She began backing up and had managed to clear the parking lot when a figure lunged forward, grasping a gun that glimmered under the streetlight.
Chapter 12
“Help!” Carlita shrieked in terror. She stumbled backward and lost her footing. The pizza container flew from her hands as she fell. A sharp pain shot up her back.
The shadowy figure flew between the cars and loomed over her. “What are you doing?”
“Tony!” Carlita screamed as she flung both arms over her head.
“What’s going on?” Tony raced across the parking lot brandishing a gun. He aimed it at the intruder. “Hands in the air!”
The woman tossed the weapon on the ground and bolted. She collided head-on with Carlita’s passenger side mirror and bounced off before tumbling to the ground. “Oof.”
Tony dashed between the cars as he released the safety on his gun. “Make a move, and you’re dead.”
“I thought someone was trespassing.”
“Trespassing?” Tony growled. “You’re the one trespassing. I’m callin’ the cops.”
Carlita fumbled with her phone, her hands trembling. “I’m doin’ it right now.”
“You’re making a big mistake. I’m a guest of Elvira Cobb. I’m staying with Elvira.”
Carlita lowered the phone, eyeing the woman more closely. “You’re…Astrid, Elvira’s new employee.”
“Yes. She told me I could stay here.”
Tony kept his gun trained on the woman. “What are you doing wandering around in the parking lot after dark?”
“I’m not wandering around. I’m settling in.”
“Settling in?” Carlita shook her head, confused.
“I have a tent. Elvira told me I could pitch my tent here.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. I’m claustrophobic in confined spaces, so Elvira gave me the okay to set up camp out here. Who are you?”
“Carlita Garlucci, Elvira’s former landlord and neighbor.”
“Oh…you’re the mafia lady.” Astrid rolled onto her knees.
“Mafia lady?” Carlita placed her hand on the back of her car and slowly stood.
“Elvira told me you have mob ties.”
“Mob ties.”
“Yeah. I think she was just kidding. She told me to watch my p’s and q’s or I might end up in the Savannah River with my hands tied behind my back and my heart carved from my chest.”
“Oh, she did…did she?”
“Maybe she was trying to scare me.” Astrid motioned to her weapon nearby. “You mind if I grab my weapon?”
“Yes, I mind.” Tony took a step closer.
“I’ll take it.” Carlita scooped up the gun. “I’m hanging onto it until we can get to the bottom of this mess.”
“I’ll stay here,” Tony said. “You go track down Elvira.”
“I’ll be right back.” Carlita carefully made her way down the alley.
When she reached Elvira’s back door, she pounded loudly. “Elvira.”
She waited for a moment and then tried again. “Elvira! Open the door.”
The door flew open. Carlita lifted the gun.
“What in the world?” Elvira flung her hands across her chest and jumped back. “What’s going on?”
“This.” Carlita waved the gun in her face. “I was on my way home from Tony’s place, and your new tenant nearly shot me with this gun.”
“Shot you? I…Wait a minute.” Elvira reached for the weapon. “Give me that.”
“Not so fast.” Carlita thrust the weapon behind her back. “Whatever possessed you to let a homeless person - not to mention a person who is concealing their true identity - to pitch a tent in your backyard? Someone is going to get hurt.”
Carlita could feel her blood pressure rising. “What were you thinking?”
“Chillax. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”
“Mountain out of a molehill? Astrid, or whoever she is, almost shot me. My blood would be on your hands.”
“That’s a stun gun. Not a real gun,” Elvira pointed to the weapon. “I issue one to each of my employees when they’re working security detail. Even if she accidentally pulled the trigger, all you would’ve felt was a little sting.”
Carlita took a closer look at the weapon. Elvira was right. In the dark, and at first glance, it looked like a gun. “A little sting? I’ll show you a little sting.” She tightened her grip and pressed the butt of the stun gun against Elvira’s arm before pulling the trigger.
“Agh.” Elvira’s body began to shake. Her eyes grew wide; she let out a gurgled sound and crumpled to the floor.
