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

by Hope Callaghan

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Dernice squared her shoulders. “I like to pride myself on being learned enough for any situation.”

  “Tea, it is.” Byron backed out of the room.

  “Let’s sit by the fireplace.”

  Dernice and Carlita took the chairs on one side while Tori eased into the one opposite them. “You said you were a suspect in Kim Turbell’s death.”

  “I am.” Carlita briefly told her friend how she, along with Dernice, had visited Tybee Island. “Later that day, the woman from Coastal Adventure’s sales office was found dead inside Elvira’s building.”

  “I don’t see how this would make you a suspect,” Tori said.

  “Because I put my name on a signup sheet to get more information about Coastal’s project, only hours before Turbell’s death.”

  “Still not enough for you to be a suspect.”

  Dernice spoke. “Except the reason we were on the island was to check out Elvira’s property, which is where the woman’s body was found.”

  “That could present a problem.”

  “Not to mention Elvira and I are neighbors,” Carlita pointed out.

  Tori rested her chin on her hand. “What does Elvira say about all of this?”

  “She’s in St. Augustine, Florida, sorting out a mess of her own,” Dernice answered. “Because my sister has been vague on the details, Carlita and I have been trying to piece a few things together. My sister was handling the security for some of the area businesses a few months back, including for Coastal. She knew Atlantic Deep was planning a big project and was in the process of purchasing area properties. She bought one of the properties, my guess is for pennies on the dollar, planning to sell it to them and make a huge profit.”

  “You are correct,” Tori confirmed. “Coastal is buying up the properties. There are four left they need to acquire to move forward with their project. Mine is one, Elvira’s is another.”

  “Right, but there’s a small glitch,” Carlita said.

  “Glitch?”

  “Elvira’s husband is part-owner of Atlantic Deep, the company behind Coastal Adventure’s project.”

  Tori’s jaw dropped. “Her husband?”

  “She thought they were divorced.” Dernice waved her hand. “It’s a big mess. She thought the divorce was final years ago and only recently found out there was a small snafu. Technically, she’s still married.”

  Tori pressed the tips of her fingers together. “She buys this property, thinking she’s going to make a killing on it. She discovers her not-an-ex-husband is part owner and won’t sell because...”

  “He’s hired a lawyer and is interested in Elvira’s assets,” Carlita answered.

  “I wondered why she was holding up the sales. I can tell you the other sellers are not very happy with her. Coastal has offered an attractive price to each of us. I figured she would be the first in line to jump on the offer.”

  “She’s using the property as leverage against her husband. If she sells the property and she can’t get the divorce finalized, he could take half of her properties or assets.”

  “Perhaps she killed the woman,” Tori said.

  “She’s in St. Augustine.”

  Tori started to reply when Byron returned, carrying a silver tray. Mrs. O’Brien, Tori’s cook, waddled in behind him, pushing a cart laden with tiered trays of tasty treats.

  She gave Carlita a quick smile. “Mrs. Garlucci. It’s so good to see you again.”

  “Hello, Mrs. O’Brien. It’s nice to see you too.”

  “When Mrs. Montgomery told me you were stopping by for a visit, I said to myself, ‘Mary, we need to fix something special for Carlita and her guest.’” Mrs. O’Brien slid the cart in next to the coffee table.

  After she finished, Byron placed the silver tray with a teapot and teacups on the coffee table.

  “Is this Tea Forte?” Tori asked.

  “It is. Dolce Vita – honeyed pear.”

  “Perfect.”

  Mrs. O’Brien moved the tray of goodies to the center of the coffee table, giving the trio easy access. “My savory cheese scones are filled with thin slices of apple and chutney. The scones are the perfect accompaniment to the tea. There are also a fresh batch of raspberry and dark chocolate teacakes along with ham and roast beef sandwiches.”

  “I can’t wait to dig in.” Dernice rubbed her hands together, hungrily eyeing the treats.

  Tori caught Carlita’s eye and winked. “Well, you had best dig in.” She handed Dernice a small plate.

