“I’ll be in touch.” The officer climbed into his unmarked patrol car and backed out of the alley.
Carlita slowly made her way inside and trudged up the stairs. She could hear excited chatter coming from within and a male voice. She swung the door open and found Shelby and Tony seated on the sofa. Violet was sandwiched between them.
“Mommy’s home!” Violet exclaimed.
“They sure are.” Carlita hugged her son and daughter-in-law. “You both look rested.”
“The honeymoon was wonderful.” Tony reached for his bride’s hand. “Thank you so much for watching Violet, for giving us a wonderful wedding, Ma.”
“You’re welcome. We missed you, but are glad you were able to enjoy a couple of days off.”
“I talked to Paulie. We’re gonna meet him and Gina for dinner. You’re welcome to join us,” Tony said.
“Maybe. I have some other things to take care of. I’ll let you know later,” Carlita said. “Mercedes might want to tag along.”
Mercedes, who was sitting nearby, nodded. “I might.”
“We brought you something.” Shelby handed Carlita a gift bag.
“What is this?” Carlita opened the bag and peered inside. She gently lifted out an antique wooden box.
“It’s an Italian music box,” Shelby said. “The shopkeeper told us it was a one of a kind, handcrafted Sorrento, and carved from precious, rare woods.”
Carlita ran a light hand over the top before carefully lifting the lid. It began to play O' Sole Mio. She briefly closed her eyes and hummed along. “It’s beautiful. I love it.”
“Shelby picked it out. She found it in a gift shop,” Tony said.
“How thoughtful, both of you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Shelby covered her mouth as a yawn escaped. “Excuse me. Riding in the car made me sleepy.”
“We should get going. We have some unpacking to do and laundry to take care of. I wanna stop by the pawnshop and check on things.” Tony stood.
“I don’t blame you. I’m sure Violet is ready to go home.”
Shelby rubbed her daughter’s back. “Were you a good girl for Nana?”
“Yes. We rode on the pirate ship and squirted squirt guns, and then we hunted for treasure. I got to swim in the hotel pool and slept in a fort.”
“My goodness. It sounds like you had a wonderful time while we were gone. Give Nana a hug good-bye and tell her thank you.”
Carlita hugged Violet. “Thank you for keeping Mercedes and me company.”
“And Rambo and Grayvie,” Violet hugged her back. “Can I take a cookie with me?”
“Of course.” Carlita quickly packaged a few of her homemade cookies and handed them to Violet. “Be a good girl for Mommy and Tony.”
Violet promised she would before hopping down the steps to wait for her mother and stepfather.
Carlita closed the door behind them and leaned against it. “Is it me or has it been a very long few days?”
“They’ve been pretty long. While you were catching up with Tony and Shelby, I checked your email. Reese sent over the information from Dixie. I thought you might want to see if there’s a match between the restaurant employees and the couple who bought the bus tickets.”
“I do.” Carlita made a beeline for the computer. She sat at the desk while Mercedes pulled up a chair. “I already sorted through the files. This shouldn’t take long.”
Carlita found Reese’s email and highlighted the first name…Blake Tanner. “This name doesn’t sound familiar.”
Mercedes thumbed through the applications. “I don’t see anyone by the name of Blake Tanner. Let me double check.” She flipped through the sheets again. “Nope. No such name. Let’s try to match him to an address or cell phone number.”
“Try One Fifteen Hamilton Street.”
“Hamilton…Hamilton. I see a One Fifteen Hamilton Street. It’s the address for Duane Sorensen. His was one of the disconnected cell phone numbers.” Mercedes waved the application in the air. “We got a winner. I think Duane Sorensen is Blake Tanner or vice versa.”
“Great. Now let’s see what we have for Monica Clay,” Carlita said.
Mercedes grew quiet as she sorted through the stack again. “Bingo. Monica Clay. Guess what address she listed?”
“One Fifteen Hamilton Street.”
“Yes. We have a connection. We have names. We have addresses…”
“And we have a disconnected cell phone,” Carlita said. “What number did Ms. Clay list as a contact number?”
