“And you must try mine.”
The women exchanged a spoonful of food, each declaring them a tie. As they ate, they chatted about business, Carlita’s children and then Glenda asked Carlita about the cobweb. “What is Elvira up to these days, other than she’s giving you cobwebs?”
“She has both her businesses, EC Investigative Services and EC Security Services, up and running. Her sister, Dernice, is living with her and helping out.”
“And she’s sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong?”
“Of course. She claims something strange is going on in the upper level of her apartment building. The owner walled off the stairway, so Elvira decided to climb the fire escape and enter through an upstairs window.”
“She’s a trip,” Glenda chuckled.
“Yes, she is. While she was climbing up, a section of the fire escape broke off. I happened to be walking Rambo and noticed her dangling from what was left of it.”
“Good grief.”
“So, I got one of the men working at Ravello to rescue her, except she wasn’t ready to be rescued.”
“She was determined to check it out.”
“Of course. When I caught up with her, she was digging around inside a bunch of storage boxes.”
“She was trespassing, breaking and entering and then rummaging through someone else’s stuff.”
“In a nutshell, and depending on whether she returns an item that caught her eye, you can add stealing to the list.” Carlita pulled her cell phone from her purse. “She found this in one of the boxes. It was wrapped in a velvet pouch.”
She handed her phone to Glenda, who squinted her eyes and studied the screen. “That’s an interesting piece. It looks like some sort of antique dagger, but with jewels. You should show it to Pete Taylor.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
After finishing their food, the women paid their bills and exited the restaurant. “Would you like to check out the new riverfront project?” Glenda shifted her purse to her other arm. “It’s shaping up to be quite a showpiece.”
“Is this the one Lawson is ticked off about?” Carlita asked.
“Yes. It’s right around the corner and across the street.”
“Sure.” Carlita patted her stomach. “I could use some exercise after that delicious lunch. I need to bring Mercedes over here.”
The women made their way along the cobbled side street and down a steep and curving path. When they reached the bottom, they veered to the left.
Glenda abruptly stopped in front of a long section of curved marble colonnades. “This is it.”
The women’s shoes echoed on the gleaming marble tiles as they stepped inside and crossed to the center courtyard. “There’s going to be a wonderful mix of businesses in this open-air complex. One end features a small, intimate boutique hotel. The star attraction is the center courtyard, surrounded by unique area shops and artisans. The other end will house a unique mix of eclectic restaurants.”
The gentle patter of water splashing filled the courtyard as they circled a multi-tiered and tiled fountain and mosaic pool.
As they walked, Glenda pointed out the various shops. When they reached the other end, they stopped in front of a set of stately stained glass doors. Above the door hung a weathered gray and white oval sign, Savannah Riverfront Inn. Directly below the name and in small letters were the words, Inquire Within.
Glenda reached for the knob. The door was locked. “Bummer. I hoped we could peek inside. It’s gorgeous.”
Carlita followed her friend down the steps and onto the sidewalk. She shaded her eyes and admired the architecture. “This will be a nice addition to Savannah’s tourist district.”
“I agree.” Glenda changed the subject. “I haven’t seen the damage to the Mystic Dream. Would you mind circling the block so I can check it out?”
“Not at all.” The women fell into step as they walked along the cobblestone streets, passing by several shops and gourmet restaurants before stepping onto the walkway that ran adjacent to the river.
From a distance, it was hard to see the damage to the back of the riverboat. When they got close, the women slowed.
Several men were working on removing a section of charred railing.
“That’s terrible,” Glenda said. “I can’t believe someone would intentionally destroy an iconic Savannah landmark and I can’t believe Lawson is accusing my husband.”
They walked past the riverboat and started to turn around when something farther along the waterway caught Carlita’s attention. It was a ship’s towering main mast. “Check it out. I wonder if Pete’s ship came in.”
Glenda laughed. “Literally.”
“I’m serious. He told me it would be here any day.” Carlita squinted her eyes. “Sure enough, I think that’s Pete’s ship.”
The women waited for the ship to draw closer.
“It’s impressive,” Glenda admired the sleek wooden structure. Above the sideboards, was a wide strip of gleaming teak wood featuring fire breathing sea monsters and scowling pirates brandishing swords.
Several crewmembers were working on the upper open deck. “If Lawson was upset before, I can only imagine how he’ll react when he sees Pete’s pirate ship,” Glenda said.
The women continued walking to the other end, where the ferryboat that ran between the Waving Girl Landing and Hutchinson Island was docked, before turning around.
Up ahead, Carlita watched as a group of men marched down the sidewalk and stopped in front of the pirate ship. They hollered out to the workers on deck. Moments later, Pirate Pete and another man joined the men on the sidewalk.
“Uh-oh.” Carlita recognized one of them as Lawson Bates. They were too far away to hear what was being said, but judging from the expressions on Lawson and Pete’s face, it wasn’t a pleasant conversation.
Lawson jabbed his finger at the pirate ship and then pointed at his damaged riverboat.
One of the men stepped between Pirate Pete and Lawson and held up both hands.
“I hope Pete keeps his cool,” Glenda said.
