Family Feud in Savannah: A Garlucci Family Saga (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 16)

by Hope Callaghan

  She wasn’t the only one. A dull ache filled Carlita. That, and a sense of dread. She struggled to keep her tone even. “We miss you. Both of you. I think if you would talk to Tony, reassure him you and Violet are all right, it would mean a lot to him.”

  “I’ll. I’ll give it some thought,” Shelby eased the door open. “Can you give me a head start before letting him know I’m here?”

  “Although I don’t want to get caught in the middle of what is going on between you two, I think it’s only fair he knows what’s going on.”

  “I understand.” There was a look of panic in Shelby’s eyes. She hurriedly motioned to the woman. They gathered up the piles of clothes on the kitchen counter and hustled out of the apartment.

  Carlita led the way down the steps. She joined Mercedes and quietly motioned for her to follow along. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the women toss the clothes into the trunk and jump into the car.

  Mercedes and she hadn’t even reached the back door before the white car peeled out of the parking lot. It careened around the corner and out of sight.

  “You’ll need to cover the store for a few minutes while I pull Tony aside to let him know what’s going on,” Carlita said.

  “He’s gonna be upset. What did she say?”

  “She’s not staying with her aunt and uncle. I think she and Violet are living in the shack in Bayrock.” Carlita paused, giving herself a second to collect her thoughts and figure out what she planned to say to her son.

  Thankfully, there were only a couple of customers inside the store. She flagged Tony down. “You got a minute?”

  “Yeah. Sure.”

  “Mercedes is gonna cover for you.” Carlita guided her son out of the shop and into the alley. Without mincing words, she told him what had happened.

  Tony’s eyes flashed. “She’s already gone?”

  “As soon as she found out I was going to tell you she was in the apartment, she high-tailed it out of here.”

  There was a dark look in Tony’s eyes as he brushed past his mother. She hurried after him, following him up the stairs and into the apartment.

  It looked as if a tornado had touched down. Cabinet doors and drawers were open. The living room’s flat screen television was gone.

  Carlita braced herself as she followed her son to the main bedroom. It was in even worse condition than the living room. The closet doors were wide open. Half the closet was empty. Upon closer inspection, she realized that Shelby had taken all of her clothes.

  Violet’s bedroom was in a similar condition. Her closet was nearly empty, although most of her toys were still there.

  Tony’s jaw tightened. “I guess she couldn’t fit all of Violet’s toys in the car. She needed to save room for our television.”

  “I’m sorry,” Carlita whispered. “Maybe I should’ve gone to get you instead of trying to reason with her myself.”

  “It wouldn’t have ended well,” Tony predicted. “You did the right thing. She obviously doesn’t want to talk to me. Confronting her would only have made matters worse.” He returned to their bedroom and approached the safe in the corner.

  The door was open, and Carlita could see it was empty.

  “This is what she really came for.” Tony kicked the door with the tip of his shoe. “I’m surprised she didn’t clean this out when she left on Saturday.”

  “What was in the safe?”

  “Almost a thousand dollars in cash. It was our emergency fund.”

  Carlita pressed a hand to her forehead. Any hope of Shelby and Tony working things out was fading fast.

  Tony let out a bitter laugh. “She ain’t coming back, Ma.”

  Carlita hated to admit it, but she had a feeling Tony was right. How had their marriage gotten so far off track? Surely, she would’ve noticed the warning signs. Would’ve seen some cracks in what, by all appearances, was a happy marriage.

  Still, there were always two sides to the story. Perhaps her son was hard to live with. Maybe Shelby’s illness was affecting her emotions. Or, as she suspected, there was something else involved.

  She said the only thing she could think of. “I’m sorry, Son.”

  Tony grabbed a silk blouse, one of the few items of clothing Shelby had left behind. Disgusted, he balled it up and threw it on the bed. “You can’t make someone want you, want to be married to you. If this is what she wants, then she can have at it.”

  Carlita knew her son was speaking out of anger and hurt. “We’ll get through this.”

