Chapters 5 & 6 Summary

In chapter five, the boys gallop towards town until the horses start to tire. A flashback details Gerald Goodenow's issues with attachment to his mother and bedwetting. His stepfather is a rival to him and also punishes him for wetting the bed. Goodenow is in therapy for his problems.

The boys argue about what kind of car to steal. Shecker and Lally 1 want to take an impressive car like a Cadillac, but Cotton argues that they need to take something inconspicuous. He explains that they have to avoid any police entanglement. At a cocktail bar, they debate which car to take from the parking lot. Cotton realizes that the bar will close soon, so they can't take any of those cars because it will be quickly missed. They continue on to a motel, but a late arriving guest pulls into the parking lot...