Lucky Read online

  Also by Jackie Collins

  The Power Trip

  Married Lovers

  Lovers & Players

  Deadly Embrace

  Hollywood Wives – The New Generation

  Lethal Seduction

  Thrill!

  L.A. Connections – Power, Obsession, Murder, Revenge

  Hollywood Kids

  American Star

  Rock Star

  Hollywood Husbands

  Lovers & Gamblers

  Hollywood Wives

  The World Is Full Of Divorced Women

  The Love Killers

  Sinners

  The Bitch

  The Stud

  The World Is Full Of Married Men

  Hollywood Divorces

  THE SANTANGELO NOVELS

  Goddess of Vengeance

  Poor Little Bitch Girl

  Drop Dead Beautiful

  Dangerous Kiss

  Vendetta: Lucky’s Revenge

  Lady Boss

  Chances

  First published in Great Britain by Pan Books, 1981.

  This edition published by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2012

  A CBS COMPANY

  Copyright © Chances, Inc. 1981

  This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.

  No reproduction without permission.

  ® and © 1997 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

  The right of Jackie Collins to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

  Simon & Schuster UK Ltd

  1st Floor

  222 Gray’s Inn Road

  London WC1X 8HB

  Simon & Schuster Australia, Sydney

  Simon & Schuster India, New Delhi

  www.simonandschuster.co.uk

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  ISBN 978–1–84983–609–8

  eBook ISBN 978–1–84983–613–5

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Typeset by Hewer Text UK Ltd, Edinburgh

  Printed and bound in Great Britain by CIP Group (UK) Ltd,

  Croydon, CR0 4YY

  In memory of Kimberly

  You are not forgotten

  Contents

  Prologue

  Book One

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Book Two

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Chapter Seventy

  Chapter Seventy-One

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Chapter Seventy-Three

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  Chapter Seventy-Eight

  Chapter Seventy-Nine

  Chapter Eighty

  Chapter Eighty-One

  Chapter Eighty-Two

  Chapter Eighty-Three

  Chapter Eighty-Four

  Chapter Eighty-Five

  Chapter Eighty-Six

  Chapter Eighty-Seven

  Chapter Eighty-Eight

  Chapter Eighty-Nine

  Chapter Ninety

  Chapter Ninety-One

  Book Three

  Chapter Ninety-Two

  Chapter Ninety-Three

  Chapter Ninety-Four

  Chapter Ninety-Five

  Chapter Ninety-Six

  Chapter Ninety-Seven

  Chapter Ninety-Eight

  Chapter Ninety-Nine

  Chapter One-Hundred

  Chapter One-Hundred-One

  Chapter One-Hundred-Two

  Chapter One-Hundred-Three

  Chapter One-Hundred-Four

  Chapter One-Hundred-Five

  Chapter One-Hundred-Six

  Chapter One-Hundred-Seven

  Chapter One-Hundred-Eight

  Chapter One-Hundred-Nine

  Chapter One-Hundred-Ten

  Chapter One-Hundred-Eleven

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twelve

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirteen

  Chapter One-Hundred-Fourteen

  Chapter One-Hundred-Fifteen

  Chapter One-Hundred-Sixteen

  Chapter One-Hundred-Seventeen

  Chapter One-Hundred-Eighteen

  Chapter One-Hundred-Nineteen

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-One

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Two

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Three

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Four

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Five

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Six

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Seven

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Eight

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Nine

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-One

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Two

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Three

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Four

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Five

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Six

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Seven

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Eight

  Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Nine

  Chapter One-Hundred-Forty

  Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-One

  Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Two

  Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Three

  Eight Months Later
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  Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Four

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  May 1984, Los Angeles

  The jury filed silently into the courtroom. The judge made his entrance a moment later, and a hiss of expectation raged through the packed room.

  Lucky Santangelo stood tensely in the dock. She stared straight ahead. Impassive. Wildly, darkly beautiful. In spite of everything.

  The judge took his place, adjusted his heavy horn-rim glasses, and cleared his throat. ‘Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached your verdict?’ he asked tersely.

  The foreman of the jury stepped forward. He was a sallow-faced man with a facial tic. ‘Yes, Your Honour,’ he said indistinctly, causing the judge to bark an irritable, ‘Speak up!’

  ‘Yes, we have, Your Honour,’ the foreman repeated, his nervous tic becoming distractingly obvious.

  ‘Then pass your verdict to the court clerk, if you please,’ snapped the old judge waspishly.

  The foreman did as he was bade. The clerk accepted the folded verdict form and took it directly to the judge who peered at it intently.

  An expectant hush hung over the crowded courtroom. A silence so heavy that to Lucky it seemed more like an accusing roar.

  She did not look at the judge, but she saw him read the paper, saw him pass it back to the court clerk, and she closed her black opal eyes for one brief moment of secret prayer. She, Lucky Santangelo, was accused of murder, and the next few minutes would decide her fate.

  She tried to breathe evenly and deeply. Tried to remain calm, to concentrate, to think only positive thoughts.

  The court clerk began to speak.

  Oh God! This couldn’t be happening to her. Not to Lucky Santangelo. NOT TO HER.

  She held her head high. She was a true Santangelo. Nothing could get her down. Nothing.

  After all, she was innocent.

  Wasn’t she?

  Wasn’t she . . .

  Book One

  *

  The Summer of 1978

  Chapter One

  Lennie Golden had not set foot in Vegas for thirteen years, even though it was the city of his conception, birth, and first seventeen years of life.

  He looked around as he stepped off the plane, sniffed the air and took a deep breath. The place still smelled the same.

