[ normally, information-gathering is julia hoffman's thing. she can do it in an instant, but it isn't fun when it has to be dragged out of them, and hypnosis wouldn't be a viable option in a place like this. certainly, she's made foolish decisions before, but that? that's crossing the line. even she has enough sense to refuse to attempt to pull that off.

so what little information she's gathered is sitting in her pocket, recorded discreetly from her tablet (she really needs to get a tape recorder for her sessions at home, she thinks - and then she remembers, and she has another drink), while she herself sits perched on a little stool at the casino bar. she bites a cherry off a stem and continues to watch everybody lose their money. it's actually pretty amusing. ]