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

by Hope Callaghan

  TII – Remaining four Tybee Island Sellers:

  210 Shore Street. Ken Gibbons.

  212 Shore Street. Savannah’s Beach?

  216 Shore Street. EC Investment Group. Elvira Cobb.

  219 Shore Street. Southern Holdings?

  “I still can’t believe my sister started an investment company. Like we don’t have enough going on with the other two businesses.” Dernice placed her elbows on her knees. “Nothing Elvira does surprises me anymore.”

  “Join the club,” Carlita quipped. “Now, all we have to do is figure out who owns Savannah’s Beach and Southern Holdings.”

  A legend, plus a diagram of the properties and their location were below the list of names.

  “It’s still hard to see,” Dernice said.

  Carlita zoomed in and studied the properties Elvira had marked. Her heart skipped a beat when something caught her eye.

  Chapter 16

  “Do you see what I see?”

  “No.” Dernice shook her head.

  Carlita traced her finger along the screen. “Kim Turbell worked in this office, only steps away from not only Elvira’s property but also the other properties for sale. An alley runs behind them, one where someone could easily transfer a body from Turbell’s sales office and plant it in Elvira’s building.” She shifted in the chair. “Why was Turbell in Elvira’s building?”

  Dernice shrugged. “Elvira said she called her right after we left the office the other day. I don’t know…to look at the property?”

  “If we had the answer to why, we might have the who.” Carlita drummed her fingers on the desk as she studied the diagram. “There’s a link. Perhaps Turbell was lured to Elvira’s place, and the killer was there waiting for her.”

  “We still don’t know how she died,” Dernice said. “I asked Detective Wilson when he stopped by yesterday, but he wouldn’t tell me.”

  “Speaking of Detective Wilson, he’s called me twice. I need to call him back.”

  “The man is on a mission to get to the bottom of Turbell’s death. Although he wouldn’t tell me how she died, he called it a homicide, so there’s a killer running loose.” Dernice glanced at her watch. “I’m working on a small project I need to finish over at the house. Can you send me a copy of Elvira’s email?”

  “Sure.” Carlita forwarded a copy and then walked Dernice out.

  Next on Carlita’s list was a call to Detective Wilson. She left a voice mail message and had disconnected the line when the outer bell rang. The detective was standing on her stoop.

  She ran down the stairs. “I left you a message to let you know I was back in town.”

  “And I just got it while I was on my way over here. Do you have a few minutes to chat?”

  “I do.” Carlita joined him in the alley and closed the door behind her.

  “Your name was on a signup sheet at Coastal Adventure’s Tybee Island sales office. The sales representative, Kim Turbell, was found dead inside a property owned by your neighbor.” Wilson tilted his head, eyeing her closely. “Speaking of your neighbor, she’s in St. Augustine.”

  Carlita’s scalp started to tingle. “She is.”

  “Do you mind if I ask where you were yesterday afternoon and this morning?”

  “I was in St. Augustine, as well,” Carlita admitted.

  “Meeting with your neighbor?”

  “Yes. It was a quick trip.”

  The detective reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notepad and pen. “What did you discuss?”

  “This and that.” Carlita nervously twined her fingers together. “Look, I filled out a form for information on a vacation property. I own income properties. There is nothing suspicious about filling out a form.”

  “Did you and Miss Cobb discuss the woman’s death?” the detective probed.

  “Of course, we did. Do you think I would be dumb enough to put my name on a sign-up sheet right before I killed the woman? If I were you, I would start investigating the property owners on Tybee Island, specifically the ones who are linked to Coastal Adventures.”

  “We are. Is there anything you would like to add?”

  “Such as?”

  The detective switched tactics. “How was Ms. Turbell’s demeanor during your visit? Did she strike you as nervous, agitated, distracted?”

  “None of the above. She was cordial, polite and professional. I left my information. When Dernice Cobb and I left the sales office, Ms. Turbell was very much alive.”

