“Nope. I was out like a light and slept all night. I woke up about half an hour ago. I think my room is above the kitchen since I coulda swore I heard the sound of pots and pans banging through the vents.”
Carlita pointed at the laptop. “Are you still researching the suspects?”
“I did a little more digging around and wasn’t able to find much more. Iris, Jenny, Byron, Chad and Lucien all have social profile pages, but they’re not very active and their posts are few and far between.” Mercedes wiggled to the side to face her mother. “I hate to say this, but Iris and Byron have the most motive and opportunity to have taken Ava out.”
She told her mother both of them had almost unlimited access to the interior and grounds of Montgomery Hall. “Think about it. The weapons that were stolen were small enough to slip under a shirt or jacket. They could be in and out easily.”
“But what about the busted front gate?”
“It was staged to give the appearance that a stranger was the one who broke in and stole the antique weaponry. As far as we know, Duke never barked or raised an alarm that an intruder had entered the premises. The home alarm didn’t sound and no employees saw or heard anything.”
“True. Elvira said when she scaled the wall; Duke and Lucien took her down not long after she hit the ground.” Carlita warmed her hands on the outside of her coffee mug before taking a sip. “Perhaps it was Lucien. No one would even look twice if he were wandering around Montgomery Hall at all hours. All he would have to say is he heard something.”
“What I don’t get is how it all ties into Ava’s murder,” Mercedes said.
“Unless Ava somehow suspected the thief and confronted the person.”
Carlita slid out of her chair and walked over to the window. “While I was lying awake last night, I kept thinking if we could figure out what happened to the business card Ava slipped into her bra shortly before her death, we’ll have her killer.”
“It’s definitely worth a trip to Ava’s room to search it again.” Mercedes held up her coffee cup. “I sampled the mocha coconut flavored coffee. It’s really good.” She downed the last of her coffee and stood. “I was hoping after breakfast we could head to the Indian burial grounds. After I ran out of people to investigate, I decided to do a little research on the history of the burial grounds.”
“I can’t wait to hear it.” Carlita said. “Let me put my coffee cup away and we’ll go downstairs.”
Mrs. O’Brien was in the kitchen pulling a sheet of ramekin dishes out of the oven when they arrived. “Ah, ladies. You’re just in time. I thought I heard some bumpin’ around upstairs.”
She slid the sheet onto the stovetop and shut the oven door. “Mrs. Montgomery has a breakfast meetin’ this morning, but she said you already knew about it. I’ve been told to feed you a hearty breakfast and then she mentioned something about you touring the Montgomery Hall grounds.”
Mrs. O’Brien went on to explain that several of the employees were already outdoors, picking up yard debris and loose limbs downed by the hurricane. “Would you like to eat in the dining room or here at the unofficial gossip center?”
“Gossip is good.” Mercedes hopped onto an empty barstool and eyed the dishes on the stove. “Whatever you made smells delicious.”
“Ah. Tis a simple breakfast bake with eggs, ham, a sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese, chopped scallion and my secret ingredient, roasted red potatoes.”
“I can’t wait to dig in.”
“I’ve got a stack of pancakes in the warming oven, along with a side of bacon and toast,” Mrs. O’Brien added. “Would either of you care for juice or coffee?”
“Orange juice sounds good,” Mercedes said.
“I’ll take coffee,” Carlita said, “but please, let me help.”
“The glasses and coffee cups are in the cupboard above the dishwasher.”
Carlita retrieved a coffee cup for her and a juice glass for Mercedes before turning to Mrs. O’Brien. “Would you like to join us?”
“Thank you for askin’, but I’ve already eaten. The chef’s got to taste the food first.”
Carlita poured a glass of orange juice for Mercedes and set the glass in front of her before pouring a generous cup of coffee. She joined her daughter at the bar while Mrs. O’Brien loaded the counter with breakfast foods.
“Are you going to be stayin’ with us again tonight?” Mrs. O’Brien asked.
“Our original plan was to stay one more night,” Carlita said. “It depends on how things go today. With our apartment repairs, I mean.”
