Setup in Savannah: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Cozy Mysteries Series Book 7)

by Hope Callaghan

  There wasn’t much else to see, so they headed back to the dock and waited for the ferry to return. After boarding, they chose a bench seat on the side where they could look out the windows.

  When they reached the other side, they wandered down the sidewalk, stopping to marvel at a large freighter that drifted past. They waved to a group of the ship’s crew who were standing on an upper deck before making their way to the Waving Girl statue. After admiring the statue, the group retraced their steps out of the park.

  “Let’s get some ice cream,” Carlita said.

  The line at Leopold’s was out the door and down the sidewalk. It took several minutes for them to reach the inside of the building and the order counter. Carlita ordered three child cones of chocolate chip, a single scoop caramel swirl for Mercedes and a mint chocolate chip single scoop for herself.

  Leopold’s was packed and there wasn’t an empty seat, so they maneuvered their way around the long line of people waiting to order to the sidewalk out front.

  Mercedes adjusted her sunglasses and stared at the front of the building. “Let’s walk to Oglethorpe Park. They have plenty of benches over there.”

  Carlita licked a circle around the rim of her cone and nodded. “And it’s only a block away.” She turned to her three grandchildren. “Hold on to your cones. We’re not gonna go back for another one if you lose it.”

  She tightened her grip on her cone and placed her other hand on PJ’s back. “Stay close to Nonna.” The children obediently followed behind Carlita while Mercedes brought up the rear.

  When they reached the park and an empty bench, Gracie held out her cone. “My cone is leaking.”

  Carlita pulled a napkin from her pocket and wrapped it around the cone. “That should help.”

  While they ate, Carlita and Mercedes discussed Jon Luis’ death. “Are you gonna warn Autumn the detective mentioned questioning her?”

  “I should text her.” Mercedes single-handedly whipped her cell phone out of her back pocket, switched it on and began tapping the screen. “There. I sent her a message.” The phone beeped before Mercedes had time to shove it back into her pocket.

  “Too late.” She squinted her eyes and studied the screen. “Detective Wilson already tracked her down, asking questions about her gun.” She grew quiet. “It wasn’t a match. The bullet that killed Jon Luis doesn’t match Autumn’s gun.”

  “That’s a little good news,” Carlita said.

  “What if he thinks I shot Jon Luis and then tossed the gun into the river?”

  “And then called the cops?” Carlita asked. “What killer would do that?”

  They finished their ice cream and began to walk home, taking the long way around the block.

  Mercedes slowed down when they reached The Book Nook. “Cricket is working.” She waved to someone standing in the back of the store. “I want to tell Cricket what happened.”

  “Can we go in the bookstore Nonna?” PJ asked.

  Mercedes reached for the door handle. “They have a children’s section.”

  “Sure. I don’t see why not,” Carlita said.

  The doorbell chimed as they stepped inside the cozy bookstore. A hint of mustiness, mingled with the scent of vanilla, lingered in the air.

  “The books are over there,” Noel said. Colorful, bright chairs, perfect for young children, surrounded low, round tables. Mini shelves lined the walls. A cardboard cutout of Paddington Bear peered down on the tables.

  The children each grabbed a book from the shelves and settled in at the table.

  “Hello Mercedes.” A fiftyish woman with gray hair, pulled back in a tight bun gazed at them through gold round spectacles.

  “Hi Cricket.” Mercedes smiled. “My ma, nieces and nephew, and I just had breakfast ice cream at Leopold’s. We were heading home and decided to stop.”

  Cricket grinned. “Ah. Breakfast ice cream. Can’t go wrong with breakfast ice cream, especially if grandma suggests it.” She winked at Carlita and Carlita immediately took a liking to the woman.

  “I’ve been thinking about you this morning. How did your meeting with Jon Luis turn out?”

  “That’s another reason we stopped by. Jon Luis is dead.”

  Cricket clutched the strand of pearls hanging around her neck. “Oh dear.”

  Mercedes briefly told the woman what had transpired.

  “And the police believe you’re somehow involved in Mr. Luis’ death?”

  “It doesn’t look good,” Carlita spoke. “The fact that a young woman agreed to meet a complete stranger after dark in a secluded area is suspect.”

  “I wasn’t alone,” Mercedes reminded her mother.

  “True. But it still doesn’t look good.” Neither mentioned to the woman that Autumn followed her to the meeting spot or the fact that the police found Mercedes’ home address jotted on a pad of paper inside Jon Luis’ home.

  “You’ve lived in the Savannah area a long time,” Mercedes said. “Is there anything you can recall seeing or hearing that involved Jon Luis?”

  “Not right off the top of my head. Other than him working on several of Savannah’s unsolved murders, including the Madison Square murder, which we’ve already talked about in our group.” Cricket shook her head. “Such a shame. I guess Jon Luis carried his secrets to the grave.”

  “The people he was researching should be considered suspects,” Carlita said.

  “True,” Cricket agreed. “Now that I think about the Madison Square murder, I believe all of the original suspects are dead.” She clasped her hands together. “Yes, I’m certain they’re all dead and several of them died under mysterious circumstances.”

  “They did?” Mercedes asked. Maybe they were onto something. “What if there’s a serial killer out there, Jon Luis was nosing around and the killer decided to take him out?”

