02.01: Harlem Night

“That was some nice work you did Dayo,” Marene said as he left the staff changing room.
Danny nodded and gave a smile. He had had three of the salon’s customers want their pictures drawn after their hair had been done. All had wanted to take their pics with them and two had tipped him. He had sketched a couple of the stylists working too, they had been delighted.
He was in his ratty bulky street clothes again, Marene let him borrow a uniform shirt and pants as his own stuff stank. The shower back there helped too.
He knew Marene would watch him till he was out of sight, she was a good woman but he wasn’t about to abuse her kindness of letting him be warm all day by imposing further on her.
Danny quite liked Harlem, it was no rougher than the area of Brooklyn he had grown up in but it was far enough away for people not to know him. He shouldered his pack and made his way down to the area under the overpass where the street people gathered at night. He wasn’t going to get a spot near one of the fires but he knew a few places he could hunker down and be sheltered from the worst of the weather. His pack would stay looped over his shoulder to be used as a pillow and stop it being stolen. The homeless were a community but there were many desperate chancers there too.
He stopped by High Shap’s spot to see if there were any books worth swapping. He picked up a thick volume entitled ‘The Insidious Dr Fu Manchu’ in exchange for his copy of Grapes of Wrath, sometimes Danny liked something light and rubbishy to read. High Shap, full name High Chaparral Mackenzie-Watts III, was the local librarian and knew what his readers liked, he would frequently hold books back for a regular. The old man had frowned at Danny’s choice and told him it was old and more than a bit racist. Danny had said that was a good description of his Grandma and he had survived her. Shap made fun of Danny's bleached hair which had been a birthday gift from Marene.
What was that last remark of Shap’s? Watch out for the werewolf? That wasn’t the first time he had heard reference to the new urban legend of a wolf wandering around Harlem.

I hope it is okay to tag Aurora as she is homeless in New York too. If not just ignore the reference.