“Well, if you’re here for dinner, I’m makin’ my Irish fish and chips with a special sauce.”
“If the fish and chips are half as good as your shepherd’s pie, I’m sure we’re gonna love it.” Mercedes scooped a spoonful of the breakfast bake from her dish.
“I enjoy cooking, especially when we’ve got guests. There’s nothing like making a delicious meal.”
While they ate, they chatted about life at Montgomery Hall, and not surprisingly, Mrs. O’Brien kept tabs on everyone residing in the stately home. Obviously, she would have to for meal preparation.
Carlita suspected the kitchen was the unofficial complaint department, but nothing serious as far as she could tell and it seemed the employees were all happy with their positions.
After they finished their food, Carlita and Mercedes took care of their dirty dishes and headed for the front door. Byron was nowhere in sight, so the women let themselves out and walked to the back of the property.
“The Indians have been in South Georgia for a long time.” Mercedes gave her mother a brief history of the Indians who inhabited the area.
According to Mercedes, the earliest evidence of human inhabitation was found near the Savannah River between Augusta and Savannah, where flaked micro-blades were found, dating to 16,000-18,000 BC -- the oldest tools to be found on the North American continent.
“One of the most prominent Indian tribes in this area was the Yamasee Indians. Yamasee, originally spelled y-a-m-a-s-i, means ‘gentle.’ The form given in some early writings, Yamiscaron, may have been derived from a Siouan dialect or from Timucua, as there is no ‘r’ in any of the Muskhogean tongues.”
Mercedes went on to tell her mother the earliest references place the Yamasee on the Ocmulgee River, not far from the Oconee Forest, which was to the north and west, and directly east of Atlanta. Most of the Yamasee settled on inland rivers and near the southern margin of South Carolina.
They reached a row of shrubs in the back and Mercedes peered over the top.
“According to the article, in 1687 after the Yamasee Indians had some sort of falling out with the Spaniards, they settled on a tract of land on the north side of the Savannah River.” Mercedes shoved her hands in her pockets. “They stayed there, living in peace and under an alliance with the colonists until 1715 when they rebelled. The last of the Yamasee tribe was defeated and they fled to St. Augustine, Florida.”
Mother and daughter stood solemnly staring at the mound, careful to stay a respectful distance away.
“I can’t imagine living here without fresh water or electricity,” Mercedes said.
“Or without air conditioning,” Carlita added.
“True,” Mercedes and her mother circled the area and then continued their walk along the edge of the property. “I wonder if there are alligators.”
“I’m sure. And snakes and all kinds of other water creatures.” Carlita steered clear of the soggy seawall. “This place is peaceful and serene, but I’m not sure I would enjoy the isolation that Tori seems to crave.”
“Me either. I’ll take bustling, historic Savannah any day.” Mercedes backed away from the seawall and they continued their leisurely stroll around the perimeter of the property. “I wonder how the breakfast get-together is going.”
“I was wondering the same thing.” They passed by the employee entrance and Carlita glanced up. “As soon as Tori is free, I wouldn’t mind checking out Ava’s ro
om again.”
Upon returning to the house, the women were careful to remove their muddy shoes and leave them in the boot tray near the door before traipsing up the steps to their rooms.
Carlita settled into her reading spot and picked up the book she’d been reading while Mercedes told her mother she was going to work on her new novel.
They enjoyed a quiet rest of the morning and Carlita was getting ready to close her book when she heard a noise coming from the hall. She turned to see Tori standing in the doorway. “May I come in?”
“Yes. Of course.” Carlita motioned her into the room. “Mrs. O’Brien told us earlier you had a breakfast meeting. I’m guessing it was with Mimi Dykstra?”
“Yes. Such a sad situation.” Tori settled into the chair next to the desk. “Their marriage is on the rocks, thanks in part to Ava Torrez. As we suspected, Rick and Ava had a brief fling. When Mimi found out, she fired Ava on the spot, while Rick was out of town on a business trip.”
“How terrible.”
