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Carlita shrugged as if to say, “It’s up to you.”
“You can put out a few feelers, if you don’t mind. It goes without saying Ma didn’t kill the guy.”
“But someone did. I don’t think it’s a coincidence his body was found in your building,” Sam said.
“Neither do we,” Tony said. “He was left there to either send a message or to set Ma up.”
Sam told them he would call a couple of his friends on the police force. “I can’t make any promises considering it just happened, but I’ll try.” He stepped around Mercedes, who was still sitting on the stoop. “I found this great recipe for paella and was thinking about whipping up a batch. Do you want to swing by later and sample it?”
“Paella? I…sure,” Mercedes said. “Thanks for offering to help.”
“You’re welcome.” Sam slipped inside and quietly closed the door behind him.
“Sam was generous to offer his help,” Vinnie said. “Although I have to say I’m getting a cold vibe.”
“We’re reassessing our relationship.”
“Mercedes is reassessing their relationship,” Carlita corrected. “Not that I blame her after what happened with his ex, Natalie.”
“Ma.” Mercedes shot her mother an irritated look.
“Okay. Okay.” Carlita lifted both hands. “It’s none of my beeswax. However, I will say I agree with your brother. It was nice of Sam to offer to help.”
“And you would be crazy to turn down homemade paella,” Tony teased.
Elvira’s door flew open. She scurried across the alley. “The Garlucci family in full force.”
“We’re all here, except for Paulie and the wives,” Tony said.
Elvira sashayed over to where Vinnie stood casually leaning against the wall. “Hello tall, dark, and gorgeous. Had I known you were coming into town, I would’ve cleared my calendar.”
“Cleared it for what?” Carlita chuckled. “Dinner? Drinks?”
“For whatever suited the mood.” She sidled up next to him, her eyes sliding from the top of his head to the tip of his expensive Italian leather shoes. “You have to be the most gorgeous man on the planet.”
“I’m sure his wife Brittney thinks so,” Carlita said.
“If you ever tire of blondes, give me a shot. Older women can be so much better.”
“Elvira Cobb,” Carlita scolded. “Please stop. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
Vinnie laughed out loud. “Elvira’s stroking my ego. It’s okay.”
She winked at him. “Thanks Mr. Hottie.”
“Elvira.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “I spent the last half an hour staring at surveillance camera recordings. I deserve a little reward.”
“We all appreciate you taking the time to help us. Did you come up with anything?”
“I skimmed through the surveillance from yesterday afternoon all the way up until this morning. What time were you supposed to meet the men?”
“We didn’t have a set-in-stone time. They gave me twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours would have been nine o’clock this morning,” Carlita said. “They never showed.”
“Let me get this straight. There were two men. One of them is dead and you don’t know what happened to the second one,” Elvira said.
“Correct.”
