After Nancy's performance the previous night, she was clearly dilapidated and "barely looked fit to leave the house", according to her friend Susan Kidwell whom she met at the movies. boy, however, was as loud and expressive as ever - a quality that he could always be trusted for. As a basketball player, he had been taught to speak so that he was heard, and frequently translated his dominant behaviour into everyday life, much to the amusement of Nancy and her friend Sue Kidwell. The cinema was packed, despite the scorching squals of Holcomb, which even the locals struggled to become accustomed to.

The weather of Mexico was of little concern to Dick and Perry, particularly Dick who was "as well-travelled as a politician" and boasted that he could cope with any living conditions. Perry, however, enforced that all they needed was an anonymous excursion until they were safe from the law. As Perry swallowed three aspirin tablets, one by one, he daydreamed of the riches they could accrue in these exotic destinations.

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Dick woke up in a start, surpirsed to see the couch beneath him, and his mother standing in front of him in the doorway of the living room. It was a smally, musty space, and despite the sun streaming in from the bay windows, the room still felt dingy - partly owing to the dispersing layer of cigarette smoke from the previous night.

Dick's stagnant body eventually came to its senses, as he recalled the events of the previous 36 hours. He was well-prepared for the exhaustion that would follow, but his family were utterly surprised to see him sleeping in so late. Dick stretched his arms and dragged himself off the couch at the request of his mother, then eh started cooking his breakfast - 4 eggs, several rashes of bacon, toast, scrolls, and strong coffee to wash it down.

This was not a breakfast that Perry would approve of, but thankfully, for Dick, the pair had returned to their respective families. Perry's family was more suspicious of his absence than Dick's, but Perry was experienced in the art of convincing, and had no trouble dispelling his father's assumptions. However, even Perry was still uncomfortable to be in the vicinity of his family, particularly his sister who he had observed to be distant and ignorant of him lately.

After waking from a short but deep sleep, Perry covered his previously bare tattoos with a checked shirt, then slid on some ripped blue jeans. Despite being utterly disinterested in working on Tex Smith's dilapidated property, he hoped that these jeans would be viewed favourably by his father. Perry downed his breakfast in his usual rushed and slapdash fashion, then hurriedly left the house without a word to his family. He took his guitar with him, which he was almost as attached to as his partner in crime. Admittedly, Perry had grown used to having Dick by his side, making witty jokes and showing off to Perry. However, this was a feeling that Perry knew well by now, having iterated through many "best friends".

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*Write a passage describing the night Dick and Perry spent in the Salvation Army dormitory, mentioned on p180*

- Dick & Perry discussion
- Night time
- Themes: Perry's childhood
- Dick is dismissive of Perry's lamentation

A cool draft blew through the cracked timber walls of the dormitory. A foreign mix of body odour, rotting wood and mould permeated through the dark room. It was now pitch black outside, and the only light in Dick and Perry's temporary shelter was a dangling yellow light bulb which Dick had already come close to punching several times. However, the weary Salvation Army worker strolling the corridors knew nothing of the arguments the pair frequently had. Nor did they have any idea of the pride they took in their "score" - they looked like nobodies.

Perry was quite enraged with Dick, but he was adept at keeping his anger hidden from bystanders. "Just think of it, we can't just leave this chance behind! We could be billionaires!" exclaimed Perry. He was excited as usual about his travelling plans, but Dick had had enough. "We'll never find treasure, Perry. Get real. It's not worth it, even if we go back to Mexico," Dick snapped. Perry sighed and picked up his Gibson guitar. Feeling strangely sentimental, he played some of the first songs he learnt to play. He recalled when he was 3, sitting beside his father who played twangy country songs. There was little to thank his father for, Perry reflected, but he would never forget the time he spent alone with his father listening to his calm strumming.

As Perry quietly played through his hymns, he became aware of the shifting bodies in the bunk beds around him; he was not used to sleeping in a room with so many strangers. He wasn't uncomfortable sleeping near other people - he trusted Dick to fight off any conflicts they might encounter - but he felt vulnerable. Singing and playing was always an authentic output of his soul, and when he was in this kind of mood, he was even slightly uncomfortable sharing his mind with Dick.

Perry heard a grunt from an upper bunk bed, followed by a rough voice muttering "we're trying to sleep". Perry didn't bother to argue; he wasn't in the mood. He played more quietly and eventually sung a cappella, revealing the scratchiness of his voice previously masked by the smooth guitar. After he had finished playing, a voice from the same bunk bed summoned him. "Hey, I know that song!" whispered the voice. It was hoarse but Perry could still decipher a soft and sensitive element in its tone. Why would they care?, thought Perry.

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Write a scene detailing the day or night referred to at the bottom of p202 and top of p203. Contrast Dick and Perry’s actions with a scene showing either the KBI investigation or the residents of Holcomb.

It was quiet and cold in Alvin Dewey's house, despite him working tirelessly into the night. It was now 7.00 pm - which was when his wife Marie would usually serve dinner for the family - and Alvin was still sitting slumped in an armchair with a battered notepad on his lap and the handset sandwiched between his shoulder and cheek. Marie worked nearby him in the kitchen, listening to his slow mutterings and sighs followed by probing questions.

Marie had noticed Alvin's health worsening over recent days - he had never been so committed to his work. She was unsure whether he was so dedicated because of his interest in the case, or the reward he may get. But the long nights spent sifting through documents and photographs suggested he simply wanted to get to the bottom of the case.