Last Shot

In Ventura’s room, Stevie jokes with Susan Carol about lying and breaking into rooms. He spots a stack of papers and sees a championship celebration scheduled for Minnesota State at Heavenly Coffee Field House; the company paid $3 million a year for naming rights. After a knock from a housekeeper frightens them, they figure out that Chip—full name Alan Graber Jr.—is in room 4101.

Before confronting Chip, Susan Carol gets a duplicate of Ventura’s key. They return to Ventura and meet the two Minnesota State radio broadcasters, Mike Lombardo and Trey Woods. Susan Carol lies and tells the announcers she and Stevie can’t stick around because her dad wants them at Bible study. The prior year, Woods became a minister, through the internet, in the “Church of Righteous-Thinking Athletes” (103). Stevie thinks Woods is strange.

There’s security in front of Chip’s room, so Stevie tells the guard he’s Chip’s cousin, and Susan Carol adds that she’s Stevie’s girlfriend. The big guard takes them to Chip’s room to see if they’re telling the truth. If they’re lying, the cops will come. Chip opens his door, and the guard asks if Stevie is his cousin. Before Chip can reply, Stevie mentions Whiting’s name, so Chip knows they know something about the blackmail scheme.