Summary
Two major stories appear in the newspaper. One is about the arrest of Cheap Brucie at a Harlem nightclub. The other is about the sudden, unexplained, disappearance of Wilfred Duke. The latter receives more widespread coverage. The narrator notes that only Ray, Laura, and a photographer named Zippo understand the link between these two stories. Shortly thereafter, Biz Dixon is also arrested. Pepper finds Ray and socks him on his head. He tells him off for making him do work for the police.
The story goes back to a few weeks earlier. Ray meets up with Laura to let her know everything that has been going on. They discuss their plans and Laura says she will get Duke to her apartment and say that she needs to see him. He then gets in touch with Zippo, a friend of his cousin who makes a living selling sexual films and photographs. They discuss their plan and agree to meet at Laura's. Duke arrives at Laura's apartment and heads inside. Once he is there, they head up and find him asleep on Laura's bed.
They take various photographs of Duke in bed with Laura. She says it would be best to get a really clear look at his face in the pictures. Laura and Zippo get to work while Ray reflects on what he has become willing to do in the name of revenge. They finish up and leave Duke in Laura's apartment. Laura leaves from a bus at Port Authority that evening. The next day, Ray goes out to the park with his family and enjoys a beautiful day outside. The newspapers run several photographs of Duke with Laura. People abruptly turn on Duke and reveal all of the embezzlement deals he had his hands in over the years. Ray thinks that really he went after Duke for pleasure, not business.
The novel's next chapter picks up in 1964. Ray, Elizabeth, and their two children have relocated to a larger apartment. They spend the day with Leland and Alma, who have stopped by for a visit. They talk about current events, including the World's Fair and the protest movement. Elizabeth has a heated exchange with her parents, who seem suspicious of the protestors, while she believes firmly in the cause of civil rights. Ray excuses himself from the visit and heads back to his store.
On his way to the store, he looks around and thinks about all the danger that seems to sit in the air. He understands the rage that informed the race riots in Harlem, but also understands the impact it had on business owners like himself, many of whom, in Harlem, are Black. He wonders what will happen next. At the store, Rusty informs him that few sales have occurred recently. Freddie stops by and drops off a mysterious briefcase. He tells him to guard it closely and that he will be back in a few days to pick it up.
Ray is stopped by two of Montague's enforcers. They take him to meet with Montague. Montague tells Ray he wants to speak with Freddie, as he has been getting into serious trouble. Ray says nothing but tells him he will keep an eye out. The enforcers tell Ray that this is serious business as they never hear their boss speak that calmly. Ray goes looking for Freddie at the movie theater he said he'd been sleeping at. He does not find Freddie, but instead sees his friend Linus lying in bed, recently dead of an overdose.
The following day, Ray has a meeting scheduled with a representative from the furniture company Bella Fontaine, a luxury brand. The meeting is disrupted when two police officers arrive at his door. The representative gets spooked and leaves. The officers inquire if Ray has been in contact with cousin Freddie. Ray once again gives up nothing. Ray goes to visit his friend Terrance Pierce. He asks why Linus's death is causing such a splash in the papers. Pierce says that he is the son of Ambrose Van Wyck, patriarch of one of the most powerful families in New York. He then recounts a time when a witness against them in a case was found brutally murdered before testifying.
Analysis
Family is a major theme in this section. Freddie puts Ray in an incredibly difficult position, leaving him with stolen goods from a dangerous robbery. Ray continues to protect him, despite the considerable risk it puts him in. For Ray, protecting his family is nonnegotiable, even when it could cost him everything. Whitehead shows how this value has the potential to severely damage Ray despite being outwardly honorable.
Social mobility is another important theme here. Ray has finally achieved a degree of material success that previously eluded him. His business has succeeded and he has a large, nice apartment. Having attained a certain degree of comfort, Ray has seemingly achieved the American dream, earning a larger income as a result of his hard work. That said, what is less well-known is that a chunk of this money was earned through his increasingly profitable side business as a fence. His need to supplement his store's income with criminal activity lays bare how difficult it really is to be upwardly mobile on "straight" work alone.
Racial tensions are a major thematic element in this section. Ray looks around Harlem and reflects on how the riots have shaken things up, making everyone frightened of their neighbors. He understands the rage of other Black individuals, but also feels for the business owners whose stores have been destroyed and looted. Other characters show a wide variety of responses to the riots. Whitehead shows how the Black community’s response to these riots is variable, as some members like Elizabeth are angered by the injustices in the neighborhood while other, more conservative, figures like her parents remain skeptical.
Crime is another important theme in this part of the novel. Ray successfully brings about the downfall of Wilfred Duke by resorting to fairly sordid means. He takes pictures of him with Laura and then sends them to various local papers. While doing so, he thinks about how he has become more and more willing to do almost anything to take down an enemy. At the end of the novel's second section, he thinks to himself that getting rid of Duke was honestly something he did for pleasure. The novel shows his shift from being a reluctant criminal to an adept and willing one.
This part of the novel focuses on Ray's gradual change as he becomes more successful in his "crooked" business and takes down one of his former enemies. This is an inflection point for Ray, as previously he was doing crimes to survive and make extra money. Now he is able to take on side projects on an extracurricular basis and manage a number of moving parts. This middle section features his growing confidence in these activities and reveals his hidden acumen for them.
