These excerpts are from the novel "The Turnaround" by George P. Pelecanos, offering a detailed look into the lives of two men, Alex Pappas and Raymond Monroe, whose paths are connected by a decades-old act of violence. The text provides copyright information and a table of contents, establishing the work as fiction, before introducing the two main characters: Alex, who took over his father's Pappas and Sons Coffee Shop after an incident that profoundly affected him, and Raymond, a physical therapist at Walter Reed who grew up in the segregated Heathrow Heights neighborhood. The core narrative revolves around the 1972 shooting death of Alex's friend, Billy Cachoris, by Raymond’s brother, James, after Alex and his friends engaged in a racist prank; years later, the perpetrator of the crime, Charles Baker, attempts to extort Alex over the incident, forcing Alex and Raymond to confront the past and leading to the revelation that Raymond was the actual shooter James covered for. The sources conclude with Alex offering James and Raymond a chance to open a new auto repair business together, symbolizing a path toward reconciliation and a new future for all involved.
