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their taxes. This group is from the Hill in New Haven.” I pointed to a 30-ish black guy in the ubiquitous militia camouflage pants, and a bright white T-shirt. “DJ's their Coco. This is really his party. He’s Emmett’s number two now for greater New Haven.”
That role used to be Zack’s. On such a glorious day, the thought didn’t twinge much. DJ was incredible at his job. He could have been Emmett’s right hand in the first place. But Zack had an easier community in West Totoket, and was an experienced officer. DJ retired as a sergeant to work with New Haven Parks&Rec, to keep kids busy and out of trouble outside of school. His brilliant white grin was infectious. When that man smiled at you, you knew you were loved.
“So they bus black kids out to work the fields, on threat of starving their grandmothers.” Will said it. Dave and Mel grinned and patted his back.
If I’d wanted to enjoy this glorious harvest festival, I shouldn’t have brought my hacker cronies. I frowned at them. “Everybody works to eat,” I said. “The kids don’t have a chance to grow food at home.” A couple other volunteers in line glared at us. Alex shot the guys an uneasy look. He found some teenagers to join near the back of the line.
Dave was ever the peacemaker. “It's lovely for the children to get out of New Haven on a field trip. Treats included.”
“We’re all slaves to the Cocos anyway,” Mel said. “Might as well train the kids young at hard labor. What?” he demanded, as a middle-aged woman turned to glare at him, fists on hips.
“I support the Cocos,” she schooled him. “They’re the only ones keeping us from complete anarchy. Without them, we’d have no food distribution system at all! What are you doing here, anyway?”
“Major MacLaren invited us,” I offered wanly.
“He’s our boss, like everyone else’s,” Mel added unnecessarily.
“Why don’t we wait over by the trees, Mel?” Dave suggested smoothly. “Dee will be along with the bags in a moment. Won’t you, Dee?”
The busybody ahead of us took a parting shot. “And don’t talk to children along the way!” She huffed and turned her back on me, to face the front of the line again.
I considered explaining that I supported the Cocos, too, probably a lot more than she did. But she hadn’t exactly earned the right to an explanation.
I tuned out the lot of them and tuned in to Emmett instead. Now that the kids were out of the way, he and a helper carried an elderly black woman and her wheelchair out of the bus. She was missing both feet. Her smile flashed some gold teeth as she and Emmett flirted with each other. He wheeled her toward DJ and the orchard owners by the sales shack. The helper carried a folding table.
I walked down the line and asked Alex to grab bags for five, and bring them to me. Then I slipped into the gang by the shack and under Emmett’s arm. They were still at the greeting stage, so I wasn’t interrupting anything important.
I mock-glowered at the elderly woman. “Have you been flirting with my man? The nerve of you, Emmett! Flirting right in front of me!”
He laughed and kissed my forehead. “Uh-huh. Sorry, Liddy. I brought a date. Meet Dee.”
“Huh! Scrawny.” Liddy clucked pretend disapproval, then gave it up for a warm smile. “Just teasing you, child. Emmett talks about his Dee all the time. So nice to finally meet you. She is a pretty little thing, Emmett! We still miss you in New Haven, though.”
Clearly this was a long-standing issue between these two. Emmett had lived in New Haven for a year before settling in Totoket after Zack died.
Emmett just smiled at her, and took his turn shaking hands with the orchard owner. “Any limits today, Mike? Beyond windfalls,” he asked.
“Nah. All you can pick up and sort,” the owner replied. “You’re welcome to it.”
I silently cursed Mel for planting an ugly seed in my mind. This orchard owner had little choice but to agree to whatever Emmett suggested. My