“Now that I take a closer look, she used the same disconnected number Duane, aka Blake, used. At least we have a physical address.”
“Blake and Monica listed the same address and were both hired by Dominic and approved by me. I think it’s time to have a chat with Dominic. Maybe he noticed something the other day at the wedding reception.”
“Should we tell the authorities?” Mercedes asked.
“I’m sure they’re already investigating Ms. Clay’s death and looking for Duane or Blake, or whoever he is. We can fill Officer Clousen in on the connection.” Carlita reached for her cell phone. “I’m going to call him right now.”
The officer didn’t answer, so she left a message, telling him she had some interesting information she wanted to share. “It’s only a matter of time before the authorities show up on our doorstep, asking about Ms. Clay’s employment, as well as Blake Tanner or Duane Sorensen.”
Carlita drummed her fingers on the desk. “I wonder how long it will take for Reese to show Dixie the photos and video, to see if she recognizes Monica or Blake or Duane.”
Chirp. Carlita’s cell phone rang, startling her and she jumped. “It’s Vinnie.” She pressed the answer button. “Hello, Son. You must have read my mind. I was going to call you.”
“I just wanted to let you know that we made it home safe and sound. What’s up?”
“Let me put you on speaker, so Mercedes can hear.” Carlita pressed the speaker button. “Officer Clousen stopped by. Megan Burelli died this morning.”
There was a long pause on the other end. “You’re kidding.”
“No. Vito’s guys, have they headed back to New York yet?”
“Yeah. We parted ways in Jersey. Why?”
“Because the woman who tried to serve you food and then abruptly took it away…the same one who served Megan Burelli the appetizers right before she collapsed, is dead. Her body was found behind the bus station early this morning.”
Vinnie cleared his throat. “Are you sure?”
“Almost a hundred percent. I think she and her accomplice were plants, sent to poison you and Brittney. Instead, they poisoned the wrong person. When they realized what had happened, they panicked and took off.”
“They took off for the bus station?” Vinnie asked. “Why not go into hiding until the heat is off?”
“How you gonna hide from the family?” Carlita asked. “They bought a coupla bus tickets. Before they could get out, Monica, the female server, was murdered. The man, Blake or Duane, we’re still not sure which is his real name, he took off, and we think he’s on the run. He could be dead, too, and his body hasn’t turned up yet.”
“Unless this Blake or Duane, the accomplice, killed her and took off,” Vinnie said.
“It could be,” Carlita admitted. “But I’m leaning more toward it being Louie’s henchman. It was a botched assassination attempt with you and Brittney as the targets. When it didn’t work, the plants realized they needed to get out of town before Louie found out.”
Mercedes chimed in. “Vito wouldn’t send his guys all the way to Savannah if he didn’t think there was a credible threat.”
“True. I’m gonna give Vito a call, see what he knows. I’ll get back with you.”
“In the meantime, be careful,” Carlita said. “If Louie finds out you’re still alive, he might try again.”
“There’s plenty of security here at the casino. It’s like Fort Knox, but we’ll be careful.”
“That makes me feel a little better.” She told her son she loved him and then disconnected the line. “I’m getting a bad feeling. Something isn’t sitting right.”
The doorbell rang. “I bet Paulie and Gina are stopping by.” Carlita hurried down the steps and to the back door. She swung it open and found a solemn faced Officer Clousen.
There was another man with him, Carlita recognized from previous investigations handled by the local law enforcement. It was Detective Polivich.
“Hello, Officer Clousen, Detective Polivich. You got my message?”
“Yes. I got your message. We also received an anonymous tip from our crime hotline. The caller claimed to be an employee of yours. He stated you intentionally poisoned Ms. Burelli before killing one of your restaurant employees and dumping her body behind the bus station.”
Chapter 22
“We’d like for you to accompany us to the police station for more questioning.”
Carlita stared at the officer in disbelief. “That’s crazy. What possible reason would I have for poisoning one of the guests at my son’s wedding?”
