With Matt’s help, Vic managed to shove through the crowd of reporters to the car. A few cameras flashed, but Vic kept his head down. In the darkness, the flashing lights from the police cars only added to the confusion; in the midst of it, Vic backed out of the parking lot and drove away. He got as far as third gear before Matt grabbed his hand off the gear shaft to hold it in his lap. Even when the transmission groaned, Matt refused to let go. They drove the rest of the way home in silence, the car crawling along empty streets at just over thirty-five miles an hour.
In front of the building where they shared an apartment, Vic pulled to a stop. As the engine ticked into the night, cooling down, they sat on opposite sides of the car, each lost in his own thoughts. Twice Vic turned to Matt