  Carlita sucked in a breath, waiting for her to grab one with her hands. Instead, she reached for the tongs and delicately selected one of the sandwiches. She added a cheese scone and then passed the tongs to Carlita.

  While they ate, the conversation returned to Coastal Adventure’s project.

  “Are you involved in Elvira’s new investment company?” Tori asked.

  Dernice nibbled the edge of her scone. “I had no idea she even started it until the Warranty Deed showed up in the mail.”

  “So, you’re not a part of her get-rich-quick-with-real-estate scheme,” Tori said.

  “Nope. Carlita and I think the recent incidents – someone forcing my van off the road and the dead woman are somehow related to the sale of the remaining properties and their owners.”

  “I think it’s her husband,” Carlita sipped her tea. “He has motive and opportunity.”

  “Did he…the husband…know the dead woman? Obviously, the answer would be yes since she was an employee of his company.”

  “I’m sure he did,” Carlita said. “Are you concerned about the big development coming to Tybee?”

  “I’m both concerned and saddened.” Tori told them she and her husband had owned the property for many years. “Of course, we never had big plans for it. We always hoped Tybee would remain a small beach town.”

  “Is there any way to stop Coastal?” Dernice asked.

  “No, short of a miracle. My belief is if we don’t willingly sell, they’ll somehow force our hands. I’m too old for that kind of fight.”

  “Can they do that?”

  “They have their ways.” Tori sampled one of the sandwiches and reached for a raspberry and dark chocolate teacake. “Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time.”

  Carlita finished the rest of her tea. She set the cup on the saucer and carefully placed both on top of the silver tray. “The reason I called you was to see if you know the identity of the fourth property owner. You are one. Elvira is the second. Ken Gibbons is the third. We haven’t been able to figure out who’s behind Savannah’s Beach. The property is in a trust, meaning we’re having difficulty tracking down the owner.”

  “We figured you, having all of the island connections, would know who it is.” Dernice inched forward in her chair.

  “As a matter of fact, I do know who owns it.” Tori rattled off the owner’s name, and Carlita’s jaw dropped.

  Chapter 20

  “Mayor Clarence Puckett.” Carlita blinked rapidly. “Savannah’s mayor owns the last parcel of property?”

  “Correct.” Tori nodded.

  “This puts a whole new spin on things.”

  “Which is why I said I believe it’s only a matter of time before Atlantic Deep purchases the remaining four properties they need to move forward, including Elvira’s. Puckett will see to it.”

  Carlita grew quiet, her head spinning as she attempted to digest the information. “Do you think the mayor could be responsible for the woman’s death?”

  “I don’t know Mr. Puckett well. He would have no reason to harm Kim Turbell. At least not that I’m aware of, although we all knew Ms. Turbell. She was handling both sides, negotiating the purchase of the properties as well as eventually overseeing the selling of the investment units once the project was finished. As you said, Elvira is the only holdout. If you recall, Mayor Puckett was related – cousins I think – to that dreadful man who was involved in human trafficking a year or so ago.”
/>
  “Lawson Bates.” Lawson Bates had owned a riverboat, the Mystic Dream. When Pirate Pete, who was also Bates’ competition, was being investigated for a horrific attack of a local businessman, Carlita had done some digging around. She even went so far as to go along with Mercedes sneaking onto his riverboat one night where they stumbled upon a group of illegal immigrants who were living onboard.

  It turned out Bates was involved in human trafficking and used his boat to ferry the poor victims from southern islands, north and to points inland to sell them.

  “You know the saying,” Dernice said, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Maybe the whole family is corrupt.”

  “And you know what they say about politicians,” Carlita added. “I guess this means we need to do some more digging around. I did think of something. The other day Mercedes and I visited a shop on Tybee. The owner was adamant that she had no plans to sell.”

  “Was it Tippy Zilman?”

  “I don’t know her name,” Carlita said. “It was a small gift shop.”

