Exes and Woes: A Garlucci Family Saga Novel (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 14)

by Hope Callaghan

  Mercedes caught up with her. “She closed right after we left.”

  “She sure did.” Defeated and out of ideas for figuring out what was happening, Mother and Daughter reluctantly returned to the car.

  During the drive home, Mercedes shared her ideas for her new miniseries. “I think I’m gonna call the first book Shakedown in Savannah. Takedown in Savannah will be next and the third will be…”

  “Breakdown in Savannah,” Carlita joked.

  “How did you know?”

  “It was the theme song for an eighties movie. Shakedown…takedown.” She began to hum under her breath.

  “And I thought I was being original.”

  The light turned green, and Carlita looked both ways before driving through the intersection. “Why don’t you write a romance about a young woman from New York who falls for a former cop from Savannah?”

  “Because it sounds boring. And you can stop hinting. Sam and I are getting along fine. He’s happy. I’m happy. Our relationship is perfect.” Mercedes’ expression grew mischievous. “Why don’t I write about a widowed mobster’s wife and a pirate who fall in love?”

  Carlita frowned. “Very funny. We’re home. I’m gonna check on Tony to see if he needs any help.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  There were several customers inside the pawn shop. It took a minute for Carlita to find her son, who was near the front of the store, talking to a man.

  “There he is.” Carlita noted the look of aggravation on her son’s face. “He doesn’t look happy.”

  “Nope.” Mercedes pointed to the open trapdoor, leading to the basement. “Tony was in the basement.”

  “Hmm. I wonder what’s up with that.”

  Finally, Tony caught his mother’s eye and made his way over.

  “What’s going on?”

  “That was the City of Savannah public works manager. He said someone has been messing around inside the tunnels and wanted to check our basement.”

  Carlita heaved a heavy sigh. “I knew it was a bad idea to open the passage back up.”

  “Hang on.” Tony approached the checkout counter and waited until their part-time employee finished helping a customer. “I’m runnin’ down to the basement for a few. Can you cover?”

  “Yeah. No problem.”

  “I’ll stay behind.” Mercedes watched as two more customers entered the pawn shop. “You go on ahead.”

  “Thanks.” Tony grabbed a flashlight before making his way down the ladder and into the basement.

  Carlita joined him. She perched on the bottom rung while Tony trained the flashlight on the brick wall. “You ever notice this before?”

  “Notice what?”

  “This.” Tony pointed to a crack in the wall.

  “It’s a crack in the wall. I’m sure there are tons of cracks. It’s probably a small settling issue.”

  “You’re missing it, Ma.” Tony shifted to the side and ran his finger along the wall all the way to the bottom. “It makes an almost perfect vertical line. Settlement cracks don’t make perfect lines.”

  She stepped off the bottom rung. “You think there’s another passageway down here?”

  “I don’t think so. I know so. The public works guy told me there’s another passage on the other side, and you’re never gonna guess where it leads.”

  “To Elvira’s building,” Carlita and her son said in unison. “Dernice showed Luigi and me the door. We didn’t have time to check it out, but I figured there was a good chance she has a basement too.”

  Carlita turned her gaze from the crack to the padlocked metal door and tunnel. “There’s no way I’m gonna bust a hole in the wall between Elvira’s building and ours. Talk about opening a can of worms.”

  “As much as she likes digging around, I’m surprised she hasn’t already found it,” Tony said.

  “Or maybe she has.” Carlita told her son how Mercedes and she suspected there was a link between a new development on Tybee Island, Elvira’s disappearance and her recent property purchase. “I also think there’s a reason Dernice agreed to hire Luigi.”

  “You think they’re going to somehow suck him into one of Elvira’s messes?” Tony asked.

  “It’s possible. I warned Luigi to be careful.”

  “He can handle himself. Luigi’s street savvy…even more street-savvy than Elvira.” Tony helped his mother up the ladder. He closed the trapdoor and slid the bolt in place.

  Mercedes wandered over. “What was downstairs?”

  “Signs that there may have once been an access door from our basement to the one behind ours…Elvira’s building.”

