Lawson’s statement showed his employees’ salary and wages at fifteen percent. She studied the other items on the statement, which included inventory, depreciation, marketing and utilities. Her head began to swim from all of the figures and she leaned back in her chair.
Perhaps Carlita was getting in over her head. Her vision of creating mouthwatering Italian dishes for hungry patrons was looking more like a side job, and the tedious paperwork and pencil-pushing turning into her main responsibility. She closed her eyes.
“Ma! Are you okay?”
Carlita bolted to an upright position and clutched her chest. “Mercedes, you are gonna give me a heart attack!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you heard me.”
“With my eyes closed and my head back?” Carlita shifted in her chair. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I was thinking about what Kyle Flinch said and then you mentioned you had an idea.”
“Since I’m officially a partner and we’re opening our own restaurant, I was going to ask Pete if I could sit in on his job interviews. He mentioned that some of the Mystic Dream employees already stopped by, asking about jobs. I figured we might be able to question Lawson’s employees on what they think happened to their boss.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Mercedes said. “It would be the perfect opportunity to get a feel for the job market and maybe figure out what was going on after hours on board the Mystic Dream.”
“I’ll ask him right now.” Carlita texted Pete to ask him about cross interviewing and then waited for him to reply.
Her phone began to ring and she picked it up, expecting it to be Pete, but it was Tori.
“Hi, Tori.”
“Hello, Carlita. I’m sorry to bother you. I just got off the phone with Pete. The city development department and specifically Emmett Pridgen, have put a hold on our business license pending an investigation.”
“On hold?” Carlita began to feel lightheaded. “What was the reason?”
“Because of the police investigation into Lawson Bates’ attack. Apparently, the authorities searched Lawson’s office and came up with some sort of evidence implicating Pete.”
“And Mark Fox.”
“Yes. And Mark Fox.” Tori muttered under her breath.
“I’m sorry, I missed what you said.”
“I heard Pridgen was being investigated, too. His name was on Lawson’s list. I think he’s trying to cover up his own involvement. The man is a snake.”
“You think crooked Pridgen was somehow involved in Lawson’s attack and he’s trying to deflect the blame onto either Pete or Mark Fox?”
“That would be my guess.” Tori sighed heavily. “I heard about your daughter and Autumn’s sleuthing mission and it was a bust.”
“Not entirely.” Carlita glanced at her computer screen and the Mystic Dream’s profit and loss statement. “I got some good information on restaurant management. I am curious as to why Lawson’s labor expenses are so low. Mercedes and I managed to track down one of Lawson’s former employees. He gave us an inside scoop and we’re still trying to figure out what it means.”
“We need all the help we can get. This business venture could remain in limbo for months, even years. If Lawson doesn’t recover, Pete could be facing even more serious problems than never getting this pirate ship business off the ground.”
“Along with Mark Fox, not to mention Kyle Flinch. We’ll keep working on it on our end.” Carlita thanked Tori for the call and then disconnected the call.
Mercedes watched her mother set her cell phone on the desk. “I guess that means we don’t have to interview potential employees for the pirate ship jobs.”
“No. It means we need to get on it ASAP. Time is money. If Pridgen is involved in Lawson’s attack, the last thing he’ll want is for us to be snooping around. My guess is he’ll try to pin this on someone else. We need to get to Lawson’s employees before they find employment elsewhere and slip through our fingers.”
Carlita decided it was time to call Pirate Pete. When he answered, she couldn’t help but notice the tense tone of his voice.
“We’ll get this all sorted out,” Carlita promised. “I want to begin by interviewing some of Lawson’s employees.”
She almost mentioned Kyle Flinch, how he suspected Lawson was up to something when he snuck back on board the Mystic Dream, but decided to keep the information to herself.
“Have you started interviewing for positions at Ravello?” Pete asked.
“Not yet. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone…look for clues on who attacked Lawson and maybe see if there are any potential employees for Ravello as well as the pirate ship. Speaking of the pirate ship, you still have to pick out a name. The Pirate Ship won’t do.”
“I’ve been mulling over names for a while now. I want somethin’ people won’t forget,” Pete said. “But there’s no sense in wasting my time on picking a name, at least not right now.”
“You won’t be wasting your time,” Carlita said firmly. “We will get to the bottom of this. You said you already spoke with several of Lawson’s employees. Did you happen to get any of their names?”
“Yes. A couple of them filled out applications.” Carlita could hear papers rustling in the background. “One of the employees is Luke Markham. He left his number. I’ll give him a call to see if he knows of any other co-workers we can contact.”
“Good. You work on that. Let me know when you’d like me to run by to help with the interviews.”
After the call ended, Mercedes headed to her room, claiming she wanted to do a little background research on Pete, Mark Fox, Emmett Pridgen and the Mystic Dream.
Carlita turned in early, worn out from the long day. Despite her exhaustion, visions of a cool twenty-five thousand dollars going out the window kept her awake most of the night.
She woke early the next morning and started a pot of coffee. Grayvie, Carlita’s cat, joined her in the kitchen and began rubbing against her ankles.
