“Well…I suppose.” The door opened wider, and Dernice motioned them inside to an area that reminded Carlita of a mini command post, complete with blinking red and blue lights beaming from an array of electronics.
“Welcome to EC Command Center.” Dernice plopped down on the chair and reached for the mouse. “Let me see…the wedding was Saturday. You said the box in question arrived Friday morning?”
“Yes, Friday morning,” Carlita confirmed.
“This surveillance equipment is slick. It’s able to pick up any motion, and depending on your desired settings, it stores the images. Ours is set up to keep all images until we erase them. Elvira uses the video as her evening entertainment. You guys get some interesting guests coming and going, especially for Tony’s wedding.”
“You’re spying on us all of the time?” Mercedes gasped.
“I wouldn’t call it spying. Although Elvira does kind of have a thing for your hot new tenant, Sam Ivey. He doesn’t appear to have a girlfriend. At least we haven’t seen him with a woman.” Dernice let out a low wolf whistle. “I have to admit he’s a real looker.”
“You can have him,” Mercedes muttered. “He’s a jerk.”
“Really?” Mercedes’ glaring dislike for Sam got Dernice’s attention. “He seems like a real gentleman. He helped me bring my motorcycle inside the other day when it started to rain.”
“Mercedes and he got off on the wrong foot, and now she doesn’t like him.”
“Plus, he’s spying on us,” Mercedes said. “Everyone is spying on us.”
“Hold up. Looks like we got something.” Dernice clicked on the screen to enlarge the picture. “It appears someone dropped a package off on your back stoop around seven forty-five. Check it out.”
Carlita leaned in to study the image. “Mercedes…do you see what I see?”
“Yep. It’s a male wearing a purple camo backpack.”
“Let’s see what else we got.” Dernice tapped the keyboard and they watched as the man dropped a brown box on the step. He looked around before jogging in the direction of the restaurant, and out of sight.
“That’s him. A hundred bucks says this is the guy Pirate Pete spotted in the alley during the wedding, with a young woman who was obviously distressed. He’s the one who left the headless cake topper.” Carlita studied the image. “I’m beginning to think this young man was working in my kitchen during the wedding.”
Mercedes tapped Dernice’s shoulder. “Is there a way to forward this image to us by text or in an email?”
“Of course. It’s fairly simple,” Dernice said. “You think this guy may have been involved in the food poisoning incident in the courtyard?”
“Yes. I believe that he, along with a young woman he was with, poisoned one of the wedding guests, but why?” Carlita thought about Brittney and Vinnie. Were they the targets? If they were, why hadn’t the woman followed through and poisoned Vinnie at the same time as Megan Burelli, who Carlita now suspected was mistaken for Brittney?
“I need a copy of this image to see if Pirate Pete can positively identify him. I’ve already got the print of the female courtyard server.”
“I don’t know if I can,” Dernice said. “Not until I discuss it with Elvira. She’s not one to hand out freebies without getting something in return.”
“Good grief.” Carlita rolled her eyes. “Birds of a feather. Name your price.”
The back door creaked open, and Elvira stepped inside. “Hello.”
“Hello, Elvira.” Carlita motioned to the shovel she was carrying. “Have you been out digging ditches?”
“Not quite.” She eyed Carlita and Mercedes suspiciously. “What are you doing here?”
“We took a look at your surveillance video from the other morning, to see if it caught the person who left the box with the headless cake topper inside on camera. It did, and we were bargaining with Dernice to obtain a copy of the image.”
“What kind of bargain?” Elvira propped the shovel in the corner. “It better be good.”
“What do you want?”
“Well, I have been giving it some thought. I was thinking along the lines of a dinner invite at your place, along with your hot new tenant, Sam Ivey.”
“I told you she was gaga over Sam,” Dernice said.
“I thought you were in love with Cool Bones,” Mercedes said.
“Unfortunately, our personalities just don’t mesh.”
