DC By the Book

Excerpt: Known as the Northern Market, it had served the Shaw community since the late 1800s. One of the largest open-air shopping areas in DC, the market occupied the entire corner of Seventh and O Street Northwest. Built with faded red bricks in a style from the Victorian era, not unlike may other structures in DC, it features arches and columns around the windows and doors.... Easton smelled the fresh meat, fish, and aroma of coffee long before he reached the market, the smell of coffee so strong, it work him. Even when the doors and windows of the market were closed, and they were open today, the smells drifted through the neighborhood and lingered for days at a time. He rushed into the building, bustling with activity. People whistled and hummed to the jazz melodies blaring from the huge speakers, which had even the mundane nodding and tapping to the beat. He small small clusters of women talking while children played at their feet. Men smoked cigars and cigarettes and sat on stools, reading the morning paper and drinking coffee while waiting for their wives or lovers to finish shopping.

Excerpt: Taylor drove through the Anacostia neighborhood of southeast to Asylum Road and Saint Elizabeth's Hospital, once called the Government Hospital for the Insane. The red brick buildings that comprised the mental institution covered three-hundred acres split on both sides of the road. There was no reason to be on Asylum Road, unless you had business at the hospital, since the road came to a dead-end.... He sped up the hill to a three-story building that housed the pharmacy where Doc Nelson worked part-time.

Excerpt: He journeyed to Fourteenth Street, parked a block down from the Car Barn, a boxed red brick building where streetcars rolled in and our to connect and transfer passengers to other lines. He walked north to the Tourist House, a three-story building, also known as the Knock, Knock House by some of its patrons. Eastern felt so stupid when he learned that no tourists stayed at the place, only locals who went to be with their lovers or mistresses.

Excerpt: Hains Point, located where the Anacostia River and Potomac River converged in Southwest DC, evolved into a favorite spot for bikers during the day and for lovers after sundown. The peninsula of land offered great views of the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building, two popular tourist attractions. Easton and Ruth cuddled on a bench, watching the water ripple from boats skirting its surface and enjoyed the cross breeze blowing from one side of the peninsula to the other, bathing their face.

Excerpt: Easton arrived at the Central Library right on time. He walked quietly to the back room. Louise saw him coming. She pointed toward an exit door. He followed as her high heels clicked on wooden steps leading down to a room full of books... "You're not supposed to be down here, so we have to talk softly.... I work here part-time sorting books to make money so I can finish college. I have two more semesters at Miner Teachers College, thank you, Jesus!"

Excerpt: [Easton was] less than a mile from Jimmy's Grille on Ninth and Florida Avenue Northwest.... While a student at Howard, Easton had worked and earned his meals at the Grille. Oftentimes when the last customer left, Jimmy would lock the door and, for the rest of the night, preach about the amount of food people wasted and about the poor people who had none.... It had taken Easton almost a year to get used to all the chaos behind the scenes of what he considered a big city restaurant, most of it brought on by Jimmy's gregarious personality.

Excerpt: Easton drove home to a boarding house on H Street where he'd rented furnished room on the third floor of the hour-story house his freshman year at Howard University, seven years ago. The cost of room and board in Howard's dormitories had been too expensive for him to stay on campus.... What he loved about his room, aside from the washroom on the same floor, and what sold him on it was that he shared the floor with only one other man. Two other dudes rented on the second floor: a homosexual who aspired to be a singer, his processed hair never out of place, and the other taught eight grade in a DC public school.... Mr. and Mrs. Kelly lived on the first floor of the boarding house. Mrs. Kelly had made it clear: "I'm not putting up with women coming and going except mothers, grandmothers, aunts, or sisters. And the sister has to prove she's our sister."

Excerpt: Easton tailed them up Seventh Street past the Wonder Bread Factory, where the aroma of fresh baked bread drifted in the air, reminding him of the homemade rolls his mother baked every Sunday.

Excerpt: He continued following the Desoto onto Howard Place, one of the main streets on the Howard University campus. Doc Nelson turned left at the dead end. Easton parked on Howard Place, grabbed his camera, jumped from his car, and fell into step with a group of students laughing and jonin' on a brotha's high-water pants. When he reached the corner, he saw Doc Nelson and Thomas going through the entrance to the gated campus. Easton kept his distance and followed their movements through the stately wrought-iron fence.... Thomas hustled across the square to a group of boys congregating under a tree. He saw something change hands between Thomas and one of the boys. He didn't want to believe that something may been drugs, then again, when Thomas slipped something in the hands of another boy and yet another, Easton about flipped. He opened the shutter covering his camera lens and captured the last exchange.