Chapter 21
“Did you confirm Elvira is around?” Pete walked quickly to keep up with his wife’s fast pace.
“She’s in her office. I texted her right before we left. Dernice was on her way back from a job, soifElvira agrees to help, Dernice will be on hand to help sort out who is who.”
Pete slowed, casting his wife a side glance. “How much?”
“How much what?”
“How much are you willing to pay Elvira for her to hack into the hospital’s surveillance system?”
“I don’t want to overbid. I offered her five hundred bucks, and she turned it down.”
“Maybe go up to seven hundred.”
“Seven sounds high, but at this point, it might be worth it.”
“Let’s assume she agrees to help. Using the hospital’s surveillance, you narrow down the list of people who visited Sonny at the hospital and also attended the engagement party. Then what?”
“I wish I knew. Surely, the hospital has determined Sonny’s cause of death by now.”
“Maybe Elvira has a way to track down the records.”
“Which could easily double her price,” Carlita said. “I was thinking it might be less risky and expensive to ask Dernice to contact Sonny’s brother, Rocky, who is also part of the riding group, and ask him if he knows who visited.”
“You’ll get your information,” Pete said.
“I wish I felt as confident.”
“Like I said, I have a little something up my sleeve. You offer money. If your cold hard cash offer doesn’t seal the deal, we move onto Plan B.”
The couple reached Elvira’s office. At first glance, it looked as if they were closed. “Elvira’s lights are off.”
“Check the door.”
Carlita twisted the knob. “It’s unlocked.”
Stepping inside, they found the sisters seated at their desks, with only a small lamp turned on.
Elvira’s parrot Snitch was the first to notice them. “Get the guns! The cops are here,” she squawked.
“Hello, Snitch,” Carlita greeted her. “You’re perky and peppy this evening.”
“She just pigged out on a bell pepper.” Elvira leaned back in her chair and folded her hands. “Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Mess with my alley camera. It’s pointing in the wrong direction.”
Carlita quickly corrected her. “It’s now pointing in the right direction…away from my back door.”
“I can’t keep an eye on who is coming and going.”
“Precisely.”
“How am I supposed to monitor tenant activities if my camera is angled wrong?” Elvira whined.
“Elvira Cobb.” Carlita arched her eyebrow. “Monitoring my tenants’ activities is an invasion of privacy. How would you like someone spying on you 24/7?”