  “You gonna blow it out?” Mercedes asked.

  “And give Elvira access to our basement? No way.”

  Back home, Mercedes made a beeline for her bedroom, anxious to jot down some notes for her new book, Shakedown in Savannah, before she forgot.

  Meanwhile, Carlita sorted through her emails and began updating her renters’ files. She finished her bookkeeping and changed into a work uniform to start her evening shift at the restaurant. The hours flew by, and there was little time to dwell on anything other than making sure the guests were happy and their stomachs full when they left.

  Mercedes and Sam had stopped by to say they were going to the City Market to listen to Cool Bones and his jazz band.

  Her daughter still wasn’t home when she finished her shift, but Rambo was patiently waiting by the door. With a quick check for keys, she grabbed his leash and they made their way into the alley.

  Mindful not to venture too far after dark, they circled the block, passing by Elvira’s business entrance and the boarded-up front door.

  She wondered what Elvira would think if she was there, and for the umpteenth time, wondered what “personal matter” caused her to leave home so abruptly. Was it somehow connected to her Tybee property purchase? It made sense since she’d cleaned out the bank account on her way out of town.

  Was she hired to protect at least one of the Tybee Island businesses, but instead of protecting them, took a payout so the large corporation could target the owners, driving them out of business and then snatching the properties up for pennies on the dollar?

  There was also the mention of the recent fire in one of the island’s empty buildings. Surely, if the authorities had investigated, they would have questioned the other property owners, including Elvira.

  There was a reason Zulilly was in town. Elvira had failed to mention to her sister that her daughter was coming to help. What if Elvira didn’t trust Dernice? The woman was a convicted felon.

  She hoped whatever was going on, Elvira and her sister would not drag Luigi into their shenanigans. The last thing he needed was to become involved in underhanded and potentially shady dealings.

  “C’mon, Rambo. It’s getting chilly.” As soon as she unhooked his leash, he scrambled up the steps.

  She caught up with him in the hallway and noticed Sam’s apartment door was ajar. Carlita could hear the tinkle of her daughter’s laughter. She gave the door a tentative knock. The laughter stopped, and the door opened. Sam and a flushed Mercedes appeared.

  “Sorry to bother you. I wanted to let you know I took Rambo for a walk, and I’m heading in for the rest of the night.”

  “I’ll be home in a few,” Mercedes promised.

  “Don’t wait up for her,” Sam teased.

  “Sam.” Mercedes whacked him in the arm.

  “Ouch.” He playfully pressed a light hand to his “injured” arm. “I’m just messing with your mom. She knows me better than that.”

  Carlita wagged her finger at him. “You know what I say. You better put a ring on her finger first.”

  “Stop.” Mercedes made a chopping motion. “Knock it off. Both of you.”

  Carlita chuckled and winked at Sam. “You sure know how to get her going.”

  Mercedes was still ranting as he closed the door behind them.

  Carlita shooed her pup inside and then wandered around
aimlessly before deciding to get ready for bed. Mercedes still hadn’t returned by the time she finished. Restless, she slipped her robe on and drifted to the balcony doors.

  Her eyes were drawn to the building next door. There was a flicker of light in Elvira’s kitchen window, and she caught a glimpse of a shadow darting back and forth.

  Carlita studied the alley below. Luigi’s vehicle was parked next to her car. She eased the door open and slipped onto the balcony. The faint smell of cigarette smoke wafted up. Although she couldn’t see anyone, Carlita was certain Luigi was somewhere nearby.

  “Hey, Ma.” The balcony door swung open, and Mercedes joined her. “Whatcha’ doin’?”

  “Thinking about Elvira. Wondering if helping Luigi get a job working for Dernice was a mistake.” The uneasiness she’d felt earlier returned.

  “You worry too much.”

  “It’s just...” Carlita tugged on a stray strand of hair. “Why didn’t Elvira give Dernice a heads up that Zulilly was coming to Savannah?”

  “Because she wanted it to be a surprise.”