“It gets worse. When Rick returned from his trip, he flew into a rage when he found out his wife had fired Ava and promptly called her, offering to give her the job back and a pay raise to boot.”
“I thought I heard voices and Ava’s name.” Mercedes stuck her head inside the room. “You met with Mrs. Dykstra?”
“Yes.” Tori briefly recapped what she’d already told Carlita and then picked up where she’d left off. “Mimi and Rick got into a huge argument and Mimi gave him an ultimatum…Ava or her. Well, he really had no choice. If Mimi divorced Rick, their dirty laundry would be aired all over the local news and he is a prominent commercial real estate investor.”
“Ava was bribing him,” Mercedes guessed.
“That’s what I asked Mimi point-blank, but she was very evasive with her reply.” Tori straightened her back, a twinkle in her eye. “You ladies would be very proud of me. I cut to the chase and asked her if she thought Rick met with Ava during my party.”
“You did?”
“Yes. She said there was a brief time where he excused himself to use the restroom. I believe she may have been suspicious because she said he was gone approximately twenty-six minutes.”
“So it may have been Rick Dykstra,” Mercedes said.
“Mimi suspects as much. She admitted since Ava was out of the house, things were much calmer and the atmosphere greatly improved.”
“Did you thank her for pawning the woman off on you?” Carlita asked.
“I did, and she said she thought Ava would straighten up. After all, I don’t have a husband for her to chase after,” Tori said.
“But you do have male employees,” Mercedes pointed out.
“Mimi apologized profusely for recommending Ava and for not warning me, but stopped short of offering to talk to the investigators again, which leads me back to Ava possibly dangling something over Rick, or even Mimi’s head.” Tori glanced at her watch. “The good news is it appears we’ve managed to make some headway in our investigation. I also have some other news to share with you.”
Chapter 20
“What kind of news?” Carlita asked.
“Detective Wilson and a Detective Jackson will be arriving promptly at 12:30 for a meeting. They also want to have another look around and are bringing a search warrant.”
Carlita and Mercedes’ eyes met. “Zachary.”
“You know the second detective?” Tori asked.
“Yes. We met Detective Jackson several months ago, during one of the investigations.”
“I think it might have been a murder investigation,” Mercedes added.
“Or maybe it was when our place was vandalized, or during the pawnshop robbery.” Carlita sighed. “I think we’ve covered all of the bases. He and Mercedes have gone out on a date or two.”
“Dating a police officer?” Tori lifted a brow.
“It’s nothing serious,” Mercedes mumbled. “We’re just friends.”
“It’s certainly none of my business,” Tori said. “We need to search Ava’s room again, and I think we should do it before the detectives arrive.”
Tori glanced at her watch. “I’ll stop by the kitchen to ask Mrs. O’Brien to hold off on serving lunch. This will work out perfectly. Lucien and Byron are in Savannah returning some rental items from the party. Patrick and Iris have the afternoon off and plan to take in a movie. Jenny is gone and Mrs. O’Brien is working in the kitchen. The entire employee wing will be empty.”
“Like a gift from above,” Mercedes said.
The women waited for Tori in the courtyard where she joined them a short time later. They made their way to the back of the house, to the employee entrance and climbed the stairs.
Tori led them to Ava’s room and unlocked the door. “We’ve no time to waste.”
Carlita stepped inside first. “Mercedes, you check out the kitchenette, including the trash containers. I’ll head to the bathroom.”
“Where would you like me to search?” Tori asked.
“You can take the bedroom area if you want.”
Tori gave Carlita a nod and the women split up to search the small efficiency. Mercedes finished first and stood in the bathroom doorway watching her mother. “This place is clean as a whistle.”
“So is the bedroom,” Tori said.
Carlita finished sifting through the bathroom trash and set the can on the floor next to the toilet. “Something isn’t adding up. I’m missing something.” She opened the door leading to the adjoining bedroom.
Tori and Mercedes trailed behind.
“You said this room was vacant.”
“Yes,” Tori confirmed.
