“You’ll get used to it.”
Dernice joined Mercedes and Elvira. The trio stood staring at Carlita. “Well?” she asked.
“It’s incredible. You look like an old man,” Mercedes said.
Dernice gave her sister a hearty whack on the back. “I gotta hand it to you, I never would’ve guessed this was Carlita.”
Carlita scooched forward. “Can I see?”
Dernice snatched a mirror off the table and handed it to her. She nearly dropped it when she caught a glimpse of the face staring back at her.
She turned her head from side to side. “I must admit, I’m surprised by how good of a job you did. Thank you, Elvira.”
“You’re welcome.” Elvira began putting the products back inside the box. “This is what I call my Cinderella makeover. You’ll turn into a pumpkin in a few hours if you leave the makeup on for too long. Try not to sweat. If you do, your wrinkles will run.”
“Which means we need to head over to the restaurant as soon as possible.” Mercedes grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled her from the chair.
“You’re in luck. Today is their first BOGO day – buy one, get the second half off. I recommend the ribs.” Elvira trailed behind mother and daughter as they made their way to the front door. “You can return the clothes later. Try to let Mercedes do the talking, unless you think you can pull off an old man's voice.”
Carlita hadn’t given a thought to disguising her voice. “I’ll have a slab of ribs with a side of beans and cornbread.”
“Nope.” Elvira gave her a thumbs down. “Try again.”
“I’ll have your special and a sweet tea.”
Dernice cast Carlita a sympathetic look. “I would stick to having Mercedes do the talking.”
Elvira consulted her watch. “Luigi is starting his afternoon shift in ten minutes. I would be curious to find out if he recognizes you.”
Carlita thanked her again, and she and Mercedes stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Elvira yanked the door open. “Slow down. Remember, you’re an elderly man.”
“Right.”
“These might come in handy.” Elvira handed her a handful of tissues.
“Thanks.
Mercedes offered her mother her arm as they made their way along the sidewalk. They reached the corner and waited for traffic to clear before crossing the street.
Sandy Sue’s parking lot was half full. The restaurant’s dining room was larger than Carlita remembered. She followed Mercedes inside where the hostess greeted them. “Table for two?”
“Yes.” Mercedes said.
The woman led them to a table near the front.
“I was wondering if you could seat us near the back,” Carlita croaked.
The hostess shot her a puzzled look. “Sure. Yes.” She picked up the menus and led the way to the back. She set them on a table one away from the kitchen.
Carlita clutched her throat. “Can we have that table?”
“Right next to the kitchen?”
“Yes. My muh…I mean, we love to smell food cooking,” Mercedes said.
“I see.” The hostess cleared her throat. “Your server will be right with you.”
“Thanks.” Mercedes waited until she walked away. “Sorry, Ma. I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s okay,” Carlita whispered back. “Maybe you should order for me.”
While perusing the menu, Carlita paid close attention to pricing. She had to admit, Sandy Sue’s prices weren’t bad and in line for the area.
A woman approached. Carlita studied her nametag, Angel.
“Welcome to Sandy Sue’s. Is this your first time dining with us?” she cheerily greeted them.
“It is,” Mercedes said. “You just opened?”
“This week.” Angel placed two sets of wrapped silverware on the table. “We’re offering BOGOs today. Buy one, get half off your second meal.”
“What do you recommend?” Mercedes flipped the menu over.
The woman rattled off several options.
“Everything sounds tempting. We’ll take a two-meat meal, the ribs and barbecue chicken.”
“And to drink?”
“Sweet tea.”
“I’ll get your order right in.” Angel finished jotting down the order and headed to the back. She returned a short time later with not only their sweet tea, but a basket of cornbread.
Carlita reached inside and removed a muffin. It was warm to the touch, and the edges were crispy. She tore a piece off. Careful not to mess up her makeup, she popped it into her mouth. The muffin nearly melted on impact.
“The muffins are good,” Mercedes said.
