A shark must always move forward or it dies. Knowing that can be confusing because there are men that must always move on, too, and they aren't always sharks. They may swim in the same sea, and sometimes they may drift and for a time they may settle, but either way they take whatever that big of sea of life may bring them without going hunting. That's how Constantine comes to be sitting in the get-away car on the edge of Washington DC, while a couple of guys with shotguns and ankle pieces are inside acquiring the liquor store takings.
Now George P Pelecanos knows a little about the liquor store business - the owners could be Jews or gentiles, Irish or Koreans, whoever they are they manage to take a lot of cash out of their neighbourhood. Unfortunately for the would-be alternative possessor of that money the owners also tend to aware of the risks they run - they could be wearing bullet-proof jackets under their coveralls, that newspaper on the counter they never have the time to read might also be concealing their sawn-offs kept so conveniently to hand. In fact, getting hold of that cash can take a lot of planning.
Now Constantine has been drifting, so it is just chance that Polk has given him a lift, and it is just chance that it is the right time of year for Polk to go and ask for some money he thinks is owing to him. What ain't chance is that Grimes in his beltway mansion has thought of a way to get hold of that cash and get rid of his old friend Polk when his old Korean War buddy comes calling.
You think I'm just throwing names at you there? What about Rudolf and Weiner and Valdez and Diane? They all have lives and hopes, too.
Which makes what is really a caper something darker. No matter what you hope or expect, a lot of people are not going to come to out of it undamaged. They are not going to come out of it at all. Those that do, though, will not want to stay in the life, so they are going to need another occupation to pay the rent.
Reader, George P Pelecanos knows a little about the retail business. Learn from him. It could save your life.