In Hulu’s mystery series ‘Black Cake,’ Clarence “Little Man” Henry gets poisoned by an unknown person, who kills him on his wedding night. His family and allies, along with the authorities, believe that Covey killed him to escape from the marriage that was set up without her will or permission. Little Man’s death paves the way for Covey’s escape from Jamaica and her reinvention as Eleanor. Since Eleanor seemingly never reconnects with her Jamaican roots after fleeing from the country, she may have not learned who really killed her husband. Little Man’s killer can be someone who is very close to her irrespective of the lack of blood ties between them! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Motherly Care
Pearl can be the one who poisons Little Man. Pearl is the best friend of Covey’s mother. When she was dying, Covey’s mother knew that she could not leave her daughter to the care of her husband Lin alone. Lin’s gambling addiction and financial mismanagement had caused several troubles that affected their family, which must have convinced Covey’s mother to hand her daughter over to the care of someone she could blindly trust. She might have asked Pearl to be Covey’s mother after her death whenever the girl needed one. Therefore, Pearl seemingly feels responsible for Covey’s fate despite not having any direct control or influence over the same.
When Lin arranges Little Man and Covey’s marriage to get his debts written off, Pearl must have realized that she should intervene to save the girl. First of all, she knows that Covey is not a property to hand over to someone, unlike Lin, who is ready to bid farewell to his daughter upon treating her as a mere escape route from the criminal who threatens him. Pearl possibly believes that she has to safeguard Covey from Lin’s senselessness and Little Man’s viciousness. To honor her best friend’s memory and the promise she made to the former, Pearl most likely poisons Little Man.
After seemingly killing Little Man, it is Pearl who guides Covey to flee from the country. She must have planned the murder and Covey’s escape beforehand, which explains how she is present throughout the latter’s journey to freedom. Since Pearl is viewed as a harmless housekeeper by others, she may have even found it easy to mix the poison to kill Little Man. Considering that Lin hasn’t been a responsible father at all, it is safe to rule him out as the possible killer, especially since the chances of him risking the wrath of Little Man’s men are extremely low.
Pearl’s Sacrifice and Covey’s Independence
Little Man’s allies may have figured out that Pearl is the killer, which makes it clear why she gets followed by a group of men. She must have even gotten hurt by them if they do conclude that the former poisoned their boss. If that’s the case, Covey’s survival and transformation into Eleanor are the result of Pearl’s sacrifice. Although Covey gets forced to hide herself for years after fleeing from Jamaica, Pearl’s act of courage paves the way for the former’s reunion with Gibbs Grant and the formation of their family.
In Charmaine Wilkerson’s novel of the same name, which serves as the source text of the show, Short Shirt Higgins, a man who used to work for Little Man, becomes the prime suspect in the murder case. Little Man had an interest in Higgins’ sister, which made him beat and leave her to death when she rejected him. Higgins later tries to poison Little Man’s brother Percival Henry, which makes the police suspect him as the killer who murdered the latter’s brother. The series, however, doesn’t indicate someone named Higgins’ involvement in Little Man’s death.
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