It seemed too easy and that made Jessica nervous. Vladimir the Pope had agreed to meet them at Brentano Hall for the poker game.
Lolita was right. He was eager to move in on her game and wanted to unload the painting as soon as possible.
Jessica had heard the Pope was a dangerous man who could make people disappear without a trace. To compound the threat, she’d be playing for Lolita’s tuition with her friend’s entire savings.
When Jessica arrived at Brentano with Nick in tow, Lolita was setting up. Since her usual dealer was still sick, she’d had to hire Jack again. He was leaning against the wall smoking a joint and offered it to Jessica as she passed by, but she just waved him off.
She needed a clear head if she was playing for Lolita’s future. Anyway, the last time she smoked with J
