She easily stopped within a few feet of Carlita and the others. “See?” Elvira jabbed her finger at her sister. “Easy-peasy, pudding and pie.”
“You seem to have mastered the foot pressure,” Mercedes said. “Now, take it to the other end of the alley. When you reach the parking lot, gently steer in the direction you want to go.”
Elvira gave her a thumbs up and sped off. She slowed when she reached the end, easing the handle to the right. The Segway circled right. She sped back toward them, her head held high and a smug smile on her face.
Mercedes, sensing disaster in the making, began waving her hands. “Slow down! You’re going too fast!”
The Segway hit a bump. A look of sheer panic replaced Elvira’s smug smile as she struggled to maintain control.
“She’s out of control!” Carlita lunged forward, shoving Autumn and Dernice out of the Segway’s path.
“Help!” The Segway zigged and then zagged as Elvira hung on for dear life.
Mercedes ran after her. “Straighten your feet!”
In a desperate move, Elvira jerked the handle to the left. The Segway careened left and crashed into a minivan parked at the end of the alley.
She let out an ear-piercing scream as the Segway bounced back. Elvira’s self-preservation mode kicked in. She released her death grip on the handle and flung both arms over her face.
Clunk.
Elvira executed a Dukes of Hazzard slide across the top, followed by a half-roll before crash landing, face down, on the car’s windshield.
“Oh my gosh.” Carlita raced across the alley. “Are you all right?”
Elvira flopped over, both arms still covering her head. “I don’t know.”
“Let’s try to get her on her feet.” Mercedes slid her hand under Elvira’s shoulder while Carlita steered the Segway out of the way.
“I’ve never seen a Segway go that fast.” Dernice put an arm around her sister’s waist. “How fast were you going?”
“Too fast for a beginner,” Mercedes said.
Autumn inspected the minivan’s hood. “I don’t think you damaged the van.”
“Who cares about the van? What about me?” Elvira grimaced. “Something popped when I hit the windshield.”
“You may have broken your arm.” Carlita pointed to a protruding bump on Elvira’s upper arm.
“I’m tough as nails.” Elvira attempted to brush off her injury, but it was clear from the look on her face that she was in pain.
“Carlita is right. I fractured my arm in three different spots a few years back, and it looked a lot like yours does,” Dernice said.
Mercedes maneuvered the Segway toward the apartment. “I think we’ve had enough lessons for today.”
“You should have your arm checked out,” Autumn said.
It was apparent from the way Elvira was holding her arm, something was definitely amiss.
“I’m taking you to the nearby walk-in clinic to have it x-rayed.” Dernice ran to the end of the alley to get the company van.
When she returned, Carlita and the others helped her climb inside. Before driving off, Dernice promised to call later with an update.
“Poor Elvira.” Autumn shaded her eyes, watching as the van turned the corner.
“She hit hard.” Mercedes, along with Autumn, returned the Segway to the storage area while Carlita headed into the pawn shop.
Tony was standing in front of the gun case and made his way over. “I saw Elvira buzz by a little while ago. How did the crash course in Segways go?”
“Crash pretty much sums it up.” Carlita gave him a thumbs down. “She crashed into a parked minivan. I’m pretty sure she broke her arm. She and Dernice are on their way to a walk-in clinic to have it checked out.”
“No kidding. Segways can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. One of the company’s founders died after driving one off a cliff.”
“Seriously?” Carlita’s jaw dropped.
“Yep. He wasn’t paying attention to where he was going.” Tony made a diving motion with his hand. “Drove it right over the edge.”
“How awful.” Carlita shifted her gaze, watching as a familiar figure entered the pawn shop. Her heart plummeted as she watched Sandy Sue Jarvis make her way to the back. “What’s the big idea?”
“Hello, Mrs. Jarvis,” Carlita coolly replied. “What do you mean?”
“My employee, Mei, just quit. She said Ravello’s hired her.”
