Qualified Relief

This is post 15 of Section V. To begin at the beginning, go here. Section II begins here. Section III begins here. Section IV begins here, and Section V begins here.

At first the car ride was a relief, after the screaming. Downtown Endersburg, however, was difficult to negotiate. Traffic toward the parade had long since reached its destination, but the maze of one-way streets was now blocked off in what seemed to Bennett the deliberately stochastic plan of a madman. It was not easy to ratchet his IQ up to the requisite level with Lizzy enthusiastically gabbling from the backseat. Stephen had made another error in judgment when he pointed out a van from a local TV station on a side street. The little girl was practically bursting out of her booster seat at the prospect of appearing on her favorite medium.
Stephen somewhat redeemed himself, however, by suggesting they park at Robert’s and Jack’s apartment building, which was not far from the parade route, and by adding his ingenuity to Robert’s to help get them there.
From the apartments, which were up on a small hill, the trio disembarked and began to walk downwards. It was hot and stifling, but Bennett rolled up his sleeves and tried not to think about it. Lizzy capered about, swinging on Stephen’s arm and keeping an eye out for TV cameras. Stephen seemed unusually preoccupied, responding only briefly and sporadically to Lizzy’s many queries.

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