  “And where did you go after that?” the detective asked.

  “After what?”

  “After stopping by the sales office.”

  Carlita’s mouth went dry. The interrogation…questioning…had taken a turn for the worse. “Dernice wanted to check on her sister’s property.”

  The detective began scribbling furiously. “So, you left Coastal Adventure’s sales office and went directly to 216 Shore Street, Elvira Cobb’s property…the property where Ms. Turbell’s body was found.”

  “We did,” Carlita whispered, visions of being handcuffed and loaded into the back of Detective Wilson’s car flashed through her mind. “We looked around and then left a short time later.”

  “Did you see Ms. Turbell again?”

  Carlita could feel her knees start to buckle. Her hand shook as she reached out to steady herself.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m…I’m okay.”

  “I’ll repeat my question. Did you see Ms. Turbell again?”

  “We passed her on the street. She was heading in the direction of Elvira’s property. She asked us what we were doing. We told her we were checking on the property. We talked briefly about the sale of the island’s properties. She seemed certain the remaining owners would sell to Coastal,” Carlita blurted out. She could almost feel the cold metal cuffs circling her wrists.

  Detective Wilson’s expression was solemn as he studied Carlita. She was certain he could smell her fear. “You’ve been helpful, Mrs. Garlucci. I’ll be in touch.” He left the last sentence hanging in the air before turning on his heel and returning to his vehicle.

  Carlita’s legs wobbled as she dragged herself back inside. She pressed her forehead against the door and closed her eyes. If the investigators fingerprinted the inside of Elvira’s building, her prints would be there. Her prints. Dernice’s prints.

  Carlita took a deep breath. There was nothing she could do. She had visited the sales office. She had stopped by Elvira’s place. They had run into the woman again.

  She forced Detective Wilson’s visit from her mind and finished going over her books from yesterday before heading to Ravello’s.

  Her next stop was the pawn shop, where she found her daughter-in-law, Shelby, working. She caught Carlita’s eye and met her near the back. “Hello, Carlita. How was St. Augustine?”

  “Eventful. We tracked Elvira down. She’s working on finalizing her divorce.”

  “I had no idea she was married,” Shelby chuckled.

  “It’s a long story,” Carlita sighed.

  The women made small talk until a customer arrived, and Shelby excused herself.

  On her way out, Carlita noticed the basement trapdoor was unlocked. She returned to the store floor to ask Tony about it, but he was busy helping a customer.

  Carlita made her way back to the trapdoor. She reached for the door to flip it shut when she changed her mind. Instead, she decided to have a look around, remembering Elvira’s trapdoor and how Tony had mentioned the brick wall and an entrance to Elvira’s building.

  She grabbed a flashlight and cautiously made her way down the ladder. She paused when she reached the bottom step, checking for critters. Carlita finished her descent and approached the far wall.

  Small piles of loose concrete lined the bottom. She pinched some between her fingers and watched it fall.

  Carlita dusted her hands and wandered over to the gate to make sure the padlock was secure.

  Tink.

  She spun ar
ound, shining her light into the tunnel. The tunnel was empty.

  “Hmm.” Carlita shifted the flashlight to her other hand.

  Tink.

  “I know I’m not losing my mind.”

  Tink.

  Carlita backtracked, returning to the wall. Small bits of concrete fell to the floor, adding to the small pile. Tink.

  “Dernice Cobb.” Carlita scrambled up the ladder. She slammed the trapdoor shut and marched out of the pawn shop, not stopping until she reached her neighbor’s back door. She pounded loudly. No one answered, and she guessed it was because Dernice was in the basement and couldn’t hear.

  Carlita hustled around the block and into EC Security Services’ office. A petite, brown-haired woman sat behind the desk. “Can I help you?”

  “I need to talk to Dernice.” Carlita strode through the office area and into the back. The trapdoor Luigi and she had helped uncover was wide open.

  “Dernice?” Carlita hollered as she descended the ladder. She found her neighbor standing next to the wall, holding a sledgehammer.

