Page 1 of The Picasso Heist
PROLOGUE
SERIOUS AS A HEART ATTACK
“So can we trust her?”
“Can we afford not to?”
“What if she can’t pull it off?”
“She’s pretty damn smart.”
“How smart?”
“Second in her class at Columbia.”
“What do they call that, again?”
“Salutatorian.”
“That’s right.”
“She should’ve been the valedictorian.”
“What do you mean?”
“She got all As until her last semester. Then got a C in one course.”
“So?”
“The course was Twentieth-Century Art History.”
“She could’ve taught that class.”
“Exactly. She tanked the final on purpose.”
“How do you know?”
“The professor’s convinced.”
“What about her? Did she admit it?”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not relevant.”
“It is if we intend to trust her.”
“Remember, she’s not working alone.”
“He’s not the one I’m worried about.”
“And he says she can handle it.”
“Of course he would say that. He’s her brother.”
“He’s not just some guy, though.”