She reached down to pat his head and scratch his ears. “We’ve got ourselves a real sad situation, Grayvie. We need to figure out who attacked Lawson Bates and get our pirate ship out on the waters.”
Carlita picked him up and held him close. She absentmindedly wandered to the balcony door and gazed out.
A flash of light caught her eye, and she watched as Elvira flitted past a second story window. “She didn’t.” Carlita set Grayvie on the floor and stepped onto the balcony.
Sure enough, Elvira was in the upper level of the building across the alley. She wasn’t alone. Carlita caught a glimpse of Dernice, Elvira’s sister, as she marched past the window. “I hope the owner catches them.”
Their movement was non-stop as they hurried back and forth. Carlita remembered what Pete said about the Civil War era treasures.
Perhaps she didn’t want to tell Elvira what Pete said, certain her former tenant would start digging holes all over the courtyard, the alley and the properties, in search of more treasures.
Carlita made her way to the balcony railing and leaned over the edge, waiting for another Elvira sighting. When she saw Elvira pause in front of the window, she cupped her hands to her lips. “Elvira!”
Elvira stuck her head out the window. “What?”
Instead of answering, Carlita wagged her finger at her as she shook her head.
Elvira promptly closed the window and disappeared from sight. “If I had her landlord’s name, I might have half a mind to call him to let him know what she’s doing.”
A breathless Mercedes burst onto the balcony. “I was up half the night doing some research on Pirate Pete, Emmett Pridgen and Mark Fox, and you’ll never guess what I found out.”
Chapter 16
“Let me back up,” Mercedes said. “I got to thinking about Mark Fox; you know how Glenda told you he was away on business in Colombia?”
“Right.” Carlita nodded. “That’s why there’s no way Mark set the Mys
tic Dream on fire. He was out of the country.”
“True, but in Colombia.” Mercedes stared at her mother expectantly.
“I’m not following.”
“Colombia, South America. They speak Spanish.”
Carlita’s eyes widened. “Which is what Kyle said Lawson and the stranger were doing - speaking Spanish.”
“If you went to Colombia on a business trip and the native language was Spanish, don’t you think you would need to speak Spanish, too?”
“Oh no.” Carlita began to pace. “Perhaps Lawson and Mark were in the middle of a business deal, something went south and Lawson and Mark fought.”
“But why wouldn’t Mark confess to arguing with Lawson?” Mercedes asked. “It seems out of character for him.”
“If Mark attacked Lawson and he recovers, he could easily name Mark as the one who caused his injuries,” Carlita said. “He’s a well-respected businessman in this area.”
“Who has a lot of business connections as well,” Mercedes pointed out. “I also picked up on our visit with Glenda and Mark that they both seemed kind of uncomfortable and did you notice Mark limped when he crossed the room?”
“No, I didn’t notice. I must be losing my touch,” Carlita said. “Now what do we do?”
“Obviously, we can’t prove Mark and Lawson became involved in a physical altercation. It sounds as if the authorities are already investigating,” Mercedes said. “I have a little more digging around to do, but thought I would tell you what I came up with so far.”
Restless, Carlita ran down to the pawnshop, which had just opened, to see if Tony needed any help. She chatted with her son and then headed out the front door.
Carlita cast a glance at the large Riverfront Real Estate sign propped up in the window of John Alder’s place, something she hadn’t noticed before. She crossed the street, stopping briefly in front of the window and then continued walking toward Annie’s real estate office.
She could see Annie sitting at her desk, her head down.
Carlita quietly eased the door open. The overhead door chimed and Annie looked up.
She smiled when she saw Carlita. “Hello, Carlita. What brings you to my neck of the woods?”
“I’m mulling over a mystery. Do you have a minute so I can bend your ear?”
“For you…I have two.” Annie motioned to an empty chair. “I’m sure you heard John Alder is selling his place and moving away. I was surprised when he asked me to list his property. You two were getting close.”
“There was a small spark between us. I have to admit it turned into more of a friendship.” Carlita sank into an empty chair. “I guess I’m not ready for romance. Maybe I’ll never be ready.”
“I know the feeling. There are days when I get a little lonely and it would be nice to have someone to do things with, but other times, especially when I talk to friends who are in the midst of marital drama, I’m glad I’m single.”
“Drama…that’s the last thing I need,” Carlita said. “Have you had any interest in John’s place?”
“There’s been a great deal of interest. I predict he’ll have multiple offers in the next day or so. Commercial real estate is a hot commodity in Savannah. Businesses are looking to come to the area. The fact John already did the legwork and obtained a business license makes the property even more appealing.”
“Speaking of business licenses, I signed on a business venture with Pirate Pete and Tori Montgomery.”
“You mean the pirate ship over on the river?” Annie adjusted the bridge of her glasses. “Everyone is talking about it. Well, that and Lawson Bates’ attack.”
“Yep. I invested some of my money and now the city development department has put the license on hold because Pete Taylor is under investigation.”
“That’s awful. I know Pete and I know Lawson. Lawson is a hard man. Even so, I can’t imagine Pete jeopardizing his business reputation to settle a score with Lawson.”
“I agree.” Carlita shifted in her chair. “Before Lawson’s attack, right after someone sabotaged the Mystic Dream; he was pointing fingers not only at Pete, but also at Mark Fox and Emmett Pridgen.”
