The rest of the family exited single file, each of them thanking Reese for the magical trolley ride.
Carlita was last. “You’re the best. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she said gratefully.
“I think I had more fun than they did,” Reese’s gaze drifted to the family, standing near the curb waiting for Carlita to join them. “You’re one lucky lady, Carlita Garlucci. You have a beautiful family. Cherish them forever.”
“I will, Reese. Believe me, I will.”
Chapter 10
The children chattered excitedly about Reese the Elf and the trolley ride all the way home.
“You keep on spoilin’ the grandkids, and they’re never gonna wanna leave,” Paulie joked.
“Just making some memories and making sure the kids don’t forget about Nonna when I’m gone.”
“I have a little more shopping to do.” Brittney passed the baby to her husband. “I wouldn’t mind heading to the outlet mall.”
“I’ll go with you,” Gina offered. “I have a few things to pick up.”
“They have a wonderful children’s park not far from the mall,” Shelby said. “We can take the kids to the park and go out for lunch to get out of Carlita’s hair for a little while and then spend the rest of the afternoon shopping.”
“You’re not in my hair,” Carlita argued.
“But I’m sure you have some things you need to take care of.”
Gina motioned to Mercedes. “You want to go with us?”
“Actually, I have a few things to take care of myself,” Mercedes said. “You go on ahead.”
“I’m sure the stores will be just as packed as the downtown area.” Carlita followed her family around the corner. There was a tall man wearing a dark suit and smoking a cigar standing on her stoop. He casually turned and watched the Garlucci family approach.
“Joe,” Vinnie was the first to speak. “I thought I was gonna get a call to pick you up at the airport.”
“I snagged a seat on standby. I figured I might as well rent a car since it looks like I’ll be doin’ some running around town.” Jersey Joe Mariani stepped off the stoop. “Hello, Brittney.”
“Joe.” Brittney smiled politely. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Your father’s been keepin’ me busy in the city.”
“We’ll run upstairs to get the kids ready for our shopping trip.” Gina herded her children inside. Shelby and Violet followed behind with Brittney and the baby bringing up the rear, leaving the Garlucci siblings and their mother in the alley with Joe.
He waited until Brittney pulled the door shut. “I’m sure you all know Vito sent me down here because of Roxy’s death. I’ve already done a little research. Another boater found her body in some sorta Christmas parade. She’d been knifed, and the cops ain’t callin’ the cause of death yet.”
“In a nutshell,” Vinnie said. “I already told Vito the owner of the vessel and I went to the police station to identify her body. Roxy was my employee, and we were on a family outing on a friend’s ship.”
Joe eyed Carlita with interest. “Who are you?”
“This is my mother, Carlita Garlucci, my sister, Mercedes and my brothers, Paulie and Tony.”
Joe’s eyes slowly circled the group, and Carlita got the distinct impression he was sizing them up. He studied Tony last. “You look familiar. I’ve seen you before.”
“I was in the ‘family’ briefly before gettin’ out.”
“Up in Queens,” Joe said.
“Up in Queens,” Tony echoed. “Until I moved down here with my mother and sister.”
“What about down here? You got connections?”
“Nope. I’m out,” Tony said. “You got any more questions for me?”
“No.” Joe turned to Paulie. “What’s your story?”
Paulie, determined not to be intimidated by Vito’s henchman, squared his shoulders and made eye contact. “I have nothing to do with the ‘family,’ and you ain’t interrogating me.”
Joe cracked a smile, seemingly amused by Paulie’s reaction. “Just gettin’ a feel for the family.” The smile quickly vanished, and his expression grew grim as he focused his attention on Vinnie. “Vito’s taking Roxy’s death hard. He made a vow to her father to take care of her, and he ain’t one to take those vows lightly.”
He continued. “I want the names of anyone who came in contact with Roxy before her death.”
Carlita’s stomach churned. Jersey Joe wanted the names of her friends…Pete, Tori, Byron, Reese, Annie Dowton, Cool Bones, Mark and Glenda Fox…innocent people who had nothing to do with Roxy’s death.
What would happen if Jersey Joe determined one of them was responsible for – or had contributed to – Roxy’s death? Would he mete out punishment “family” style?
Pete had escorted Roxy away from the party, and he had locked her inside the bathroom. When Jersey Joe found out, what would he do to Pete, even if he wasn’t directly responsible for the woman’s death?
Carlita shot her son a terrified look, and he attempted to offer a reassuring smile, but she could tell from the way he stood, the way he replied to Jersey Joe, that there was cause for concern.
“Since Roxy was physically under my supervision, I believe we should conduct our investigation jointly,” Vinnie suggested. “It was a large gathering, there were a lot of people, and it was dark.”
Joe’s hand shot up as he stopped him. “Don’t be makin’ excuses for anyone. You know how Vito feels about excuses.”
“I’m not makin’ excuses. All I’m trying to do is explain that there was a lot goin’ on last night.”
A car turned onto the alley. It was one of Elvira’s employees.
“Why don’t we head inside where we can talk in private,” Tony reached for the doorknob. “We have an office area in the back of the pawn shop.”
