George Pelecanos: Drama City

“You ought to quit them cigarettes,” said Lorenzo.

“Hard to quit everything at once,” said Rachel.

Shirley and Sarge, walking together, emerged from the church and came toward them. Sarge kept on without a greeting. Shirley stopped to say hello.

“Can I get a Marlboro, Rachel?” said Shirley.

Rachel shook one from the deck. Shirley put it behind her ear and accepted Rachel’s matchbook, gotten at a convenience store, as well.

“You comin’?” said Sarge, calling to Shirley from the sidewalk.

Shirley smiled at Rachel and Lorenzo. “Y’all have a blessed day.”

“You also,” said Rachel.

Shirley joined Sarge. The two of them walked down the street.

“I got calls to make,” said Lorenzo.

“So do I,” said Rachel. “You been to the clinic lately?”

“I been meanin’ to.”

“You need to get over there and drop a urine.”

“You know I’ll be droppin’ negative too.”

“No doubt.”

She looked into his eyes. Both of them smiled.

“All right, then, Miss Lopez,” said Lorenzo, touching the sleeve of her coat. “Let me get on out of here and see what my partner’s got in that truck.”

“Stay on it, Lorenzo.”

“I plan to.”

Lorenzo went to his vehicle; Rachel went to hers. There was light left in the day, and work to do.

George Pelecanos is a screenwriter, an independent-film producer, and award-winning journalist, a producer on the HBO hit series The Wire, and the author of a best-selling series of novels set in and around Washington, D.C., where he lives with his wife and children.