Fancy Gap Read Online Free

sunsets. Life was settling into a very comfortable rhythm.
    * * *
    The invitation was delivered by overnight mail. His new life had no need for overnight mail. Much to his surprise, the interior envelope was from the FBI. That got his attention. What looked like a fancy wedding invitation was actually an invitation to a retirement party.
    Randy O’Brien, the number two man at the FBI, was about to retire to his farm in Montana. Randy was a senior administrator who was well liked by the rank and file. He was fair and as direct as he needed to be, and he avoided the usual Washington bullshit. Quinn knew him from some work they had done to help clear a young agent who was accused of taking bribes from a corporate mover and shaker. Quinn’s expertise in corporate financial crime helped him get to the bottom of the allegations and clear the agent, who happened to be Randy’s nephew. The Bureau would never admit that they had solicited outside help to get one of their own out of a jam. Randy never forgot Quinn’s contribution. He became a good resource in Washington as well as throughout the Bureau’s global labyrinth of networks.
    The invitation came at just the right time. Perhaps a trip to the other end of Virginia and the District might be a pleasant diversion. Besides, he hadn’t been to DC Coast, a swanky watering hole used by politicos and business executives, in years. He could catch up with two of his favorite barkeeps, Laura and Ned. He had met them before they were married and when they had just started working at the Coast. While he hadn’t seen them in a while, they stayed in touch on Facebook.
    * * *
    The five-hour drive across Virginia was peaceful. After he checked into the Sheraton in Crystal City, he took the Metro into the District. When he walked into DC Coast, Laura ran around the bar and jumped into his arms.
    “You big, handsome man!” she blurted out as she kissed him.
    He gave her a peck on the cheek as Ned pulled out a bar stool for him.
    “You don’t mind me kissing Laura, do you?” He shot a quick look at Ned. “Hey, you might be married to her, but I know she loves me.” Quinn continued.
    “Hey, old man, she can kiss you all she wants. Then she’ll understand what kissing an old fart is all about!”
    They laughed and reminisced while he sipped some very good white wine. After a while, he looked at his watch and realized he needed to get to the private reception area for O’Brien’s retirement gala. Being late was not an option.
    A pretty, young waitress handed him a flute of champagne as he entered the room. There had to be fifty or so people in attendance. He recognized some of them as career FBI agents and some from other agencies. He mingled and made polite conversation about Randy’s accomplishments. Out of the corner of his eye, he focused on a tall, attractive redhead who was making the rounds in the crowd. It suddenly dawned on him that she was Louisa Hawke. The grapevine had passed along an e-mail announcing her recent retirement from the Bureau as chief of the Criminal Investigation Division at headquarters. Rumor had it that she didn’t see eye-to-eye with Peter Finch, the newly appointed director of the FBI. He had met her in passing on one of his visits on the O’Brien assignment. She certainly was easy on the eyes.
    His delightful train of thought was interrupted by a hand resting on his right shoulder. He turned to see Randy O’Brien smiling at him. “She’s a remarkable and very attractive woman,” he remarked, noticing the direction of Quinn’s gaze.
    “Can’t deny that, my friend. She must be making someone happy.” Quinn suggested.
    Randy laughed. “Not recently. I believe she has been a free agent for quite some time now. She was the consummate professional workaholic. There was never any time in her life for a relationship.” Now there’s an interesting piece of intelligence, he thought.
    “Quinn, I’m very sorry about your loss and that I couldn’t