  “I’m sure you’re talking about Tippy’s place. She’s been there for years. She won’t sell, but then Coastal doesn’t need her property to move forward, at least not yet.” Tori finished her tea and glanced at the clock on the fireplace mantle. “I almost forgot. I have a conference call in ten minutes.” She stood, her sign that the meeting was over. “Ken Gibbons is the fourth owner. He owns Sunrise Bar and Grill.”

  “A restaurant owner?”

  “Yes. The restaurant is here on Tybee.”

  Carlita thanked Tori for meeting them on such short notice, for the tea and treats, and for the information while Dernice lingered behind to admire the Zao artwork. “Do you mind if I take a picture of this?”

  “Of course not.” Tori smiled indulgently. “Perhaps when I have more time, you can come back for another visit, and I’ll show you some of my other pieces. It’s refreshing to talk art with someone knowledgeable.”

  Dernice’s eyes lit. “I would love to do that. Let me know when.”

  Tori promised she would be in touch before escorting them to the courtyard and returning inside.

  “Victoria Montgomery is one cool cat.” Dernice walked at a fast clip. Carlita hurried to keep up as they crossed the courtyard. “I wonder why she and Elvira didn’t hit it off.”

  “Because Elvira trespassed, and Tori had her arrested. That’s one of the reasons. Besides, your sister lacks polished social skills.”

  The women were silent as they made the return trip to the main road. Finally, Carlita, who was mulling over everything Tori had told them, spoke. “We basically have one suspect, Elvira’s ex…er, husband.”

  “I dunno,” Dernice shrugged. “I haven’t seen Gremlin in years, but he never struck me as the killer-type. I think we still need to take a closer look at Ken Gibbons, the restaurant owner, and Mayor Puckett. What about Mrs. Montgomery?”

  “Tori isn’t responsible. Besides, we don’t even know the woman’s cause of death yet.”

  “I have a connection. Maybe I can find out.” Dernice retrieved her cell phone from the center console. She tapped the screen and held the phone to her ear. “Hey. It’s Dernice. I need a little intel. I’m trying to figure out the cause of death of a real estate agent yesterday on Tybee Island.”

  There was a moment of silence. “Kim Turbell. Yeah. That’s her. What’s the four-one-one?”

  “Strangulation. What a terrible way to go. Okay. Thanks.” Dernice started to end the call. “What? No kidding. That’s weird.” She thanked the person on the other end again and dropped the phone back in the console. “Kim Turbell was strangled. Whoever did her in left her purse untouched with cash and credit cards inside, along with some jewelry she was wearing. Nothing was taken.”

  “Robbery wasn’t the motive.”

  “Nope.”

  Carlita consulted the clock on the dashboard. It was getting late. “I had hoped we could swing back by the properties, but I don’t have time today. My evening is booked.”

  “Hot date?” Dernice teased.

  Carlita shot her an annoyed look. “It’s a business meeting with one of my partners.”

  “Pete Taylor.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Elvira told me he had the hots for you. She noticed it at your son’s wedding. In fact, she and I have a bet on how long it will take before you two get hitched.”

  “You have not,” Carlita gasped.

  Dernice tugged on her seatbelt. “I say by next year. Elvira thinks you’ll get engaged and then break the engagement when you get cold feet.”

  “Neither one of you will win.”

  “We’ll see,” Dernice grinned. “In the meantime, I’m pretty confident my hundred bucks is going to double. You’re a solid person and not one to toy with a person’s emotions.”

  Thankfully, they reached the parking lot, and the conversation about Carlita’s love life ended.

  Dernice waited for her in the alley. “What time do you want to head to Tybee Island to start digging around for more clues?”

  “How does late morning sound? That way, we can avoid the morning rush hour traffic.”

  “Sounds good. Enjoy your date.” Dernice winked and then sauntered off, whistling as she walked away.

  Carlita briefly closed her eyes as she watched her slip inside her building. “I can’t believe those two.”

  *****

  Carlita had enough time for a quick shower, to change into a pair of slacks and a light sweater, fluff her hair and spritz some perfume on. While she scrambled around getting ready, Pete called to remind her to wear comfortable shoes and to bring a jacket.