“I want to chat with Ricco and Luigi too,” Joe said. “Get them over here.”
Paulie, Vinnie and Tony, accompanied by Joe, made their way inside and into the pawn shop while Carlita and Mercedes lingered behind.
Carlita clenched her fists as the door slammed shut. “What are we gonna do? Pete could be in danger.” She could hear the fear in her own voice. “We need to warn him.”
“And then what?”
“I don’t know.” Carlita sent a text to Pete, telling him they needed to speak as soon as possible.
Thankfully, he promptly replied, telling her he was working out of the Parrot House’s office.
Mercedes ran upstairs to let the women know they were heading out. She returned with the whole group trailing behind.
“We were just leaving,” Gina explained. “We decided to take my van. I have more room for the kids and anything we buy. We might be a while.”
“Take your time,” Carlita consulted her watch. “Mercedes and I have plenty to keep us busy while you’re gone.”
After they drove off, Mercedes and her mother swung by the pawn shop to let Tony know they were leaving and then headed down the alley in the opposite direction. It was a quick walk to the other end of Walton Square and Pete’s restaurant, which had just opened for business.
The hostess gave Carlita a quick wave as they passed through, making their way to the other side of the main dining room and down a dark hall until they reached the door marked, “Private.”
She gave the door a light knock and heard a muffled reply before easing it open.
Pete, who was seated behind his desk, waved them inside. “That was fast.”
“The women went shopping, and my sons are chatting with Jersey Joe.”
“Jersey Joe?” Pete lifted a brow.
“He’s the guy Vinnie’s father-in-law sent down to investigate Roxy’s death.”
“That’s right. You mentioned him earlier,” Pete motioned to the chairs in front of the desk. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” Carlita got right to the point, explaining Joe was already asking for a list of people who attended the party.
“The police asked for the same. Unfortunately, I believe I’m hitting the top of the suspect list,” Pete rubbed his brow.
“We can all vouch for you, Pete,” Mercedes said. “We saw how it all went down, how you were forced to contain Roxy because of her own actions.”
Carlita had a sudden thought. “You have holiday parties booked. What happens to The Flying Gunner?”
“I’ve spent my morning canceling them. The cops shut the ship down until they wrap up their investigation.”
“I…” Frustrated, Carlita could feel tears burn the back of her eyes. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”
“Ah, you can’t blame yourself.” Pete’s expression softened. “Besides, Christmas is right around the corner. I only had a couple more on the books.”
There was a small commotion in the corner. It was Gunner, strutting along his perch, attempting to get their attention. “You’ll keep your trap shut if you know what’s good for you.”
“What did he say?” Mercedes asked.
Pete repeated the phrase. “He’s said that several times this morning.”
“Do you think…do you think Gunner overheard someone say that last night?” Carlita asked.
“More than likely.” Pete pivoted in the chair and eyed the bird behind him. “He’s been known to pick up some interesting phrases. So…where should we start?”
“I was thinking maybe we should find out more about who found Roxy’s body. When did they find her? Where did they find her? Was she alive when they pulled her from the water?”
“I’m sure the police already have their answers to those questions,” Pete said. “And I can assure you they have no plans to share any information with us.”
“Right.” Carlita drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair. “I think there’s another way we can find out.”
Carlita was certain Vito and Jersey Joe had “connections,” insiders who could help them secure information that hadn’t been released to the public, which meant Joe might already have more information on Roxy’s death than they had.
“You think Elvira can help,” Mercedes said.
“I did think of her. The last time I checked, she didn’t know the official cause of death.” Carlita rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I was thinking more along the lines of Sam since he’s a former police officer and is still friends with some of the men on the force.”
“I can try asking him.” Mercedes wrinkled her nose. “Don’t hold your breath. Whenever I try to bring up cop stuff, he doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“Unless he thinks you may become a suspect in the case.” Carlita reminded her of the incident with Roxy.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Mercedes wandered out of the office to make the call, leaving Pete and Carlita staring at each other.
“I also sent an email to all of the people who were on board The Flying Gunner, to let them know what happened.”
“What did the investigators say when you told them you locked Roxy in the bathroom and found her missing after we went back to get her?”
“Not much. What could they say? They asked if there were any other people on the ship who had a run-in with her. I had to tell them about Luigi, Ricco, Dernice, Elvira…and Mercedes.”
“You did the right thing, Pete. If not, they would’ve found out, and then it would look bad for you.”
“That’s what Vinnie told me. He suggested I be as honest and as forthcoming as possible with the cops since there was a boatload of witnesses.”
“Literally.”
Mercedes slipped back into the room. “Sam told me the coroner’s office released the official cause of death.”
Chapter 11
“Roxy died from the stab wound,” Carlita guessed.
“Nope. That was a superficial wound. She drowned. Just between us, Sam said they think Roxy hit her head on the way down, knocking her unconscious and then she drowned.”
“What a terrible way to die.”
“There’s one more thing,” Mercedes said. “Actually…two. The first is that they found a knife sheath in Roxy’s boot.”
“Roxy was carrying a knife?” Pete’s jaw dropped.