“I don’t run my restaurant’s day-to-day operations. Ravello’s manager would’ve been the one to interview her and offer her a job.”
It was as if Sandy Sue didn’t hear a word Carlita had said. She ranted and raved about the robbery, about the fact her ring was found in the pawn shop, that someone called the health department on her.
“Hold up.” Carlita cut her off. “Someone called the health department on Ravello’s.”
“How convenient.” It was apparent from Sandy Sue’s sneer the woman thought Carlita was lying.
“I don’t know anything about someone reporting you to the health department. I also didn’t steal your employee or rob you at gunpoint.”
“That’s not what the cops think.”
“As far as your employee goes, if your employee was happy working for you, they wouldn’t be seeking other employment.”
Sandy Sue let out a long string of cuss words.
Tony, who had been listening to the exchange, took a step toward her. “I’m gonna politely ask you to leave. If you don’t, I’m calling the cops.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Watch me,” he said in a low voice.
Sandy Sue did an about-face and marched out of the pawn shop, barreling past a customer who was on his way in.
“This keeps gettin’ better and better,” Carlita muttered.
“Try not to worry about her,” Tony said. “We have bigger fish to fry right now.”
“You got that right.”
As more customers trickled in, Carlita sprang into action. The rest of the morning flew by, and it was close to noon before the crowds died down.
She was near the front, straightening a rack of video games, when she noticed Dernice making her way inside. Elvira was behind her.
Carlita waved them over, and as they drew closer, she noticed something odd about Elvira, if that was even possible.
Chapter 21
Carlita circled Elvira. Her right elbow was parallel with her shoulder. Thick bandages covered her from palm to armpit. A plastic opaque brace propped her arm up.
“I know. It looks weird,” Elvira rolled her eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh. “The quack seems to think elevating my arm until I can see the ortho guy will help keep the swelling down.”
“This is a temporary setup,” Dernice explained. “Elvira has an appointment to visit an orthopedic surgeon. Judging by the extent of her injury, I think she’s gonna end up with pins in her elbow.”
“What are you…a doctor?” Elvira asked. “Speaking of doctors, I think the one who saw me today was a quack.”
“It’s very unusual,” Carlita said.
Dernice choked back a laugh.
Elvira’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
Her sister struck a Saturday Night Fever dance pose, thrusting her hip out and her arm up. “Tony Manero, where are you?”
“Very funny.” Elvira kicked her.
“It’s not my fault you crashed.”
“I look like a nut job.”
“I’m sorry about the accident,” Carlita apologized. “So, I guess that means no Segway excursion for the cruise.”
“It depends on how much damage I’ve done.” Elvira made a slow turn. “I’m ready to go lie down. Someone’s gonna have to run next door and give Sandy Sue the news we’re off the job.”
“Speaking of Sandy Sue, she was in here earlier, carrying on about how one of her employees quit and was hired by Ravello’s.”
“I thought I was having a bad string of luck,”
Elvira said. “First she’s robbed, then her husband leaves her and now she has employees quitting.”
“Hang on.” Carlita stopped her. “Sandy Sue and her husband split up?”
“Yep. And I know that for a fact. I caught them fighting in the parking lot. I thought she was gonna punch him and I was gonna have to call the cops.”
After Elvira and Dernice left, Carlita mulled over the new information. No wonder Sandy Sue was in a foul mood.
What if Sandy Sue’s husband was behind the robbery? If the couple were headed to divorce court, why would they move forward with opening the restaurant? For months, the project had been all but abandoned. In fact, when they’d first started working on it, Carlita wasn’t even sure who owned it.
Months went by and nothing happened. Then one day, workers returned to the site, and things moved fast.
What if the couple’s marital difficulties had halted the project? Surely, the city would push to have the project finished. Not only was the site an eyesore, but it was also a safety concern. Perhaps they pushed Sandy Sue and her husband to finish it.
As far as the employees went, Angel had told her she didn’t care for Gordon Coldwater, the owner of Big Hog’s BBQ, who was also Sandy Sue’s brother.