  “One way or the other.” Tony turned on his heel and strode out of the room. Carlita slowly trailed behind. “If you want me to, I’ll straighten up.”

  “Sure. Yeah. Whatever. I don’t care anymore. I gotta get back to work.” Tony paused when he reached the front door. “I forgot to tell you I remembered the name of the person who brought the ring in, the one that belonged to Sandy Sue Jarvis. The seller’s last name was Zhao.”

  “Zhao,” Carlita repeated. “Did you call Officer Thryce?”

  “I left him a message. I also researched the name online, thinkin’ if I saw it again, it would click. There’s a whole list of Zhaos who live in this area.”

  “Remembering part of the name is a start.” After he left, Carlita began straightening up. Shelby had done a thorough job of going through all the cabinets, both in the kitchen and bathroom.

  Not only had she taken the television, but the laptop Tony kept on the desk was gone. While she worked, she replayed her brief conversation with Shelby. By all indications, the woman had no intention of returning home – at least not soon.

  She made quick work of tidying Tony’s home and then returned to her own for an online search of the name Zhao. Her son was right. There were dozens of them in the area.

  The apartment door opened, and Mercedes slipped inside. “Poor Tony. He’s a mess. Do you think Shelby will try to work things out?”

  “I don’t know,” Carlita said truthfully. “Based on our conversation, what Shelby wants right now is some space.”

  “We need to get him out of the house. Let’s go out to dinner tonight.”

  Carlita lifted a brow. “We just went out for lunch.”

  “Okay. Let’s order pizza and then go out.” Mercedes held up a finger. “I have an idea.” She darted out of the room, returning a short time later, a triumphant look on her face. “I have a surprise.”

  “What kind of surprise?” Carlita’s eyes narrowed.

  “You’ll find out soon enough. I invited Autumn to go with us.”

  “You know how I feel about surprises.”

  “It will be fun.” Mercedes slid her cell phone out of her pocket. “I’ll text Tony.”

  Ting. “Cool. He’s on board. He’ll be here as soon as the pawn shop closes. This is going to work out perfectly,” Mercedes sing-songed.

  Despite Carlita’s persistence, Mercedes refused to give even a hint about their evening plans. She caught her once, having a conversation with someone and the word “dark.” When pressed, she remained tight-lipped and changed the subject.

  Autumn was the first to arrive. While they waited for Tony, Carlita ordered pizza from Ravello’s. Mercedes and Autumn ran down to pick it up. When they returned, Tony was with them.

  There were worry lines on his forehead and around his eyes. He was putting up a good front, but Carlita knew her son and knew he was hurting.

  During dinner, Tony and his mother threw out theories about where Autumn and Mercedes were taking them.

  “We have to be there at nine.”

  “Nine at night.” Carlita sipped her soda. “We’re going on a ghost tour.”

  Mercedes and Autumn exchanged a quick glance.

  “We are going on a ghost tour.”

  “Maybe. You’ll have to wait and see.”

  Autumn grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza and took a big bite. “I stopped by Steve’s tattoo shop on my way home. He said the cops were at his place, questioning him about an armed robbery at the new b
arbecue restaurant.”

  “There was,” Carlita said, “which means we all need to be careful.”

  “What did they take?”

  “Some cash and a ring that ended up in our pawn shop,” Tony said.

  “Seriously?” Autumn frowned. “That takes a lot of nerve to rob someone and then sell the goods at the pawn shop across the street.”

  “Unfortunately, we don’t have a record of the person who sold it,” Carlita said.

  “Although I remember the last name,” Tony reminded his mother. “I’m almost certain the seller’s last name was Zhao.”

  “Maybe you could try sifting through online pictures or profiles of anyone with that last name,” Mercedes suggested.

  “It would take hours,” Tony said. “Besides, the cops are hot on the case. I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”

  Carlita polished off her last bite of crust. “I’m gonna take Rambo out for a walk before we leave.”