“They are.” Carlita studied the diners. From her vantage point, she had a bird's-eye view of the server’s station and the kitchen’s pass thru.
She spied Sandy Sue strolling by. A man wearing a hairnet and white cotton shirt appeared. He tapped the bell. “Order up.”
Carlita’s eyes shifted to the large picture window overlooking the lot. It wasn’t a prime piece of real estate as far as restaurants went, but the lot was large – large enough for expansion.
Carlita watched Luigi enter the restaurant. He paused when he reached their table. “Mercedes?”
“Hello, Luigi.”
Luigi glanced around and leaned in. “What are you doing here?”
“A little intel.” Mercedes pressed a finger to her lips.
“Ah.” Luigi cast Carlita a glance. His eyes narrowed. “Ca-“
Mercedes cut him off. “Luigi, this is my grandfather, Calvin.”
“Calvin. Enjoy your lunch, Mercedes and Calvin.” Luigi winked at them before strolling off.
Angel appeared a short time later, placing platters of food on the table. “Would you like some sauce? We have original, sweet and smoky, spicy or slap happy pickle.”
“Pickle?” Mercedes asked.
“The name is weird. The sauce is delicious. It has a hint of smoke, combined with a tongue-twisting tartness.”
“We’ll take that and the original.”
Angel dropped off the condiments. After she left, Carlita studied her plate before nibbling on the ribs and then sampling the chicken. The meat, the sides, the slap happy pickle sauce were all tasty and the portions generous. “The food is good.”
“It is good, but not as good as yours,” Mercedes said.
“We need to find out more about the restaurant’s employees,” Carlita whispered. “Start questioning Angel when she returns. Ask her if she worked for Sandy Sue at her other restaurant, stuff like that.”
“Right.”
Angel returned to check on them. “Is y’alls food okay?”
“It’s delicious,” Mercedes said. “We heard Sandy Sue previously owned a barbecue place out by the highway.”
“Big Hog’s BBQ. I worked there for a couple of years before Sandy Sue opened this place.”
“Big Hog’s BBQ,” Mercedes repeated. “So, the owner, Sandy Sue, owns both barbecue restaurants?”
“Sandy Sue sold her half to her brother, Gordon.”
Mercedes and her mother exchanged a quick glance. “I’m surprised they didn’t expand and open this as a second restaurant.”
“Are you kidding?” Angel laughed. “It would never happen. Those two can’t stand each other.”
Chapter 14
The server realized that she’d said too much and quickly clammed up. “I mean. You know how families go.” Angel stepped back, colliding with another server, who was attempting to slink by.
As if in slow motion, the server’s plates tottered back and forth. With zero chance of recovery, the food hit the floor first. The plates weren’t far behind.
“Oh my gosh, Mei. I didn’t see you coming up behind me.” Angel grabbed a set of silverware and a handful of napkins and began scooping up the piles of food.
Mei joined her, casting a frantic glance toward the kitchen. “It’s okay. It was an accident.”
“We need more napkins.” Angel darted to
the back. She returned with a roll of paper towels and Sandy Sue. “What happened?”
“It-it was an accident,” Angel said. “I didn’t see Mei trying to slip past me, and I ran right into her.”
“Mei should’ve let you know she was coming up behind you.”
There was some discussion about the incident, and when Sandy Sue realized her lecture was drawing unwanted attention, she motioned for her servers to follow her into the back.
Because of their proximity to the kitchen, Carlita could hear raised voices. A teary-eyed Mei emerged first.
Angel appeared moments later; her face red as she stopped by their table. “Can I get you anything else? More tea or perhaps dessert?”
“No.” Mercedes offered her a small smile. “We’re good.”
Angel set their check on the edge of the table before gathering a handful of dirty dishes and returning to the kitchen.
“I’m gonna go use the restroom.” Carlita slid out of her chair and followed the signs. Easing the women’s restroom door open, she almost ran into a woman who was coming out.