  Whack. Dernice lifted the sledgehammer and swung at the wall, causing chunks of brick to fall to the floor.

  “Dernice.”

  “Huh?” Dernice removed her earplugs and stumbled back. “Carlita. What’re you doing here?”

  “Stopping you from knocking a hole in my basement wall.”

  “Your wall?” Dernice shoved her safety goggles to her forehead.

  “You’re busting your way into my basement. I can hear you on the other side.”

  “Your basement is on the other side of this wall?”

  “It is, and I would appreciate it if you would leave the wall up.”

  “I…” Dernice blinked rapidly. “I figured this led to another tunnel.”

  “It does, in a roundabout way, via my basement.”

  “I’m sorry, Carlita.”

  “It’s okay. I…just think it’s best if we keep a wall between us.” Carlita studied the basement. It was similar to hers in both size and layout. On the opposite wall was a narrow tunnel. “There’s a tunnel over there. Have you checked it out yet?”

  “I went a few feet in. I wasn’t armed, so I didn’t go far. I’m trying to figure out if I should board it up or leave it open. Either way, Elvira won’t be happy if I do too much messing around down here.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “I was gonna go explore after I finished busting through.” Dernice propped the sledgehammer against the ladder. “You want to check it out?”

  “Sure.” Carlita waited in the basement while Dernice ran back upstairs to grab a taser and another flashlight.

  When she returned, she handed Carlita the extra flashlight. “I’ve been doing some research on the tunnels. If these walls could talk, they would have a lot to say. From what I learned, everything from bodies during the yellow fever epidemic to whiskey during prohibition was transported through here.”

  “Pete Taylor told me the pirates used them too. The Parrot House has been in Pete’s family for hundreds of years. The bar’s owner, Pete’s great-great-great something, would offer free rounds of rum to the local men. After they got drunk and passed out, the ship’s crew would carry them through the tunnels to the waiting pirate ships. By the time the men woke up, they were at sea and used as free labor until the return trip.”

  “It’s called shanghaiing. I read about it,” Dernice said. “I wonder if there’s any buried treasure down here.”

  Carlita thought about the gems and Mrs. Alder’s body she and her children found hidden in the tunnel wall just outside her basement. “Buried treasure? Maybe. Buried bodies? Definitely.”

  “Daylight is burning.” Dernice checked her flashlight and then beamed it in the direction of the tunnel’s entrance. “Time to check it out.”

  Chapter 17

  The tunnel was narrower, and the ceiling lower than Carlita’s. “This must be a secondary tunnel. The one connecting to mine is larger than this.”

  The tunnel narrowed even more, forcing the women to hunch over as they inched forward. It abruptly ended and “t’d” off in opposite directions.

  Dernice shined her flashlight to the left and then the right. “Which way should we go?”

  “I’m not sure. You can’t go wrong with right.”

  “To the right, it is.”

  They continued creeping along, mindful of the uneven ground. Every few feet, Carlita batted at a cobweb. The musty smell she’d noticed near the entrance to the tunnel grew stronger with every step they took. The damp air hung heavy, and an occasional tink made her skin crawl.

  Dernice must’ve thought the same. “That noise is freaking me out. I wonder if there are tunnel rats down here.”

  “I’m sure, but hopefully not the size of the rats in New York.” While they crept along, Carlita thought about Savannah’s history and tried to envision what it would have been like to live in the vibrant city in the eighteen hundreds.

  She hadn’t spent much time researching Savannah’s history and, in fact, vowed to take one of Sam’s Savannah tours one day.

  The tunnel ended at another brick wall. The women retraced their steps, passing by the entrance leading to Elvira’s basement. The left tunnel went even farther. There was a metal gate at the end.

  “It’s the end of the road.” Dernice tapped the rusted padlock securing the entrance.