  Rambo, who had been lurking under the dining room table, scrambled to his feet and trotted to the door.

  “We won’t be long.” Carlita and her pup circled the block, passing by EC Investigative Services. The lights were on. Elvira was in the front, chatting with an employee.

  “C’mon, Rambo. Elvira was looking for me earlier. Let’s find out what she wants.”

  They made their way inside, and Elvira hurried over. “You got my message?”

  “That’s why we’re here.”

  “I left Vinnie a message too. He doesn’t need to bother returning my call. Do you remember me mentioning June Deville, my friend who also happens to be a travel agent?”

  “I do.”

  “She linked our cruise reservations.” Elvira clapped her hands. “Isn’t that awesome? Now, we can start planning our excursions. We better get on it. The more popular ones sell out fast. How do you feel about scuba diving?”

  “I don’t. Not gonna happen.”

  “Snorkeling? They’re advertising some great snorkeling sites.”

  “Maybe.”

  “We could also rent Segways. It would be an easy way to tour the islands and see the sights.”

  “I would have to brush up on my skills. It’s been a while.”

  “Do you think Mercedes would let me borrow hers to practice, to see if Segways are something I might be interested in?”

  “I’m sure she won’t mind. Speaking of borrowing, thank you for letting us borrow your drone. It worked great.”

  “That was my next question. Were you able to track Shelby down?”

  “We were.” The image of the shanty popped into Carlita’s head. “It wasn’t in the best of areas.”

  “That’s what I thought after checking it out. It looks like a swampy area in the middle of nowhere.” Elvira shook her head. “Makes you wonder why she ran off.”

  “I don’t know, and it’s none of my business.”

  Rambo began tugging on his leash.

  “I need to get going. If you want to swing by in the morning, we’ll dust off the Segway and you can take it out for a spin.” Carlita returned to the apartment to find the others waiting for her.

  “We were getting ready to send out a search party,” Mercedes joked.

  “I stopped by Elvira’s. She wants to know if she can borrow your Segway to practice. She’s going to come by in the morning.”

  Tony almost smiled. “Now, that I have to see.”

  The four of them exited the apartment. Autumn and Mercedes led the way through several of the squares, toward the visitor’s center and trolley loading area.

  The farther they walked, the more Carlita became convinced she knew where they were going. Mercedes abruptly stopped in front of a wrought-iron gate. Beyond the gate was a set of stone steps leading to a covered porch.

  They joined a group of people, who stood talking to a man in a top hat, coat and tails, someone Carlita remembered seeing just the other day.

  Chapter 20

  “Sorrel-Weed house is one of the most haunted homes in the U.S.”

  The man in the top hat, coat and tails continued. “Francis Sorrel built the home in the early 1840s. Sorrel married into a family of substantial wealth. Unfortunately, his first wife, Lucinda Moxley Sorrel, contracted yellow fever and died. Eager to keep the Moxley money in the family, Francis married Matilda, his wife's younger sister.”

  The guide began collecting tickets as he talked. He told them it was rumored that Francis had engaged in a long-time affair with a female who lived on the property and cared for the family. “Molly was given preferential treatment, even having her own private quarters above the carriage house, conveniently located only steps away from the main house.”

  He continued. “Matilda was standing near her bedroom window one evening. She looked across the courtyard and witnessed Molly and her husband engaged in…shall we say…a most compromising situation. Despondent and depressed, Matilda jumped from a second-story balcony and killed herself.”

  The guide let the horrific news sink in before continuing. “Not long after, Molly’s body was found hanging in her room.” He lowered his voice. “Some say Matilda haunted Molly and convinced her to kill herself.”

  Upon dropping the bombshell, the guide opened the door, and the group began making their way inside.

  Despite the rumored hauntings, Carlita appreciated the period furnishings, the sparkling chandeliers, and ornate fireplaces. It was a rare glimpse into the life of Savannah’s wealthy socialites.

  They finished the tour, and the Garluccis and Autumn congregated on the sidewalk out front. “Well?” Mercedes asked. “What did you think?”

