Chapter 40 Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Mario drives to Brian's house—now Stephanie's—carrying a red backpack full of money. He is dreading the conversation with Stephanie, knowing he killed her husband. When she opens the door, she seems surprised but also guarded. Mario notices a new box of Thyrex on the microwave, a thyroid medication. As he tries to explain why he's there, Juanca emerges from the hallway. Mario instantly pieces together the truth: Juanca and Stephanie are romantically involved, and Juanca manipulated Mario into killing Brian so that Juanca could take both the money and Stephanie.

Mario draws the gun Juanca had given him—the same gun used to kill Brian—and aims it at Juanca. But Stephanie, standing behind Mario, shoots him twice: once in the back near the shoulder and once in the stomach. Mario collapses. Juanca kicks him, takes the gun and the backpack, and comforts Stephanie, calling her “baby” and telling her she did the right thing. They leave together, taking the money and Mario's future.

Bleeding heavily, Mario struggles to sit up. He thinks of Anita and Melisa, hoping they could start over even without the money. He pulls out his Santa Muerte figurine, throws it away, and then retrieves his phone. His fingers are bloody, but he manages to unlock it using the year Anita was born. Instead of calling 911, he calls Melisa and reaches her voicemail. As he lies dying, he sees a shadowy figure that morphs into a gray elephant wearing a tutu, doing a pirouette. He closes his eyes, then opens them, expecting to see the face of God.

Key Events

Mario arrives at Stephanie's house with a backpack of money.
Stephanie lets him in; Mario notices the Thyrex medication on the microwave.
Juanca appears from the hallway, and Mario realizes the betrayal.
Mario draws his gun on Juanca, but Stephanie shoots him twice from behind.
Juanca takes the gun and the backpack, then leaves with Stephanie.
Mario throws away his Santa Muerte figurine and calls Melisa, reaching voicemail.
Mario hallucinates a gray elephant in a tutu before dying.

Character Development

Mario reaches the end of his arc in this chapter. Throughout the novel, he has been driven by grief and desperation, willing to commit violence for money. Here, his trust is shattered when he realizes that Juanca—his partner and supposed friend—orchestrated Brian's murder to steal both the money and Stephanie. Mario's final actions reveal a shift: he discards the Santa Muerte figurine, a symbol of his earlier reliance on supernatural protection, and chooses to call Melisa rather than emergency services. This suggests that, in his last moments, he prioritizes family connection over survival. His thoughts of Anita and Melisa show that his love for them remains the only thing that matters.

Stephanie is revealed as an active participant in the betrayal, not just a grieving widow. She shoots Mario without hesitation, then sobs as Juanca comforts her. Her actions show that she was complicit in the plan, though her emotional breakdown suggests she is not entirely cold-blooded.

Juanca is fully unmasked as a manipulator. He used Mario to kill Brian, then took the money and Stephanie. His calm demeanor—kissing her forehead and telling her she did the right thing—shows his control and lack of remorse.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Betrayal and Manipulation are the central themes of this chapter. Mario's realization that Juanca set him up is a brutal twist. The trust he placed in Juanca is shattered, and the betrayal is compounded by Stephanie's involvement.

Money as a Corrupting Force is evident in the backpack of cash. It is the prize that Juanca and Stephanie steal, and it represents the greed that drove Mario into this situation. The money ultimately leads to his death.

The Gun is a symbol of violence and betrayal. The gun Juanca gave Mario becomes the instrument of Brian's death, and later Mario draws it on Juanca, only to be shot by Stephanie with what appears to be the same weapon.

Santa Muerte appears as a motif. Mario throws away the figurine, rejecting the folk saint he once prayed to. This act signifies his loss of faith in any supernatural protection, leaving him alone in his final moments.

Hallucination and Delirium are depicted through the shadowy figure that becomes a gray elephant in a tutu. This surreal vision reflects Mario's deteriorating mental state as he bleeds out, and it may symbolize the absurdity of his situation or a final, meaningless image before death.

Family and Loss are present in Mario's thoughts of Anita and Melisa. His daughter's birth year is his phone password, and he calls Melisa instead of 911, showing that his emotional ties override his survival instinct.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 40 is the climax of Mario's story. It delivers the full revelation of Juanca's scheme and ends Mario's life. The chapter ties together the novel's major themes—betrayal, greed, violence, and the search for redemption—in a single, devastating sequence. Mario's death is not heroic but tragic, the result of his own choices and the manipulations of others. The hallucination of the elephant and his expectation of God leave the reader with an ambiguous, haunting image that underscores the novel's bleak tone. This chapter also completes the arc of Mario's character, showing that even in his final moments, he cannot escape the consequences of his actions.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the Thyrex medication trigger Mario's realization about the betrayal?

Mario misreads the word “Thyrex” as “Thyricks,” which sounds like “three bricks.” This connects to the money and the scheme, making him suddenly aware that Juanca and Stephanie are working together. The medication becomes a clue that unlocks the truth.

2. Why does Mario call Melisa instead of calling 911 for help?

Mario's decision to call Melisa rather than emergency services shows that his emotional need to connect with his family outweighs his instinct to survive. He is bleeding out and knows he may die, so he reaches out to the person he loves most, even though he only gets her voicemail.

3. What does the gray elephant in a tutu symbolize in Mario's final moments?

The elephant is a hallucination caused by blood loss and delirium. It is an absurd, surreal image that contrasts with Mario's expectation of seeing God. It may represent the randomness and meaninglessness of his death, or it could be a final flicker of his subconscious before he loses consciousness. The image underscores the novel's themes of disillusionment and the absence of divine justice.