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“Yep,” Tony agreed. “It’s him.”
“At least he’s alive.”
They watched as he pulled something from his pocket. He knelt next to the side of the pawn shop and then slowly made his way to the other end.
“What is he doing?” Mercedes asked.
“I don’t know.” Elvira hit the pause button and zoomed in. “Planting explosives?”
“Bite your tongue.” Carlita slipped her reading glasses on. “It almost looks like he’s measuring.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Pete said. “He’s measuring the buildings.”
“To figure out how many explosives he’s gonna need to take down all three?” Elvira asked.
Carlita slugged her in the arm. “Stop with the talk about blowing up buildings. You’re making me nervous.” She turned to her oldest son. “What do you think, Vinnie?”
“I gotta agree. It looks like he’s taking measurements. Check it out.”
Elvira pressed the play button again.
Costanza shoved whatever he was holding in his pocket, pulled out a flashlight, and began shining it along the side of the pawn shop.
Mercedes and her mother exchanged an uneasy glance. Costanza was near where they had found the Marshland Isles Diamond hidden away behind the brick wall, except it was inside…in the basement below the pawn shop.
Yet, the man was in the general vicinity. Carlita remembered how Vinnie had named the property after the diamond. Had Danny Lombardo and his men done some digging around, found out about the diamond and thought it might be hidden somewhere on the Garlucci family’s properties?
They wouldn’t be far off. It had been there but was now long gone, thanks to Mercedes and Carlita’s relentless hunt to find it.
Once again, Vinnie had put a target on her back from beyond the grave. Perhaps he thought he was being clever, believing the original lender would have no clue what the name meant.
Was Costanza on the hunt for the Marshland Isles Diamond? Maybe they thought Carlita killed Enzo and were plotting their revenge, but wanted to track down the diamond before they turned her properties into piles of rubble.
“He’s looking for something,” Elvira said.
Carlita couldn’t remember if she’d mentioned the diamond to Elvira. Those standing around her, as well as Tori Montgomery, knew about the diamond’s existence. So did one other person—Ozzie Stagusso—who was currently safely locked up and serving time in a New York prison.
Carlita stared at the image of Costanza examining her wall, the pieces falling into place. Ozzie Stagusso was involved with Danny Lombardo. Carlita would bet her life on it. “Lombardo might be a new resident here, but something tells me he has connections.”
She placed her hands on her cheeks. “Who else was snooping around recently, searching for gems, I might add?”
“Louise Delmario,” Elvira said. “Your building’s previous owner.”
“Who else?”
“Ozzie Stagusso,” Mercedes and Tony said in unison.
“Bingo. Let’s go with the theory Lombardo arrived here with his team. He’s setting up his business, collecting old debts, including Vinnie’s. He’s a smart man, does some digging around, and somehow connects with Stagusso.”
Tony picked up. “Stagusso tells him about the gems and wants in on the deal. Maybe Lombardo plans to take our properties out but won’t because Stagusso convinces him Delmario’s gems are here.”
“I have plenty of upstate connections,” Vinnie said. “I can find out if scumbag Stagusso teamed up with Lombardo.”
“We need to know,” Carlita said. “If they think there’s something here, it will buy us some time. If they don’t, the clock is ticking.”
“Because Lombardo is going to be after blood,” Elvira said. “If he didn’t take out his guy Enzo, he’s gonna think you did.”
“Meaning he’ll double down and make sure we pay.”