  “Exactly. But why? Do you think it’s because Elvira doesn’t trust her sister? Dernice is a convicted felon.”

  “And Luigi hasn’t been around the criminal element all of his adult life?” Mercedes slipped her arm into her mother’s and led her back inside. “He’ll be fine.”

  “I know…” Carlita’s voice trailed off, unable to pinpoint exactly why she felt uneasy. “I’m headin’ to bed.”

  “Tomorrow is another day.”

  “You’re right.” Carlita clapped her hands. “C’mon Rambo. It’s time for bed. Where’s Grayvie?” She checked the sofa to see if her cat was in his favorite spot on top.

  “He’s already on my bed.” Mercedes pointed to the ball of fur curled up on her pillow. Hearing his name, he stretched and yawned before closing his eyes again. “Lazybones.”

  “Spoiled pets. Spoiled rotten.” Carlita followed Rambo into the bedroom. He circled his new bed several times before finding a comfortable spot and plopping down.

  Carlita waited for him to settle in before shutting the light off. She lay there wide-eyed and wide awake, still uneasy over Elvira’s absence and the nagging feeling there was a reason for Zulilly’s unannounced arrival.

  She eventually drifted off, but it was a fitful sleep, her dreams filled with jumbled thoughts of Elvira.

  She woke early the next morning, tossed and turned and then finally gave up on going back to sleep. Rambo met her at the bedroom door and let out a low whine.

  “I know. It’s time to get up.”

  They made a quick trip to Rambo’s patch of grass and hurried back inside, anxious to escape the chilly morning air.

  The pup abruptly stopped near the bottom of the steps and then let out a low warning growl. It was then that Carlita noticed Luigi’s apartment door was open.

  Rambo growled again, and Carlita tiptoed closer. “Luigi?” She stopped when she reached the open door, her breath catching in her throat.

  Chapter 9

  Luigi was seated at the kitchen counter, an angry slash across the side of his face and extending down his neck.

  Carlita’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my gosh. What happened to your face?”

  “Hey, Carlita. It looks worse than it is. I was bein’ a numbskull. I thought I saw some lights flashing in my living room window, almost like someone was tryin’ to see inside, so I went outside to check it out.”

  Luigi told her he caught a glimpse of a light across the street. “It was over in front of the real estate office.”

  “Just now?”

  “About half an hour ago.” Luigi winced as he gingerly touched his face. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and ran into a broken gutter.”

  “Broken gutter,” Carlita echoed. “I know which one you’re talking about.” She inspected the angry scrape and dried blood. “You want me to go grab some bandages? I have some upstairs.”

  “Nah.” Luigi waved dismissively. “I’m fine. It’ll teach me to pay better attention to where I’m going.”

  “I was just out there with Rambo. We didn’t see anything.” Carlita talked with Luigi for several more moments until she was sure he was going to be okay.

  As she headed home, another, even more disturbing, thought entered her mind. What if this incident and the other one involving the tailgating car had nothing to do with Elvira? What if someone from Luigi’s past had tracked him down, and now that he was no longer under the protection of the “family,” they were after him?

  But how would they know where to find him – unless Ricco had tipped them off. Carlita immediately dismissed the idea. Luigi and his former partner, Ricco, were friends.

  She couldn’t rule out the Castellini family. Perhaps someone was settling an old score.

  She kicked her shoes off and strode to the balcony doors. One of Elvira’s motion sensor lights was on. Her neighbor’s rear door opened and then quickly shut.

  Carlita grabbed her cell phone off the counter and returned to the door, staring out as she dialed Dernice’s cell phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Dernice. It’s Carlita. You got a minute?”

  “Yeah. Sure. I was gonna call you to let you know Luigi tangled with the broken gutter out back.”

  “I just stopped by his place. It’s a nasty scrape. He said he thought he saw someone across the street.”

  “I heard. I checked the cameras but didn’t see anything. I’m beginning to think all of our cameras are hunks of junk.”

  Carlita could hear papers rustling on the other end.

  “I have something I want to show you. Do you have a minute?”