  “Or at least the end of our tunnel exploring.” Carlita had turned to go when she spied a brick jutting out of the wall. Her eyes traveled up the side. A foot above the first brick was another and then another. “Check it out.”

  Dernice shined her flashlight along the bricks. There was a trapdoor at the top. “It looks old.”

  “Like it’s been here for a very long time,” Carlita agreed.

  Dernice stepped onto the bottom brick.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Finding out what’s up there.”

  “Someone else’s property. That’s what’s up there.”

  Dernice ignored the comment and handed Carlita her flashlight. “Hold this.” She balanced on one foot and gripped an upper brick with both hands. It was a slow go as she inched up the side. She reached the top “rung,” ducking her head to keep from hitting it on the door.

  “This might not be a good idea,” Carlita warned.

  Dernice adjusted her grip. Balancing her left foot on the narrow brick, she cautiously raised her right hand over her head and began pushing on the door. It made a loud popping sound but refused to budge.

  “It could be locked from the inside.”

  “Maybe.” Dernice, determined to find out what was on the other side, pushed again, this time harder.

  Carlita caught a glimpse of a beam of light. “You’re making progress.”

  She pushed a third time, and the door popped up. “Here goes nothing.” Dernice balanced on the tips of her toes. She crouched down and then sprang straight up. The upper half of her body disappeared, leaving both feet dangling in the air.

  She paddled furiously until her shoe made contact with the side of the trapdoor. Using her foot as leverage, she dragged the rest of her body through the opening and rolled out of sight.

  She reappeared moments later, sticking her head in the opening. “Are you coming up?”

  “We’re trespassing.”

  “I call it exploring.” She snapped her fingers. “Throw me my flashlight.”

  Carlita tossed the flashlight in the air, and Dernice easily caught it. “Thanks. Call 911 if I don’t come back in five minutes.”

  “There’s no cell reception in an underground tunnel.”

  “Then, run for your life.” Dernice moved away from the opening.

  The floor creaked overhead and then it grew quiet.

  Carlita stepped directly beneath the open door. She cupped her hands to her mouth. “Are you okay?”

  “Ack.”

  “Dernice!”

  There was no answer.

  “
Good grief.” Carlita reluctantly climbed the makeshift ladder, slowing when she reached the top. “Dernice?”

  “Yeah.” Dernice spun around, shining the light in Carlita’s eyes.

  Carlita flung her arm across her face. “Hey.”

  “Sorry.” The beam lowered. “You changed your mind?”

  “No. I heard you scream. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

  “I’m fine. Something scuttled across my shoe. It’s gone now. The place is empty.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yep.” Dernice gave her a hand up.

  There was a dull beam of light coming in through a small window. Cardboard boxes sat beneath the window. A copper sink and a cast-iron, woodburning stove was on the opposite side of the room.

  “This place has been vacant for a while.” Dernice blew on the top of a nearby box, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

  “I wonder where we are.” Carlita tiptoed to the grungy window and peered out. The only thing visible was a brick wall.

  Dernice trudged across the room.

  “We shouldn’t be in here.”

  “I think this is an old store.” Dernice stepped behind a counter to admire a bar mirror that ran the entire length. Wooden shelves were below the mirror, and a galley-style walkway separated the shelves from a long gray-green Formica counter. “Or maybe it was an ice cream shop.”

  A faint click echoed from somewhere behind the counter seconds before the wail of a security alarm filled the air.

  “We tripped the alarm.” Carlita dashed across the room. Dernice was right behind her. The women reached the trapdoor at the same time.

  Dernice shoved Carlita out of the way and flew down the makeshift ladder.

  She lost her footing halfway down and fell the rest of the way, landing flat on her back.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” Dernice scrambled to her feet. “Hurry up!”

  “I’m trying.” Carlita inched her way to the bottom, determined to avoid the fall Dernice had taken. She stopped halfway and pulled the trapdoor shut before finishing her descent. “I can’t believe I came after you to make sure you were all right and then you push me out of the way to save your own hide.”