Chapter 27

With information about a possible location for the elusive “Cray” in hand and a promise of help from Luigi, Carlita returned home. She found Rambo snoozing by the slider. He scrambled to his feet and trotted over. “You wanna go for a ride?”

After a quick break to freshen up, she and her pup hit the road. Carlita took the main drag out of town toward the highway. Only a few miles in, her directional app alerted her she’d reached the destination.

She steered her car into the Savannah Cycles parking lot. Clusters of red, white and blue balloons were tied to the handles of shiny black motorcycles. A large red and white tent covered an entire section of the property.

Men clad in black leather jackets and leather boots stood next to women, sporting sleeveless jackets with boho bandanas tied around their heads.

Womp…womp, womp, womp. Loud music blared from a tower of speakers. A clown on stilts clomped past.

An employee wearing a Savannah Cycles nametag flagged her down.

Carlita lowered her driver’s side window.

“Welcome to Savannah Cycles Bikefest. Public parking is over there.” He jabbed his finger toward a packed parking lot directly behind a row of shiny black choppers.

“I’m here to pick up a friend, Luigi Baruzzo. He works for EC Security Services.”

“Luigi? I saw him over by the concession stand.”

“Thanks.” Carlita crept toward her destination. She finally spotted Luigi seated atop a motorcycle, a cigarette dangling from his mouth while he chatted with a group of bikers.

He caught her eye and sauntered over. “Hey, Mrs. T. You ready to roll?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She waited for him to climb in the car. “For a minute, I thought I was at the circus.”

“I’m not sure what’s up with the clowns.” Luigi shrugged. “I guess someone thought it would bring in the bikers.”

“If hiring clowns was the plan, it worked. This place is packed.”

“You should’ve seen it earlier. It’s the biggest motorcycle event in Georgia,” Luigi said. “Dernice is kinda bummed. She wanted to do the gig but had already promised to work undercover for Elvira.”

Carlita shot her passenger a side glance. “Work undercover doing what?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to talk about it.” Luigi patted Rambo’s head and tossed his work hat on the backseat. “She’s handling a sensitive investigation and needed boots on the ground. I can tell you it’s a high-profile public figure.”

“She better watch whose toes she’s stepping on.”

“I already warned her, but the money is good and she didn’t want to turn it down. She’s trying to earn some extra cash for her Alaska trip.”

“I keep forgetting she’s leaving.”

“It’s all she’s talking about. That and kicking Pete’s excavation project up a notch.”

“She’s already pushed for more access.” Carlita tapped the brakes to let a juggling clown cross the parking lot before continuing. “Thank you for tagging along today. Elvira seemed a smidgen concerned about me scoping out the area alone.”

“For good reason. I’m no sissy, but you wouldn’t catch me over there alone at night.” Luigi shared a story about a co-worker who was lured to the neighborhood, only to be robbed at gunpoint and beaten. “He ended up having his finger amputated.”

Carlita grimaced. “Poor guy. It sounds rough.”

Luigi patted his pocket. “I have my Sig loaded and ready to protect.”

“The plan is to get in and out as quickly as possible. With any luck, we’ll finally be able to locate Cray…Doug McCoy, a man I think may know something about Rudy McCoy’s death.”

“Same last name?” Luigi asked. “They’re related?”

“I haven’t confirmed it, but it’s reasonable to assume they could be.” Carlita’s cell phone rang, a ring tone she immediately recognized. “I better take this call.” She tapped the answer button. “Hey, Mercedes.”

“Hey, Ma. Where are you?”

“With Luigi. We have a lead on Cray, whose real name is Doug McCoy.”

“McCoy. The guy has the same last name as the dead man?”

“Yes. Elvira tracked down an address for me. She couldn’t tell if they were related. Luigi and I are on our way over there to check it out and hopefully talk to him.”

“The reason I’m calling is I have a surprise for you. Swing by the apartment when you’re done.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

“We should be there in about half an hour, tops.”

“We’ll be waiting.”

Carlita reached the intersection leading into town and turned left. With a few more turns, they reached their destination.

Compact block homes were sandwiched in between traditional brownstones. Unkempt yards and cracked sidewalks led to sloping steps. Porches in various states of disrepair was the theme of the neighborhood.

Nearly half of the windows were boarded up. Carlita noticed a tattered curtain move. “We’re being watched.”

“I bet. Mind if I have a smoke?”

“Be my guest, as long as the smoke blows out.” Luigi rolled the window down and lit a cigarette. “This ain’t as rough as the South Bronx.”

“I don’t think any area is as rough as the Bronx.” Carlita eased her car alongside the curb and shifted into park in front of a small brick bungalow. “This is it.”

“It’s a dump,” Luigi said bluntly.

A man on a bike pedaled past, slowing when he noticed Carlita and Luigi sitting inside the car. For a second, she thought he was going to stop. Instead, he kept going.

“Now what?” Luigi asked. “We sit and wait to see if someone shows up?”

“Or we go ring the doorbell.”

“I vote for ringing the bell.” Luigi took a final drag off his cigarette and flicked the butt out the window. “Lock yourself in.”

An uneasy feeling settled over Carlita. “I’m beginning to think this wasn’t such a great idea.”

“It’ll be fine.” Luigi swung the door open. “I got a million excuses and a good reason for a sales pitch.”

“Be careful.” As soon as Luigi slammed the door, Carlita clicked the door locks.

She held her breath, watching through the front windshield as he casually strolled down the sidewalk and climbed the steps. He rapped on the door and waited.

Nothing happened.

He did a full one-eighty, scoping out the neighborhood, before trying again. Finally, the door opened. A man, balding and a good six inches shorter than Luigi, joined him on the porch.

Carlita slid down in the seat. With cell phone in hand, she aimed it in their direction and pressed the “record” button. She could see them talking over the tippy top of the steering wheel.

Shaking his head, the man turned to head back inside.

Luigi stopped him. He patted his pockets and handed him something before making his way back to the car.

Carlita unlocked the doors. “What happened?”

“I offered Elvira’s security services and gave him my card,” Luigi said. “He told me it was a no-solicitation neighborhood. I apologized and asked for his name. He told me it was Joe Blow.”

“So…if it was Cray McCoy, he didn’t want to give you his name.”

“Nope. I got a good look at him,” Luigi said.

“And I got a good video of him.”

“Look at you?” Luigi playfully punched her in the arm. “Being all investigative and professional-like.”

“I would’ve made Elvira proud.” Carlita started the car and pulled away from the curb.

“Joe Blow” stood on his porch, watching as they drove off. “Something tells me he doesn’t like people coming to his door.”

They reached the stop sign and turned right toward home. Although only a few blocks away, Walton Square was like a different world. Tidy, clean, orderly and safe, at least for the most part.

“Mercedes asked me to stop by.” Carlita parked in the lot at the far end. Falling into step, she and Luigi, with Rambo taking the lead, strolled toward the apartment.

Mercedes stood waiting for them on the stoop. She wasn’t alone.

Carlita let out a loud whoop. “Now this is a sight for sore eyes.”