“Except family,” Lucky said.
“Exactly. Which brings me back to Cary. I checked in to see if there had been any John Does admitted to Nevada hospitals in the past month—and they found someone who fit Cary’s description.”
“Oh my God.” Lucky’s hand rose to her mouth, and for a moment she tried to keep her emotions in check.
“He was found badly beaten in an alley near the Bellagio. He’s in a rehab facility now, and claiming he has amnesia—but I think we both know that probably isn’t true. Are you okay? Here.” Valerie reached into the back seat and handed Lucky a bottle of water and a tissue box.
“We know where Priscilla is,” Valerie continued. “She’s staying at a hotel in Syracuse.”
“She stole the lottery ticket from Gloria,” Lucky said.
Valerie nodded. “Meaning she’s probably holed up, planning to cash it in—but she may be delaying for a few reasons: because she won’t be anonymous after, and because all of her contacts will catch up with her and make her pay for her crimes.”
“I have crimes I need to pay for, too,” Lucky said.
“You haven’t had many choices in your life. And what you’ve done pales in comparison. Plus, you can help us. I’m going to be able to negotiate a plea bargain if you work with us on catching Priscilla.”
“I don’t want to avoid punishment. It’s about time I actually tell the truth and make amends for what I’ve done. I’ve wronged people, stolen from them—I’ve made conscious choices. I need to repay all the money I took. And then I can serve my time. Someday, maybe I can start fresh. Without any black marks to atone for.”
Valerie looked at her thoughtfully. “There are different ways to pay for things. Yes, if we can get the ticket, and you can cash it in, those funds could be restitution—which is a big part of redress when it comes to crimes like this. But if you help us put Priscilla behind bars, trust me, you’ll have done a lot more good for society than you realize. Are you willing to help my department with that?”
“Of course.”
“And you’ll help with Cary Matheson, too?”
“Yes. Him too.”
Valerie had been looking out the windshield, but now she turned to Lucky. “And then, after that,” she began, “we can find a way—” Her voice broke, and she reached for a tissue, but then crumpled it in her hand and swallowed her tears, in a manner Lucky recognized. She did this too. Valerie kept gazing at Lucky steadily. “I’m so sorry,” she said.
“I know,” Lucky said. “I believe you.”
* * *
The calls would be recorded. Lucky was surrounded by police officers and FBI agents. She had a wiretap on, ready for the next steps. The phone call to Cary was the first one.
“You found me,” he whispered. “Oh my God, Lucky, how did you do it?”
“When your mother told me you might be dead, I started to think, what if you weren’t? I called hospitals in Nevada, and I didn’t give up until I found you.”
“Typical Lucky. Relentless, a survivor. I’ve been so scared. I’m so sorry.”
“What happened?” Lucky said, reading her lines. “I thought you took off on me, but when I went to your mom’s place, she let some stuff slip. She said she had done this to you—”
“That bitch—”
“That you had been working for her, and that you were trying to take off with some money, a lot of it. Is it true?”
“I don’t think we should talk about this on the phone. Where did you say you were?”
“I’m in New York. I’m at a pay phone.” One of the officers hit a button on a computer, and the sound of a bus rolling past rose in the room, then other traffic sounds, which rose and faded.
“Can you come here?” he asked. “Get a bus? Meet me here. We’ll run, together. I love you so much. I’ve been lost without you; it’s been hell. But I need you to know I would never leave you.”
The lines on the page in front of Lucky blurred. Her mouth had gone dry again and she reached for her water. “I’ve been so worried about you. But—you lied to me. You pretended you were running the restaurant—but you were laundering money for Priscilla, weren’t you?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry. I could never get away from her. I tried, but I couldn’t. She had me in too deep. When she gave me the house for us in Boise, I thought maybe we could work for a while, then get away from her somehow. It didn’t work out that way, though.”
“No. It didn’t.”
“Will you come?”
“Yes. I’ll be there. It’ll take me a few days, but I’ll get there.”
“I’m so glad you found me. Okay. I’ll be waiting. I love you.”
“I love you too, Cary.” It caught in her throat. She had loved him once, so it wasn’t a lie. It was possible she still did, possible she always would, no matter what her head tried to tell her heart. She didn’t know yet. All she knew was that she had to keep moving, keep telling herself he was finally going to get what he deserved. That she was no longer his victim. That she never again had to be who she had been before.
Lucky hung up and sat still, composing herself. Valerie stepped forward and sat down at the table with her.
“You did great. Okay. Next step. We have a phone number,” Valerie said to her. “You’re clear on what you need to say to Priscilla?”
“I think so.” Every time Lucky looked into her mother’s eyes, she felt a jolt. It was like looking in a mirror.
“You did a good job there with Cary. What’s important is clarity. Nothing can be ambiguous. With Priscilla, you need to get her to admit that she hired a hit man to beat up, or possibly kill, her son. That he was working for her, laundering money, for years. When you were in San Francisco, and then again in Boise. Okay?”