“Emmett Pridgen is another story. The man should not be in city politics. Remember the deal with the Black Stallion illegal gambling mess?”
“How could I forget? I don’t trust Pridgen, either. I think he’s crooked.”
Carlita laid out her theory of what happened to Lawson that it was an inside job and one of his employees or perhaps Emmett Pridgen was involved in the attack.
She told Annie about Mercedes and her conversation with Kyle Flinch, how Lawson was meeting someone in his office after hours, how he didn’t know what was being said because they were speaking in Spanish. “He said he knew two words…dinero for money and recoger meaning to pick up.”
“If we can’t get this mess sorted out and Pete’s pirate ship sailing on the high seas, there’s a chance I’ll have to kiss my cash good-bye.”
Ping. Carlita glanced at her phone. “Speak of the devil.”
She motioned to Annie and pressed the answer button. “Hi, Pete. I was just thinking about you.”
“Hello, Carlita. I’m sorry to bother you this early. I have some good news and some bad news.”
Chapter 17
“I’ll take the good news first.”
“I’ve actually got two bits of good news and one bad. With the help of Luke Markham, I lined up several interviews for first thing tomorrow morning. Lawson’s employees are anxious to get to work. Fair or not, I didn’t mention we might not be opening soon.”
“Don’t worry,” Carlita said. “I’m looking for restaurant employees. What’s the other good news?”
“Lawson is starting to come out of his coma.”
“That’s great news.”
“The bad news is so far he can’t remember what happened the night of his attack.”
“Maybe his memory will slowly come back.”
“I hope so,” Pete said. “If you want to join me here tomorrow around nine, I have half a dozen interviews lined up.”
“Perfect. I’ll be there.” Carlita thanked him again, promised she would meet him at the ship around nine the next morning and then disconnected the call.
Annie waited until the call ended. “You think the employees may be able to shed some light on Lawson’s activities and perhaps figure out who attacked him and damaged the Mystic Dream?”
“That’s the plan. The only clue is Kyle Flinch overhearing Lawson talking to a man in Spanish, not to mention the low wages Lawson was paying his workers. I saw them for myself. Lawson is ripping his people off.”
“Lawson showed you his books?” Annie asked.
“Not…quite.” Carlita fidgeted in her chair. “Mercedes kind of stumbled upon them during a recent fact-finding mission.”
Annie laughed. “Let me guess. Mercedes broke into Lawson’s office.”
“Breaking might be the wrong word.” Carlita’s eyes met Annie’s eyes. “Who am I kidding? Yes, Autumn and she broke into his office.” She hurried on. “With the Mystic Dream shut down, it was the perfect opportunity.”
“Too perfect to pass up?” Annie lifted a hand. “The less I know the better.” The office phone began to ring. “I need to take this call. I’m waiting on another real estate agent who wants to show John’s property.”
“I’ll let you get back to work.” Carlita gave Annie a wave and headed to the door.
On her way home, Carlita decided to stop by the restaurant. The door was open, so she wandered to the back where the pungent smell of fresh paint filled the room.
She cleared her throat when she spotted a worker perched on the top step of the ladder.
“Mrs. Garlucci.” The worker climbed down. “We are almost done with the kitchen.”
“It looks fabulous,” Carlita said. “I’m almost ready to start ordering small appliances.”
The man smiled widely. “It will be a nice restaurant. I can’t wait t
o bring my wife here. I tell her every day how nice this place is going to be.”
“Thank you, Gary. I can’t wait for it to open, either.”
Gary led her around the room, showing her the work they’d completed the previous day. After admiring the changes, she stepped into the alley.
She was almost home when she noticed the back door to Elvira’s apartment was ajar. Carlita nudged the door with the tip of her shoe and stuck her head inside. “Elvira?”
Carlita could hear rustling sounds coming from the other room. “Elvira?”
Elvira appeared. “Hey, Carlita. What’s up?”
“Does your landlord know you and your sister have been upstairs snooping around, maybe even stealing?”
“Not stealing. Borrowing is a better word.” Elvira shrugged. “Besides. He doesn’t care.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“What are you…the landlord patrol?”
“Of course not.” Carlita pointed at a cardboard box next to the door. “Is that a box from upstairs?”
“Maybe.” Elvira stepped in front of the box. “How’s your new tenant, Sam Ivey?”
“He’s fine. He’s a nice man.”
“I thought you didn’t want cops living in your building,” Elvira said.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Elvira examined her fingernails. “Sketchy past, sketchy present, sketchy family.”
“I do not have a sketchy past, present or family,” Carlita fumed. “That’s absurd.”
“Is it?” Elvira lifted a brow. “Far be it from me to judge others.”
“How kind,” Carlita briefly closed her eyes. “This conversation is going nowhere. I’m sorry I stopped by.”
“I didn’t mean anything by the comment.” Elvira followed her into the alley. “We all have skeletons in our closets, although yours might be a little more colorful. You aren’t going to tell Davis I was upstairs looking around, are you?”
Pirates in Peril: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Cozy Mysteries Series Book 10) Page 11