The Inheritance Games, #3
The Final Gambit
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Contents
CHAPTER 34
Overview
Avery and the others decode Luke 15:11–32 as the parable of the prodigal son, but the kidnapper uses the next call to deepen the puzzle rather than release Toby. Toby briefly warns Avery before being silenced, and the caller emphasizes the parable’s three roles: the son who left, the son who stayed, and the father.
The exchange raises the stakes by linking Toby’s abduction to inheritance, resentment, and Tobias Hawthorne’s decision to choose Avery. The caller’s refusal to speak to Eve also sharpens Eve’s emotional exclusion and suggests the clue may point to competing claims within the Hawthorne family.
Summary
After Max identifies the clue as Luke 15:11–32, Avery, Eve, Libby, and the Hawthorne brothers spend the night studying every version and interpretation of the parable of the prodigal son. With only a few hours of sleep, they gather around the phone as the timer expires, while Xander prepares to record the call.
When the phone rings, Avery answers on speaker. The kidnapper addresses Avery by her full name and forces her to state the clue. Avery says she has solved the puzzle and demands to speak to Toby.
The kidnapper briefly allows Toby onto the line, but Toby only manages to warn, “Avery. Don’t—” before he is cut off. Avery becomes furious and afraid, but because the kidnapper still controls Toby’s fate, Avery obeys and explains the parable: the younger son demanded his inheritance, wasted it, and was welcomed home by his forgiving father.
The kidnapper pushes Avery to name the parable’s third figure. Eve steps in, identifying the brother who stayed and worked unrewarded beside the father. The kidnapper immediately rejects Eve, saying he will speak only to the heiress Tobias Hawthorne chose, a remark that visibly wounds Eve.
Avery panics when the line goes quiet, then reasserts that she is still there. The kidnapper makes Avery repeat the three figures: the son who left, the son who stayed, and the father. He tells Avery to think about that before ending the call with a promise to be in touch, leaving the group with a new interpretive clue tied to family, inheritance, and Tobias Hawthorne’s choices.
Who Appears
- Avery Kylie GrambsAnswers the kidnapper’s call, interprets the parable, and tries to protect Toby.
- TobyKidnapped and briefly allowed to speak before being cut off mid-warning.
- The kidnapperControls the call, withholds Toby, and steers Avery toward the parable’s three roles.
- EveIdentifies the loyal brother in the parable and is rejected by the caller.
- LibbySits beside Avery during the tense countdown and phone call.
- Xander HawthorneStands ready with a recorder as the group awaits the kidnapper’s call.
- The Hawthorne brothersPresent for the call after helping study the clue through the night.