“Most of the time. Tomorrow’s ride is a big deal. We’ve been collecting money for the Senior Citizens group. Most everyone will be there.”
“Everyone, including the women?”
“Yeah.”
An idea began forming in Carlita’s mind. “Can you invite friends…other people…to ride with you?”
“Sure. The more, the merrier. The Thursday Riding Club doesn’t discriminate. We welcome everyone. Why?”
“I might have an idea. Convincing a certain person to help put it into action might be another story.”
Chapter 28
“Let me get this straight.” Mercedes twirled her hair. “You want me to tag along on the charity motorcycle ride tomorrow morning and flirt with the biker dudes?”
“In a nutshell,” Carlita said. “I believe we’re closing in on the hooded figure we noticed hurrying from Sonny’s hospital room.”
“A person on the petite side, with a heart and angel wings tattoo,” Dernice added. “Factor in the articles of women’s clothing your mother found hanging on Sonny’s coat rack, and we think we have it narrowed down. Tutti, who is married to Hot Rod, and Reyna, who is fairly new to the biker group. Leesa, another biker chick, has missed the last few events so I’m certain it wasn’t her.”
“I’m hoping between the three of us, we’ll spot the wings and heart tattoo.”
“And then what? Tie them up and interrogate them?” Mercedes asked. “If one of them is responsible for Sonny’s death, they aren’t going to confess.”
“I haven’t made it that far yet, figuring out what to do if we spot the tattoo.” Carlita spun around, motioning to Dernice. “What about Rocky? He’s part of the biker group. Sonny was a womanizer. Maybe Sonny went after his brother’s love interest. They fought and Rocky took him out.”
Dernice made a fizzling sound. “An interesting theory, but way off. Remember…Rocky wasn’t at the engagement party.”
“Crud. You’re right. Back to square one and on the hunt for a woman who had a grudge against Sonny.”
“I’ll go. I mean, I want to help in any way I can. Although we have a problem and it might be a biggie.”
“What?”
“We don’t know how to drive motorcycles, not to mention the fact we don’t own one.”
Carlita scratched her forehead. “Mercedes is right.”
“You can ride with me. Mercedes can ride with Luigi, or vice versa.”
Elvira, who so far and much to everyone’s amazement, had remained silent during the discussion, finally spoke. “What about me?”
“You don’t have a motorcycle either.”
“But I want in on the sting,” she whined.
“Again, you don’t have a ride.”
“What if I borrow one?”
Dernice rolled her eyes. “Who would be dumb enough to let you borrow their motorcycle?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Friends don’t loan friends their motorcycles.”
“Maybe not your friends, but mine do,” her sister insisted.
“I bet they don’t.”
