Ezekiel Taylor

Ezekiel Taylor, called EZ Taylor, is a prominent Black businessman in 1960s Baltimore, the owner of the dry-cleaning chain EZ Kleeners, whose slogan, "Whatever you need cleaned, EZ does it!" makes his establishment a household name. He is a figure of considerable local stature, a man whose success and political ambitions place him at the intersection of race, commerce, and power in a deeply segregated city. His significance in the narrative is twofold: he is a symbol of Black achievement and aspiration in a society that restricts both, and he is a person of interest in the disappearance of Cleo Sherwood, a young Black woman whose mother claims Cleo intended to marry him.

Identity and Public Persona

Ezekiel Taylor presents a carefully constructed public image. He is described as having "that charisma that some successful men have, a way of making you think that you'd find him attractive even if he weren't successful." His physical presence is notable: bulky, moving slowly, speaking slowly and softly, yet with eyes that are "sharp and watchful." This deliberate, measured demeanor suggests a man who is constantly assessing his surroundings, aware of the scrutiny he faces as a Black man in a position of visibility. His business, EZ Kleeners, is expanding, with its newest location placed next to a beauty shop in a neighborhood that is "just beginning to change" from white to Black, a detail that places him at the forefront of the city's shifting racial geography. His political ambitions are equally public; he expresses interest in representing his district in the Maryland legislature, though he notes that the part-time nature of the office means he must keep his job, a practical consideration that grounds his political aspirations in economic reality.

The Investigation and the Question of Cleo Sherwood

Maddie Schwartz first learns of Ezekiel Taylor through a casual remark from Judith Weinstein, who connects him to Shell Gordon, the owner of the Flamingo Club, where Cleo Sherwood worked. The name falls "so casually from the young woman's lips" that Maddie is struck by how easily the information could have been hers earlier. When Maddie confronts Taylor at the ribbon-cutting for his new EZ Kleeners location, she asks directly whether he knew a young woman named Eunetta Sherwood, using Cleo's given name to remind him that she was someone's daughter. Taylor's response is measured and evasive. He claims not to know all his customers, even after Maddie reveals that Cleo's mother found clothing from his dry cleaners in her apartment, "Lots of clothing. Even a fur." When Maddie presses further, telling him that Cleo's mother said Cleo claimed she would marry him one day, Taylor hesitates for a split second before laughing, impressed by Maddie's directness. "The stories girls tell their mothers," he says, adding that he is married. The exchange reveals a man who is difficult to rattle, skilled at deflecting uncomfortable questions while maintaining an air of polite cooperation.

Race, Ambition, and the Limits of Success

Taylor's position in Baltimore society is defined by the constraints of race. He is a successful Black businessman in a city where the police department is segregated, where Black officers like Ferdie Platt walk patrols and cannot use cars or radios. His business thrives by serving changing neighborhoods, yet he himself would not be welcomed as a neighbor by the white women who patronize his stores. Maddie observes that the white women walking into Pietro's for their hair appointments "would be happy for the convenience of a dry cleaners in the neighborhood, but they wouldn't want Mr. Taylor as their neighbor." This paradox—welcomed as a service provider, rejected as a neighbor—captures the precariousness of his success. His political ambitions are similarly constrained; he must navigate a system that offers him a voice in the legislature while denying him full membership in the community he seeks to represent. The comparison to Donald Weinstein, a white political operative who reflects that "the Ezekiel Taylors of the world just have to avoid embarrassing their wives," underscores the different standards applied to Black and white men of ambition.

Connections and Contrasts

The narrative draws implicit contrasts between Taylor and other men in Maddie's orbit. Where Ferdie Platt, a Black police officer, is limited by the segregated department and his relationship with Maddie is deemed "impossible" for reasons that include race but also age and class, Taylor has built a public empire. Yet both men are subject to the same fundamental restriction: their race defines the boundaries of their ambition. Taylor's careful self-presentation stands in contrast to the more openly vulnerable figures in the story, such as Donald Weinstein, who must hide his sexuality behind the facade of the "Baltimore bachelor." Taylor's public success and private circumspection suggest a man who has learned to navigate a hostile world through charm and evasion. His refusal to engage with Maddie's questions about Cleo Sherwood leaves the matter unresolved, a loose thread in the investigation that points to the difficulty of holding powerful men accountable in a society that protects them.

Significance in the Narrative

Ezekiel Taylor functions as a representative figure of Black success in a segregated city, a man whose achievements are real but whose freedom is circumscribed. His encounter with Maddie reveals the limits of her investigative power: she can ask questions, but she cannot compel answers from a man who has mastered the art of polite deflection. His presence in the story also highlights the theme of visibility and invisibility that runs through the novel. Cleo Sherwood, a young Black woman, disappears and is barely missed; Ezekiel Taylor, a successful Black man, is known and respected, yet his connection to her remains opaque. The contrast between their fates—one forgotten, one protected—speaks to the unequal value assigned to Black lives in this society. Taylor's story, like the investigation itself, remains open, a reminder that some questions cannot be answered, and some truths remain hidden behind carefully constructed facades.