“Did you enjoy the trolley ride with Santa?” Pete asked.
“It was wonderful,” Carlita said. “The whole day was wonderful. I don’t know how to thank you for all that you did. I…we weren’t looking forward to today, but you changed all of that.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Pete said. “Now about that Italian feast.”
Carlita assured Pete that she would be planning a dinner soon, and that she would attempt to repay him for the special day that he’d given them.
Violet lifted her head and patted her small purse. “Santa’s elf gave me this.”
“Tis a lovely purse,” Pirate Pete said. “Now you promise to be a good lass for your mother until Christmas?”
“Or get a lump of coal,” Gunner chimed in.
Violet solemnly nodded. “Santa and Jingle know I’ll be good.”
Pete and Gunner walked them to the parking lot. “Tori and I are collaborating on a new project. We have some details to work out, but thought you might be interested in joining us.”
Carlita lifted a brow. “Most definitely. I’m interested.”
Pirate Pete promised to fill her in once Tori and he had ironed out the details. They thanked him again for a wonderful day before crossing the street and heading home.
Mercedes fished her keys from her pocket and unlocked the back door. “That was so much fun. Now all we have to do is patiently wait for the Merry Masquerade party.”
Chapter 7
“Are you sure I don’t look gaudy?” Mercedes lifted the edge of her red velvet gown and twisted to the side. “The slit isn’t too revealing is it?”
Carlita tilted her head. “Stick your leg out so I can see how much skin is showing.”
Mercedes shifted her leg.
“Nah. You look gorgeous. Every single man at the party will be drooling over my beautiful daughter.”
“Thanks Ma. You look smokin’ hot yourself.”
“Are you sure I don’t look kinda frumpy?” Carlita patted her midsection. “All that turkey and stuffing, not to mention the desserts we indulged in on Thanksgiving at the restaurant. Maybe it’s a good thing we ate out and we didn’t have all of those leftovers.”
“I miss having leftovers,” Mercedes said. “But back to the outfit. You look stunning Ma. You’re a class act all the way. Too bad Pop isn’t here to see how beautiful his wife looks tonight.”
Carlita’s throat started to swell at the thought of her Vinnie. “Yeah. I wish he was here too, but then we wouldn’t be going to a masquerade.”
“True.” Mercedes could tell the remark made her mother sad and quickly changed the subject. “What do you think of my mask?” She held the rhinestone studded mask to her eyes.
“You look mysterious and seductive.”
“Thanks. Now where’s yours?” Mercedes asked.
Carlita held up a baby blue mask. It was the same shade as her evening gown. Rhinestones lined the outer rim and it sported a matching blue feather that plumed off the side.
“I love it.” Mercedes glanced at her watch. “Autumn should be here any minute. In fact, I’m surprised she’s not here already. She’s been driving me crazy all day about this party. You’d think we were attending a Buckingham Palace ball.”
“We should leave soon. Tony, Shelby and Violet are going to beat us there,” Carlita said.
At first, Tony told his mother he would not attend the Merry Masquerade because Shelby couldn’t find a suitable sitter for Violet. It seemed that everyone in Savannah had been invited to Montgomery Hall’s Merry Masquerade party.
All of that changed when Carlita made a quick trip to Montgomery Hall to deliver some extra folding chairs she thought Tori could use for the party. Tony and Shelby had gone out for an afternoon, leaving Carlita to care for Violet, and the young child had gone with her.
Violet had promptly taken to Byron, which surprised Carlita because Byron was, for the most part, unapproachable. She quickly realized the feeling was mutual and while Carlita helped Lucien unload the chairs, Violet accompanied Byron to the kitchen for cookies and ice cream.
By the time Byron and Violet returned to the drawing room, the young child had wrapped him around her little finger.
“Byron and Mrs. Tori said I can come to the party, too.”
“They did?” Carlita gave Tori a questioning look and her host nodded slightly. “Of course. Mr. Byron most certainly needs an assistant to help him the night of the party.”