  He arrived promptly at five-thirty and rang the outer bell. She paused long enough to give herself a final once over before dashing down the stairs to let him in.

  She peeked through the peephole before flipping the deadbolt and swinging the door open. “You’re right on time.”

  “Aye. Can’t keep my favorite lass waiting, now can I?” Pete shifted his arm from behind his back and produced a bouquet of pink roses. “These are for you.”

  “For me?” Carlita gave the bouquet, dotted with sprigs of baby’s breath, a twirl as she admired the flowers. A pink satin bow was tied around the bottom. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

  “You’re welcome. I picked the prettiest ones I could find to give them to the prettiest gal I know.”

  Carlita’s cheeks turned a tinge of pink at the compliment. “Let’s run upstairs so I can put them in water.”

  Mercedes heard them in the kitchen and wandered out of her room. “Those are beautiful flowers, Pete.”

  “Aren’t they?” Carlita made quick work of retrieving a glass vase. She filled it with water and carefully eased the roses inside. She swapped out the dining room centerpiece and placed the vase in the center before standing back to admire them. “I can’t remember the last time someone brought me flowers. I want to take a picture.”

  Carlita grabbed her cell phone off the counter.

  Mercedes reached for her mother’s phone. “Let me take a picture of you and Pete with the roses.”

  Pete moved in next to Carlita and placed a light arm around her shoulder. Her pulse kicked up a notch as she felt the warmth of his hand on her arm. He moved in even closer, and her heart went from pitter-patter to hammering in her chest. It was so loud, she was certain he could hear it.

  Mercedes snapped a couple pictures of the smiling couple before handing the phone to her mother. “Should I wait up?” she teased.

  “Aren’t you and Sam going out tonight?” Saturday night was date night for Mercedes and Sam, typically consisting of an evening spent in the popular and touristy City Market district, only a few short blocks from Walton Square.

  “No. He’s booked for a special tour tonight. We’re gonna go out tomorrow night instead.”

  “It must be important for him to book an evening tour on date night.”

  “I guess so. He wouldn’t te
ll me anything about it. He said he was sworn to secrecy.” Mercedes leaned her hip against the counter. “Autumn and I are going to the movies. There’s a new chick flick we want to see.”

  Pete helped Carlita slip her jacket on. “Tis a nice night for an evening out.”

  “Have fun.” Mercedes followed them to the door, and after they left, quietly closed it behind them.

  “Where are we going now?” Carlita asked.

  “To the alley.”

  “The alley?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Pete held the door and offered his hand as he helped Carlita step off the stoop. The couple made small talk about the weather, Pete’s pirate ship venture, and area restaurants that had recently opened. All the while in the back of her mind, she wondered why they hadn’t left yet.

  The back door to the apartment eased open. Sam Ivey emerged, looking dapper dressed in his striped seersucker suit. He coaxed Sadie, his pup, out behind him. “Hello, Carlita, Pete.”

  “Good evening, Sam.” A mischievous grin spread across Pete’s face.

  “It’s the perfect weather for an evening tour.” Sam placed his signature straw hat on top of his head and gave it a light tap.

  “Yes, it is. We were just agreeing what a beautiful evening it is.” Carlita bent down to pat Sadie’s head. “Sam and Sadie’s Savannah Tours in action. Mercedes told us you had a very important tour this evening.”

  “I do. Sadie and I are raring to go.”

  Pete winked at Sam and extended his arm to Carlita. “Well…shall we get on with our date?”

  “I’m ready.” Carlita slipped her arm in Pete’s arm, and the trio began walking down the alley. She shot her tenant a puzzled glance. “We’re going in the same direction?”

  “I believe we are,” Sam said.

  They reached the stop sign at the corner, waiting for a car to pass before continuing to the next block. The more they walked, the more confused Carlita became. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

  “On a tour,” Pete explained. “We’re going on a tour of Historic Savannah.”

  Carlita abruptly stopped, her eyes narrowing. “You. Sam is our surprise date!”