Gray Dawn

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I’ve been writing about Easy Rawlins and his coterie since somewhere around 1988. His first appearance was in a short story called, I think, “Rent Party.” It was about an unnamed young man who had opened his Fifth Ward, Houston, apartment for a wild party. The story started with this young man standing at the front door, taking a ten-cent admission fee from friends, acquaintances, and those strangers who had heard about the event.

He greeted everyone, calling those he knew by name.

When a woman named EttaMae Harris walked up, looking fine and late-1930s hood-glamorous, he felt his heart throb. She was beautiful, strong, trustworthy, and willing, the young man knew, to stand up for her friends. He felt something akin to love for this woman. He would have spoken to her about this feeling except for one thing... That was the next person to show up at the door — Raymond “Mouse” Alexander.

Mouse was trouble. He cheated at cards, messed with the wrong women, disobeyed all the commandments and laws. Ray was everything that the young man was not, but still EttaMae loved him, loved him with all her heart and soul.

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