Tori knelt down until she was eye level with Violet, her expression somber. “But you must dress in your fanciest dress, and if you don’t have one, we shall promptly purchase one, along with your mask for the masquerade.”
Violet solemnly nodded. “Mrs. Tori, I have a sparkly dress at home. It’s pink and purple with flowers.”
“I’m sure it will be perfect.”
And that was how Violet came to be invited to the most sought-after event of the season.
Carlita reached for her beaded handbag. “I think we’re all excited and no one more so than Violet. You should’ve seen the look on her face the day Tori invited her to the party; and Byron, well, that little girl turned him into a pile of mush.”
Autumn arrived in a whirlwind of tulle and Chantilly lace, beaming from ear to ear and nearly floated into the apartment. “I brought my phone. Do you think Mrs. Montgomery will mind if I take a few pictures?”
Autumn didn’t pause long enough for Carlita to reply. “I’m not sure of the proper protocol when meeting a Montgomery. I heard the family is three removed from British royalty. Should I bow?”
Carlita snorted. “I’ve never bowed, but then I never thought about it.” She could see Autumn was serious and quickly sobered. “Why don’t you follow the other guest’s lead?”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll do that.”
The women wandered out of the apartment and it took several minutes to get Autumn squeezed into the backseat of the car. Her main concern was that the cramped interior of the car would wrinkle her dress.
“How did you get to our place?” Carlita asked as she shook her head at Autumn’s third attempt to delicately glide onto the seat.
“I rode my Segway. Of course, I had to secure it with some shoestrings because it kept flying up.”
Mercedes burst out laughing. “No way. I wish I coulda seen that.”
Finally, Autumn was firmly ensconced in the back seat and Carlita and Mercedes climbed in the front. They made it to the party at seven o’clock on the dot. Cars lined both sides of the private drive, with even more crammed onto the lawn in front of the courtyard.
“I feel like throwing up.” Autumn peered out the window. “I hope I don’t make a fool of myself.”
“You’ll be fine.” Carlita eased into an empty parking spot and shut the engine off. “Tori is the epitome of Southern charm and I’m sure she’ll instantly put you at ease.”
The women joined the back of the line leading into the courtyard where uniformed butlers greeted the guests. Several men carried trays of fluted champagne around the courtyard while others made their rounds offering guests an array of hors d’ oeuvres.
Mercedes snagged a champagne and a small dish with what appeared to be a toasted cracker. A thick layer of cream cheese coated the cracker and a green olive garnished the top.
“That looks tasty.” Carlita smiled and reached for a small dish. “Are you going to try the goodies?” she asked Autumn.
“I’m too nervous.” Autumn clutched her stomach. “Maybe a little bubbly will help.” She grabbed a fluted champagne glass, chugged the contents and let out a small belch before covering her mouth. “Whew. I think that did the trick.”
“Let’s head inside.” Carlita led her daughter and friend to the other end of the courtyard and the main entrance where Byron and an energetic Violet stood greeting the guests.
“Nana!” Violet ran to Carlita’s side. “Look at my sparkly dress.” The young child twirled in a circle while Carlita, Mercedes and Autumn ooh
ed and aahed over her dress. “You look like a princess.”
“I know.” Violet ran back to Byron’s side and reached for his hand. Carlita could’ve sworn he almost cracked a smile. Almost.
“Byron.” Carlita tilted her head, a twinkle in her eye. “You look very dapper this evening.”
“Thank you.” He nodded at Autumn and Mercedes. “And all of you ladies, as well.”
The women stepped inside the grand hall and Autumn abruptly stopped. “This is even grander than I imagined,” she whispered in awe. “Check out all of the twinkling lights.”
Carlita followed her gaze, taking in the decorations inside the hall. Tori had gone all out and although the grand hall was magnificent on its own, she’d transformed it into a stunning showstopper.
Everywhere she looked, there was something whimsical, festive or ornate. The twinkling lights that hung from the ceiling reminded her of snowflakes.