  Autumn rubbed the sides of her arms. “I give it a ten for creep factor, especially the basement.”

  “I have to say that areas of our property have close to the same level of creep factor,” Carlita said.

  “I loved it,” Mercedes said. “I wouldn’t mind touring it again.”

  “I enjoyed hearing about the history of the place.” The tour reminded Carlita of Pete’s surprise date when he hired Sam to take them on a walking tour.

  Tony consulted his watch. “It’s getting late. We should probably head back.”

  “I know a shortcut.” Autumn led the way home, cutting through an area of town that Carlita had never been to before. At one point, she was certain they got turned around, until they emerged onto a side street close to her brother’s tattoo shop.

  “That was awesome,” Mercedes said. “I’ll have to remember your shortcut.”

  “Don’t take it alone after dark,” Autumn warned. “Talk about creeping you out.”

  As soon as they reached Walton Square, Tony excused himself after thanking his sister and friend for inviting him.

  Autumn waited until he left. “I feel bad about Shelby taking off. They seemed like such a cute couple.”

  “We’re hoping it’s a blip, a minor bump in the road,” Carlita said. “Speaking of bump in the road, don’t forget Elvira’s gonna come by first thing tomorrow morning to practice on the Segway.”

  “The idea of Elvira on a Segway is something worth watching,” Autumn said.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Carlita chuckled. “Something tells me she might end up changing her mind after tomorrow’s Segway lesson.”

  *****

  Carlita was up early the next morning. Her first thought was of Tony and then Elvira’s Segway practice run.

  At eight on the dot, Elvira rang the doorbell. Carlita met her downstairs and invited her in for coffee to give Mercedes a chance to wake up.

  Autumn arrived moments later, wide-awake and looking chipper.

  “You’re right on time, Autumn. You must be a morning person.”

  “I am,” she said, “I love early mornings.”

  Mercedes plodded out of the bathroom wearing stained sweatpants and a wrinkled t-shirt. She shot Elvira an annoyed look. “Remind me again why you want to try out my Segway.”

  “Because I’m considering booking a Segway
excursion on one of the islands. It’s kinda pricey, and I don’t want to spend money on something I won’t enjoy.”

  “Not to change the subject,” Autumn said, “but remember how you mentioned the Zhao name last night? I called my brother, Steve, after we got home and asked him about it. He said he almost rented a property from someone named Zhao.”

  “That’s interesting.” Making a mental note to chat with Steve later, Carlita gathered up the dirty coffee cups while Mercedes and the others made their way downstairs.

  When she caught up with them, Mercedes was standing next to Elvira, helmet in hand. “You’ll need this.”

  “No can do.” Elvira shook her head. “I don’t do helmets.”

  “You have to wear a helmet.” Mercedes attempted a stern look. “No helmet. No Segway.”

  Elvira’s back door flew open, and Dernice emerged. “Did I miss anything?”

  “Not yet,” Carlita said.

  “Good. I gotta see Elvira in action.”

  “Had I known I was going to draw a crowd, I would’ve charged admission.” Elvira reluctantly placed the helmet on her head while Mercedes showed her how the human transporter worked.

  “Make sure you center your feet when you get on. Keep a firm grip on the handles. To move forward, put pressure on the front of the footboard. To go back, use your heels to put pressure on the back.”

  Elvira finished securing the helmet’s strap and nudged Mercedes off to the side. “I know all that. I did some research last night. This will be a piece of cake.”

  “Famous last words,” Dernice teased.

  Her sister gave her a dark look. “At least I’m willing to try it.” She turned her attention to the machine, grabbing hold of the center bar and lightly hopping on the footboard. As instructed, Elvira centered her feet and reached for the handle.

  “Start slow,” Mercedes said. “Practice going forward and then in reverse.”

  “Got it.” With a look of determination, Elvira stared straight ahead. The Segway rolled forward a good twenty feet. She coasted to a stop and then began slowly backing up.