“Business trip?” Quinn kept his question light, like he didn’t even expect an answer.
“Family emergency, I’m afraid.”
“I hope everything’s all right.”
Ray gave Quinn a concerned smile as he motioned him toward the door. “We all do.”
They walked back through the bullpen, Quinn casually scanning the room. The activity level seemed to have picked up some since they’d last passed through.
As they were near the exit, Ray said in a low voice, “There’s the congressman.”
Quinn followed the aide’s gaze across the room toward the offices on the opposite side. Guerrero had just emerged with an older woman walking beside him taking notes.
The congressman was wearing an expensive-looking dark gray suit and was carrying a black leather notebook. From the pictures, Quinn had guessed he was tall, and he’d been right. Guerrero looked to be around six foot three.
Ray hesitated as if considering something, then said, “Wait here for a moment.”
The assistant press secretary headed across the room and stopped a few feet away from Guerrero. When he got his chance, he said a few words to the congressman, then looked in Quinn’s direction. With a nod, Guerrero followed Ray back across the bullpen.
“Congressman Guerrero,” Ray said after they reached Quinn, “I’d like to introduce you to Richard Drake. He’s doing an article for the
Guerrero smiled and held out his hand. Quinn returned the gesture. “Very glad to meet you, Mr. Drake. Colorado is one of the most beautiful states in the nation. You’re a lucky man.”
“Thank you, sir,” Quinn said. “Our readers will be glad to know you feel that way.”
“What part of Denver do you live in?”
“Actually just west of the city. In Golden.”
“Very nice,” Guerrero said. “You’re basically in the mountains at that point.”
“You’ve been there?”
“A few times, yes.” He smiled good-naturedly. Not a politician’s smile, but a natural one, like he meant it. “Went on a few road trips to Vail when I was in college. We’d stop in Golden to tour the Coors
plant and get a free beer.”
They all shared a laugh.
“Mr. Drake is a friend of Jennifer Fuentes,” Ray said, simplifying the lie Quinn had told him, and hitting closer to the truth than he realized.
For a millisecond, a look of concern passed over the congressman’s face. “You’re a friend of hers?”
“Not very close,” Quinn said. “I actually just met her a few months ago. Mr. Ray tells me she’s away on personal leave.”
The congressman stared at Quinn for a moment, a put-on smile frozen on his face. “Yes. Well, too bad you missed her,” the congressman finally said. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to get over to the Capitol.”
“Of course,” Quinn said. There was something the congressman wasn’t telling him, but now was not the time to press. “Thank you for taking a moment to speak with me.”
“The pleasure was all mine.”
They shook again, then the congressman was off.
“You’re lucky,” Ray said.
“Why?”
“If you’d have come next week, you would have missed him.”
Quinn looked at the aide, his brow creased in a question.
Ray smiled. “He’s going overseas with several other members of the Intelligence Committee.”
“Really? Where’s he headed?”
“Singapore.”
“Anything interesting?”
“A fact-gathering trip,” Ray said. “Pacific Rim security. These days you can’t afford to be uninformed.”
“One of the main rules I live by,” Quinn said.
CHAPTER
QUINN EXITED THE LONGWORTH BUILDING AND TOOK
the steps down to the sidewalk. As he walked west down the Mall, he
pulled out his phone and made a call.