Two large Christmas trees stood sentinel on each side of the grand staircase. One was decorated in a nautical theme, complete with silver ornaments in the shape of shells, seahorses and sailboat ornaments. Teal-tinted sand dollars and red and gold striped fish hung alongside the sailboats and seahorses.
Strung throughout was a blue striped ribbon, tying it all together.
“Check this tree out.” Mercedes led her mother to the tree on the other side. The second tree was decorated in a North Pole theme. There were chubby-cheeked Santa Clauses, red and white striped candy canes and mischievous elves with green Christmas suits and pointed elf shoes.
Beneath the tree were gingerbread houses and even a candy cane lane. Carlita knelt down to examine one of the houses. “Imagine the amount of work that went into putting this together.”
Autumn pulled her cell phone from her pocket and took several pictures of the decorated trees and then the room. “It must cost a small fortune, to boot.”
“There you are.” Tori Montgomery sailed across the room to join them. The Grande Dame of Montgomery Hall was dressed to the nines. Carlita had never seen so many exquisite gems on one person. She was dripping with diamonds from her wrists to her neck to her ears.
“Do you have your mask?” Tori held up an ornate champagne gold Venetian mask. Red rubies lined the edges. On the left was a gold butterfly with silver-tipped wings.
“I do.” Carlita held her mask to her eyes. “It’s not nearly as fancy as yours.”
“I made this myself,” Tori whispered. “Pinterest has some amazing stuff.”
Autumn let out a small squeak. “I love Pinterest.”
Carlita put a light arm around Autumn’s shoulders. “This is Autumn Winter, the young woman who risked life and limb…”
“And a few strands of hair,” Mercedes chimed in.
“Yes, and a few strands of hair to take the pawnshop pictures we sent you.”
Tori smiled warmly. “Thank you Autumn. It sounds as if you’re a go-getter. I like that. I’ve had a chance to study the pictures and unfortunately, I don’t recognize any of the items inside Mr. Goldstein’s office.”
“Oh.” Autumn’s face fell. “I’m sorry the pictures didn’t help.”
“The important thing is that you tried and I do appreciate it.”
One of the uniformed wait staff hurried to join them. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” She leaned over and whispered in Tori’s ear.
Tori’s eyes narrowed and she silently nodded before turning to the trio. “Something has come up in the kitchen. If you’ll excuse me.” She gave them a half smile and then quickly followed the woman from the room.
“I’m going to check out the formal dining room,” Mercedes said.
“I’ll go with you,” Autumn said.
“I think I’ll walk around.” Carlita enjoyed people watching as much as admiring the elaborate party decorations. The majority of the male guests were dressed in tuxes and tails, and many of the women were decked out in elaborate evening gowns.
Their masks ranged from simple satin black to beaded, bejeweled and feathered creations.
Carlita ended her tour in the library where she found Tony and Shelby, who were listening to the pianist and sipping champagne. Tony was talking to someone who looked vaguely familiar and she realized it was Ralph Silva, the owner of Paradise Pawn; Savannah’s only other pawnshop.
They talked about business and the party until Autumn and Mercedes joined them.
Carlita could tell from the look on her daughter’s face something had happened. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Mercedes squeezed her mother’s arm. “You’ve simply got to try the half shell oysters. They’re to die for.”
“Yeah. Die.” Autumn repeated.
Carlita frowned. “Okay. Where are they?”
“Follow me.” Mercedes led her mother out of the library, down the long hall to the flagstone courtyard in the back.
“There’s no food out here,” Carlita said.
“I know.” Mercedes didn’t stop until they were on the other side of the pool and out of earshot. “Autumn and I came out here to take a quick look around and noticed a woman lying on the pool house floor.”
Chapter 8
“What do you mean, there’s a woman lying in the pool house?” Carlita asked. “Did you tell anyone?”
“We didn’t need to.” The women moved away from a hedge of gardenia bushes and into the open. “We walked over to check it out and I heard someone say ‘she’s dead.’”
Autumn pointed to the pool house, where several people darted back and forth. A small crowd had gathered and the women made their way over.