Finally, Lawson and his men walked away. Lawson turned back once to say something. This time, Carlita was able to hear him loud and clear. “You’re not going to get away with this.”
Pirate Pete shook his head, but didn’t reply. Instead, the other man and he returned to the pirate ship and disappeared from sight.
“That went well,” Glenda commented. “I need to get back to the house. Mark should be calling me soon. I can’t wait to tell him about Lawson.”
“More like warn him,” Carlita said. “And the reporters.” She thanked her friend for inviting her to lunch and walked home.
Mercedes hadn’t returned from her shopping trip with Autumn, so Carlita settled in at the computer to research some appetizers for Cool Bones’ courtyard gathering.
She found several promising recipes, but was having a hard time deciding, knowing part of the decision would depend on whether she could purchase the fresh ingredients in town.
Carlita gave up and then wandered into Mercedes’ room. The joint venture agreement was sitting next to her laptop. She picked it up and carried it back to her desk.
The dollar amount was blank, and Carlita remembered Pete throwing out a figure of twenty-five thousand dollars.
Still unable to make heads or tails of the terms, she closed the file folder and wandered into the kitchen to work on dinner when her cell phone chimed. It was Glenda.
“Hello, Glenda.”
“Hi, Carlita. I’m sorry to bother you.”
“No bother. Is everything all right?”
“I thought I would let you know Fire Chief Earl Gillison was waiting on my porch when I got home. You’re never going to guess what Lawson did.”
Chapter 8
“Lawson is a busy man,” Carlita said.
“He told Fire Chief Gillison he was certain Mark never left town. He claims Mark snuck onto the Mystic Dream sometime during the night and
set fire to it.”
“That’s crazy.”
“What a jerk,” Glenda fumed. “Mark can prove he is and was out of town. Lawson doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
“It sounds like this Lawson has a screw loose. Maybe it was one of his own employees who accidentally damaged the riverboat and won’t fess up to it,” Carlita theorized.
“Someone needs to warn Pete Taylor. He’s probably still down on the river with his new boat. If I were in his shoes, I would leave someone on board the pirate ship to keep an eye on it. I wouldn’t put it past Lawson to try something.”
“What did Mark say?”
“He’s on his way home. He’s going straight from the airport to Lawson’s place to confront him.”
“I’m sorry, Glenda. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.” After the call ended, Carlita stared at the phone. Did she want to become involved in a business venture already plagued with difficulties?
She wouldn’t put it past Lawson to try something, either. If she invested her money, would she have to be concerned about the safety of the ship and crewmembers or potential liability?
Carlita pushed her fears aside and began working on her chicken Milano. She removed a packet of thawed chicken breasts from the refrigerator and began sautéing them in a saucepan.
While she worked, she thought about Vinnie and Brittney. According to Vinnie, he loved being a casino manager. The penthouse apartment was almost finished and he was settling into married life. Her eldest son seemed genuinely happy.
Although Carlita wasn’t kidding herself the mafia element wasn’t a part of her son’s life...after all, Vito Castellini was the mob, at least Vinnie wasn’t tied to the man’s hip, handling all of Castellini’s dirty work.
The whole family was looking forward to Shelby and Tony’s upcoming wedding, and Carlita secretly hoped it wouldn’t be long before Violet became a big sister.
Shelby was tossing around the idea of quitting her job at the post office, but hadn’t decided what she wanted to do.
Carlita finished adding the rest of the ingredients and turned the burner on low. She had just finished cleaning up when Mercedes waltzed into the apartment. “Something smells delicious.”
“I’m making chicken Milano.”
“Yummy. What’s the occasion?”
“I invited Tony for dinner. I want to go over Pirate Pete and Tori’s business proposal.” Carlita wiped her hands on a dishtowel and dropped it on the counter. “I took a look at the agreement again. I can’t make heads or tails of it.”
“Me either. If you’re serious, you might want to contact an attorney.”
Carlita followed her daughter to her room. “How is Autumn?”
“Good. She seems to like her new boyfriend, Cole. She wants us to meet him soon.” Mercedes plopped down in her desk chair and spun around. “So you gonna let me handle the rental responsibilities after Ravello opens?”
“Gladly, if you’re sure you want to take it on.” Carlita leaned her hip against the doorframe. “That way, if you don’t like the tenant, you have only yourself to blame.”
“True.” Mercedes reached for her mouse. “If we’re not eating dinner ‘til seven, I still have a little time to work on my next round of book edits before Tony gets here.”
“And I better check on dinner.” Carlita wandered back to the kitchen. She wondered what Vinnie, Sr. would have thought of Shelby and Violet…or their son’s marriage to the daughter of the head of the mafia.
She wondered if he would approve of her business decisions and what would he say about the pirate ship venture. He would probably think it was crazy.
Carlita tasted the pasta sauce before turning the burner off and sliding the pan to the back of the stove.
“Rambo, would you like to take a walk?” She turned, almost tripping over her pooch who was guarding the stove and keeping an eye out for scraps. His tail thumped on the kitchen floor.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Carlita hollered down the hall to let Mercedes know they were going out for a walk.
