'Mean they in business and they use the Eight-Deuce as what we call sales representatives.' He grinned when he said it.
I looked at Washington. 'Is this for real?'
Washington shrugged. 'That's what his girlfriend says.'
Cool T said, 'I friendly with this bitch used to live with a Gangster Boy.'
I said, 'Are you telling me that these officers are in the crack trade?'
Cool T nodded. 'They in the everything trade. Whatever the Eight-Deuce in, they in.' He selected another taco. 'Ain't been an Eight-Deuce home boy locked down in four or five months. Pigs take off the Rolling Sixties and the Eight-Trey Swans and all these other nigguhs, but not the Eight-Deuce. They look out for each other. They share the wealth.'
'The cops and the Eight-Deuce Gangster Boys.'
'Uh-hunh. They in business together.' He finished the taco and licked his fingers. 'Eight-Deuce point out the competition and the cops take it down. You wanna see it happen, I can put you onto something.'
'What?'
Cool T said. 'Nigguh been sellin' dope out a ice cream truck over by Witley Park He at the park every Thursday and the park in Eight-Deuce turf and they tired of it. The cops going over there today to run him off.'
Washington said, 'I figured we could go over there and see what's what. I figure if it's our guys, maybe we can do something with it.'
I was liking Washington just fine. 'Okay.'
Cool T said, 'Not me. Anybody see me over there and something happen, I be meetin' up with Mr. Drive- By.'
Cool T stood up. Washington held out his fist and Cool T brushed his own fist against it, back and top and sides, and then he walked away.
I looked at Washington. Well, well. 'You did okay.'
Washington nodded. Cool.
When we walked out to the car, I saw Joe Pike parked at a fire hydrant a block and a half north. We made eye contact, and he shook his head. No one was following.
James Edward said, 'What're you looking at?'
'My partner.'
'You work with someone?' He was looking up Broadway.
'If you look for him like that, people will know someone's there.'
James Edward stopped looking and got into the car. I slid in after him. 'Use the mirror. Angle it so that you can see. He's in a red Jeep.'
James Edward did it. 'Why's he back there?'
'The men who killed your brother have been following me. He's there to follow the followers.'
James Edward readjusted the mirror and we pulled away. 'He any good?'
'Yes.'
'Are you?'
'I get lucky.'
James Edward settled back and crossed his arms.
'Luck is for chumps. Ray knows a couple of people and he asked them about you. He says you're a straight up dude. He says you get respect.'
'You can fool some of the people some of the time.'
James Edward shook his head and stared at the passing buildings. 'Bullshit. Any fool can buy a car, but you can't buy respect.'
I glanced over, but he was looking out at the streets.
James Edward Washington told me where to go and I went there and pretty soon we were on streets just like James Edward Washington's street, with neat single-family homes and American cars and preschool children jumping rope and riding Big Wheels. Older women sat on tiny porches and frowned because teenagers who should've been in school were sitting on the hood of a Bonneville listening to Ice Cube. The women didn't like the kids being on the Bonneville and they didn't like Ice Cube but they couldn't do anything about it. We drove, and after a while I knew we weren't just driving, we were taking a tour of James Edward Washington's life. He would say turn, and I would turn, and he would point with his chin and say something like
