Summary

A year before the rest of the novel's events, Leon, Becky, and Harry are driving away from their London hometown with a suitcase of money in the back of the car. They move through the familiar parts of the city, from the “streets, the shops, the corners where they made themselves into more and more unfamiliar territory” (3). Becky and Harry hold hands while Leon drives. Harry worries about Becky’s two uncles. She asks Becky “How serious are your uncles, Becky?” (7). Becky remains nonchalant and replies that her uncles treat people differently: “Depends on what you done” (7). She is not being forthright with Harry, however. Truthfully, she thinks of her uncles’ brutality; for example, her Uncle Ron had accosted Harry near a bar. Another time, Becky recalls, Ron held a teenager by the throat. Leon wonders if Pete will know that Becky has...