
“Isn’t that defeating the purpose?” Nate said. “I thought we were trying to keep her away from Guerrero.”
“He’s just the bait,” Orlando told him. “We have to lure her out of wherever she is. But then we get to her before she has a chance to approach the congressman.”
“Sounds risky,” Nate said.
“You have a better idea?” Quinn asked.
Both Quinn and Orlando looked at Nate, waiting.
“No,” Nate finally said.
Unfortunately, neither did Quinn.
Rivera’s was part of a new upscale shopping complex on Orchard Road. It was located on the second-floor atrium and took up the majority of the east side of the building. The location was no doubt highly desirable. Quinn guessed rent for that much space would have to be considerable.
If it had been located in Los Angeles, it would have been one of those restaurants celebrities dined at to be seen. Upscale, expensive, and trendy. It would have also probably been hot for a year, then just as suddenly forgotten as newer and even trendier places opened up. But this was Singapore, not L.A. Perhaps here it would have a fighting chance to survive.
Quinn and Nate were dressed in dark suits, both to conceal the weapons they were carrying and, if necessary, to blend into the crowd at the reception later. They arrived at the restaurant early so they could eat a late lunch and do a little recon. As they were being seated, the waiter told them the restaurant would be closing in an hour, his tone friendly but firm. Without actually saying it, his meaning was clear. Be done or leave without finishing.
There was a bar near the entrance, and to the right the main seating area. Beyond the dining room were the kitchen and restrooms. With the exception of the decor—dark but warm—it wasn’t much different than any other restaurant. The same basic rules applied.
In truth, Quinn hoped they’d get to Jenny before she ever reached the restaurant. If she got inside, where the congressman would undoubtedly have his men with him, it could get really messy. That was the last thing Quinn wanted. But being prepared was ingrained in him. So familiarizing himself with the location only made sense.
Not long after their food was brought to them, two women and a man entered the restaurant. The man wore a gray business suit, while the women were in dresses suitable for a party. The man carried a clipboard in one hand and a thick package in the other. The older of the two women seemed to be in charge. She was the only one doing the talking, while the other two simply nodded.
After a couple of minutes, they separated, the man and the younger woman staying near the front door, while their boss headed for the kitchen.
“I’ll be right back,” Quinn said to Nate.
He got up and headed toward the two near the front. They were standing near a small table just off to the side of the entrance. The man had opened the package and was pulling out several items.
“Excuse me,” Quinn said as he reached them. “My name is Tim Foster, I was supposed to meet with someone who’s organizing tonight’s reception. You don’t know where I might find them, do you?”
The woman smiled. “You’ve found us. I’m Darla Wong, and this is my associate Dean Gaboury. How can we help you?”
“Oh, this is great. I’m sorry. I thought you worked for the restaurant,” he said. “I’m part of Congressman Guerrero’s advance team. I just want to make sure everything’s okay. We never actually received any hard-copy invitations.”
“Everyone is on the list,” the woman said. “No invitations necessary.”
“Great. And you’ve got all of us, right? I believe there are eleven people in the congressman’s group.”
“Let me check. Dean, can I have the list please?”
Gaboury handed the clipboard to his colleague. “We updated the list this morning,” the man said. He had a slight Australian accent. “I’m sure everyone’s there.”
As Darla began looking at the list, Quinn moved around so he could glance over her shoulder. The name of the
