She set the pizza on top of the stove and turned the oven off. They still had another fifteen minutes before the pawnshop closed, enough time to visit their new neighbor.
The women exited the building and strolled across the alley to Elvira’s back door.
Carlita lifted her hand to knock. “You got Elvira’s mail?”
Mercedes patted her back pocket. “Yep. I wasn’t trying to snoop, but it looks like a collection bill and some sort of ‘Landlords of America’ newsletter.”
“Great.” Carlita rapped on the back door and then pressed the doorbell. “I hope Elvira knows what she’s getting herself into.”
The door slowly opened and a bespectacled man peered out. “Can I help you?”
“We’re looking for Elvira,” Mercedes said.
“Elvira who?”
“Elvira Cobb. The woman who lives in this building,” Carlita said.
He shook his head, clearly confused. “Are you talking about Bernice?”
“Elvira Bernice Cobb,” Carlita said.
“Oh. Well, I don’t know Elvira, but Bernice is out front, talking to a woman who arrived on a Harley.”
“And parked it inside,” Carlita guessed.
“Yep.” He nodded. “It’s in the living room.”
“I can’t wait to see this,” Mercedes hissed under her breath. She cleared her throat. “We live in the building across the alley and have some of Elvira…Bernice’s mail.”
“Ah. Follow me.” The young man opened the door wider and mother and daughter stepped inside. “Bernice and Movira are sitting out front.”
“Don’t you mean Dernice?” Carlita asked.
“Bernice and Movira,” the man repeated.
“Wait a minute.” Carlita abruptly stopped. “We’re talking about two different people.”
“Maybe more by the sounds of it,” Mercedes chimed in.
Carlita lifted a finger. “First, we have Elvira Bernice Cobb, the woman who lives in this building. Second, we have Dernice Cobb, Elvira aka Bernice’s sister, who rode in here on a Harley.”
“I don’t know Dernice, but I know Bernice and Movira, the woman who rode in on the Harley.”
“Now I’m confused,” Mercedes said.
“That makes two of us.” The young man extended a hand. “At least my name is easy. I’m Joe. Joe Becker, one of Bernice - Elvira’s - new employees.”
Carlita shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you Joe. You’re working for Elvira?”
“Yes. I’m working security…part-time down at the local pub, the Thirsty Crow, more of a bouncer for now, but we’ve got a big gig coming up in a couple of weeks.”
“A bouncer?” Joe Becker looked like anything but a bouncer at a bar.
Computer programmer? Check.
Bouncer? No way.
“I see.”
The trio continued walking, passing by the shiny chrome-plated Harley.
“Nice bike,” Mercedes complimented.
“It is. I wouldn’t try touching it,” Joe advised. “I got too close and I thought Movira was gonna freak out.”
“Duly noted,” Carlita said.
Joe led them to the front entrance and Carlita could see Elvira, aka Bernice, and her sister Dernice, aka Movira, sitting at a small table out front. Dernice was puffing away on a cigarette while Elvira fanned her face.
“Bernice, you have company.” Joe left them there and returned inside.
“Hi Elvira, also known as Bernice.” Carlita turned to Elvira’s sister. “And Dernice, also known as Movira. What’s up with the names?”
“What do you mean what’s up?” Elvira said. “Those are our given middle names.”
“It’s our parent’s fault. They messed us up.” Dernice blew a ring of smoke in the air. “We always call each other by our middle name.”
“I figured you were trying to keep your identities hidden from your roommates,” Carlita said.
“That too,” Elvira admitted. “Never can be too careful.” She shifted in her chair. “So what brings you by?”
“Curiosity,” Carlita said.
“Curiosity and we have some of your mail.” Mercedes handed the envelopes to Elvira. “Looks like one of them is a collection bill.”
Elvira glanced at the front of the envelope and then ripped it in half. “Yeah, well good luck tracking me down and collecting money. They’ll be sitting on your doorstep, not mine.”
“And I’ll be sending them right across the alley,” Carlita shot back. She changed the subject. “So how’s the investigative business going? Joe told us you hired him as security detail.”
“I’m expanding my operations,” Elvira said vaguely. “Diversifying.”
“I see.” Carlita lifted her gaze and glanced down the sidewalk. “Well, I have one request. Can you please tone down the blinding spotlights out back? It feels like we’re living in the center of an airport runway strip.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Great.” The women made small talk and finally, Carlita decided it was time to go. “If I get any more mail, I’ll slip it under the door.”
“Don’t do that,” Elvira said. “I don’t want my tenants snooping into my personal stuff. Just give me a call and I’ll run by when I have time.”
“Okay.” Carlita shrugged and turned to Elvira’s sister. “It was nice to meet you Dernice Movira.”
Mother and daughter sauntered down the sidewalk and rounded the corner.
“What do you think?” Mercedes asked.
“I think I’m even more thankful that Elvira is no longer under my roof.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Mercedes said.
Chapter 3
“So what’s the 411 on this fact finding mission?” Autumn Winter hung over the front seat of the car and stared at the Beachy Bargains Pawn Shop sign through the front windshield.
“Tori Montgomery sold a few loose gems to this pawnshop and not long after, someone broke into her home and stole some antique weaponry from her drawing room,” Carlita said.
“We’re looking for the stolen goods?” Autumn asked.
“That’s one angle,” Mercedes said. “We’re also going to sell a couple gems Ma and I own. We want to see if the same thing happens to us.”
“So you want someone to rob you?”
“No, I mean. Of course not,” Carlita said.
Mercedes rubbed
