Page 45 of Takedown in Savannah
“Got it. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.”
“I like Luigi. He’s a good guy. Elvira, on the other hand.” Reese tipped her hand back and forth. “She’s a mixed bag.”
“You’re telling me,” Dernice said. “We got into a huge argument when she told me she was firing Luigi. I packed my bags and left.”
“You have the patience of a saint. I would’ve packed up and moved out long ago.” Reese told them not to hesitate to call her if they needed anything else before climbing into her Jeep and driving off.
Dernice handed Carlita her helmet. “We’re making headway.”
“For sure. We now have a pretty good idea about how the gang is evading the cops.”
“I say we hit the road before heading home.” Dernice climbed on her motorcycle and waited for Carlita to slide on the back. “I feel the need for speed.”
“Thanks for the warning.” Carlita tightened her grip, watching as the parking lot blurred past. They reached the outskirts of town, and she didn’t dare peek over Dernice’s shoulder to see how fast they were going.
All she knew was they were moving at almost warp speed. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying she would make it homewithout crashing while simultaneously reassuring herself that if they wrecked, she wouldn’t feel a thing.
She felt the motorcycle slowing and opened her eyes. They were back in town, only blocks from the apartment. Smooth as butter, Dernice cruised into the restaurant’s parking lot, stopping in the exact same spot she had when she picked Carlita up.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever gone so fast in my life.” Carlita climbed off, her legs threatening to buckle when her feet hit solid ground. She reached out to steady herself. “The ride was…an adventure.”
Dernice was smiling from ear to ear, a smile Carlita realized she hadn’t seen since Luigi was taken to the police station for questioning. “It was a perfect evening ride. Thanks for going with me.”
“Thank you for inviting me.” Carlita opened the saddlebag and swapped out the helmet for her purse. “Do you have time to go over the list the uniform company Reese forwarded, to see if we’re actually onto something?”
“Sure.” Dernice hung her helmet on the handlebars and followed Carlita up the stairs.
First things first, she took Rambo out for a bathroom break. She returned and found Dernice seated at the bar with the map laid out on the counter. “I have an idea.”
Carlita eased in next to her. “I like ideas.”
“You said you made a list of the businesses the gang hit.”
“It’s right here.” She plucked the sheet from her purse and unfolded it. “I may have missed one or two, but this should be most of them.”
Dernice placed the map next to the list. “Elvira would be useful right about now.”
“How so?”
“She keeps a list of all the other Savannah security services companies and their clients.”
“Why?” Carlita waved dismissively. “Never mind. So she can go after their customers.”
“You know it. I’m thinking if we take the list the uniform company gave us and compare it to Elvira’s competitor’s list, we can figure out if they match the businesses the San Maris Gang hit.”
“It would save a lot of time and legwork on our part.”
“Right.” Dernice gazed at her expectantly.
“You want me to do it?”
“In case you forgot, Elvira and I are not on speaking terms.”
“No biggie. I’ll do it.” Carlita dialed Elvira’s number. The call went directly to voicemail. She left a brief message asking her to call back. “All the fresh air and sleuthing has worked up an appetite.” She assembled a plate of cheese and crackers, poured two glasses of sparkling water and climbed back on the barstool. “What if Elvira refuses to give us a copy?”
“Why would she?”
Carlita shrugged. “Because she’s mad at you.”
