“Mercedes…that’s a great idea.”
“Autumn is at work. She told me where to find her hidden key so I can let myself in. I’m gonna grab some things. Have Luigi and Ricco unload Brittney’s stuff in the hall until I’m done.” Mercedes returned to her bedroom.
Thunk…clunk…clunk. The thunking and clunking stopped, and a red-faced Ricco appeared in the doorway. “Hello, Mrs. Garlucci.”
“Hello, Ricco. You can bring Brittney’s bags in here.” Carlita led him to the hallway. Luigi was right behind him, his face the same shade of red and breathing heavily. “I think she’s got a body or pile of bricks in this one.”
“I hope there’s no body.” Despite the chaos of the situation, Carlita smiled at Ricco’s joke. She felt somewhat sorry for Brittney’s bodyguards and wondered how the drive from Atlantic City to Savannah had gone. Maybe she didn’t want to know.
The men lined her bags along the hall wall, leaving a narrow path between the bedroom and bathroom.
The sound of sharp heels clicking on Carlita’s living room floor grew louder and a flustered Brittney, carrying a designer bag and sporting matching sunglasses, appeared in the doorway. “There’s one more suitcase on the back seat.”
“You’re kidding,” Ricco and Carlita said in unison.
Carlita quickly recovered as she tiptoed forward, giving Vinnie’s wife a gentle hug. “Brittney, it’s so…good to see you. How was the trip?”
“Monotonous, long and boring. My back is killing me.” Brittney snaked her hand behind her back, a pained expression on her face.
Mercedes emerged from her bedroom; an overstuffed backpack slung over her shoulder. “It could be the high heels.” She pointed to the ruby red stilettos Brittney was wearing.
“No way.” Brittney shook her head. “These are the most comfortable shoes I own. In fact, they’re designed to prevent an even worse backache.”
“Hello? Anybody home?” A female voice echoed from the front of the apartment. Carlita recognized it as her new temporary tenant, Angelica Reynolds.
“It sounds like Angelica.” Mercedes slipped past her mother. “I’ll find out what she needs.”
“You do that.” Carlita squeezed into the corner of the hall to give her daughter room. “Good luck.”
Angelica was renting the downstairs efficiency on a month-to-month basis and planned to move out at month’s end. The woman, an author from Los Angeles, was in the area assisting with the production of her blockbuster bestseller, “Into the Night.”
To say the young woman was high maintenance was an understatement. Every other day, Angelica was pounding on Carlita’s apartment door with a new complaint. The air was too cold. Her shower water wasn’t hot enough. There was too much noise outside her bedroom window. And the list of complaints went on.
Finally, Carlita put Mercedes in charge of handling her complaints since she was the one who convinced her mother to rent to the woman in the first place, certain Angelica could help jumpstart her writing career.
“We can start wheeling Brittney’s bags into the bedroom.” Carlita reached for a handle as the sound of raised voices coming from the hallway caught her attention. “I’ll be right back.” She held up a finger and hurried into the hall.
“They’re friends of the family,” Mercedes stood close to Angelica talking in a low voice. “I’m certain they won’t bother you.”
“What’s going on?” Carlita joined her daughter and troublesome tenant.
“I have a major issue.” Angelica pointed a glittery gold fingernail in Carlita’s direction. “The parking situation around here is ridiculous. Last night, I had to park on the street because your weirdo neighbor parked her security van in the way and blocked the empty spots.”
“Elvira?” Carlita asked.
“I don’t know her name. She’s the one with the crazy hair who’s always wandering around out back with her metal detector.”
“I’ll chat with her,” Carlita promised. “Elvira and her tenants have their own parking area. I’ll be sure to remind her.”
“And now…this morning. These two creepy goons Mercedes claims are family friends were hogging two spots instead of pulling into one. When I told them to move, they ignored me.” Angelica rambled on, starting in again about the noise and the temperature of her water.
Brittney tottered into the hallway. “Would you mind running down to the car to grab my last bag?” She jangled a set of keys. “Ricco and Luigi are having a little trouble fitting my suitcases in the bedroom.”
“I bet they are,” Mercedes muttered under her breath.
Carlita jabbed her daughter with her elbow and reached for the keys. “I’ll be happy to.”
“Who are you?” Angelica rudely asked.
Brittney turned her bright blue eyes on the woman. “Who are you?”
“A paying tenant, who’s getting tired of subpar apartment conditions. And now I have to deal with a couple of creepy goons hanging around.”
Brittney’s jaw dropped. “Are you talking about Ricco and Luigi?”
Ricco appeared behind them. “The bags are in the room.”
“There’s one of them,” Angelica said.
“Why…” Brittney’s expression morphed from angelic to enraged. “Goons?” she fumed. “Like you have room to talk. Someone needs to buy you a mirror…a nice big round one so you can take in a full view of yourself.”
Angelica reared back, her eyes narrowing to slits. “Are you calling me fat?
“If the fat fits,” Brittney taunted.
Carlita made a move to step in and defuse the situation, but it was too late.
Chapter 2
Angelica’s hand shot out, and she slapped Brittney’s cheek. The force of the strike was enough to create a loud whack that echoed in the hall.
Brittney pressed a hand to her cheek as she let out a strangled gasp. Her eyes glittered angrily as she grabbed a fistful of Angelica’s hair and pulled.
Angelica clawed at Brittney as she shrieked in pain. “Let go of me.”
Ricco, who was standing directly behind Carlita, shoved her
