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She lowered onto her knee and looked inside. Sprinkled on the bottom shelf were brown pellets—rat droppings. “Gross.”
Backtracking, mother and son entered a narrow hall. On the left was the exterior wall. Carlita glanced out the window and noticed an alley running alongside the building.
To the right was a half bath with a seventies-era avocado green toilet, and a cracked pedestal sink.
Continuing on, they found a small office. A rectangular desk faced the wall while a straight-back vinyl chair, or what was left of it, sat nearby.
Strips of wallpaper hung down. Carlita reached out and finished pulling a section off. “This place is a wreck.”
“A dump. I’m gonna guess it wasn’t in the best of condition even before the mob torched it.”
They exited the office and made their way to the end of the hall, where they found another door. It was closed.
Carlita ran her hand along a deep diagonal cut in the wood. “It looks like someone was trying to hack it open.”
“They didn’t do a very good job.” Vinnie grasped the knob. Carlita stopped him. “Be careful.”
“It looks like a storage closet.” Adjusting his grip on the gun, Vinnie waited until his mother stepped back.
She gritted her teeth while her son wrenched on the doorknob. “Maybe we can find something to pry it open.”
“I almost have it.” Pulling with all his might, the door flew open.
Vinnie stumbled back, quickly catching himself. “It’s empty.”
“Seriously?” Carlita hurried forward, peering into the empty closet. “Locked up tight for nothing.”
Vinnie kicked it shut, and they continued walking to the end of the hall. On the left was a door opening to the alley. On the opposite side was a set of steps leading to the second floor.
“We might as well check out the rest of it.” Leading the way, Vinnie climbed the stairs with his mother close behind.
They reached the top and found a landing along with a small hall. Carlita glimpsed a room at the other end.
“Stay here.” Vinnie strode down the hall and abruptly stopped. He let out a string of cuss words.
Carlita’s scalp tingled “What is it?”
“We have a problem.”
Chapter 15
Carlita cautiously made her way into the room at the end of the hall where her son Vinnie stood.
Enzo, Danny Lombardo’s associate, lay sprawled out face down on the floor with a gunshot wound in his back. His right arm jutted at an odd angle. His left leg was in a similar position.
“It’s Enzo. Is he…is he still alive?” She pressed a trembling hand across her mouth.
“I don’t wanna touch him.”
“How awful. It looks like some violence may have been involved. Poor man.” Carlita fumbled inside her purse for a packet of travel tissues and handed him one.
Vinnie placed the tissue against his neck. “Nope. No pulse.”
“We gotta call the cops.”
“Do you know how this is going to look?” he asked.
“Like we killed him.” Carlita felt as if someone had punched her in the gut. She had both motive and opportunity. This guy and Costanza were trying to get money from her. Money she didn’t have, not to mention the “protection agreement” she didn’t want or need.