  The airport was doing a roaring trade in visiting gamblers, tourists, and middle America out to have fun. Fat male butts waddled alongside peroxide plump ladies in polyester pant suits and fake jewellery. Small children whined and complained. Travelling hookers in halter tops, hot pants tightly outlining their crotches, arrived to do business. Swarthy foreigners clutched black leather attaché cases and breathed garlic over accompanying yellow-haired mistresses.

  Jess was there to meet him. Startlingly pretty, five foot tall, she still had the air of a tomboy about her, which is what she had been at school. She had always preferred to hang out with the boys. Especially Lennie. They had been best friends since first grade, their somewhat unexpected and platonic relationship surviving and getting stronger every year – even though they didn’t see much of each other since he had moved from Vegas to New York.

  They made an ill-assorted couple. Lennie, so tall and lanky, with dirty blond hair and ocean green eyes. An overgrown Robert Redford with more than a touch of Chevy Chase. And Jess, petite and wide-eyed, with a mop of orange hair, freckles, and a Playboy centrefold body in miniature.

  She hurled herself into his arms. ‘It’s so good to see you! You look fantastic. For a guy who spends his life screwin’ around I don’t know how you do it!’

  ‘Hey . . .’ He swung her in the air like a rag doll. ‘Look who’s talking!’

  She giggled and hugged him tightly. ‘I love you madly, Lennie Golden. Welcome back.’

  ‘I love you too, monkey face.’

  ‘Don’t call me that!’ she screeched. ‘I’m married now. I’m respectable. I got a kid, the whole bit. So c’mon, Lennie – treat me like a lady.’

  He burst out laughing. ‘If you’re a lady I’m Raquel Welch.’

  She grabbed his arm. ‘You got great tits!’

  Laughing, they strolled towards the exit.

  ‘So how was the flight?’ she asked, trying to grab his battered suitcase.

  He wrestled it away from her. ‘Long and boring. If God had meant us to fly he’d have given us more stewardesses.’

  ‘Didja score?’ She winked knowingly.

  ‘Affirmative.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Would I lie to you,’ he dead-panned.

  She laughed. She had a maniacal guffaw which caused people to turn and stare. ‘You’d lie to the Pope if you thought it would get you through the day.’

  ‘And there she goes . . .’ he sing-songed.

  ‘Who? Where?’ Automatically she turned to check out his conquest. A nun walked serenely by.

  ‘I told you my tastes are changing,’ he said gravely.

  ‘Very funny!’ She aimed a punch at his stomach.

  He held up a protesting hand. ‘Lay off. I just had surgery of the tongue.’

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘Remember the taping of the Lee Bryant show? The one I told you I was doing?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘They cut my four-minute spot to thirty seconds. If you fart you miss me.’

  She frowned. ‘Schmucks. They know from nothin’. Anyway, you’re back in Vegas now. Your kind of comedy schticks gonna kill ‘em here.’

  ‘Oh sure, in the lounge of the Magiriano Hotel I’m really going to cause a riot.’

  ‘It’s a change of scene. Could be just what you need. Who knows what it’ll lead to.’

  ‘C’mon, Jess. You sound like my agent. Do this shit – that piece of crap, and before you know it you’ll have a regular spot on Carson.’

  ‘Your so-called agent is a New York jerk-off artist.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘You’re a great comedian. I should be handling you. I mean I got you this gig, didn’t I?’

  ‘What do you want – ten percent?’

  She laughed wildly. ‘You think I wanna give up the title of best blackjack dealer in Vegas? You think I’m crazy or somethin’? Stick your commission where the sun don’t give you a tan!’

  They were passing a ladies room. ‘Wait a sec,’ she said. ‘I’m so excited to see you I gotta take a pee.’

  He laughed, and leaned against the wall while she dashed inside. Jess was a friend indeed. He had called her two weeks ago and said he had to get out of New York.

  ‘No problem,’ she replied without hesitation. ‘Matt Traynor, the entertainment director of the hotel I work at has the hots for me – send me a tape and I’ll get him to hire you.’

  He had sent the tape. She had come through with the gig. Some good friend.

  Idly he watched a dark-haired girl in black leather pants and a red shirt stride by. She cut through the crowd as if she owned the place. He liked her style, not to mention her body.

  Jesus! Was he free yet? He and Eden had split six months ago, yet every time he saw an attractive woman he couldn’t help comparing them. He was still doing it. Eden Antonio and he were unfinished business, why didn’t he just face it?

  Jess emerged from the ladies room and squeezed his hand. ‘It is sooo great to have you here,’ she said. ‘I want to hear all about everything.’

  ‘Hey – everything is a career going nowhere and a fucked-up sex life.’

  ‘Sounds exciting. So what else is new?’

  They were outside now and the desert heat enveloped them.

  ‘Jeez!’ he exclaimed. ‘I forgot how hot it is here.’

  ‘Aw, stop bitching. You could do with a tan. You look like nightclub Charlie.’

  They approached a dented red Camaro waiting in the parking lot.

  ‘I see you’re still an ace driver,’ he remarked dryly, throwing his suitcase in the boot.

  ‘I didn’t do that,’ she replied indignantly. ‘My old man can’t drive arou
nd the block without gettin’ into trouble.’

  He wondered what kind of man took on crazy Jess for a wife. Someone special he hoped.

  ‘C’mon,’ she said, sliding behind the steering wheel. ‘Wayland is makin’ lunch. The baby’s makin’ noise, and Lennie, you are gonna love it here. It always was your kinda town.’