Mercedes, hearing the commotion downstairs, joined her mother. “What’s going on?”
“An anonymous tipster called the local crime hotline, claiming I poisoned Megan Burelli. I then killed one of my restaurant employees and dumped her body behind the bus station. They want me to go to the police station with them to answer some questions.”
“They think you killed Monica Clay?”
Detective Polivich lifted a brow. “You know the deceased woman’s name? Her name hasn’t yet been released.”
“I…uh. We have a friend who works at the bus station. She told us,” Mercedes sputtered. “Besides, we weren’t hiding anything. In fact, we tried calling you.”
“Maybe you both should come in for questioning,” Polivich replied.
Faced with the seriousness of the situation, the warning bells went off in Carlita’s head. Megan Burelli - poisoned at her son’s wedding. Monica Clay, an employee, murdered and her body dumped behind the bus station. “Before we do that, I think we need to have an attorney present.”
“We can’t force you to go with us.” Polivich switched strategies. “What information did you have for Officer Clousen?”
“We were actually going to show him video footage. We believe Duane Sorensen, who also goes by the name of Blake Tanner, we’re not sure which is his real name, was with Ms. Clay. We think Monica Clay served Megan Burelli poisoned food or drink,” Carlita said.
“Tanner aka Sorensen, also purchased a bus ticket. He was a new employee of ours, and if my theory is correct, he was one of the last people to see Monica Clay alive,” Mercedes said. “Why don’t you question him?”
“We will as soon as we find him,” Polivich said. “Where’s the video footage?”
“On my phone.” Mercedes whipped her cell phone out of her back pocket. She pulled up Elvira’s surveillance camera recording and handed the phone to the detective. “This man, we now believe is Duane Sorensen or Blake Tanner, also an employee of Ravello’s, left an unmarked box on our back step right where we’re standing, either to scare us or as a threat. We’re not sure of the reason.”
Detective Polivich viewed the brief footage before passing the phone to Officer Clousen. “What was in the box?”
“It was a wedding cake topper, and the groom’s head was missing. One of the wedding guests, Pirate Pete Taylor, spotted Sorensen/Taylor and Monica Clay in this alley, near the dumpster during the wedding reception. The woman appeared visibly upset, and according to Pete, she was crying.”
Carlita briefly told them they were able to trace the couple’s steps, how they rode the trolley across town and got off at the bus station. “The regular trolley route driver, also a family friend, is Claryce Magillicuddy. She didn’t witness the couple boarding the trolley. Her fill-in, Jim someone, did.”
“What if the anonymous caller was Blake Tanner? What if he murdered Monica Clay and is trying to make it look like we killed her, along with Megan Burelli?” Mercedes asked.
Polivich and Clousen exchanged a quick look, and Carlita suspected they were already investigating that angle. “Tell you what, we’ll contact our attorney and get back with you on when we’ll be available to come down for questioning. In the meantime, I would take a closer look at Duane Sorensen/Blake Tanner instead of harassing an innocent business owner.”
“We’re only doing our job,” the detective said. “You were named specifically, and it’s our job to follow up on every lead.”
“And I’m sure you’re investigating Megan Burelli’s death as suspicious,” Carlita said.
“Yes.”
Mercedes took her phone from the officer. “I’m going to throw this theory out there. It could be our new employee, Monica Clay, a restaurant server, intentionally poisoned Megan Burelli. Megan was a target along with other multiple potential targets, she panicked or changed her mind and didn’t follow through, which is why Pete found her and her accomplice out back and she was visibly upset.”
Carlita picked up. “They left Walton Square via the trolley and got off at the bus station, where they purchased two tickets, planning to leave town. Maybe they argued. Maybe Tanner killed Monica Clay and is in hiding.”
“You must have your own suspicions to suggest such a theory. Is there someone else, perhaps a guest or family member who may have been a target?” Clousen asked. “Perhaps someone from up north?”