“Imagine that,” Carlita snorted. “Tell you what…I’ll work on it. You have my word. I need the image before I can arrange the dinner date. Please send it to Mercedes’ phone.”
“Are you willing to put our deal in writing?”
“I already promised, and you have witnesses.”
Elvira pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Okay. Fair warning…I’m going to hound you until it happens.”
“Threatening won’t help.”
“No, it’s a promise.” Elvira nodded to her sister. “Go ahead and send it to Mercedes’ cell phone.”
“It’s done.” Dernice shifted to face her sister. “How did the closing go?”
“Your closing was today?” Carlita glanced at her cell phone. “I got the text.”
“Yep. This property is all mine now,” Elvira beamed. “I bought it lock, stock and barrel. The first thing I’m going to do is tear down the wall, so we can go up and down the stairs instead of having to crawl up the fire escape.”
“That’s why you bought this place, isn’t it?” Carlita asked. “Because you think there are more valuable items upstairs.”
“Maybe. I did Davis a favor. He was happy to leave the junk upstairs behind. He inherited it when he bought the building years ago. It’s mine now, and I intend to sort through my newly-acquired belongings with a fine tooth comb.”
“Tearing this place apart oughta keep you out of trouble for a few days,” Mercedes joked.
Carlita’s cell phone vibrated. “Uh-oh. Reese sent me a text. She wants me to call her back right away.” She thanked Elvira again for emailing the image and ushered Violet out of the building.
They waited for Mercedes to close the door behind them before Carlita dialed Reese’s cell phone. “You found something out from Dixie over at the bus station.”
“Yes. I have a positive ID on the man and woman. She confirmed the man was wearing a purple camo backpack and they fit the description. They each purchased an e-ticket headed for Miami, Florida, but they never boarded the bus.”
“So they’re still in the area?”
“You could say that. At least one of them is still in the area. You haven’t watched the morning news I take it.”
“No. Why?”
“The authorities haven’t publicly released the name yet, but they found one of them dead behind the bus station late last night.”
Chapter 20
It took a minute for Reese’s statement to sink in. “Dead?”
“Yes. It was the woman. Dixie told me her name is Monica Clay, and she was murdered. Does the name ring a bell?”
“Monica Clay,” Carlita whispered to Mercedes. “Is that the name of one of our restaurant workers?”
“It sounds kinda familiar.”
“We’ll have to check,” Carlita told Reese. “What about the guy with the purple backpack?”
“I have his information along with the dead girl’s. From what Dixie was able to glean during the police questioning, he’s MIA.”
Reese continued. “Could be he and the woman argued, he killed her and then knowing the bus station had his contact information, not to mention they could track his ticket, he took off.”
“True. What a mess,” Carlita said.
“I’ve got it all. Names, addresses, cell phone numbers. Dixie sent it to me before the cops showed up. I gotta get going. The trolley is almost loaded here at the main depot. I’ll send it to you in between stops.”
“Thanks, Reese. You’re the best.”
Carlita ended the call and slipped the phone into her po
cket. “Let’s head over to talk to Pete. I think we may be onto something. Reese has the names of the guy with the purple camo backpack and his companion, their cell phone numbers and addresses.”
“Awesome. We can match them to what we have on file for the restaurant employees.”
“If Pete can confirm the identity of the female server in the video, along with the picture Elvira’s surveillance camera picked up of the man dropping off the mysterious cake topper, we’re onto something.”
“I’m hungry,” Violet said.
“We’ll run by Pirate Pete’s place and then when we come back, I’ll make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” Carlita promised.
“Okay. Can I have some cookies?”
“Yes, if you wait until we get home, you can have Italian cookies, too.”
Mercedes led Violet and her mother off to the side. “I think we should send the video of the woman in the courtyard and Elvira’s surveillance camera shot of the man to Reese. We’ll ask her to forward both to Dixie to see if she can positively identify them, as well.”
