Kathryn was throwing darts in her office and glowering. The more darts she threw, the worse her expression got. 

She was horrible at darts. And she hated being horrible at anything.

She'd just angrily missed by several feet, leaving a dart quivering in the doorframe, and was considering going for her gun to teach that dartboard a lesson- when Lucy Esposito walked in the door to respond to Kathryn's urgent phone call.

Lucy's eyes went wide for a moment as she heard the dart thud into the door frame as she was about to enter. It was obvious that Don Renford was angry - and given that she had just started to get comfortable at RP Inc that worried her slightly. Bowing her head slightly in respect she spoke

"Don Renford, I got here as quickly as I could. How can I be of service?"

Kathryn smiled at Lucy. Good thing she hadn't started shooting at the dartboard; that would have been an even ruder welcome.

"Sorry. I'm pretty horrible at this dart thing. But I think I have some work for you. Word on the street is that you're a gambler. Any games you're particularly practiced at?"

Lucy chuckled slightly as she saw darts sticking out of multiple surfaces in the room - other than the dart board. 

"I've always enjoyed the thrill of the roll of the dice - though I wouldn't say I am skilled as much as lucky at that. Poker, however, is something I play well. It helps, of course, that most men make assumptions when I sit at a table, I don't bother to correct those assumptions until I have taken their money."

Kathryn nodded, looking a little relieved.

"I was hoping you'd say that. I assume that if I have a job for you- even one involving your other skills- it's something you'd be willing to do for the family? For me?"

Lucy nodded without hesitation. 

"Whatever is needed it will be done."

"Good. I've got a problem that needs solving- quietly. It can't look like a mob hit. There's a Godfather in Pasadena who's pretty much retired now and-"

Lucy's eyes widened and Kathryn chuckled softly.

"- no, not sending you after a Godfather. You're good, but I'm not sure you're quite there yet. As I was saying, this Godfather is pretty much retired. But he's got a Capo, Johnny Vecchio, who is starting to throw his weight around. Complaining about "this Renford bitch" who's trying to take over the city. Now I don't want to provoke the Godfather- so, like I said, I'd prefer to make this look like... I dunno. A robbery gone wrong? An accident? Vecchio is into a big poker game that happens Saturday nights in a club/restaurant called The Venetian. Big money. If you can get yourself into the game, you should get a crack at him. But in terms of where and how you do the job? That's up to you."

Kathryn looked steadily at Lucy.

"Is this something you'll do for me, Lucy?"

Lucy sat thoughtfully for a moment, going over a couple of plans in her head. 

"It would be my pleasure to eliminate this problem for you Don Renford. Getting into the game shouldn't be too much of an issue, and if I play my cards right I can make sure that he wins a good bit of cash - which makes him a great mark for a robbery. Then, I can wait for him outside and convince him to join me in an alley - my experience is no guy says no to what he thinks will be an easy quickie. Once their it's easy enough to mimic a robbery gone wrong. Do you know if he runs with any bodyguards around typically?"

Kathryn nodded. 

"Just one. Big guy- name's something like Tommy... Timmy. Something like that- my broker wasn't sure. Nothing you shouldn't be able to handle, either by getting Vecchio to send him away or, well you know."

Lucy nodded and said, “Understood, I will take care of it and let you know when it’s complete,” before stepping out of the office and heading quickly to her own office to make plans.

---

Lucy’s driver pulled up in front of The Venetian and stopped, quickly exiting the vehicle to come open her door for her. Lucy was an unknown figure in Los Angeles and, tonight, she was using that to her advantage. She had reached out to a few contacts she knew from Scalise’s and had them drop word that a big spender was in town and looking for a poker game – it hadn’t taken long for her to get an invite to The Venetian and now she was playing the part.

She had worn a skin tight long black dress which had a very low back showing off an impressive amount of skin when her hair swayed to the side. She had her hair down in loose curls tonight rather than wearing it up as she often did. In addition to her normal crucifix and pendent of the Virgin Maria Auxilliatrix which she had tucked out of sight below the dress, tonight she wore a diamond necklace that glittered in the lights in front of the restaurant. On her wrist, she wore a bracelet of diamonds and rubies that was worth more than the car she had shown up in. The reality was that these pieces had both been borrowed from Scalise’s inventory and she would return them after the job was done, but she needed to look wealthy far beyond even her own substantial level tonight – she needed people to remember the wealthy socialite with the expensive jewelry rather than her own typical description if she was seen walking into the alley with Vecchio.

Approaching the door she smiled widely at the doorman, effecting a slight French accent she said, “Good evening, I am Renee Martin, I am here for the entertainment in the back room this evening.”

The doorman looked over a list and, upon finding her name, signaled for another man who came forward and led her to the backroom were the poker game was about to begin. Her target, Johnny Vecchio, was already seated so Lucy took a seat directly across from him so that she would be directly in his line of sight.

As the game began Lucy fell into the roll and began to play – winning just enough to make her look serious but ensuring that she lost large amounts to Johnny – she had every intention of getting it back by the end of the night anyway so she didn’t care how much he took her for. Lucy started to “drink” early in the game and while she never actually drank more than half a martini she appeared to drink several – the waiters getting to drink the remainder of her returned half full martinis certainly weren’t going to say a word – and played more and more tipsy as the night went on.

No matter the result of the hands she would make small flattering remarks to Johnny, while pointedly ignoring the other men. About half way through the game Johnny bullied the man next to Lucy into giving up his seat and Lucy knew she had him. As the game ended the repellent man could barely keep his hands to himself, but Lucy played along as she knew he would now follow her with ease.

Johnny further played into her hand as he bragged loudly about his winnings as they left the back room and walked through the dining hall and out of the restaurant. Lucy continue to allow the man to paw at her as she playfully grabbed his hand and pointing slyly toward the nearby alley whispered into his ear, “lose the guerrilla and I’ll show you a good time, I don’t do audiences though.” Johnny got an excited look before turning to his bodyguard and firmly saying, “Go wait in the car Tommy, I’ll be along in a bit.” The bodyguard began to protest but Johnny simply glared at him and he walked away, muttering under his breath.

Lucy walked into the alley and pushed Johnny up against the wall kissing him hard for a moment causing his face to go blank as lust filled his eyes. Lucy then stepped back from him and has he began to follow pushed him hard back against the wall again, giving him a playful smile and wagging her finger at him. She then began to trace her hand up the slit her dress pushing it up and to the side revealing her smooth legs. The man sat mesmerized not knowing that her hand was sliding closer to the .38 she had strapped to the inside of her thigh. Reaching it and allowing her dress to cover her hand she gripped the butt of the gun, prepared to pull it out at any time before her face turned to steel and she looked the fool directly in the eye. Dropping her fake French accent she said in a harsh voice, “Don Renford sends her regards.”

Johnny’s face had just started to register surprise and then fear as Lucy pulled the out the .38 and unloaded three shots into the man’s chest. As she fired she let out a blood curling scream as if she had just seen the murder instead of committing it. Acting quickly, she reached into his front pocket and pulled out the large roll of bills he had and also stripped him of his watch and rings.

She then ran quickly from the alley yelling, “Some bastard just shot Johnny!”. As a crowd rushed toward the alleyway to see what had happened she jumped into the back of her waiting car and her driver sped off. Twenty minutes later Lucy sat, back in her normal business attire, behind her desk and picked up the phone. Dialing Kathryn she waited until she had answered and simply said, “That small problem you had has been taken care of ma’am.”