Tiko Johnson

For other uses of Johnson, see Johnson (disambiguation).

At heart, Tiko was a businessman. - Festive in Death^[1]

Johnson, Tiko

Tiko was a young, brash street entrepreneur. He first appeared in Memory in Death (December, 2059).^[2]

Personal Information[]

Description: He had skin the color of good black coffee, eyes of impossible green and nimble fingers.^[3]
Complexion: Good black coffee
Age: 7 or 8 (maybe)^[4]
Eyes: Green
Relationships: Abigail Johnson (great-grandmother)

Coffee-black skin, vivid green eyes, a curly high-top of top of hair, and short, sturdy legs. Venusian green eyes.^[5]
He’d had a growth spurt; he still had a baby face, but now wore his hair in short dreads (spring, 2061).^[6]

According to Tiko, stealing was lazy; any dumbass can steal. In contrast, making money “takes brains and some juice.”^[7]
He dug in (he was persuasive/stubborn).^[8]
He was a squirt of a thing, a kid who probably should’ve been home playing video games or sweating over math homework. But at heart, Tiko was a businessman.^[1]
”Junior entrepreneur. Smart as they came and canny with it.”^[9]

His mother had been busted for illegals, solicitation without a license, and shoplifting that upped to petty theft that upped to grand larceny. Last couple of busts were down in Florida.^[10]
His father was unknown.^[10]
His granny had been his guardian since he was about a year old.^[10]
- She “gave him room to be himself, and rules to live by. And a foundation that meant he’d never find himself in a cop shop with a bloodstained sticker in evidence.”^[9]

In late 2059, Tiko was selling mufflers and scarves out of a battered suitcase with an airboard hanging on a strap at his back.^[3]
Tiko worked Broadway, from Forty-second up to Forty-seventh. He sold “cashmere” scarves and hats in cold weather, and “silk” scarves and ties in good weather.^[5]
In December 2060, his business has expanded and he had two employees “for the Christmas rush.”^[1]
By June, 2061, he had added a second stall downtown and had five employees; Roarke told him when’s he’s ready for a shop, he’ll find him a space and back him.^[6]

Dallas first met him when she was investigating the death of Tubbs in December of 2059.
Dallas occasionally goes to him for gifts.
- Eve bought a scarf for Dennis Mira at Christmas 2059.
- He tried to sell her a cap in March 2060.^[5]
- She got his help in choosing gifts for five friends before Christmas 2060.^[11]
- She bought a pair of wraparound shades for herself; everybody kept telling Eve how badass she looked in them.^[12]
He went to Cop Central to tell Eve about some suspicious activity and suspicious characters that have been “round his yard” every day for the last five weeks. He thinks the thieves are bad for his business, because visitors won’t have money to buy his merchandise.^[5]
- For Tiko’s good deed and good citizenship, he received a $1000 reward.^[13]
Eve sent K.T. Harris’s brother, Brice Van Horn, to him in Celebrity in Death to purchase scarves for his wife and mother, and to recommend souvenir stores for his kids.^[14]
Recognized Dorian Gregg from her picture, saw her a couple of times at his downtown stall, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and sold her an orange and black scarf for five (presumably dollars, but unspecified).^[6]