Carlita wrinkled her nose. “Who needs security at a cooking contest?”
“Last year, two of the women, the contest winner and runner-up, got into it. The runner-up claimed the winner should have been disqualified based on a technicality. The winner got a little hot under the collar and pushed her. She pushed back.” Dernice smacked her hands together. “Next thing you know, it’s an all-out brawl. Both women ended up having to go to the hospital, one to get stitches and the other with a concussion. There was a rumor about a lawsuit being filed so the civic center hired us to keep everyone safe.”
“Sounds like something right up my alley,” Luigi rubbed his hands together. “Can I bring my piece?”
“You mean a gun?”
“Yeah. I kinda forgot to clear it with you, but me and my gun are partners. We go everywhere together.”
“Sure. I mean, they didn’t tell me we couldn’t bring weapons.”
“Cool.”
“Don’t forget to bring the taser I gave you too.”
“That thing couldn’t zap a fly,” Luigi scoffed.
Carlita laughed as she remembered the time she tazed Elvira, knocking her flat on her back. “Don’t be so sure about that.”
“Sure. I’ll take it. You’re the boss.”
Dernice grinned as she patted Luigi on the back. “Have I mentioned lately I love your go-get-‘em attitude?”
“Does that mean I’m in line for a raise already?” Luigi teased.
“Now I didn’t say anything about forking out more cash. You’re still on probation.”
“I was joking.”
Dernice thanked Luigi before following Carlita down the hall and up the stairs. “Do you think he would shoot someone? I’m not sure our liability insurance would cover an accidental shooting.”
“He would shoot someone. In fact, I’m sure he has shot someone – perhaps multiple people,” Carlita said. “What I do know is he’s trying to…make a career change, so I don’t think gunning someone down would be his first choice of action in any given situation.” She thought about it for a moment. “Although I can’t be certain.”
“Personally, I’m attracted to a man who knows how to use force.”
Carlita studied Dernice, and it dawned on her that she knew very little about the woman’s private life, other than what she’d observed from a distance and what Elvira had told her. “You can tell me to buzz off if you want, but have you ever been married?”
“Nope.” Dernice shook her head. “Too much baggage. I’m more of a free spirit. Besides, look at the mess Elvira is in with Gremlin and Zu. I’m not up for that kind of hassle.”
“Some of Elvira’s issues are self-inflicted. Let me revise that…most of Elvira’s issues are self-inflicted.”
“You got that right. I came close once…to getting married. His name was Kevin. I met him right after I got out of prison. He was a pharmacist on trial for illegal prescription sales.” Dernice tapped the side of her forehead. “Kev was smarter than a whip but not smart enough to fool the feds. If convicted, he was gonna be in for a long time. I didn’t want to put my life on hold for years, waiting for him to get out.”
“That was probably a wise move.” Inside the apartment, Carlita dragged a dining room chair away from the table and placed it next to her desk. “It’ll only take a minute for me to check my email to see if Elvira’s information came through. Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’ll take tea or a Coke if you have it.”
“Sweet tea, it is.” Carlita filled two glasses and set them on the side of the desk before turning her attention to the computer. She waited for her emails to load before sifting through them.
Dernice draped her arm over the back of the chair. “You got a lot of emails. About as many as me, although most of mine are junk.”
“Mine are too.” Carlita slipped her reading glasses on and scrolled through the screen. She found Elvira’s message and opened it.
There was a single sentence at the top. “Don’t screw up my potential sale with your snooping.”
“Sounds like something Elvira would say.” Carlita clicked on the attachment.
Dernice leaned in. “What is this chicken scratch?”
“It is a little hard to read.” Carlita slid the bar at the bottom of the screen to increase the font size.
TII – Remaining four Tybee Island Sellers:
210 Shore Street. Ken Gibbons.
212 Shore Street. Savannah’s Beach?
216 Shore Street. EC Investment Group. Elvira Cobb.
219 Shore Street. Southern Holdings?
“I still can’t believe my sister started an investment company. Like we don’t have enough going on with the other two businesses.” Dernice placed her elbows on her knees. “Nothing Elvira does surprises me anymore.”
“Join the club,” Carlita quipped. “Now, all we have to do is figure out who owns Savannah’s Beach and Southern Holdings.”
A legend, plus a diagram of the properties and their location were below the list of names.
“It’s still hard to see,” Dernice said.
Carlita zoomed in and studied the properties Elvira had marked. Her heart skipped a beat when something caught her eye.
Chapter 16
“Do you see what I see?”
“No.” Dernice shook her head.
Carlita traced her finger along the screen. “Kim Turbell worked in this office, only steps away from not only Elvira’s property but also the other properties for sale. An alley runs behind them, one where someone could easily transfer a body from Turbell’s sales office and plant it in Elvira’s building.” She shifted in the chair. “Why was Turbell in Elvira’s building?”
Dernice shrugged. “Elvira said she called her right after we left the office the other day. I don’t know…to look at the property?”
“If we had the answer to why, we might have the who.” Carlita drummed her fingers on the desk as she studied the diagram. “There’s a
