Joel is flustered by the Zabrinskys’ and his father’s questions and says that he rode with Tony until they got to the bridge over the Vermillion River. Mrs. Zabrinsky gasps when Joel mentions the river. Mrs. Zabrinsky says that Tony can’t swim and is surprised that Joel didn’t know. Joel tells her that Tony “mostly played on the slide—or on the ropes” at the pool (71). Joel takes a long hot shower and soaps thoroughly to scrub away the dead fish scent from the river, but he can still smell it. His mother comes into his bedroom and asks him if he has shared everything about what he and Tony did earlier that day, and Joel thinks of the relief he’d feel if he were to “let the words spill out, to let the choking tears come” (74). He remembers calling Tony scared shortly before Tony drowned. As soon as his mother leaves, Joel releases his jaw, “relishing the burning pain in his tongue” (75).

The police arrive at the Zabrinskys’ home. Joel rushes downstairs to try to tell the Zabrinskys what happened before the police, fretting about what will happen if they tell the police about the lies he told.