The woman gave her an odd look. “The men’s restroom is next door.”
Carlita mumbled an apology and slowly made her way into the men’s restroom.
She locked the door behind her and approached the mirror. A small, red welt was forming near her eye. “Uh-oh.”
Carlita hurried back to the table. “We gotta get out of here. I’m having a reaction.” Without thinking, she scratched the side of her cheek.
Mercedes made a gurgling sound. “Grandpa.”
“What?”
“You scratched your face.”
Carlita lifted her finger and was horrified when she discovered there was a thick layer of flesh-colored makeup on it. “My disguise is melting. Grab my credit card.”
Mercedes shook her head. “You gotta pay in cash.”
Carlita shot her a puzzled look.
“Your card has your name on it… Carlita Garlucci.”
“Crud.” Carlita began digging for dollars. She had enough cash to pay for the food, but not enough to cover the entire tip. She emptied her coin purse and began counting out the contents.
Angel returned. “Can I help you?”
“Grandpa is a little short on cash for the tip,” Mercedes said.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” Angel scooped up the money and dumped that, along with the bill, into her apron pocket. “Thank you for stopping by and trying Sandy Sue’s.”
“I’ll be back to make good on the tip.” Mercedes followed her mother out of the restaurant. They didn’t stop until they turned into the alley.
As soon as they were out of sight, Carlita grabbed a tissue Elvira had given her and swiped at the makeup.
The air hit a patch of bare skin, and the itching intensified. She began clawing at her cheeks. “I gotta get this stuff off.”
“Your face is turning red.”
Carlita could almost feel welts popping up on her cheeks and chin. “It’s getting worse.”
“Try not to mess with it too much,” Mercedes advised. “You don’t want to rub it into your skin.”
The itching became almost unbearable. Abandoning the elderly man act, she picked up the pace and began jogging down the alley.
Elvira emerged from her building. “How did it go?”
“We have some leads. The makeup is itching like crazy.”
“I was afraid of that. You were turning a little red when I put it on.” Elvira held up a finger. “Hold tight. I have something to take care of the itching and swelling.”
The warm air was aggravating her already itching skin. It felt as if a thousand microscopic mites were crawling on her face. Carlita could feel perspiration form on her brow. The sweat only intensified the itch.
“Your face is really red.” Mercedes propelled her mother inside their building. “It’s kind of melting.”
“Into an itchy blob.” Carlita cast a desperate glance toward Elvira’s apartment. “I can’t wait any longer. I need to get this goop off.” She bolted up the steps and rushed into the apartment, not slowing until she reached the bathroom.
Desperate for relief, she turned the cold water on and began splashing her face.
“Hold up!” Elvira’s voice echoed from the hallway. She appeared in the bathroom doorway. “Did you use anything to take the makeup off?”
“Just some water.”
“Good.” Elvira handed her a green tin. “Try this. It will stop the itching, rash, hives, everything.”
“What is it?”
“Bag balm.”
“Never heard of it.”
“It has a slight odor but works wonders.”
Desperate for relief, Carlita removed the lid. Ignoring the stench, she dipped her fingers in and then slathered a thick layer of ointment over her face. The more she rubbed, the less she itched.
“Good stuff, huh?”
“It’s working.”
“So, how did it go?”
Carlita scooped out some more. “Our server, Angel, told us that Sandy Sue sold her other barbecue restaurant to her brother.”
“Gordon Coldwater.”
“You know him?”
“I know of him. Angel is one of the better servers. She seems to get along with most of the other employees.”
“We got the same impression. There was also another gal,” Mercedes said. “Her name was Mei.”
“Nervous as a tic, that one.”
Carlita told her how Angel collided with Mei.
“Was Sandy Sue there?”
“She was in the back. She wasn’t happy about the incident and chewed them out,” Mercedes said. “Angel made a comment about not particularly caring for Sandy Sue’s brother. I wonder if it would be worth it to visit Big Hog’s BBQ.”
