Carlita waited, but the look passed and Dernice gave her a half-smile. “See you later.”
“Later.” Carlita returned to her apartment building. She could feel Dernice watching her and turned back. A sad expression flickered across the woman’s face. She eased the back door open and disappeared inside.
Carlita started up the steps and changed her mind, making her way into the pawnshop where Tony was helping a customer. He finished and joined her.
“I see Brittney and her entourage arrived,” Tony joked.
“Oh my gosh.” Carlita rolled her eyes. “What a mess. I’ve never seen so much luggage in my life.”
“What’s Mercedes think since she’s being kicked out of her room?”
“She’s moving in with Autumn until Brittney and her bodyguards leave.”
“That’s a good idea. Vinnie called this morning, asking me to keep an eye on Brittney, Luigi, and Ricco.”
“That won’t be hard. They’ll be staying in your old apartment,” Carlita said.
“What about the new temporary tenant?”
“I’m evicting her.” Carlita told her son about Brittney and Angelica’s altercation. “She slapped Brittney. Ricco was ready to snuff her until I intervened. All we need is for one of Vito’s hitmen to take out one of my tenants.”
“And I missed all of the action?” Tony grinned.
“I’m sure there’ll be more. Somehow, I think today’s incident is just the beginning.”
A couple entered the store, and Carlita returned upstairs to the apartment where she found Luigi and Ricco out on the balcony smoking. Brittney was in Mercedes’ bedroom, frowning at the row of suitcases.
“I don’t know where I’m going to put my clothes.”
Carlita placed a hand on her hip. “Our apartment is kinda small and seeing as it’s only a two-bedroom there’s not much extra space.”
Brittney scooted over to the closet. “Do you think Mercedes would mind making a little more room for me?”
“A little more room?”
“Yeah.” Brittney shoved Mercedes’ clothes to the side. “She gets half. I get half.”
“I suppose I can move some of her clothes into my closet.” Carlita eased past her daughter-in-law, grabbed an armful of clothes and carried them into her bedroom. She repeated the process several times until half of her daughter’s closet was empty.
“Thanks, Ma.”
“You’re welcome.” Carlita left her to unpack, deciding she should warn Mercedes she’d moved half of her closet’s contents into her own.
The door to Autumn’s apartment was ajar. Carlita gave it a light knock and then stepped inside where she found her daughter standing at the living room window, staring out.
“What are you doing?”
Mercedes turned. “Something is going on over at the trolley stop.”
Carlita joined her at the window, peering past the courtyard and to the trolley stop on the other side of the street where her friend, Reese, and Reese’s trolley were parked.
“They’ve been parked there for a long time.”
“I wonder if there’s a problem.” Carlita could see sudden movement inside the trolley. The rear emergency door flew open, and a passenger tumbled out, landing face down on the pavement.
Chapter 3
Carlita raced out of the apartment with Mercedes hot on her heels. They clambered down the steps and dashed out the back door.
When they reached the corner, Carlita could hear people yelling inside the trolley. The passenger the women had seen fall from the emergency exit was lying on the ground. “Call 911!” she yelled.
Mercedes yanked her cell phone from her pocket and began dialing. “Yes, this is Mercedes Garlucci. I’m at the corner of Halston and Mulberry at the trolley stop. We need an ambulance and the police here as soon as possible. There’s some sort of fight going on inside the trolley. One of the passengers fell out of the emergency exit and isn’t moving.”
The dispatcher reassured Mercedes help was on the way. “They’re coming.”
From the back of the trolley, Carlita caught a glimpse of Reese. She was struggling to restrain a man. Several other passengers surrounded her and were yelling.
“Go get Tony,” Carlita gave her daughter a shove. “Reese needs help.”
Mercedes ran across the street, returning moments later followed by Tony, gun in hand.
“Reese is in trouble,” Carlita said breathlessly.
Tony jogged to the trolley door, quickly assessing the situation. “Hey. Let her go!”
There was so much yelling and commotion inside, Tony’s voice was drowned out. He pointed his weapon away from the trolley and fired a shot in the air. “Let the trolley driver out!” he yelled.
At the sound of the gunshot, the fighting stopped. Moments later, Reese stumbled down the steps and onto the sidewalk. There was a large gash on her cheek and a trail of blood.
“Reese.” Carlita rushed forward to help her friend as Tony stayed focused on the passengers still inside. “The police are on the way.”
The faint sound of sirens echoed from a side street. Several cop cars careened around the corners, coming at them from both directions. Officers sprang from the vehicles and raced toward them. “Hands up!”
Tony, who was still gripping his gun, lifted both hands. “I’m armed with a registered weapon.”
The officer closest to him trained his gun on Tony. “Drop it!”
Tony set the gun on the ground, and the officer began patting him down.
Several more cops and an ambulance arrived at the scene. Carlita immediately recognized one of them. It was Detective Polivich. He caught her eye and strode over. “Who called 911?”
“I did,” Mercedes said. “My mother and I were across the street in our apartment and noticed some sort of commotion. Before we could check it out, we watched a passenger fly out of the emergency exit. When we got here, we realized there was some sort of fighting going on inside.”
Polivich turned his attention to Reese, who was standing next to Carlita. “Are you the driver?”
“I am,”