“Great idea. Text Pete and let him know we’re on the way, too.” Carlita waited for Mercedes to send the pictures and a text to Reese and Pirate Pete before the trio began walking again. “I hope Pete is at the Pirate House.”
“If not, he’s at the dock and The Flying Gunner. It’s an easy walk either way.”
“I want to see the pirates again,” Violet chimed in.
“Wherever we end up, I hope it’s indoors.” The summer sun beat down on them as they walked, and Carlita’s shirt grew damp as her armpits began to perspire. She wasn’t sure if it was the heat or the fact they might actually be one step closer to figuring out what happened to Megan Burelli.
If it was a case of Louie’s henchman trying to take Vinnie and Brittney out and they hadn’t succeeded, her son and daughter-in-law were still in imminent danger. They needed to start piecing the puzzle together and fast!
The restaurant wasn’t open yet. Carlita knocked lightly on the entrance door.
A man appeared in the doorway. “We don’t open for another hour.”
“I know. I’m here to see Pete if he’s in.”
“Your name?”
“Carlita Garlucci.”
The door abruptly slammed in her face and Carlita jumped back. “Whoa.”
“How rude,” Mercedes fumed. “He didn’t even tell us if Pete was here or to wait a minute.”
“If he doesn’t come back in a couple of minutes, we’ll try The Flying Gunner.”
The door swung open, and Pirate Pete joined them on the porch. “I got yer text. I was gettin’ ready to answer when Joey told me you were here. Come in.” He motioned them inside. “Any news on your wedding guest’s condition?”
“No.” Carlita patted Violet’s head. “Is there somewhere we can talk? Little ears…”
“Ah.” Pirate Pete held up a finger. “Let me see if Susie is around. She can accompany Violet to the kitchen for a cookie.”
“I love cookies.”
Pete disappeared behind a swinging door and returned with a young woman. “This is Susie. She’s going to let you pick out a cookie and then bring you to my office.”
“Okay.” Violet took the young woman’s hand and they headed toward the kitchen.
“So there’s nothing new on the wedding guest,” Pete prompted.
“No, but we now have a dead woman possibly linked to my restaurant,” Carlita said. “We think the woman you saw crying in the alley the other day was found dead out behind the bus station.”
“You’re kidding!”
“I wish I was.”
Pete waited until they were inside his office before closing the door behind them. “What happened?”
Carlita briefly recapped everything she knew; starting with the two workers she suspected had been hired to murder Vinnie and Brittney. She mentioned the trolley, the bus station, Elvira’s surveillance footage of the mysterious man and ended with the body. “If you can positively identify the man who left the headless cake topper and the female server in the courtyard, we may have our suspects.”
Carlita handed Pete the photocopy of the female servers Mercedes had printed off. “Do you recognize either of these women?”
Pete slipped his reading glasses on and studied the picture. “Aye. That be her, the one on the right, except she wasn’t wearing a uniform when I saw her.” He handed the photocopy back. “You say you have a picture of the man, too?”
“Yes. Elvira’s surveillance camera caught him dropping off the unmarked box on my back step.”
Mercedes tapped her cell phone screen and passed it to Pete. “This is the man.”
Carlita watched as Pete studied the picture. “That be him. See the black server uniform he’s wearing?”
“No.” Carlita hurried behind the desk and peered over Pete’s shoulder. “You’re right. I never noticed the uniform. So, you’re saying these two were the ones you spotted in the alley, and the woman was crying.”
“Yes.”
“If Dixie at the bus station can confirm these are the same two, and we can match their contact information to what we have on the job applications, I think we have Megan Burelli’s poisoner.”
“But who killed the woman, Monica Clay?” Mercedes asked.
“My gut tells me it was the young man who was with her,” Carlita theorized. “It makes the most sense.”
“Have you heard from the newlyweds?” Pete asked.
“Yes. Shelby called to check on Violet a couple of times. They’re coming home today.”