“Elvira?” Footsteps clattered on the floor behind them, and Dernice appeared. She gazed at Carlita holding the gun. “You shot my sister!”
“Yes, and I enjoyed it immensely,” Carlita said.
Dernice’s eyes grew round as saucers. She dropped to her knees and reached for her sister’s hand. “Hang on, El. I’m calling an ambulance.”
“That won’t be necessary. She’ll be fine in a few minutes. I zapped her with one of your stun guns.” Carlita held up the weapon.
“Elvira gave you one of our guns?”
“No. She gave it to Astrid, who pulled it on me while I was walking home a few minutes ago. She’s out back with Tony who is holding the real deal. Someone has some explaining to do.”
Carlita could see Dernice was torn between comforting Elvira and addressing the situation. She leaned over her sister and patted her shoulder. “Don’t move…I’ll be right back.”
“I don’t think she’s going anywhere.”
Dernice sprang to her feet and stepped over her sister’s twitching body. “Did Tony shoot Astrid?”
“Not yet. At least he hadn’t when I left.”
Not willing to hand over the stun gun, Carlita shifted it to her other hand before motioning for Dernice to follow her.
They strode out of the building, to the other end of the alley.
Tony and Astrid stood under the lamplight. Tony’s gun was still poised, ready to shoot while Astrid stood stock still, her back pressed flat against the brick wall.
“What happened?” Dernice asked.
“As I told Elvira, I was on my way home. I heard a noise and headed over here to investigate. Astrid pulled a weapon on me. I started screaming. Thankfully, Tony heard me. He ran down here. Astrid dropped the gun, and that’s when she told us Elvira invited her to camp out.”
“Yes, Elvira did,” Dernice said.
“Someone should’ve told me,” Carlita said. “I could’ve been hurt, and Astrid almost got shot.”
“Elvira did tell you she invited Astrid to stay.”
“When you said ‘stay,’ I thought you meant as a guest - inside your residence.”
“I’m claustrophobic. Walls are too confining,” Astrid said.
“I can’t imagine a small tent is much better. Like I said, this was almost a tragic accident.”
Tony lowered his weapon. “Astrid almost shot Ma.”
“With a stun gun,” Carlita said. “Elvira gave Astrid a stun gun to use when working security detail. It works quite well. I’m sure Elvira is starting to come around by now.”
Tony’s upper lip twitched. “You stunned Elvira with one of her own guns?”
“Yes. I was so ticked off; I reacted and gave her a dose of her own medicine.” Carlita handed the stun gun to Dernice. “If I ever find out you injured one of my children, my family, I’ll make sure the next weapon I use is the real deal.”
Dernice’s jaw dropped. “You would shoot us?”
“Either that or carve your heart out and toss you in the Savannah River.”
Dernice and Astrid exchanged a terrified glance.
“I…I’m sorry, Carlita. This was all a big misunderstanding. I better go check on Elvira.” Dernice took a quick step back before hurrying down the alley. Astrid ran after her.
Tony waited until the women were out of sight. “You got ‘em going no
w.”
“There’s no sense in this.” Carlita briefly closed her eyes. “Someone could have been seriously injured. Elvira needs to think first before doing whatever she darn well pleases.”
“She might think twice now.” Tony chuckled. “Man, I would’ve loved to see you nail her with the stun gun.”
A small smile crept across Carlita’s face. “I shouldn’t have done it. It was the last straw. I finally got fed up with that woman. She’s been a thorn in my side from day one, from the moment she moved in, to the time she set her apartment on fire to today when a cop showed up on my doorstep accusing me of being involved in the theft at the museum.”
“Theft at the museum?” Tony asked.
“It’s a long story.” Carlita patted her son’s arm. “Thanks for rescuing me.”
“You’re welcome.” Tony tucked the gun in the waistband of his pants. “Let’s check out the tent.”
“Let me find my leftover pizza first.” Carlita tracked down the pizza that had gone flying when Astrid surprised her. She did a quick inspection of the container to make sure it was still intact before joining her son.