“It was Mrs. O’Brien’s room and she asked to be moved. She didn’t want to share a bathroom with Ava.”
“Right again. Mrs. O’Brien complained that Ava was messy.”
“She said the same thing to Mercedes and me, that Ava was messy and lazy and didn’t like to pick up after herself,” Carlita mused. “But her room is almost spotless.”
Mercedes snapped her fingers. “Maybe it was clean because she never stayed here…maybe she was staying in someone else’s room.”
“With Patrick?” Tori asked.
“Or Chad Olsen,” Mercedes guessed. “I doubt she was messing around with Lucien or Byron. It’s a shame we can’t search their rooms.”
“Oh, but we can. Let’s do a quick search of Mrs. O’Brien’s room since we’re here.” Tori pulled the master key from her pocket and dangled it in the air. “My employee contract states that management - meaning me - is allowed to access the employee’s private quarters for emergency purposes and I deem this an emergency.”
Carlita grinned. “A woman after my own heart. Gotta love an ironclad agreement.”
“Especially if you have a tenant like Elvira,” Mercedes said.
The women quickly searched Mrs. O’Brien’s room, which took less than five minutes. The woman’s private space was spotless, squeaky clean as Carlita called it. They exited the room and stepped into the hall.
“We’ll start with Chad’s efficiency.” Tori flipped the light on. “Let’s split up like we did in Ava’s room.”
“I’ll take the kitchen again,” Mercedes said.
“And I’ll take the bedroom.” Tori strode to the bedroom and Carlita hurried into the bathroom.
They searched the entire efficiency from top to bottom, pulling up rugs and searching the light fixtures. Carlita even checked the toilet tank, thanks to Elvira who gave her the idea.
They dug through every trash can, rifled through every piece of paper, but found nothing.
Mercedes washed her hands in the kitchen sink. “This was a bust.”
“Chad spends half of his time camping out in the detached garage’s loft,” Tori said. “If we don’t find anything in Patrick’s room, we may want to search Lucien and Byron’s rooms, just to be sure. The garage will be our last stop.”
“We better get a move on before the cops show up,” Carlita said.
“Or worse yet, one of the employees returns and catches us tearing their rooms apart,” Mercedes said.
“This should be easy. Patrick and Chad share a bath. If the door is unlocked, we can walk on through.” Tori turned the knob, but the door was locked. “Okay, maybe not so easy. We’ll have to enter through the hall door.”
Tori shifted to the side and waited for Mercedes and Carlita to exit Chad’s private quarters before turning off the light and locking the door. She unlocked Patrick’s door and motioned them inside.
“Let’s split up again. I’ll start in the bathroom.” Carlita slipped inside and began to gag. The room reeked of dirty socks, body odor and stale cologne. She pinched her nose and forced herself to focus on the task at hand.
Mercedes rummaged through the drawers, the stack of dirty dishes in the sink and the overflowing trash can. “We should’ve brought rubber gloves.”
“Yes, we should have.” Tori held up a pair of lace panties. “Either Patrick has a panty fetish or I may have found a clue.”
Mercedes dropped the dirty dish in the sink and darted across the room. “Would these fit Ava?”
“Without a doubt,” Tori nodded.
“I think I’m onto something,” Carlita hollered from the bathroom. The words were no more out of her mouth when they heard the sound of a hall door slamming.
Chapter 21
Things moved fast after that. Tori shoved the panties back where she found them while Carlita quickly snapped a picture of the medicine cabinet and tiptoed out.
Mercedes replaced the lid on the trash and the women hurried to the door. “It may be Lucien or Byron,” Tori whispered. She held a finger to her lips and then quietly eased the door open, taking a quick peek into the hall.
She motioned them forward and the trio crept into the hall. Tori silently eased the door shut, praying it wouldn’t squeak and let out the breath she was holding when it was shut and locked.
The trio trekked down the hall. They had almost reached the safety of the stairs when one of the hall doors flew open.
Merry Masquerade in Savannah: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Cozy Mysteries Series Book 8) Page 14