  “Sure. I’ll meet you in the alley.”

  Dernice was already waiting when Carlita got there. She let her in before taking a quick glance around and locking the door behind them.

  “Where’s your niece?”

  “Asleep in the spare bedroom.”

  They zig-zagged from the kitchen and into the dining room, past Dernice’s Harley motorcycle, which was parked next to the table before entering a narrow hall. There was a locked door at the end.

  Dernice patted her pockets. “Shoot. I need the keys. I’ll be right back.” She darted down the hall and returned with a set of keys. She unlocked the door and flipped the light on.

  An antique four-poster bed was in the bedroom, and the walls were covered with various pieces of art. There were landscapes with majestic mountains and blue skies. Others were abstracts…a half of a man’s head, a trolley, the Savannah River.

  A picture that looked vaguely familiar hung above the bed. “This is Elvira’s bedroom.”

  “Yeah. You ever see her artwork before?”

  “See it?” Carlita snorted. “She set my building on fire, working on some of her art.”

  “For real? Sounds like something she would do.” Dernice crossed the room and opened the closet door. A black safe was anchored to the closet floor. She tapped the keypad on the front. The safe made a faint whirring sound, and then the door slowly swung open.

  She pulled out a thick, manila envelope and handed it to Carlita. “Check it out.”

  “What is it?”

  “Remember the mailman and the certified delivery he’s been trying to make, the one Elvira kept telling me not to sign for?”

  “Yes.”

  “After Zulilly surprised me, I figured whatever was coming in from the lawyer had something to do with Elvira’s disappearance and her showing up. This explains a lot.”

  The envelope was addressed to Elvira Cobb. “Elvira isn’t going to like us snooping in her personal business.”

  “Then, she should be here handling it instead of leaving it to me.”

  “True.” Carlita reached inside the envelope and pulled out a thick set of papers. Her eyes grew wide as she scanned the top sheet. “What on earth?”

  Chapter 10

  “This is a divorce petition.” Carlita studied the
names on the paper. “Elvira Cobb and Greg Fontaine.” She cast Dernice a puzzled look. “Greg Fontaine?”

  “Also known as Gremlin. He’s Elvira’s ex, Zulilly’s father and a weasel, although I guess that might not be the case…the ex part, I mean. He’s still a weasel.”

  “He’s petitioning for half of her assets.”

  “This explains a lot. No wonder my sister is freaking out. Somehow, the two never got divorced. Gremlin has decided to finally pull the trigger, and he wants half of what Elvira owns.”

  Carlita couldn’t get past the thought Elvira had been…was married. “Elvira is married.”

  “Not by choice is my guess. There’s more to Gremlin Fontaine than being Elvira’s ex,” Dernice said. “I started doing a little digging around. Follow me.” She led Carlita out of the bedroom and into the office, motioning for her to have a seat in front of the laptop. “Check out his professional background.”

  Carlita squinted at the screen. “Managing partner at Atlantic Deep.” It took a minute for the information to sink in. “Atlantic Deep.”

  “Which is also the company developing Coastal Adventures, the Tybee Island mega entertainment complex project.”

  Dernice continued. “Elvira is in St. Augustine.”

  “Right. You said you tracked her there.”

  “It’s also where she and Gremlin were married. A coincidence? I think not. I think my sister thought she was divorced and found out otherwise.”

  “She heard about it from Gremlin or his attorneys.”

  “Or Zulilly.” Dernice twined her middle and index finger together. “Gremlin and his daughter are tight.”

  “Maybe Elvira and Gremlin are working together.” Carlita leaned back in the chair.

  “No way. They detest each other.”

  “There’s bad blood between them?”

  “Bad blood is an understatement. Back in the day, Elvira was a lot more carefree. She and Gremlin were both big into the hippie scene. Course we all were back then…free love…peace. They married at the county courthouse in St. Augustine, which is where they lived at the time. Until Zulilly came along, life was good. Elvira’s pregnancy changed everything. Gremlin wasn’t up for fatherhood. He took off, backpacking across the country.”