Noah sat quietly in his blue plastic booster seat for the fifteen-minute drive across town.

The booster seat had cost forty-five dollars at the big-box store the month before.

Michael checked the rearview mirror three times.

Noah was staring out the window at the bare autumn trees along Route 4.

Late-afternoon traffic lights along Route 4 glowed bright red against the gray sky.

Michael stopped at the corner of Oak and Miller.

He looked at the time on his dashboard clock.

Five twelve.