Page 22 of Takedown in Savannah
Carlita ran to the fridge, removed a bottle and popped it in the warmer.
“Don’t cry,” Violet sing-songed. “Nana is getting your nummies.”
Despite her sister’s best efforts at distracting her, Melody wasn’t having it. If anything, her cries of hunger grew louder.
Thankfully, the bottle warmed quickly. Carlita placed it on the counter. She gently lifted Melody from the carrier and cradled her in her arms.
Violet knew the drill. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed the bottle and burp cloth and followed Carlita to the couch.
The cries turned to whimpers as Melody gulped down the milk. It reminded Carlita of the last time she’d tried taking her bottle, thinking the baby was eating too fast, and been met with shrieking wails. Having learned her lesson, she didn’t try removing it too soon.
Feeding time ended without incident. With a few burps and pats, the Taylor household was once again quiet and peaceful.
Rambo circled the kitchen island and sat in front of the door—his signal it was time to go out. “Rambo needs a potty break.”
“I can take him,” Violet offered.
“We’ll both go.” With help from her granddaughter, Carlita strapped the baby carrier on. She slid Melody into it and off they went, down the stairs and out into the backyard.
She let the pup lead the way along the grassy strip to his favorite spot near the back.
A flit of movement near the corner caught Carlita’s eye.
Violet must’ve seen it too. “Nana, someone is in the yard.”
Carlita cautiously crept past the big oak tree. Noting a flash of laser light, she came to an abrupt halt. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
Chapter 10
Elvira, hunched over and with her back to them, stood near the corner of Carlita and Pete’s property.
Violet tugged on her grandmother’s arm. “What is she doing?”
“Trespassing,” Carlita said. “Looking for treasure.”
“You have treasure, Nana?”
“No. Maybe. Actually, I’m not sure. Grandpa Pete and I aren’t going to dig up our property to find out.” She marched across the yard and tapped her annoying former neighbor on the shoulder.
Elvira stumbled back. She tightened her grip on the tape measure she was holding, a sheepish expression on her face. “I thought you were at Ravello’s.”
“I took today off to spend time with my granddaughters. What are you doing here?”
“I…uh…was in the neighborhood and figured I would pop in and take a quick look around.”
“And you happened to have a tape measure with you?”
“Close.” Elvira pinched her thumb and finger together. “When I realized I had an appointment a block over, I said to myself, ‘Elvira, why not swing by Pete and Carlita’s place?’ I figured as long as I didn’t dig or disturb anything, you wouldn’t mind.”
Carlita cradled the back of Melody’s head, a slow anger building. “Didn’t disturb anything until you thought you saw something, at which point you would start digging holes like an out-of-control mole.”
“I would run it by you first,” Elvira insisted. “It seems like such a shame to give up when we’re close to finding treasure.”
“You have no idea what’s under the dirt.”
“No, but I can feel it in my bones.” She waved the tape measure in the air. “I’m calculating the exact distance from the parking lot to the river.”
Carlita wagged her finger at the woman. “I’ll let you finish checking out the yard, but don’t you dare dig up a speck of dirt without first running it by Pete.”
