Chapter 28

Carlita dusted her hands. "It's safe to say we averted shutting down the food truck. I need to run a couple of errands before my shift starts." She parted ways with Arnie in the alley, heading back to the pawn shop where she found both her sons inside.

She noticed Vinnie standing at the gun case, helping a customer. Curious to find out what he was saying, Carlita slipped in behind him.

"…so if you're lookin' for a gun with fast firing, this Glock 18 with a built-in compensator is the one for you. It comes with an extended 19 round magazine."

The potential customer took the gun from Vinnie and aimed it toward the ground. "Do you have any idea what kind of speed this'll give me?"

Vinnie leaned his elbow on the counter. "I'm gonna guess it can fire off twenty rounds per second."

"That's dope. How much is it?"

"Let me ask the manager." Vinnie turned. He caught his mother's eye and winked before strolling over to where Tony stood helping a man, who was perusing a stack of old comic books.

After a brief word, he returned. "The Glock 18 is three hundred bucks. Trust me, it's a steal."

"I'll take it. Do you offer credit?"

To Carlita, the clean-cut customer couldn't have been more than nineteen. Of course, everyone looked much younger these days.

"Sorry, man." Vinnie shook his head. "We don't."

"I want the gun." The potential customer told him he would try to scrape together the cash and left.

Carlita folded her arms, watching Vinnie place the gun back inside the case. "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"You could slide right into a job here at the pawn shop without batting an eye."

Vinnie laughed. "I already have a job."

"But maybe someday, when you're tired of dealing with thugs and mobsters."

"Ma."

Carlita lifted her hands. "I'm just leaving it on the table."

"I appreciate it." Her son changed the subject. "Did you get your crisis over at the restaurant figured out?"

"Yeah. Mercedes and Steve's girlfriend Paisley are on the way over to the music festival with the food truck." Carlita mentioned how the couple needed money.

"Times are tough right now. I'm sorry to hear it."

"Me too."

Vinnie tossed the gun case keys in the air and caught them. "You ready to head back over to Morton Street to have a look around and try to track down the check cashing neighbor?"

"I am, unless you need to hang around here and help your brother."

"Nah. I figured I would give him a hand while I waited." Vinnie returned the keys to Tony and caught up with his mother near the back door.

Taking the same route, Carlita drove to the dilapidated and damaged building. Exiting the car, she cast a furtive glance toward the laundromat, certain June Cleary was lurking somewhere nearby, watching them.

Letting Vinnie take the lead, they stepped inside. It looked exactly the same as it had the other day. Depressing, sad, and beyond repair.

Carlita sucked in a breath.

"You okay Ma?"

"Yeah. I can't help but wonder what your father was thinking."

"In his defense, it didn't look like this when he bought it."

"I'm beginning to think the person who destroyed the building killed Enzo."

"It stands to reason," her son agreed.

"But why? Why destroy the building and kill a man who had just gotten into town?" she asked.

"That's the million-dollar question."

"Let's take another look around."

Splitting up, Vinnie started on the left while Carlita started on the right, poking through what was left of the building's meager contents.

Finishing the search of the lower level, they climbed the stairs to the second floor. Careful to avoid the spot where they had found Enzo's body, it didn't take long to scope out the open area.

"I'm sure the cops went over this place with a fine-tooth comb," Vinnie finally said. "We're spinning our wheels trying to figure this out."

"We might as well go over to the check cashing place. Maybe we'll get lucky and hit on something when we talk to the owner."

Back on the main floor, Carlita strolled to the front door, nearly colliding with June Cleary, who was on her way in.

She stumbled back, clutching her chest. "You scared me half to death."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Taylor. I thought that was you." The woman cast Vinnie a charming smile, coyly turning her head. "Hello again."

"Hello, Mrs. Cleary."

"June. Please call me June."

"June," Vinnie repeated.

"I noticed Detective Ellery was over here earlier."

"He wondered what we were doing," Carlita said.

"Between you and me, he is a very rude man."

"I don't disagree," she said. "My son and I are planning on chatting with some of the other owners on the street."

"The liquor store doesn't open until four. I'm sure Barnie Ziffra is at his check cashing place. He never misses a day of work. Of course, he has a pretty brisk business over there."

Vinnie casually looked up and down the block. "I bet this would be a good area for people who need cash quickly."

"It's been busy since the day he opened his doors. In fact, I may have already mentioned he had considered buying this building before your husband purchased it."

Carlita's jaw dropped at what June Cleary said next.