Page 65 of Takedown in Savannah
“Well, it was worth a shot.” Carlita watched her walk off, certain she had dodged a bullet. She checked her phone and realized she’d missed a call from the second prospective tenant.
Tapping the screen, she dialed the number.
“Bubba speaking.”
“Hello…Bubba. This is Carlita Garlucci. You’re interested in an apartment I have available for rent?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Bubba drawled. “I was fixin’ to head to work, but I have a few extra minutes. Would it be possible to see it now?”
“I’m here if you want to swing by.” Carlita told him she had just shown it to someone else.
“I’m on my way.”
“See you soon.” Hanging out on the stoop, she checked her email to make sure there wasn’t anyone else who was looking for a place to live. So far, it was only Darlene and Bubba.
Clunk. Clunk.A clunking mingled with a rumbling sound grew louder. A four-wheel-drive pickup jacked up and with large tires that made aflap, flappingsound turned into the alley.
A man in his thirties if she had to guess, with a buzz cut and goatee, sat behind the wheel. He tapped the brakes and rolled the window down. “Ms. Taylor?”
“Yes. Bubba?”
“Uh-huh. Where do I park?”
Carlita motioned to the parking lot at the other end. “You can park in any open spot.”
“Thanks. I’ll catch up with you in a second.”
Carlita pressed her hand to her chest, watching as Bubba eased his truck into an empty parking spot. At least his hair wasn’t purple and he didn’t smell like skunk weed.How bad could a man named Bubba be?
Chapter 27
“I like the apartment, Mrs. Taylor. I sent my application to Ms. Garlucci. I believe she’s your daughter, and included a reference from my current landlord.”
“Why are you moving, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Me and my girl broke up. She’s moving out of the country. Took a job at some fancy-schmancy international company in Amsterdam. I can’t afford the rent on my own. To be honest, I wasn’t fond of the place to begin with.” Bubba shoved his hands in his pockets. “This apartment is more my style.”
“I appreciate your honesty. As you can see, it will be another week before the unit is ready.”
“No problem. My rent is paid until the end of the month. I don’t have any pets. My ex was allergic to them.”
“We allow pets, but there are restrictions on the breeds—for safety and liability reasons,” Carlita said.
“Gotcha.” Bubba lifted his ball cap and scratched his head. “There was another apartment I looked at, but to be honest, this place fits the bill and would be my first choice.”
“Let me go over your application.” Carlita promised to get back to him the following day. She led him down the stairs and was pleasantly surprised when Bubba hurried around to open the door.
He thanked her for her time and strolled back to his pickup. Hopping in, he fired up the engine; the noise sending a vibration all the way down the alley. It was noisy, but not extreme—not any louder than Dernice’s Harley.
Perhaps Bubba would be the perfect gentleman. He was respectful, politeandemployed. With a few minutes to spare, she went back to Sam’s empty apartment, tracked down Bubba’s rental application and read it line by line.
Sure enough, he had a glowing recommendation from his current landlord, who claimed she was sad to see him move out but understood his situation.
His other pertinent information ticked all the boxes. The bottom line was Bubba Benton could very well be the ideal replacement for Sam.
Making a mental note to discuss it with Mercedes, Carlita grabbed a sandwich at Ravello’s before making her way over to Elvira’s place. It was time to put together a plan to take the gang members down. Hopefully, with the help of the local police, they would be able to pull it off.
*****