He had seemed like a nice enough guy. If Mei, the employee Ravello’s had hired, didn’t like Sandy Sue, why didn’t she apply for a job at Big Hog’s?
Tony’s part-time afternoon help arrived, and Carlita headed out.
Curious to find out more about Ravello’s new employee, she made a beeline for the restaurant. She found her manager, Arnie, seated at the desk.
They chatted briefly and then Carlita brought up the subject of Mei. “I’m here to ask you about Mei, a new employee who worked or has worked at the barbecue place across the street.”
“I think Mei will fit in nicely.” Arnie gave Carlita a rundown of the woman’s previous experience. “She came highly recommended by Big Hog’s BBQ.”
Carlita interrupted. “That’s interesting. I wonder why she didn’t go back to Big Hog’s instead of coming here.”
“I asked the same question. Mei claims she’s moving into the downtown area and wanted a job where she could walk to work.”
The explanation sounded plausible to Carlita. “Did she say why she was leaving Sandy Sue’s?”
“Now, that’s where it gets a little interesting.” Arnie tapped the tip of his pen on the desk. “Each time we talk, she gives me a different reason. One is that Sandy Sue doesn’t have enough customers. Mei also claims she thinks the tips will be better here at Ravello’s since it’s more of a high-end restaurant versus a barbecue joint.”
“Possibly,” Carlita said. “Is that all?”
“I get the impression Mei does not like the Jarvises and Sandy Sue in particular. She said the work environment was toxic.”
“I see.” Carlita had little doubt that Sandy Sue was difficult to work for.
“You can chat with her later. She’s training this evening.”
“I think I will.” Carlita thanked him for the update and told him she’d be back later to cover her shift.
After leaving, she swung by Elvira’s place to check on her. Dernice answered the door and told her that Elvira had taken a painkiller and was napping.
“I feel somewhat responsible for her accident,” Carlita said.
Dernice waved dismissively. “Don’t blame yourself. Elvira was getting a little too cocky. She’ll be fine.”
“Tell her I stopped by to check on her.”
“I will.”
With time on her hands before her shift began, she gathered up her gardening tools, along with a tray of flowers she’d picked up at the local farmer’s market, and headed down to the courtyard.
Halfway through her sprucing up project, she heard the rumble of Reese’s trolley as it pulled up to the trolley stop. She noticed someone hurrying toward it.
Carlita ducked back, watching as an animated Sandy Sue said something to Reese.
Reese shook her head, and then reluctantly took something from the woman.
Sandy Sue finally left while Reese continued waiting for passengers to board the trolley.
Curious to find out what Sandy Sue had given her, Carlita darted across the street and approached the driver’s side window. “Hey, Reese. I saw Sandy Sue flag you down and give you something.”
“She did.” An odd look crossed Reese’s face.
“What was it, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I…” Reese greeted a passenger before resuming their conversation. “She’s not playing fair with you.”
Carlita’s scalp tingled. “What do you mean?”
Reese plucked a slip of paper from her visor and handed it to Carlita. It was a discount coupon. She could feel the tips of her ears burn as she read Sandy Sue’s coupon:
Twenty-five percent off for bringing in a restaurant receipt from Ravello’s. Offer good through July 31st.
Carlita clenched her jaw. “She’s trying to steal my customers.”
“It would seem that way. It’s a little underhanded.”
“She wants you to give these to trolley passengers?”
“Yep. I took them but haven’t handed out a single one.”
Carlita’s eyes flashed with anger.
“Don’t let her get under your skin. Besides, karma is gonna come back and bite that woman.” Reese apologized but said she needed to get going.
Still aggravated, Carlita watched as the trolley pulled away. She finished sprucing up the courtyard, unable to shake Sandy Sue’s words and her insinuation the police suspected her of being involved in the robbery.
