spy scoop she was going to get from him. She had liked Quinn for himself at one time. His CIA stories were a bonus. But she was glad the relationship outlasted them.
“Hold on,” Quinn said to the speakerphone. He left the bedroom and walked to his study down the hall. When he picked up the call there, Ana continued to hear both men’s voices on the speakerphone. The CIA director had neglected to put the line on Hold.
“You there, Lloyd?” she heard him say.
“Sorry, Austin. It’s about Frank Gallardi.”
“Gallardi!”
“Shot dead couple hours ago. Got his security man, too. Professional hit according to the police. That’s all I’ve got right now.”
Quinn was silent for a moment. “Why are you calling me?”
“President wanted me to notify you and Stern. Oh, and General Scrubb at the Pentagon. Mostly as a matter of courtesy, I think.” Ana knew Stern was the president’s national security advisor.
“How’d you get it?”
“The Bureau.”
Ana had met Gallardi a few years earlier at the celebration and roast for Quinn at Gallardi’s casino in Atlantic City, and knew he had lofty connections in the government, but his murder was not of more than general interest to her. When Quinn hung up, Ana got out of bed, took a hot shower and got dressed. She heard the phone ring again while she was showering, but she’d turned off the speaker. She put on a robe and sauntered down to the study where Quinn was scanning the morning reports on the Langley computer terminal he’d ordered installed in his home.
“I heard Tracey’s call, Austin. You left the speaker on. What do you make of Gallardi?”
Quinn glanced at her peripherally. “Doubt if it’s anything as sinister as Tracey implied.”
“You knew him well?”
“We worked on the New Jersey casino bill together years ago. Pretty much a business relationship.”
Ana was leaning nonchalantly against the door, arms folded and ankles crossed. “Gallardi involved in the mafia?”
Quinn still hadn’t looked up from the monitor. He grunted and shook his head. “Stayed out of it.”
“Anything for you to do?”
Quinn shrugged. “Met his wife couple of times. She’ll expect me to do something.”
Ana knew there was little Quinn could do. The CIA had no investigative powers inside the U.S. That was the FBI’s bailiwick. Quinn would promise Mrs. Gallardi he would make some phone calls to encourage the FBI and state authorities to take special interest, but given Gallardi’s high profile in gambling, that would happen without Quinn’s input. And Quinn wasn’t one to demand a Congressional investigation every time a squirrel scampered across a street somewhere in Washington.
* * *
The next morning, Monday, Ana Koronis was in her office at the law firm at eight-thirty with The Washington Post . The paper said there were no suspects, no murder weapon and no clues in the Gallardi case. The story credited the wealthy casino owner, working with then state-senator Austin Quinn, for the state laws and regulations that enabled casino gambling in New Jersey. Gallardi had been rewarded with the first casino license, and Quinn with election to the U.S. Senate. This set him up for his subsequent appointment by President Cross to his present post as Director of Central Intelligence.
The paper referred to Gallardi’s high-profile clientele as the envy of the other Boardwalk casinos.
The article said police also were investigating the murder of known underworld figure Matthew Figueriano, killed on the same night as Gallardi. Police didn’t think the murders were related since Gallardi was not believed to have been involved with the mob. Power struggles between mob boss Joey Domino and Figueriano were legendary.
Ana leaned back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling. Her talk with Quinn about ending their relationship would have to wait a while longer.
* * *
It was a quarter past seven Monday morning when President Cross got Austin Quinn on the
“Hold on,” Quinn said to the speakerphone. He left the bedroom and walked to his study down the hall. When he picked up the call there, Ana continued to hear both men’s voices on the speakerphone. The CIA director had neglected to put the line on Hold.
“You there, Lloyd?” she heard him say.
“Sorry, Austin. It’s about Frank Gallardi.”
“Gallardi!”
“Shot dead couple hours ago. Got his security man, too. Professional hit according to the police. That’s all I’ve got right now.”
Quinn was silent for a moment. “Why are you calling me?”
“President wanted me to notify you and Stern. Oh, and General Scrubb at the Pentagon. Mostly as a matter of courtesy, I think.” Ana knew Stern was the president’s national security advisor.
“How’d you get it?”
“The Bureau.”
Ana had met Gallardi a few years earlier at the celebration and roast for Quinn at Gallardi’s casino in Atlantic City, and knew he had lofty connections in the government, but his murder was not of more than general interest to her. When Quinn hung up, Ana got out of bed, took a hot shower and got dressed. She heard the phone ring again while she was showering, but she’d turned off the speaker. She put on a robe and sauntered down to the study where Quinn was scanning the morning reports on the Langley computer terminal he’d ordered installed in his home.
“I heard Tracey’s call, Austin. You left the speaker on. What do you make of Gallardi?”
Quinn glanced at her peripherally. “Doubt if it’s anything as sinister as Tracey implied.”
“You knew him well?”
“We worked on the New Jersey casino bill together years ago. Pretty much a business relationship.”
Ana was leaning nonchalantly against the door, arms folded and ankles crossed. “Gallardi involved in the mafia?”
Quinn still hadn’t looked up from the monitor. He grunted and shook his head. “Stayed out of it.”
“Anything for you to do?”
Quinn shrugged. “Met his wife couple of times. She’ll expect me to do something.”
Ana knew there was little Quinn could do. The CIA had no investigative powers inside the U.S. That was the FBI’s bailiwick. Quinn would promise Mrs. Gallardi he would make some phone calls to encourage the FBI and state authorities to take special interest, but given Gallardi’s high profile in gambling, that would happen without Quinn’s input. And Quinn wasn’t one to demand a Congressional investigation every time a squirrel scampered across a street somewhere in Washington.
* * *
The next morning, Monday, Ana Koronis was in her office at the law firm at eight-thirty with The Washington Post . The paper said there were no suspects, no murder weapon and no clues in the Gallardi case. The story credited the wealthy casino owner, working with then state-senator Austin Quinn, for the state laws and regulations that enabled casino gambling in New Jersey. Gallardi had been rewarded with the first casino license, and Quinn with election to the U.S. Senate. This set him up for his subsequent appointment by President Cross to his present post as Director of Central Intelligence.
The paper referred to Gallardi’s high-profile clientele as the envy of the other Boardwalk casinos.
The article said police also were investigating the murder of known underworld figure Matthew Figueriano, killed on the same night as Gallardi. Police didn’t think the murders were related since Gallardi was not believed to have been involved with the mob. Power struggles between mob boss Joey Domino and Figueriano were legendary.
Ana leaned back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling. Her talk with Quinn about ending their relationship would have to wait a while longer.
* * *
It was a quarter past seven Monday morning when President Cross got Austin Quinn on the
Similar Books
