Page 50 of Takedown in Savannah
“Great. It’s getting even better. Whoever broke into the bank was smart enough to figure out how to disarm the bank’s alarm and block the cameras.”
“If we tie the bank break-in to the speedboat, the criminals have some money.”
“Let’s say the speedboat belongs to the gang and they’re the ones who robbed the bank…the police are going to have a difficult time catching the crooks.”
“They aren’t the only ones.” Carlita studied the still photo of the boat. “I need to kick this investigation up a notch, starting with tracking down the maps of the tunnel system.”
Brad took a screenshot of the speedboat and forwarded a copy to Carlita. Pete, who was scheduled to captain the early pirate ship tour, stayed behind while she headed home to regroup and lay out her plan of attack.
She needed help from someone who knew the tunnel system and also had a nose for sleuthing out clues. As much as Dernice had helped get them this far, Elvira knew most of the tunnels like the back of her hand.
First things first, she needed a copy of the map. According to Elvira, her friend Glenda Fox, who was the president of the SAS, kept copies.
A quick check confirmed that her friend was at work at the downtown office. She tracked down Rambo, and they took off. Their first stop was the apartment building to see if Mercedes was around.
She reached the upper level and found her daughter wasn’t home. Sam Ivey’s door was wide open.
Thunk.A male voice echoed. Seconds later, Sam appeared. His frown vanished, and he smiled when he saw her standing in the hallway. “Good morning, Carlita.”
“Hey, Sam.” She looked over his shoulder, noticing the apartment was almost empty. “You’re wrapping things up.”
“The moving company took the big stuff first thing this morning.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a set of keys. “I might as well give these to you now. If you have a minute, we can do the walk-through.”
“Absolutely. I’ll have Mercedes cut you a check and return the deposit, although you still have a few days left to vacate.”
“I appreciate you working with me and letting me terminate my lease early. I’ve already met some of my new neighbors. This will be a good move for me.”
“Both literally and figuratively,” Carlita said. “I’m sad to see you go. On the flip side, who knows what the future holds.”
“As far as Mercedes is concerned?” Sam looked away.
“You think this is the end, kaput, over and done.”
“We tried, but at the end of the day, Mercedes and I could see our relationship…”
“Fizzled,” she said.
“Exactly. We didn’t have a big blowout, or an argument filled with drama and hard feelings. In fact, I hope she and I can remain friends.”
“Savannah is a small city. I’m sure you’ll run into each other. Hanging out at the Thirsty Crow to see Cool Bones and his band.”
“Between you and me, I already have friends trying to set me up on blind dates.”
“Because you’re a good-looking guy and a catch.” Carlita snapped her fingers. “You’ll be off the market in the blink of an eye.”
“I’m in no hurry, but it would be nice to have a group of friends to hang out with. Savannah has so much to see and do. Right now, my days are filled with work and walking Sadie. I’m looking forward to having a social life again.”
“I’ll miss you, but I understand. You’re young. Go live your life.”
“Thank you for giving me your blessing.” Sam gave her a quick hug. “It means a lot.”
Carlita swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “Let’s get this inspection over with so you can finish packing up.”
The walk-through was easy breezy. Sam had been an ideal tenant, and she hoped the next resident would be equally responsible, someone who would fit in with the neighbors. “The new place has a larger balcony and enough room for me to add some indoor-outdoor carpet for Sadie.”
“Do you have pictures?”
“I do. Have a seat.” Sam patted the only remaining piece of furniture, a stepstool.