Carlita bounced on her toes and peered over a woman’s shoulder. Lying on the terra cotta tile floor was a young woman, dressed in a server’s uniform. There was a puddle of blood next to her head and her skin was a pasty pale shade.
One of the men on scene was Detective Skip Wilson, the detective who had recently investigated the death of Jon Luis, a Savannah area author.
Tori stood off to the side, a pinched expression on her face. She began to tremble when Detective Wilson stepped away from the scene and approached her. After he finished, Carlita watched as Tori shifted to the side, to say something to the person standing directly behind her…someone who looked very familiar.
The woman, dressed in black and wearing an official-looking badge, lifted her walkie-talkie to her mouth. “EC Security Services staff, please report to the rear quadrant of the property. We need to secure the area.”
“Is that Elvira?” Mercedes gasped.
“Yes, I believe it is.” Carlita marched around the perimeter of the pool and stopped in front of her former tenant. “What are you doing here?”
“Working,” Elvira calmly replied. “Mrs. Montgomery hired my new security firm, EC Security Services, to help with crowd control and ensure the guests’ safety. Unfortunately, we weren’t hired to patrol the perimeter cuz if we had been, this never would’ve happened.”
Tori frowned. “You two know each other?”
“Yes, and you should know her too,” Carlita said. “She’s the woman who snuck onto your property and tussled with Lucien.”
Tori shook her head, confused.
“Remember the bracelet? We met that day, when I stopped by to ask if you would return the intruder’s bracelet that had fallen off during the scuffle with Lucien. The intruder was Elvira. You had her arrested for trespassing.”
Tori frowned. “That was you? I thought you looked vaguely familiar. You told me we’d never met before.”
Elvira had the good graces to look slightly embarrassed. “We didn’t officially meet. Besides, it was a minor misunderstanding and has nothing to do with my level of professionalism.” She puffed up her chest. “EC Security Services has never had a customer complaint.”
Mercedes, who had made her way over, snorted. “Maybe it’s because you just started the business.”
Dernice appeared on scene and elbowed her way to the center of the gathering. “Do you want us to secure the re
ar exits?”
“Yes. Start there and then station Becker and Weston on each end of the pool enclosure. I’ll get Fogarty to guard the pool house. Don’t let anyone through without proper identification.”
“As in?” Dernice asked.
Elvira stuck her index finger in the air. “The cops…er, I mean the police, crime scene investigators, the coroner, or Mrs. Montgomery.”
“Got it.” Dernice quickly exited the area and began talking to a small entourage of security detail who were dressed in uniforms that matched Elvira and her sister’s.
Tori led Carlita, Mercedes and Autumn off to the side while Dernice and Elvira discussed securing the area. “This is dreadful. I thought hiring extra security for my party would ensure something like this wouldn’t happen.” Her eyes fell on the woman’s body.
“What happened?” Carlita glanced around the room.
“I was in the drawing room, showing Mayor Puckett and his wife William’s collection of swords. He’s a collector, as well. We were making our way back to the library when one of Ms. Cobb’s security staff members hurried over, saying something about the pool house door was ajar, so he went to investigate. That’s when he saw Ava, one of my employees, lying on the floor inside the pool house.”
Elvira finished her conversation with Dernice, circled the room and stopped when she reached Carlita and the others. “You and your guests have to leave. We need to secure the area and make sure no one contaminates potential evidence.”
“We haven’t touched anything,” Autumn said.
“And I aim to keep it that way.” Elvira rested a light hand on top of her stun gun. “I can’t show anyone preferential treatment. I’m going to ask you a second time to leave the area.”
Tori cleared her throat. “Mrs. Garlucci, her daughter and their friend will leave the area when the authorities ask them to leave. Until then, they stay.”
“Fine,” Elvira sniffed. “Don’t blame me if someone messes with the evidence.” She stomped off.
Tori pressed a weary hand to her forehead. “I had no idea I was hiring that woman. I thought you needed to pass some sort of strict state testing before obtaining a license in the State of Georgia.”
Merry Masquerade in Savannah: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Cozy Mysteries Series Book 8) Page 6
