Summary

In Chapter 1, Emira Tucker was at friend’s birthday party when her boss, Alix Chamberlain, called asking Emira to pick up Alix's daughter Briar, the girl Emira babysat. She asked Emira to take Briar to the grocery store. Since Emira needed the money, she said yes. She agreed to the babysitting even though it was late at night, she was dressed for a party, and she had been drinking. Alix told Emira the reason for asking her to take Briar to the grocery store was that someone had broken one of their windows. Alix did not want Briar to be there when the police came.

Emira took Briar to Market Depot, a high-priced, traditionally white grocery store in the Chamberlains’ neighborhood. At the grocery store, Emira, a black girl, was confronted by a security guard because another customer complained. She had seen...