Jasmine and Rico led them down through a number of narrow, deserted alleyways. Kate was desperate to stop and rest for a few moments, but she was damned if she would show any weakness in front of Little Miss Attitude. By the time they’d turned on to another street, Tom had overtaken her –and just the sight of Tom alive and well and running just ahead of her in his ridiculous get-up was enough for her to keep up the pace. No way was she letting him out of her sight again.

Finally they emerged on to a busier boulevard. Early risers were already trailing up and down the sidewalks, shopkeepers were opening up their stalls and warm, steamy smells wafted out of bakeries.

Jasmine finally called a halt and crouched down so a reluctant Rico could clamber off her back. ‘Too many people around here for them to try something,’ she said, acting like she’d barely broken a sweat. ‘Y’all wait here. I’ll fix us some wheels and we can get back to Ramone’s.’

Rico nodded approval, but Tom seemed less certain. ‘Stealing two cars in one morning? Isn’t that pushing your luck?’

‘You think we’ve been lucky so far today, Tommy-boy?’ She shook her head, apparently amused, and gave Tom’s ass a playful squeeze as she passed by. ‘Be ready, people.’

Kate stared in astonishment at Jasmine’s retreating figure, then folded her arms and regarded Tom coolly. ‘I see you made a new friend.’ She doubted his red cheeks were entirely down to running.

‘We’ve been through some stuff, I guess,’ Tom said.

‘That’s the truth,’ said Rico brightly.

Kate looked into Tom’s dark eyes expectantly, mustering all her usual cool. ‘Well, while we wait for her to get back, why don’t you tell me all about it,’ she suggested, jutting out her chin. ‘All the juicy details.’ But it felt like there was some screwed-up ball of something sour deep inside her, a spiky feeling she couldn’t swallow down. God strike me dead, she thought, all this shit going down and I get jealous for the first time in my whole life.

‘Hey,’ said Rico, pointing to a news stand in delight. ‘You two are famous outlaws again. Cool! You should get out of sight, fast.’

Kate read the headline screaming off the paper: TERROR TEEN COUPLE SIGHTED IN NEW YORK. ‘Cool’s one word for it,’ she muttered. ‘I can think of some other four-letter ones that describe it better.’

g

Jasmine found them a battered station wagon. ‘What did you expect?’ she told the disappointed Rico, ‘this ain’t Park Avenue.’