Elvira leaned her hip against the door. “If you do, at least you won’t need a disguise.”
Carlita placed the lid back on the ointment and handed it to Elvira. “We ran into Luigi.”
“This is his last day working there. I hate to pass up making a buck, but there seems to be a lot of animosity amongst the workers and management. I don’t need him to be getting into the middle of their mess.”
“I don’t blame you.” Carlita followed Elvira to the door. “Thanks for the balm. My face is feeling much better.”
“It looks better, not as puffy and bloated.” Elvira stepped into the hallway. “I was thinking about our cruise. Maybe we should get together to go over our game plan. If we wait too long, I’m afraid the most popular excursions will sell out.”
She motioned to Mercedes. “Is that hunky guy of yours going on the cruise?”
“No. It’s gonna be me, Ma, my brothers and their spouses.”
“And grandkids and Brittney’s parents and their entourage,” Carlita added.
“This ought to be one exciting cruise.” Elvira tapped her chin. “Which reminds me, we still need to link our bookings. I can have my contact, June Deville, who also happens to be my travel agent, start working on it.”
“Let me get with my son, Vinnie, first.” Carlita reminded her that Vinnie was the one who had surprised the family with the trip.
“The sooner, the better.”
“I thought you were working on some super-secret Agamerian Project for the government.”
Elvira held a finger to her lips. “No one is supposed to know about that.”
“I don’t know about it, only what you’ve said, which is next to nothing, other than it’s some secret project.”
“Which is exactly what it needs to remain. The less you know about it or even talk about it, the better.” Elvira made a slashing motion across her neck. “If you know what I mean.”
“I don’t, but I’ll take your word for it.” Carlita waited at the top of the stairs until Elvira exited the building. She hurried to the window and watched as she crossed over to her alley.
As if sensing someone watching, Elvira turned back. She gave her a qu
ick wave and then slipped inside her building.
Mercedes joined her. “Are you really gonna let her link our bookings together?”
“I’m leaning toward no.”
Knock. Knock.
“I’ll see who it is.” Mercedes ran to the door. She returned moments later with Tony in tow.
“Hey, Son.”
“Hey, Ma. What’s wrong with your face?”
“It’s a long story. It involves Elvira.”
Tony smiled. The smile quickly vanished. “Remember how I told you I was having a friend of mine run a trace on the license plate from the other night – the car that Shelby got into?”
“Yeah.”
“He gave me the name and address of the person who owns the vehicle.”
Chapter 15
“The car Shelby got into the other night is registered to Ava Whalen.”
“Who is Ava Whalen?” Carlita asked.
“I don’t know. What I do know is that Melanie’s last name is Whalen. The woman lives in a small town close to Hilton Head.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“I could wait for her to make the first move or…”
“Or what?”
“I was thinkin’ about driving there to see what’s up. You know, without letting Shelby know I tracked her down.”
“But not confront her,” Carlita said.
“Right.”
She studied her son’s face. There were dark circles under his eyes and a look of resignation. Tony loved his wife. He loved Violet. If Shelby needed help or counseling, she knew her son would move heaven and earth to get her what she needed. But none of that could – or would - happen while Shelby was hiding out. “I’ll ride up there with you.”
“Thanks, Ma. I was thinking maybe tomorrow morning. I won’t have any trouble getting someone to cover the shop for me.”
“I’ll do it,” Mercedes volunteered. “I’ll see if Sam can watch the pawn shop for me while I take Violet to school.”
“Thanks, Mercedes.”
With a plan in place for the following morning, Tony turned to go. “I almost forgot. Shelby’s Uncle Jerry left a message on my cell phone last night, asking me to call him back this morning.”
“I’m betting Shelby contacted them,” Carlita said. “Maybe you should call him back now, before he shows up on your doorstep.”
Family Feud in Savannah: A Garlucci Family Saga (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 16) Page 9