Acceleration

Vinny is one of Duncan’s friends. He has a withered arm and lacks several fingers, a birth defect that he himself jokes about. Duncan describes him as the “brains” (82) of their friend group. Vinny has a knack for putting together a paper trail. Once he begins helping Duncan track Roach, they make quick progress. He knows what they’re doing is dangerous and urges Duncan to give their case to the police after they trail Red and Jumbo. To the end, Vinny proves clever and resourceful.

Duncan describes Wayne as a natural criminal and the “devil on my shoulder” (174). Wayne is cunning and loyal to Duncan, but also has a propensity for “victimless crimes” (20) like theft. He vacillates between committing crimes and trying to be legally upstanding. Wayne helps Duncan break into Roach’s house, but he waits outside while he investigates. By the end of the novel, he and Duncan are the only two people who know what happened at the subway.

Jacob is Duncan’s pessimistic boss at Toronto Transit Commission’s Lost and Found. He requested to work at the “morgue” because of its predictability and calm. He acts as somewhat of a mentor to Duncan—though the latter resists most of his advice and pities him more than anything (this pity transforming into a genuine desire to help by the end of the novel).

Duncan’s mother works part-time and takes classes at the community college. She loves film and literature, and is the only character shown to enjoy learning for the joy of it. Duncan values her opinion more than anyone else’s. She is a loving mother who constantly worries about her son and husband.

Duncan’s father is a hard-working man in a difficult situation. He works graveyard shifts and struggles to keep the family afloat. He urges Duncan to treat his job like a test that will “scare him straight” and make sure he improves his prospects for work. He worries that if Duncan does not make better decisions, he will end up in a situation like his.