There was a muffled tap at the door. It creaked open, and Susie escorted Violet inside.
“Did you eat your cookie already?” Carlita asked.
“She ate two,” Susie laughed. “I stopped her from eating a third.”
“Thank you, Susie,” Pete said.
“No problem.” Susie pulled the door shut behind her.
Carlita clutched Violet’s sticky hand. “We’re going to nickname you the cookie monster.”
“Mommy is bringing me a special surprise.”
“I bet she’s bringing you a shark,” Pete teased.
“I don’t want a shark.”
“I’m sure it’s not a shark,” Carlita said. “We better get going.” She turned to Pete. “Thank you for meeting with us. You’ve been very helpful.”
“Don’t forget about our Savannah restaurant group’s meeting on Wednesday. It’s at Russo’s restaurant this time.” Pete led them out of his office, through the restaurant and to the parking lot. “He’s expanding his operations and adding catering facilities.”
“That’s a good idea,” Carlita said. “I’ll be curious to see how that works out. It’s something we may look at down the road.”
“I thought about gettin’ into it myself a few years back, but then I bought me a pirate ship.”
“You stay busy enough. I guess I’ll see you on Wednesday. I plan to tell the authorities what we’ve found so far, right after I’m able to confirm Monica and the missing man were employed by me.”
Carlita thanked Pete again for meeting them on such short notice, and joined Mercedes and Violet in the parking lot.
The walk home was at a brisk pace, thanks to Violet, who pulled them along.
They turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt when a strange vehicle blocked their path.
Chapter 21
The vehicle was unfamiliar, but the man standing on the stoop was easily recognizable. “Officer Clousen.”
“Hello, Mrs. Garlucci. I left a message earlier asking if I could swing by. When you didn’t reply, I figured I would take my chances.”
“I…didn’t get a message.” Carlita glanced at her cell phone. “Oh wait. I see a missed call.”
“I wanted to let you know Ms. Burelli passed away early this morning. It may be some time before we get an official word on the cause of death. In the meantime, I have a few questions.”
Carlita motioned t
o Mercedes. “You better take Violet inside.”
“This should only take a minute.”
Mercedes ushered the small girl inside the building, and the police officer waited until the door closed behind them.
“Are you aware of any of your other wedding guests becoming ill during the wedding reception?”
“No, not that I know of,” Carlita answered honestly. “As far as I know, Ms. Burelli was the only one.”
“Your wait staff…were they regular employees or hired by a third party to serve the guests?”
“They were hired employees, but new hires. My restaurant will be opening for the first time later this week. I’ve never worked with the employees before Saturday’s wedding.”
“And you screened them before hiring, as in background checks, that sort of thing,” Clousen said.
“Yes, of course. The same way we do when we hire our pawnshop employees and the same way we screen our tenants before signing a lease.”
“That’s what I thought. I appreciate your time, Mrs. Garlucci. I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as I hear anything else.”
“You’re welcome. I…I feel terrible,” Carlita said.
“I can see you do,” Clousen said kindly. “Thanks again for your time.”
“Before you go.” Carlita motioned to the officer. “We have had a couple of strange incidents occur, right before my son’s wedding and Ms. Burelli’s collapse.”
Carlita briefly told him about the mysterious cake topper and the break-in at the restaurant.
The officer jotted down a few notes. He paused when she got to the part about the break-in. “What did the intruders take?”
“Nothing,” Carlita said.
“Nothing?” The officer paused, pen midair. “Nothing at all?”
“Not that I’m aware of, which is odd,” Carlita said.
He flipped the cover of the notepad and shoved it in his pocket. “You could file a police report, for insurance purposes, but the fact that nothing was stolen…”
“I know.”
She felt foolish for mentioning the cake topper. The officer probably believed it had been shipped to their home by mistake. “I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.”
Matrimony & Mayhem: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 11) Page 12