Set in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem, the novel begins in 1959. Ray Carney is a furniture salesman and part-time fence. He begins his day dropping off some radios at a repair shop. The radios were procured by his cousin, Freddie, a thief who often delivers stolen goods to Ray's doorstep for resale. He goes home to his pregnant wife, Elizabeth, and their daughter, May. He thinks about how he wants better circumstances for both of them and is anxious about the baby they have on the way. He also feels pressure from his snooty in-laws, who believe Elizabeth married beneath their class by choosing Ray as her husband.
That night, he gets a drink with Freddie at Nightbirds, a Harlem nightclub. Freddie asks him to drive the getaway car for a heist that he is planning. He tells him it would be at the Hotel Theresa and that he mentioned his name to the other men involved in the enterprise. Displeased that his name has been brought into it, Ray mulls it over but ultimately decides not to do it. Later, he hears about the heist in the news and his cousin Freddie goes off the grid for a period of time. Two enforcers for the notorious gangster Chink Montague arrive at Ray's store and tell him they are looking for his cousin. He learns subsequently that one of the stolen items was the necklace of one of Montague's girlfriends. This puts Ray on high alert, as he fears for his safety and his cousin's.
Eventually Freddie resurfaces and tells Ray all about how the heist went down. He tells him to keep his head down and that everything will be alright. He introduces Ray to the other robbers: Pepper, a World War II veteran, Arthur, a safecracker, and Miami Joe, the leader of the group. Ray is uncertain of what to do and plans to give up Arthur to Montague to spare his cousin. Then he receives a call that Arthur has been killed. Pepper shows up at his store and warns him that they better locate his cousin and sort out who gave up Arthur. In doing so, both of them are nearly killed by Miami Joe who reveals that he killed Arthur to save himself from Montague. Pepper shoots Miami Joe and, despite his misgivings about it, Ray helps them get rid of the body.
The story then jumps ahead to 1961. Ray's enterprises have become increasingly successful. His furniture business has expanded and he was able to parlay the money from the heist into greater earnings. He begins to traffic in more expensive goods and starts working with a jewelry store downtown. At the same time, he tries to get more respect in the community by joining the Dumas Club, a social club that his father-in-law is part of. He pays five hundred dollars at the suggestion of the club's leader, Wilfred Duke. He is surprised to find that he is not accepted into the club despite paying what he views as a demanded bribe. He vows to get even with Duke. Ray talks to Pepper and begins gathering information about Duke. He learns that Duke is having an affair with a woman named Laura, a sex worker who is employed by a pimp named Cheap Brucie. Brucie treats the women who work for him cruelly, often beating them when they disagree with him. Ray sets up Duke with Laura's help. Laura convinces Duke to come over then drugs him. They take several pictures of Duke with Laura and send them to newspapers. Laura then leaves the city.
Brucie is arrested, as a result of Ray tipping off Munson, a cop on his payroll. At the same time, Duke splits town after the story about his affair breaks. He also takes a significant amount of money from various Dumas Club members to finance his escape. Duke's reputation is subsequently tarnished, as various people reveal that over the years he'd been cheating them in different business ventures. Ray goes out for a day in the park with his family and reflects on everything that's happened. He worries that his criminal activities could be easily discovered, but then also thinks to himself that he genuinely enjoyed cutting Duke down.
The book's final section picks up in 1964. Ray has continued his trend upward: both the furniture business and his fencing enterprise have done well. He has moved his family into a larger home. The city appears to be struggling, as Harlem is suffering from an epidemic of heroin addiction, police brutality, and race riots. Ray attempts to stay out of the political fray but is sympathetic to the civil rights movement. One day, Freddie shows up at his store after an extended absence. He offers no explanation but asks Ray to keep a briefcase safe. He then disappears once more.
Ray receives a series of unwelcome visitors. Montague shows up at his store and tells him his cousin has gotten in way over his head. Ray goes to look for him at the old movie theater where he said he was posted up with his friend Linus. Ray does not find Freddie but instead locates Linus, who has overdosed and died. Two police officers show up at Ray's store, asking if he knows his cousin's whereabouts. They inform him that Linus was a member of the Van Wycks, a powerful and wealthy family, and that they are currently investigating a robbery that occurred in their home as well as the death of their son. Alone in the store, Ray opens the briefcase and sees that it contains a heavy emerald necklace. He recruits Pepper for a final job, asking him to guard the store.
Things come to a head when Ray tries to sell the necklace to his jewelry store connection. He is apprehended by two men working for the Van Wycks. They take the necklace from him at gunpoint and ask where the remaining contents of the heist are. He runs away from them. Back home, Elizabeth says that two men called their home saying they would like to meet. Ray realizes this means they have Freddie. Back at the store, Pepper fights off two of the Van Wyck's henchmen, incapacitating them without killing them.
Ray and Pepper agree to a meeting in which they will return the remaining items in the briefcase. They meet with a lawyer and the two henchmen from earlier. They see Freddie dumped into the back of a truck downstairs. He has clearly been brutally beaten. The henchmen attempt to shoot Pepper, but only nick him in the leg. He kills both of them and he and Ray depart, taking Freddie to a hospital. Later, Freddie succumbs to his wounds and dies. Pepper and Ray split the profits of the heist. The novel ends with Ray going back to the electronics store he visited at the start of the book and looking out at the construction of the World Trade Center.
