"He alone?" Ron asked.
"Dunno." The boy's wide brown eyes twitched around the street. Ron had dressed down again--as always on the Save-Lincoln-Rhyme operation--but he still looked just like who he was: a white cop in a black 'hood, dressing sorta-kinda undercover. He was forcing himself not to peer behind him, into the alley where Tony was waiting with his Glock drawn.
He asked the kid, "Oden? Is he armed?"
"Look, man, just my green. K?"
"I'm paying you one large. Does Oden usually carry?"
"This ain't my 'hood. I don't know this Oden, don't know his crew. All's I know: Word come from Alpho, at Richie's, vouching for you, saying you lay down some green, I find this Oden bitch for you. I heard he in there, that building. All I know. I'm saying. You sure you ain't a cop?"
"Not a cop."
"Okay. I done what I'm s'posed to. Now: green."
Pulaski dug into his pocket, wrapped his fingers around a week's take-home--in fives to make the roll sing.
"Wait." The kid was speaking urgently.
"Whatta you mean wait?"
"Don't gimme no cash now." As if the cop had belched during mass.
Ron sighed. "You just said--"
"Hold on, hold on..."
Looking around.
Ron was too. The hell was this?
Then he spotted three young men, two Latino, one black, walking down the opposite side of the street, smoking, laughing. Their age would make them early college in some places, but here they might still be in high school, if not dropouts.
"Wait, wait... No, no, don't look at 'em, lookit me."
Sighing again. "What are you--?"
"K. Now. Gimme. The green."
Ron handed the money over. The boy dug into his pocket and handed him a crumpled pack of cigarettes.
Ron frowned. "What's in there? I don't want to score anything. I just want to talk to Oden."
"What's in there is cigarettes, man. Just take it. Put it away like there's three G of rock. Careful. Hide it. Now!"
Ah. Ron understood. The kid wanted to make it seem like he was dealing. Build his street cred. Ron glanced across the street and saw that the three young men had noticed. They gave no reaction and continued on their way.
Ron looked over the building. "Okay. Oden. What unit's he in?"
"Dunno. Just he in there. I was you, I'd start One A and work yo way up."
Ron started across the street.
"Yo."
"What?"
"My ciggies."