Carlita’s mouth went dry. Savannah was a small town and rumors ran rampant. She was well aware some acquaintances suspected she and her family moved to Savannah to escape their past…surely, the authorities would know that, too.
“Two of your sons still live up north,” Polivich said quietly. “I don’t know if I ever recall hearing what your sons do for a living.”
“Paulie, my youngest, is mayor of a small town,” Carlita said. “But he’s not a crooked politician; I can assure you of that.”
“What about the other son?” Polivich prompted.
“He works for his father-in-law in New Jersey.”
“At a casino,” Clousen said. “We’ve done a little digging around before we drove over here. Let’s not beat around the bush. Is there any reason to suspect a guest or worker at the wedding was targeting someone other than Ms. Burelli?”
Carlita and Mercedes exchanged an uneasy glance.
“Maybe. I mean, we don’t have anything concrete,” she blurted out. “I didn’t poison Burelli. I didn’t even know her, and barely knew Monica Clay. I just hired her.”
“How well did you know Blake Tanner?” Clousen asked.
“His real name is Blake Tanner?”
“Yes.”
“He gave us a fake name of Duane Sorensen.” Carlita crossed her arms. “I’m not going to say anything else until I talk to my attorney.”
“We’ll be waiting for your call, Mrs. Garlucci.” Detective Polivich handed her his card before he and the police officer climbed into their car and drove off.
“Great,” Mercedes muttered. “They think we had something to do with Burelli and Clay’s deaths. Who do you think called the crime hotline and named you as the killer?”
“Blake Tanner.” Rambo nudged the back door open and joined Carlita and her daughter on the stoop. “It has to be Tanner. There’s no way the family called a crime tip hotline to implicate us. They could care less who takes the fall. I think if the cops focus their attention on Tanner, they’ll have the real killer.”
“You gonna go down to the police station with a lawyer?” Mercedes asked.
“I dunno. I’m kinda hoping with the information we gave them, they’ll forget about harassing us and track down the real culprit, Blake Tanner. First, we need to find a lawyer, one who specializes in criminal law, not real estate.” Carlita sighed heavily. “I hope Vinnie took my advice and is on guard. I don’t think this is the end. Maybe it’s just the beginning.”
“Makes you wonde
r what Vito did to Louie to make him go after Vito’s family.”
“I don’t know.” Carlita eyed Rambo. “I could use some fresh air to clear my head.”
“I’ll go with you. Let me grab Rambo’s leash.” Mercedes darted back inside, her feet clattering loudly on the stairs.
When she didn’t return, Carlita stuck her head inside. She heard the sound of loud voices coming from the upstairs hall.
A flushed Mercedes appeared at the top of the stairs. She shot a sour look over her shoulder and tromped down the steps.
“What’s going on?”
“Ivey’s apartment door was open again, so I took the liberty of shutting it for him on my way out. He didn’t like it.”
“Mercedes,” Carlita chided. “Does it bother you that much if Sam leaves his door ajar?”
“Yes, it bothers me that much. He’s spying on us, and even if you don’t care, I do.”
“He’s not spying.” Carlita hooked Rambo’s leash. They began walking toward the parking lot and Rambo’s favorite strip of grass. “Have you ever stopped to think maybe he’s lonely?”
“Well, then he should get a dog or a cat or a parrot.”
Carlita wrinkled her nose. “I wish I could figure out why you dislike him so much.”
“Because he’s a pompous jerk, he’s full of himself and he’s nosy.”
Carlita let the statement slide as they made their way into the parking lot. She followed behind her pooch as he inspected the grassy area.
Mercedes leaned against the car. “Watch out for Rambo’s land mines.”
“I need to get out here and clean up the parking lot and this grassy area. It’s time to mow.” Carlita waded through the deep grass, keeping an eye out for Rambo’s poo piles.
She stepped into a hole and lost her balance, falling onto her hands and knees. “What in the world?”
Carlita lifted her foot and peered into a freshly dug hole. She said the first thing that came to mind. “Elvira!”
Chapter 23
Matrimony & Mayhem: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 11) Page 13
