The Lincoln Highway

Emmett and Sally arrange for she and Billy to meet Emmett under the Canadian Club sign in Times Square at 10:30 am. From there Emmett and his brother will begin the drive to California. When he meets up with Townhouse, Emmett learns the police are now asking after Emmett as well and Townhouse has learned that a car matching the Studebaker’s description was seen outside the home of Warden Ackerly shortly before he was sent to the hospital, where he remains unconscious. Townhouse advises Emmett to leave both New York and Duchess behind him. When the Gonzalez twins reveal the Studebaker’s new paint job, Emmett is shocked to find that they have painted it a bright yellow. They have also done considerable work under the hood. Emmett’s car now boasts speed and prowess far in excess of what it once possessed. As they part, “despite the fact that Emmett and Townhouse were two young men on the verge of heading out in different directions with no real assurance of where they would land, when Townhouse said at their parting ‘I’ll see you,’ Emmett hadn’t the slightest doubt that this was true (379).

In Times Square, Emmett tells Billy they need to say goodbye to Sally, but Billy says that’s impossible.