There was a muffled reply, which she took for an “okay” and exited the apartment. “Let’s stop by the pawnshop to remind Tony about dinner.”
They waited in the back until Tony finished ringing up a customer’s purchase. “We’re going for a walk. I stopped by to remind you about dinner.”
“How could I forget? My stomach has been reminding me all afternoon.”
“I’m making one of my favorites…chicken Milano.” Carlita patted her son’s arm and headed outdoors, toward the restaurant. The construction workers had finished for the day and the building was quiet and empty.
When they reached John Alder’s building, Carlita paused. John and she had gone out a couple of times since the winter masquerade party at Tori’s place.
Although Carlita enjoyed John’s company, the small spark she’d initially felt had fizzled out. Deep down, she was still grieving the sudden loss of her Vinnie and perhaps even subconsciously comparing John to her deceased husband.
As if on cue, the front door opened and John stepped onto the stoop, almost colliding with Carlita. “I’m sorry, Carlita. I didn’t see you standing there.”
“It’s my fault. Actually, Rambo and I were absentmindedly loitering.”
John pulled the front door shut. “I see your dream of opening Ravello is getting closer every day.”
“Yes, and I can hardly wait.”
“I’m sure it will be a huge success. I promise I’ll be one of your first customers.”
“That would be nice.” Carlita motioned to his building. “When are you opening your bed and breakfast?”
“There’s been a change of plans.” John paused and cleared his throat. “I’m on my way to Annie’s office. I’m putting the place up for sale.”
Carlita’s heart plummeted. “You’re moving?”
“Yes, before the end of summer. I’ve been offered a consulting job out west, one that’s too tempting to turn down.” John eyed the side of his building. “I thought coming back to Savannah would be like coming home again, but things have changed.” He shrugged. “Or maybe I changed.”
“It happens to the best of us.” Carlita smiled softly. “We’ll miss having you in the neighborhood.”
“I’ll miss being here. By the time this place sells and I pack up, Ravello will be up and running and you’ll barely even notice I’m gone.” John said wistfully.
“Perhaps one day you’ll change your mind. You’ll return to Savannah and things will be different.” Carlita was sure he caught her meaning that perhaps things would change between them. Maybe it was wishful thinking. Time marched on and although she was saddened by the unexpected news, she was happy for him.
Carlita impulsively hugged her friend. “No matter where life takes you, please stay in touch.”
Rambo began to tug on his leash, his signal he was ready to go. “I better get going.” Carlita swallowed the lump in her throat, quickly turned and walked away. She never was good at good-byes.
John’s announcement hurt her heart a little, and she wondered if perhaps she cared for him more than she wanted to admit, or more than she dared allow.
Either way, it was probably best. She would be busy running all of her businesses…too busy to spend time and energy on a relationship.
Rambo led the way as they strolled past the Book Nook. Carlita caught a glimpse of Tillie, the owner, who was chatting with a shopper near the front window. She gave her a quick wave when she caught her eye.
They passed by Colby’s Corner Store and then turned back onto their street.
It had been weeks since Carlita had seen Steve Winter, the owner of Shades of Ink tattoo shop. Steve was also Autumn’s brother. Carlita tugged on Rambo’s leash. “Let’s stop by and say hello to Steve.”
Steve was behind the counter working on his laptop. He glanced up and then did a double take when he saw who it was. “Carlita. I was just thinking about you the other day, wondering whe
n that fabulous new restaurant of yours is going to open.”
“Soon. Less than a month. How are you? I haven’t seen you around much lately.”
“I’ve been working like crazy.” Steve rolled his eyes. “Not to mention, Paisley has been keeping me on my toes.”
“Have you finished your upstairs apartment?”
“Yep. We moved in last weekend. You wanna check it out?”
“Sure.”
Steve locked the front door of the tattoo shop and then led Carlita to the back. They climbed a narrow set of steps, which opened to a small hall.
Steve’s upper level was small, with room for only one apartment. It was modern and sleek and Carlita complimented him on the renovations.
After touring the apartment, they made their way back down. “Autumn told me you rented one of your units to Sam Ivey, a former Savannah cop.”
“Yes, and I had no idea he was a cop. He seems so young.”
“In his early 30’s if I recall correctly. Heard he quit the police force after there was some sort of incident and internal investigation involving him.” Steve unlocked the front door of the shop and followed Carlita onto the sidewalk. “It was a few years back and I forget the details. You could probably look it up online. I’m sure the story is still floating around out there in the internet world.”
“I might just do that.” The two of them chatted for a few more minutes before a customer arrived for his tattoo appointment.
Carlita told Steve good-bye and then made her way back to the apartment. When she reached the hall at the top of the steps, she glanced in the direction of her new tenant’s unit.
Curious to find out what had caused the young man to quit the police force and embark on a career of historical walking tours, she headed to her computer as soon as she got inside.
While the computer started, she checked on dinner and then set a loaf of garlic bread on the counter.
She read her emails first, before opening a new search screen. She typed in “Police Officer Sam Ivey Investigation.” Several articles popped up. Carlita reached for her reading glasses and slipped them on.
Pirates in Peril: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Cozy Mysteries Series Book 10) Page 6