Summary

Christine visits Buddy Lee in his trailer in Chapter 26. She is distraught over Derek’s death but maintains the belief that his homosexuality was amoral. She confides to Buddy that she thinks Gerald is having an affair with a young woman. In Chapter 27, Ike acquires Mr. Get Down’s address and learns his real name is Tariq. He and Buddy Lee drive to Tariq’s house in Chapter 28 to ask him about Tangerine, but they get into a fight with his bodyguards. Ike thinks an old associate of his, named Slice, can help him and Buddy Lee get information from Tariq.

In Chapter 29, Ike visits Slice at the barbershop where he operates. The barbers and customers banter and joke around and deride homosexuality. One says, “Any man let his son grow up gay, he done failed” (186). Slice agrees to bring Tariq to...