“Not only was she carrying a knife, but the shape and size are consistent with the wound found on Roxy’s neck.”
“She was stabbed with her own knife,” Carlita popped out of the chair. “What if…someone went to where Roxy was being held, let her out, they argued and then Roxy pulled her knife on them. A fight ensued, the other person managed to get ahold of Roxy’s knife and stabbed her with it.”
Mercedes picked up. “After stabbing her, they panicked and shoved her over the side of the ship. By the way, the knife hasn’t been recovered.”
“Then that’s a plausible explanation,” Pete said.
“You said there was one more thing,” Carlita prompted.
“Sam has the coordinates of where Roxy’s body was recovered. His next tour doesn’t start for another hour. He offered to take us to the location.”
“Did you tell him yes?” Pete shoved his chair back.
“No. I told him I would check. Do you want to go?”
“Please.”
Mercedes turned her attention to her cell phone and tapped the screen. “He said he’ll meet us in front of the Waving Girl statue.”
The Parrot House was even closer to the river than Carlita’s place, only a block and a half away. The Flying Gunner was nearby, its pirate flag blowing in the wind.
There was a four door-sedan with tinted windows parked nearby, and Carlita could see men wandering around the upper deck. “The investigators are still on the ship.”
“Yeah, and I’m sure they’re tearing the place apart,” Pete sucked in a breath. “This isn’t good for business. Anyone walking by who sees my sign will also see the cops snooping around.”
Carlita hadn’t thought about it, but if she had to guess, the local news had already picked up the story and mentioned Pete’s ship unless the police were still withholding that information. Even if that were the case, “anonymous sources” could easily spill the beans, particularly with a sensational story of an unidentified woman going overboard from a pirate ship during a Christmas boat parade.
They found Sam standing next to the Waving Girl, studying his cell phone. He looked up as they drew close. “That was fast.”
“We were at Pete’s restaurant,” Mercedes said. “Did you see the cops crawling all over Pete’s ship?”
“Yeah. It’s hard to miss the unmarked police car.” Sam held up his phone. “I’ve been working on the coordinates. We’re north of where Roxy’s body was found.” He led them down the sidewalk, passing by the high-end hotel where Jersey Joe was staying.
Carlita briefly wondered if he had picked that location, already knowing Roxy’s body was found in the vicinity.
Several yards past the hotel, Sam slowed and then stopped. He turned to face the river. “The other parade boat picked her up right about here.”
“Do you know who it was, who found her?” Pete shaded his eyes and studied the water.
“I don’t.” Sam shrugged. “I do know it was a boat with a hippopotamus on it. One of the guys down at the precinct said he saw a photo of the boat and noticed a big balloon on board.”
“That’s it,” Carlita snapped her fingers. “I took a picture of the boat because Noel was so excited about it. As a matter of fact, I took a bunch of pictures last night.”
Sam’s app watch chimed. “That’s my reminder. I gotta head home and grab my stuff for the next tour.”
The four of them made their way back to Walton Square. Mercedes continued walking with Sam while Carlita returned to the restaurant with Pete.
Carlita caught something out of the corner of her eye. She watched as an EC Security Services van careened around the corner and came to an abrupt halt in front of the restaurant.
Elvira hopped out and hurried over. “I’ve been trying to track you down.”
�
��You have?” Carlita checked her phone. Sure enough, there was a missed call. She turned the volume on. “Sorry. I had the volume off.”
“Tony told me you were over here. He was with some goony guy in a black suit. I’m guessing it was the guy the big cheese sent down here to find out what happened.”
“You would be correct,” Carlita sighed. “Did you need something?”
“Yeah. I figured you might like to know Roxy’s official cause of death was by drowning.”
“We heard,” Pete said.
“You did? Well, I bet you didn’t know she was stabbed with her own knife.”
“We heard that too,” Carlita said.
“Seriously?” Elvira shoved a hand on her hip.
“Hey, Boss.” An employee stepped onto the porch. “Sorry to bother you, but we’ve got an issue with a delivery.”
“I’ll be right there.” Pete turned to go.
“Wait.” Elvira stopped him. “I’ve been researching the city’s tunnel system and area shipwrecks. Do you know anything about some sort of pirate ship that sank to the bottom of the ocean that was possibly carrying a chest full of priceless treasure?”
Pete smiled. “A pirate’s treasure lost at sea?”
“Precisely. I found this odd little drawing on my tunnel wall, and I’m thinking it might be a map to something good.”
“Do you have a picture of it?”
Elvira patted her pocket. “I do, but I’m not ready to show it to you.”
“Because you think if I do know anything about a sunken ship, and have some idea about its location, then I’ll search for it myself.”
Elvira muttered something unintelligible under her breath.
“As a matter of fact, there was a big storm that skirted the Savannah Coast back in the late 1700s. There was a ship, carrying a boatload of treasure headed to Spain for the king. It went down with only a couple survivors who managed to make it to shore and tell their tale.”
“And it was never found?” Elvira’s eyes lit.
“Correct.”
“Could you give me a better idea of where it went down?”
Christmas Family Style in Savannah: A Garlucci Family Saga Novel (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 15) Page 8