“He’s a Stone Dead gang member. He’ll be hanging with other Deads, and the Deads own the fifth block of Stark. Their color is purple. Their name is significant. These losers are dead inside. They’ve grown up with so much violence it’s normal to them. They’re like zombies. They feel no remorse. You do not want to go up against one of them. If you find this guy I want you to call me, and I’ll send out the SWAT team.”
NINETEEN
THE BUILDINGS ON the fifth block of Stark were covered with gang graffiti. It was Sunday, and most of the street-level businesses were closed and shuttered. A convenience store was open and a bar was open. It was a beautiful warm day, but no one was out. No stoop sitters. No strollers. A couple sullen teenagers stood smoking outside the convenience store. Neither of them looked like Ants. Maybe all the gangsta gangbangers were watching the Mets. Maybe they were all inside sharpening their knives and cleaning their guns for a fun night on the town.
I cruised up and down a few side streets in the area, but I didn’t see anyone wearing purple, and I didn’t see Ants Brown. I returned to my parking place on the first block of Stark, and I called Lula.
“I’m on Stark Street, looking for Antwan Brown,” I told her. “I know he’s a Stone Deader, and I know they own the fifth block of Stark, but it’s like a ghost town here. No one’s out on the street. Do you have any idea where these Dead idiots live? They can’t all live on the fifth block.”
“They’re all over the place. Most of them live with their mamas. My friend Shirlene would know. She works a corner on the fourth block, and her little brother is one of those Deaders. At least he used to be. He got shot in the back and got paralyzed. The only thing he can move without help is his tongue. He’s in a county hospital somewhere.”
“How awful.”
“Yeah, it’s been hard on Shirlene. She’s a real nice person too.”
“Is she out working now?”
“We can go see. I’m bored anyways. I was supposed to have a date, but he got arrested. Where are you?”
“I’m parked on the first block of Stark. I’m in front of the used-appliance store.”
“I’ll be there in a couple minutes.”
I checked my phone for email messages. I called my sister to say hello. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw Lula parking behind me.
“Why did he get arrested?” I asked Lula as she settled herself into my passenger seat.
“Who?”
“Your date.”
“Don’t know. Don’t care. All I know is I got stood up. And then he had the nerve to ask me to bail him out.”
“Did you?”
“Hell no. I’m not throwing my money away on some loser who gets himself arrested. Been there, done that.”
I drove to Shirlene’s corner, but there was no Shirlene.
“She’s usually out here,” Lula said. “She might be doing business somewhere. We could ride around and come back in a couple minutes. It don’t usually take Shirlene long to do business. She gives people their money’s worth, but she don’t waste time.”
I motored up and down Stark, and on the third pass we saw Shirlene get out of a car. She tugged at a hot-pink spandex skirt that barely covered her ass, adjusted her boobs, and sashayed over to her corner. I pulled up to the curb, and Lula stuck her head out the window.
“Hey, girl,” Lula said. “How’s business?”
“Business sucks,” Shirlene said. “What’s going on?”
“We want to talk to you.”
“It’ll cost you if you want to talk now. This is premium time. Women go to Bible study on Sunday afternoon, and men find Jesus with Shirlene.”
“We don’t want to find Jesus,” Lula said, “but we’ll spot you a pizza.”
“Done deal,” Shirlene said. “What are we talking about?”
“Antwan Brown,” Lula said.
“That’s unhealthy talking,” Shirlene said. “That talking could get you set on fire.”