Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Spoilers welcome discussion topic for chapters 7-10 of Deacon King Kong by James McBride.
If the first to post please briefly summarize to guide the discussion.

Chapter 7 - The March of the Ants

Every year since anyone can remember Building 17 is inundated with ants that come in for the cheese that Hot Sausage stores in a clock in the basement. They then move thru the building and cross into others in the project. While recovering from his wound Deems thinks about the ants and how he and his friends outsmarted them before they could cross over to his building. Deems remembers other things too like how much he enjoyed being around Sportcoat in church or on the baseball field. Deems’ lets his underlings know that he will let Earl take care of Sportcoat but no one can touch Pudgy Fingers, Sportcoat’s blind son. Deems is not happy that Bunch is intruding in his business and decides he needs to cut Bunch out of the operation and go to a more direct source.

Chapter 8 - The Dig

Sportcoat manages to avoid trouble and goes to see his buddy Rufus who works in the boiler room at the Watch House and is also from Carolina. Rufus was a founding member of the church but left it 15 years prior. Sportcoat asks his advice about the Christmas funds and Rufus says that Sister Paul used to take care of the fund before Hetty and she might know the hiding place. Sister Paul is very old though and lives in Bensonhurst. Rufus relates how Sister Paul started the church and a nice Italian man named Ely something, helped dig and put in the foundation of the building. When Sportcoat leaves Earl is lying in wait with a raised pipe but a couple of kids clock him with a baseball with Sportcoat none the wiser.

Chapter 9 - Dirt

The police roll up to the church with a warrant and the younger one ruffles the feathers of the pastor’s wife. The older officer, Potts, steps in and he and Sister Gee come to an understanding. She informs him everyone knew the kid who worked for Hot Sausage was a cop. She also lets him know that if the police arrest Sportcoat his son Pudgy Fingers will be sent into care far from the church and his friends.

Chapter 10 - Soup

Sportcoat wakes up the next morning to the sounds of Joaquin, the honest number runner, and his band who are the hometime favorites. The band is playing to celebrate the homecoming of Soup Lopez from jail. Sportcoat wanders into the celebration but when his neighbors see him they back away. Sister Gee tells Sportcoat that the police have a warrant for him under the name of Ellis. Hot Sausage is surprised since that is his actual name not Sportcoat’s. Soup finally shows up and the drinking commences until Sportcoat’s Haitian neighbor tries to give him a voodoo type doll. The doll contributes to a melee that breaks out and during the skirmishes Earl tries to get at Sportcoat but is knocked out by a flying bottle. Sister Gee and Soup take Earl to the subway and give him a nicely worded warning.

Sandi: Soup, Hot Sausage and Sportcoat. I found these nicknames fascinating. The sharing of the id, looking out for one another and Sportcoat's lovable and oblivious nature keeping him one step ahead of trouble made these friends all special, and the ants were a trip! I felt like I was right there in the basement too.

Sandi wrote: "Chapter 7 - The March of the Ants
Every year since anyone can remember Building 17 is inundated with ants that come in for the cheese that Hot Sausage stores in a clock in the basement. They then ..."

It has taken me a bit to get into the rhythm of this book, but Sandi your summaries definitely help. I wonder if we will ever find out why Sportcoat shot Deems?

These characters are all very colorful!

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "It has taken me a bit to get into the rhythm of this book, but Sandi your summaries definitely help. I wonder if we will ever find out why Sportcoat shot Deems?

These characters are all very color..."

You really don;t want us to tell you now, do you?

Barry wrote: "
You really don;t want us to tell you now, do you?..."

You're really asking me, the spoiler-phobe? Of course not!!!

(off to listen to the last disc so I can get this finished in 2020!)

Everyone has a story of their own in this book. The cops are looking for Sportscoat but think he’s Hot Sausage. The two sharing an identity to get a driver’s license is hysterical. I do not understand why everyone knows and tells Sportscoat that he did the deed, and he does not believe it. What’s in that King Kong? Hot Sausage is right. Dean’s men are going to take Sportscoat out if given a chance. The Cause Houses appreciate Sportscoat. I don’t believe Hetty fell in the harbor, but time will tell. Sportscoat spends too much time in a haze talking to her as if she still lives with him. The comedy of errors that lead to the project fisticuffs had me howling.