Devil in a Blue Dress: Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis

That night, Easy gets drunk on bourbon before attempting to sleep, which he is unable to do without seeing Coretta’s face or hearing her calling out for him in his dreams. Around three in the morning, he’s startled awake by a phone call from Junior. Junior says that he knows Easy is looking for Daphne Monet and mentions that she hangs around Frank Green—Daphne’s boyfriend, whose identity Coretta already shared with Easy. The timing and tone of Junior’s call strike Easy as odd, and he suspects Junior is holding something back. But when pressed, Junior insists he doesn’t know anything else.

Easy drifts back to sleep and dreams of catching catfish in Houston as a boy. A second phone call interrupts his sleep. This time, it’s Daphne calling. Speaking in an accent that sounds French, she explains that she found his number to ask about Coretta. Daphne says that Coretta told her Easy was looking for her before she disappeared, and she hoped finding Easy might lead to Coretta. Easy reveals that Coretta was beaten to death and suggests that Frank Green is responsible, but Daphne insists he only kills using his knife, not his fists. She also clarifies that Frank is not her boyfriend. Daphne asks Easy for help getting a taxi, saying she needs to see her friend, who supposedly has something important for her. Reluctantly, Easy agrees to meet.