The small domed tent was tucked next to the back of Elvira’s building. In front of the entrance was a worn welcome mat.
Carlita’s anger quickly faded as she gazed at the meager belongings inside…a backpack, sleeping bag and flashlight. “This is sad. Poor thing, living on the streets.”
There was a small noise behind them, and Carlita turned. She watched as Astrid tentatively made her way over. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Garlucci.”
“It’s okay, Astrid. You need to be more cautious of coming after someone with a weapon. You might not be as lucky next time.”
“I…I-you’re right. Thanks for not gunning me down.”
“We mafia-types only do that in the movies,” Tony joked.
Astrid pointed to the door of the tent. “I don’t plan on hanging around long. As soon as I make enough cash to buy my one-way ticket to Paris, I’m out of here.”
“You’re traveling light,” Carlita attempted to lighten the moment.
“Yeah. I’m kinda used to roughing it. Life has been a little tough these past few months, but things are looking up. This is a temporary situation. Like I said, now that Elvira is giving me a place to hang my hat, I can focus on saving money and be on my way.”
“And what about showering or meals?” A motherly concern filled Carlita. This young woman was homeless. “There’s a women’s shelter not far from here. I’m sure you would be much more comfortable at a shelter.”
Astrid cut her off. “It’s full. They don’t have a spot for me right now. Elvira is letting me use her bathroom and shower. I know how to find food for free.”
Carlita remembered Elvira’s comment about how she found Astrid digging through a dumpster. “I own the restaurant across the alley. We’ll be happy to share some leftovers with you.”
“I…” Astrid began shaking her head. “I didn’t mean for you to take me for a charity case. I can fend for myself.”
“But we don’t mind helping,” Carlita said gently. “We all need a hand up once in a while.”
“Well,” Astrid shrugged. “If you got food you’re gonna toss out anyway, I’ll take it off your hands.”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll talk to my kitchen staff about saving you some leftovers starting tomorrow.”
“That’d be great.” Astrid yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth. “Whoee. It’s been a long day. Elvira has a gig for me down at the boat docks first thing tomorrow morning.”
“We’ll let you get to bed, then. Have a good night, Astrid.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Garlucci and you,” Astrid motioned to Tony, “for not shooting me.”
“This is my son, Tony. He runs the pawnshop.” She told Astrid good-bye, and they made their way back to the alley.
“I’ll walk you home.” Tony offered his mother his arm as they walked to Carlita’s apartment. She unlocked the door, and they stepped inside.
“What do you think, Ma?”
“I feel sorry for Astrid, but we must be wary.” Carlita briefly explained what Elvira had told her, how she found the woman digging through a dumpster and offered her a job.
“Elvira was nice to someone?”
“Yes. There’s something else. Astrid Herve does not exist. According to Elvira, the woman is lying about her identity.”
“Maybe she’s on the lam.”
“It’s possible. I had no idea Elvira was going to let her camp out here. She may be harmless, but you never can be too careful.”
“You said it. I’ll make sure Shelby knows what’s going on.”
“And I’ll do the same with Sam, Mercedes and Cool Bones.” Carlita thanked her son for walking her home. After he left, she locked up behind him and returned to her apartment.
The lights were on. She could hear Mercedes humming in the kitchen. “Mercedes?”
Her daughter popped into view. “Hey, Ma.”
“How was Rambo and Sadie’s date?” Carlita placed the pizza and her keys on the counter.
“It was all right.”
“Just all right?”
“Yeah. Rambo and Sadie hit it off.”
“What about Sam and Mercedes?”
“Don’t look at me like that.” Mercedes crossed her arms. “Fine. We had a good time. Are you happy?”
“Very,” Carlita grinned. “So…are you going out again?”
“Maybe. I told Sam we should check out the Pirates in Peril pirate show.” Mercedes returned her mother’s sly grin. “Maybe we could double-date…you and Pete, me and Sam.”
