Contents
Chapter Seventeen
Overview
Lucky, John, and Reyes track Gloria to a hotel and learn Priscilla’s crew violently stole the $390M ticket from Gloria. With the ticket now out of reach, Lucky resolves to surrender and seek official help. Outside, DA Valerie Mann approaches and reveals she believes she is Lucky’s mother, dramatically shifting stakes.
Summary
Leaving St. Monica’s, Lucky, John, and Reyes note that a nun took their license plate. Reyes drives them to the Bronx to consult a private investigator, who traces Gloria’s credit card to a DoubleTree near the camp. They decide to confront Gloria and discuss potential strategies to reclaim the lottery ticket.
At the hotel, Lucky tricks the concierge into revealing Gloria’s room number. A ruse with “chocolate turndown service” fails, so Lucky threatens to expose Gloria’s fake construction scams. John adds pressure, and Gloria opens the door, frantic and defensive.
Gloria confesses she stole the ticket from Lucky after hearing her drunken bragging, but says a redheaded woman’s enforcer ran her off the road, beat her, and took the ticket—clearly Priscilla and her bodyguard. Terrified, Gloria fled and hid at the hotel. Lucky realizes confronting Priscilla would be fatal and that the ticket is effectively gone.
Crushed, Lucky steps out into the rain, gives money to a homeless woman, and decides to turn herself in, hoping the police can investigate the Idaho purchase and possibly hold any recovery in trust. A car pulls up: Manhattan DA Valerie Mann approaches—not to arrest Lucky—but to say she believes she is Lucky’s mother.
Who Appears
- Lucky (Luciana)Determined to recover her ticket; leads the hotel confrontation; decides to surrender; confronted by DA Valerie claiming motherhood.
- ReyesDrives, consults a PI, traces Gloria’s location, helps plan the approach, supports Lucky during the failed ruse.
- John ArmstrongOscillates between remorse and calculation; pressures Gloria to open the door; seeks strategies to reclaim the ticket.
- Gloria DevereauxAdmits stealing the ticket from Lucky, then losing it to Priscilla’s enforcer after a roadside assault; hiding in a hotel.
- Valerie MannManhattan DA who approaches Lucky outside the hotel, revealing she believes she is Lucky’s mother.
- Nun at St. Monica’sRecognizes Lucky and John, takes their license plate, triggering contact with DA Valerie.
- Homeless womanReceives cash from Lucky and directs her to a nearby police station.
- Hotel conciergeUnwittingly reveals Gloria’s room number when calling upstairs.