“This might not be a good idea,” Carlita warned.
Dernice adjusted her grip. Balancing her left foot on the narrow brick, she cautiously raised her right hand over her head and began pushing on the door. It made a loud popping sound but refused to budge.
“It could be locked from the inside.”
“Maybe.” Dernice, determined to find out what was on the other side, pushed again, this time harder.
Carlita caught a glimpse of a beam of light. “You’re making progress.”
She pushed a third time, and the door popped up. “Here goes nothing.” Dernice balanced on the tips of her toes. She crouched down and then sprang straight up. The upper half of her body disappeared, leaving both feet dangling in the air.
She paddled furiously until her shoe made contact with the side of the trapdoor. Using her foot as leverage, she dragged the rest of her body through the opening and rolled out of sight.
She reappeared moments later, sticking her head in the opening. “Are you coming up?”
“We’re trespassing.”
“I call it exploring.” She snapped her fingers. “Throw me my flashlight.”
Carlita tossed the flashlight in the air, and Dernice easily caught it. “Thanks. Call 911 if I don’t come back in five minutes.”
“There’s no cell reception in an underground tunnel.”
“Then, run for your life.” Dernice moved away from the opening.
The floor creaked overhead and then it grew quiet.
Carlita stepped directly beneath the open door. She cupped her hands to her mouth. “Are you okay?”
“Ack.”
“Dernice!”
There was no answer.
“Good grief.” Carlita reluctantly climbed the makeshift ladder, slowing when she reached the top. “Dernice?”
“Yeah.” Dernice spun around, shining the light in Carlita’s eyes.
Carlita flung her arm across her face. “Hey.”
“Sorry.” The beam lowered. “You changed your mind?”
“No. I heard you scream. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine. Something scuttled across my shoe. It’s gone now. The place is empty.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep.” Dernice gave her a hand up.
There was a dull beam of light coming in through a small window. Cardboard boxes sat beneath the window. A copper sink and a cast-iron, woodburning stove was on the opposite side of the room.
“This place has been vacant for a while.” Dernice blew on the top of a nearby box, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
“I wonder where we are.” Carlita tiptoed to the grungy window and peered out. The only thing visible was a brick wall.
Dernice trudged across the room.
“We shouldn’t be in here.”
“I think this is an old store.” Dernice stepped behind a counter to admire a bar mirror that ran the entire length. Wooden shelves were below the mirror, and a galley-style walkway separated the shelves from a long gray-green Formica counter. “Or maybe it was an ice cream shop.”
A faint click echoed from somewhere behind the counter seconds before the wail of a security alarm filled the air.
“We tripped the alarm.” Carlita dashed across the room. Dernice was right behind her. The women reached the trapdoor at the same time.
Dernice shoved Carlita out of the way and flew down the makeshift ladder.
She lost her footing halfway down and fell the rest of the way, landing flat on her back.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Dernice scrambled to her feet. “Hurry up!”
“I’m trying.” Carlita inched her way to the bottom, determined to avoid the fall Dernice had taken. She stopped halfway and pulled the trapdoor shut before finishing her descent. “I can’t believe I came after you to make sure you were all right and then you push me out of the way to save your own hide.”
“Sorry. I had the fight or flight instinct.”
Carlita rolled her eyes. “I’ve had enough fun for today.”
The women were silent as they made a quick trek back to Elvira’s basement. Carlita climbed the ladder and waited for Dernice to join her. “I would install some sort of barricade or a door if I were you.”
“If not, we’ll have people snooping around here like we just did.”
“Exactly.”
Dernice dropped the door in place and slid the bolt to secure it. “I got to thinking about Elvira’s list. One of the names sounded familiar.”
“Which one?” Carlita asked.
“Southern Holdings. I’m going to research my customer database to see if there’s a match.”
The women stopped by the kitchen to wash their hands in the sink before making their way to the office.
Zulilly was seated at one of the desks, her back to them.
Dernice tapped her on the shoulder and made a sweeping motion with her hands.
“What?” Zulilly frowned.
“Out. Get out of my chair.”
“This isn’t your chair. It’s my mother’s chair. The chair and everything else in here is hers.”
“You’re a royal pain. Why don’t you go home? You’re in the way.”
“Because my mother wants me here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’re going…you’re going to get out of my chair.” Dernice whacked the back, jarring the chair’s occupant. “Out.”
Zulilly flipped her purple locks off her shoulder and made a hissing sound as she slid out of the chair. She flung herself into the chair across from Dernice and glared at her aunt.
“Glare at me all you want.” Dernice turned her attention to the computer. “Stop playing solitaire on my computer.”
Zulilly ignored the comment. She snatched an ink pen off the desk and began clicking the end.
Dernice clenched her jaw. “Do you have to do that?” she gritted out.
“Is it aggravating you?”
“What do you think?”
“I think that’s why I’m doing it.” Zulilly continued clicking the pen.