Admittedly, she had both motive and opportunity. Motive would be not only competition setting up shop directly across from her, but antagonizing Carlita to the point of diverting traffic and forcing her to call the cops.
There was also the incident of Sandy Sue’s contractors dumping their construction waste in Carlita’s dumpster.
Last, but not least, was the confrontation between Carlita and Sandy Sue, only hours before she was robbed.
The escalating animosity between the two made Carlita uneasy. Sandy Sue struck her as being vindictive. Throw in all the other things going on in the woman’s life and it was a recipe for another confrontation, one Carlita was eager to avoid. She had her own share of problems.
Determined not to let the woman get under her skin, she finished up and returned home. Mercedes and she shared a quick bite to eat, and then she freshened up before heading to Ravello’s.
The change in seasons had also brought a change in diners’ habits. During the winter months, business picked up late afternoon and tapered off in the early evening.
With more daylight hours and locals out enjoying the weather, they arrived a little later and lingered a little longer, which was good for business. She also found they were purchasing more after-dinner drinks and desserts.
The hours flew by. Several times, Carlita caught a glimpse of her new employee training with one of the restaurant’s more experienced servers.
Tony stopped by to grab a bite to eat. In between customers, Carlita chatted with him. He didn’t stay long, claiming he needed to head home and catch up on some paperwork.
By the time the restaurant closed, Carlita’s feet hurt, but her mood was much improved. No matter what Sandy Sue Jarvis did, she was determined to rise above the woman’s irritating ways and be the bigger person.
She pitched in to clean up the front, and after finishing, limped to the back.
The new employee, the woman Carlita had seen earlier, stood talking to Arnie.
He caught Carlita’s eye and motioned for her to join them. “I’m glad you haven’t left yet.” Arnie pointed to the woman. “Mei Zhao, meet the owner of Ravello’s, Carlita Garlucci.”
Chapter 22
“Mei Zhao.” Carlita blinked rapidly. “You worked across the street at Sandy Sue’s Bar-B-Que.”
“I did. I was working at B
ig Hog’s BBQ for a while. When Mrs. Jarvis opened a restaurant in town, I took a position with her.”
Carlita’s mind whirled. Was this the woman who sold the ring? She was almost certain Tony had remembered the last name Zhao. “If you don’t mind me asking, can you tell me why you quit?”
“I wanted to work in a restaurant where diners tipped more.”
“And you thought since Ravello’s serves alcohol and specialty drinks, the tips would be better here.”
“The bigger the bill, the bigger the tip,” Mei said. “And I was ready for a change.”
“I see.” There was only one way for Carlita to find out if Mei Zhao was the woman who sold Sandy Sue’s ring to the pawn shop. She needed to get a snapshot of her without raising suspicions.
A sudden idea occurred to her. “I think it would be nice to start a posterboard for new employees and maybe even add an employee of the month program.”
“That’s a great idea,” Arnie said.
“Let me snap a couple pictures of you for our wall board.” Carlita removed her cell phone from her pocket and waited for Mei to pose. After snapping a couple pictures, she checked to make sure she had clear shots. “Welcome to Ravello’s. Arnie is a great boss.”
“He is very nice.” Mei gathered her belongings, and Arnie accompanied her to the exit. They talked briefly before he returned. “I think an employee recognition program is an excellent idea.”
“Me too,” Carlita said. “You’re not at all concerned about her leaving Sandy Sue’s and coming here?”
“Servers bounce around.” Arnie waved dismissively. “I’m sure some of ours have left and gone to competitors. It’s the nature of the business.”
“True.” Carlita excused herself and headed up to Tony’s apartment. She gave the door a light rap, and he answered moments later. “Hey, Ma.”
“I’m sorry to bother you. I want to show you a picture of Ravello’s new employee to see if you recognize her.” Carlita pulled up the picture of Mei and handed her phone to her son.
Tony squinted his eyes as he studied the picture. “Nope. Never seen her before.”
Family Feud in Savannah: A Garlucci Family Saga (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 16) Page 14