Page 18 of Shakedown in Savannah

“I can’t believe your father left another mess for us to clean up.” Carlita pivoted. “All this time, we’ve been working hard to get our businesses profitable. We’re finally bringing in good money and now this.”

“Which may have been by design,” Mercedes said. “This Lombardo guy could have been sitting back, waiting for us to get to this point so he could swoop in and take it.”

“Over my dead body.”

“Ma, we’re talking mobsters here. You never wanna tell them over your dead body. Most of ‘em would be happy to oblige,” Tony said.

“It’s almost nine.” Carlita glanced at the clock. “The plan is to insist they give us proof of the debt. We tell them we need time to verify and then go from there.”

“Yep. I’m gonna grab some coffee while we wait.” Tony headed to the back while Carlita nervously paced. Thank goodness the restaurant wasn’t open. Only a few key employees were in the kitchen prepping for lunch.

Hopefully, the meeting would be brief. The trio would collect whatever potential proof the men had, regroup and figure out their next move. Despite having a plan in place, Carlita’s gut told her the boss’s offer wouldn’t be fair.

Vinnie was working on obtaining information. More than anything, Carlita needed to know who they were dealing with. The fact her son had no idea who Danny Lombardo was caused her more than an inkling of concern.

Tony returned, three to-go coffees in hand, and handed one to his mother and sister. The clock hit five past nine, and there was still no sign of the men. Carlita began to think perhaps they weren’t legit and wouldn’t show up after all.

Her glimmer of hope was dashed when the men appeared, casually strolling to the front door. “I see them.”

“Stay here.” Tony made his way to the entrance. After a brief word, he ushered them inside, where Carlita and Mercedes stood waiting.

“Mrs. Garlucci.” Costanza greeted her.

“Taylor,” she coolly replied. “This is my son, Tony and daughter, Mercedes. I presume you brought the proof about the loan my deceased husband and I signed and your boss, Mr. Lombardo, acquired.”

“Of course.” Costanza pulled a plain white envelope from his pocket and held it out.

Carlita grudgingly took it from him. She flipped the flap, removed several sheets of paper, and studied the first page. “This is for another property here in Savannah.”

“Correct,” Enzo said. “Your husband borrowed money to purchase it. As you can clearly see, you also signed.”

Carlita dug through the papers. There, on the second to the last page of the agreement and directly below Vinnie’s signature was her own.

“The debt was inherited by Mr. Lombardo. Not only did your husband borrow money, but he also left the property in less than ideal condition.”

Carlita’s mind whirled. Vinnie had her sign documents over the course of their marriage. She’d naively done so without giving them a second thought.

What sort of property was it? So many questions. Once again, she’d been blindsided, like she’d been when she discovered her husband owned the property she was standing on. Not even an inkling of knowing it existed until she and Mercedes found a safe deposit key from their bank.

“You’re telling me all this time, a property still in my husband’s name has been sitting there. Meanwhile, Mr. Lombardo has been lurking in the background, waiting for what? To send you two here to make good on the money owed? Did Vinnie make any payments at all?”

“The last sheet is a ledger, a record of the payments made before your husband’s death,” Enzo said.

“Can I talk to Mr. Lombardo? I have questions,” Carlita said.

“He’s not available.”

“Not available right now, or not available ever?” Tony asked.

“It won’t be possible to meet with him,” Costanza said. “The contract is legit.”

“We need time to review it.” Carlita tidied the stack of papers. “For all we know, the city seized the property because the taxes haven’t been paid.”

“Feel free to contact them,” Enzo said. “The taxes are current.”

“Paid by who and why?”

“Mr. Lombardo. He ain’t a fan of the government and would hate to see them take something he has a vested interest in, even if it’s trashed.”

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