“There’s nothing going on between me and Pete,” Carlita shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t be makin’ something out of nothing.”
“Whatever you say, Ma.” Mercedes changed the subject. “Where were you?”
“Shelby and Tony invited me for dinner. Shelby quit her job at the post office and is going to work part-time at the pawnshop and Ravello’s.”
“That’s a great idea.” Mercedes plunked down on the sofa. “Sam knows someone who might be interested in a short-term rental of the efficiency downstairs. I told him to have the guy submit an application.”
“I thought you had your heart set on the author.”
“Angelica Reynolds. A man left a message earlier, asking if he could schedule a time to come by to look at the unit for her. I’m calling him back in the morning.”
“Speaking of living arrangements.” Carlita briefly told her daughter about her misunderstanding with Astrid in the parking lot.
“She’s living in a tent?”
“Yes, temporarily. You must be careful. Her real name isn’t Astrid Herve. She’s homeless, and she has a stun gun…well, she had a stun gun. I’m not sure if Dernice gave it back to her.”
“I will.” Mercedes popped off the sofa. “You know what? Your run in with Astrid is awesome fiction fodder. I have the perfect place to add this scene to my book.”
Mercedes returned to her room while Carlita put the leftovers in the fridge. Tomorrow was shaping up to be a busy day, and she decided to turn in early.
As she drifted off to sleep, Carlita thought about Astrid. What secret was she hiding? What was the real reason the woman was determined to move to another country?
She mulled it over before drifting off to sleep. Her last thought was the truth might be as unsettling as the incident earlier in the parking lot.
Chapter 13
Carlita’s bed started to shake. Seconds later, the bedroom windows rattled. She bolted upright, clutching her chest. “What on earth?”
She flung her covers off and raced to the window while Rambo, who was curled up in his doggie bed, let out a low warning growl.
“You felt it, too?” She lifted the blind and peered into the courtyard. It was empty, but beyond that, she could make out the silhouette of a large tractor-trailer. Workers began unloading a massive bulldozer next to the vacant lot on the other side
of the street.
The bulldozer rolled off the back of the trailer with another window-rattling thud. Rambo growled again.
“Great. Looks like they’re gonna start building across the street.” She lowered the blind and eyed her bed with thoughts of crawling back in until the earth shook again. “Third time’s the charm. Guess that’s our wakeup call, Rambo.”
Carlita threw on some old clothes and headed to the kitchen to search for food she could give to Astrid.
The leftover pizza would work. She also whipped up a quick sandwich and placed that, along with some bottled waters and an ice pack inside a small cooler she found in the hall closet.
Rambo and she headed downstairs. Instead of letting her pup lead the way, she thought about Astrid and her tent and decided that until the two became acquainted, she had better keep him in check.
When they reached the patch of green grass, Rambo promptly investigated the tent and then patrolled the perimeter. She was surprised when he didn’t growl or bark, and it dawned on her the tent was empty.
Carlita set the cooler on the mat and waited for Rambo to finish his business. They returned home where she settled in at the computer, first to check her messages. She sorted through the new ones, taking a quick look at a promising rental application and then noticed Glenda Fox had sent her a message. She double-clicked on it:
Mark heard from one of his friend’s at the police station, the authorities are close to making another arrest in the museum theft.
Carlita’s heart skipped a beat when she remembered Detective Wilson’s surprise visit the previous evening. Surely, he didn’t think she was involved. Yes, she had visited the museum with Elvira before the painting was stolen. And yes, the surveillance camera caught her sneaking into the storage area. Still, those two incidents weren’t “proof” she was involved in the theft.
Glenda ended the message by telling Carlita she had an idea for Ravello’s and promised she would call her later.
Mercedes joined her mother, who had wandered out onto the balcony, a short time later. “You’re up early.”
“You didn’t feel the ground shaking this morning?”
“Yeah, but I ignored it.” Mercedes lifted her hands in a slow stretch. “What’s on your schedule today?”
Swiped in Savannah: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 12) Page 10