Page 47 of Takedown in Savannah
Pete parked in front of Elvira’s office. Struggling to stay a step ahead of her husband’s fury, Carlita jumped out and beat him to the door. She flung it open, half hoping the woman was gone so her husband would have time to cool off.
Elvira sat at her desk, calmly watching a harried Carlita and steaming Pete step inside. “Good morning.”
He skipped the pleasantries. “I told you to stay out of my tunnel.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You tried breaking in again. I went down there a few minutes ago to make sure the door was locked. Someone tried prying it open.”
“I wasn’t in your tunnel.”
Pete clenched his fists and took a menacing step closer.
Realizing the severity of the situation, a look of panic crossed her face. “Honest. Scout’s honor. I wasn’t anywhere near your place.”
“And you expect me to believe you after Carlita told me you brought your tape measure over and started snooping around in the backyard?”
“I’ll admit to poking around, but I can assure you I wasn’t trying to break into your tunnel. I would pick the locks,” she haughtily replied.
“Hang on.” Carlita slipped past her husband. “I believe you.”
“For once, someone believes me,” she joked.
Pete relaxed his stance. “If it wasn’t Elvira, who was it?”
Carlita placed a light hand on the back of her neck. “I want to go downstairs and take a quick look around. My guess is the San Maris Gang is searching for another place to access theriver because the spot they’re currently using may have been compromised.”
Elvira grabbed her keys from the drawer. “Follow me.” She led them through the apartment and to her basement door. She flipped the light on and took her first step down.
Carlita hesitated, noticing the pungent aroma of metal mingled with smoke. “Have you been chipping away at your walls again?”
“Nope. I stopped after code enforcement issued a warning and told me they would slap me with a hefty fine if I did anymore jack hammering.”
“For good reason. You’re risking your own safety as well as your sister’s and anyone else who lives nearby,” Carlita lectured.
“I know. I know. Plus, I don’t want the walls falling in around me.”
“Literally.”
Reaching the lower level, the couple followed Elvira to the other side of the room, stopping when they reached a solid metal door. Fishing a set of keys from her pocket, she unlocked the door and took the lead down the narrow corridor.
At the intersection, they turned right and continued walking, passing by other tunnel entrances, all securely locked.
“A couple of years ago, you could explore the tunnel system, but now the owners have them all locked up tight.”
“Probably because someone has been sneaking around down here without their permission,” Carlita pointedly replied.
“You’re cranky,” Elvira griped. “Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?”
“Wouldn’t you be if your husband found out someone was trying to break into his property and damaged his door in the process?”
“True.” Elvira grew quiet, trudging along the corridor. The walls narrowed even more and then “teed off.” Finally, they reached Pete’s tunnel. As they drew closer, Carlita noticed the fresh pry marks.
Elvira let out a low whistle. “No wonder you’re ticked.”
“You’re sure you didn’t to this?”
She shook her head. “No way. This is the work of amateurs or…someone who was in a big hurry.”
