“Reyna Osmond,” Carlita repeated. “I don’t remember meeting her.”
“She’s in the photo but hasn’t been a part of our group for very long.” Dernice handed Carlita her phone. “She’s the skinny chick on the right.”
“And the woman on the left?”
“Courtney.”
Carlita studied the curvy woman with long dark hair. “I’ve seen pictures of her. No wonder she caught Sonny’s eye. She’s a real looker.”
“She’s a little rough around the edges, but overall a good gal. So now what?”
“How close are you to Rocky, Sonny’s brother?” Carlita asked.
Dernice shrugged. “We’re friends. We don’t make a point of hanging out, but Rocky’s a regular guy, not a chick magnet like his brother was. He’s much quieter, more laid back.”
“Does he live nearby?”
“He and Sonny own…or owned…a duplex and both live there.”
Carlita blinked rapidly. “Beside each other?”
“Yeah.”
“I think we might have a way to kill two birds with one stone. Find out from Rocky his brother’s cause of death and, if we’re lucky, convince him to let us take a look around Sonny’s place.”
“Actually, I already have a way in. He collects sunglasses and borrowed a favorite pair of mine during our last ride. All I gotta do is tell Rocky I’m not sure which pair they are. Hopefully, he’ll let us check Sonny’s stash.” Dernice snapped her fingers. “We’ll be in like Flynn.”
“When?”
“How does tomorrow morning sound?”
Elvira made a timeout with her hands. “Hold on a sec. Pete and I cut a deal. I plan to be at your place bright and early tomorrow morning.”
“It’s not like we’ll show up on Rocky’s doorstep at daybreak. I’ll have time to supervise your dig before meeting Dernice and visiting Rocky.”
“I’ll call him to see if he’s available.” Dernice excused herself. She returned in record time, a triumphant gleam in her eye as she waved her cell phone in the air. “It’s a done deal. Youand I can swing by right after my morning security shift. He’s expecting us around eleven thirty.”
Carlita’s brows knitted with concern. “How is he doing?”
“He’s taking it pretty hard. He said the cops have been by a couple of times.”
“Did he say if they found any clues or evidence?” Elvira asked.
“I didn’t want to ask too many questions. I figured Carlita and I could find out in a roundabout way when we get there.”
“Thank you, Dernice.” Carlita impulsively hugged her. “I feel like we’re getting closer to figuring out what happened to Sonny. All we need is one big break.”
“If we play our cards right and approach Rocky with the right tone, I think he’ll help us.”
“What about my hug?” Elvira sulked. “I risked my business to try to help.”
“And benefitted from it,” Pete reminded her. “With cashandpermission to do a little exploratory digging.”
“Still.”
“You could have easily said no.” Carlita wrapped both arms around Elvira and squeezed her tight. “You’re the best-est, most annoying almost friend I’ve ever had.”
Elvira jerked back. “Did you call me your BFF?”