  Carlita started to reply when PJ raced down the aisle to her side. “Nonna. This is my favorite book in the whole world. Can I have it?” He held up One Fish, Two Fish by Dr. Seuss. Her granddaughters joined them, each carrying a book of their own. “Can we have a book, too?”

  “Of course. Let’s take them to the counter.” Carlita followed Cricket and her daughter to the cash register.

  Cricket rang up the purchases, swiped Carlita’s debit card and handed it back before turning to Mercedes. “Will you be here for our author meeting this Thursday?”

  “I hope so, unless I’m in jail.”

  “Bite your tongue,” Carlita said.

  “Here are your books.” Cricket handed the children the books and smiled at Carlita. “It was nice to meet you.”

  “Same here,” Carlita replied.

  “I’ll see you Thursday.” Mercedes waved to Cricket, and then followed her mother and the children to the front of the store.

  “I like this store,” Noel said.

  “Me too,” PJ chimed in.

  The group stepped back onto the sidewalk and continued walking home.

  “You need to find out more about the murder she mentioned and maybe even do a little digging around in this Cricket woman’s background,” Carlita said. “She seems to know an awful lot about Jon Luis and the old murder case. What was it again?”

  “It was called the Madison Square murder. It happened back in 1976. One of the original founding families, Teresa Honeycutt, was hosting a dinner party at their swanky home over in Madison Square. At some point during the party, a guest discovered Herbert Honeycutt’s body. He’d been suffocated and his body stuffed in the dumbwaiter. Authorities arrested Teresa, his wife, but the charges were eventually dropped and the case was never solved.”

  When they reached the corner, they turned left toward home. “My guess is the wife did it,” Carlita said.

  “Teresa Honeycutt was a paraplegic. There’s no way she could’ve strangled her husband and stuffed his body in the dumbwaiter. Most of the people at the party claimed they never saw or heard anything suspicious during the party. It was almost as if they were trying to cover
up the murder.”

  Carlita mulled over Mercedes’ words. Someone somewhere knew something about the Madison Square murder and Carlita knew exactly who that someone was.

  Chapter 5

  Victoria “Tori” Montgomery stepped into the library to join her unexpected guest. “It’s so nice to see you Carlita. I’ve been meaning to stop by your pawnshop, but have been under the weather lately.” She sniffed loudly. “Dreadful allergies this time of the year.”

  A uniformed servant glided in behind Tori Montgomery, carrying a silver tea set. “Bring the tray over here, Iris.” She motioned to an antique table, situated between two powder blue French provincial chairs.

  “Would you care for a cup of tea?” Tori turned to Carlita.

  “Yes. Thank you.” Carlita glanced outdoors, past the flagstone courtyard and the sparkling blue swimming pool. “There’s something different about your pool.”

  “You’re very observant. With the windfall of gems given to me by a dear friend, I decided to splurge and added a pool cabana with a half bath and a large changing room.”

  “Nice.”

  Iris handed Carlita a cup of tea. “Thank you, Iris.”

  The young woman nodded her head. “Will there be anything else?”

  “No. That will be all for now.” Tori waited until Iris exited the library and closed the door behind her. “I’ve always wanted a pool boy and this gives me the perfect excuse to hire one. Such a pity that I’ll have to wait until spring to enjoy the new scenery.”

  Carlita coughed and covered her mouth to hide her smile. “You don’t say.”

  “At my age, admiring from afar is one of life’s little pleasures.” Tori smiled and then her expression sobered. “When you called to ask if we could meet, I sensed you wanted to discuss something serious.”

  “Yes.” Carlita sipped the tea and carefully placed the teacup on top of the fragile saucer. “Have you ever heard of the Madison Square murder?”

  Tori shifted in her chair, eyeing Carlita over the rim of her cup. “Of course. Anyone who lived in Savannah during the mid-1970s has heard of the Madison Square murder. Does this have anything to do with Jon Luis’ death over by the Riverfront District?”

  “It does.” Carlita explained Mercedes’ involvement with Jon Luis and ended with Detective Wilson’s questioning. “I think they’re gonna try and pin it on my daughter. There’s a killer lurking in Savannah and I believe Mercedes has been setup.”

  “Oh dear. Teresa Honeycutt died years ago, as well as all of the original suspects,” Tori said. “The Honeycutt children moved away and I thought the whole sordid affair was long forgotten.”

  “Except for Jon Luis’ investigation into the matter. Apparently someone wanted to silence him.” Carlita folded her hands in her lap. “I’m afraid Mercedes, and perhaps even someone in her author group, could be next. I thought you might be able to shed some light on the whole matter and possibly point us in the right direction.”

  “The Honeycutt family and I ran in different circles, so I don’t have much more information than what is available on the internet, although I always believed the investigators missed some important clues at the Honeycutt Manor, the scene of the crime.”

  Carlita perked up. “Really?”

  “Yes.” Tori nodded. “I, as well as many others in Savannah, believed someone…shall we say…greased the palms of the authorities, so they would drop the case.”

  “We call it sweepin’ it under the rug. Too bad Mercedes and I can’t take a look at the Honeycutt place.”

  “Perhaps you can,” Tori said. “The place has changed hands numerous times over the years. The owners never stayed long, claiming the place was haunted.”

  “Haunted?”

  “Aren’t most old homes in Savannah rumored to be haunted? An entrepreneurial individual moved into the property a few years back and opened a restaurant. From what I’ve been told, they also offer ghost tours by appointment only.”

  “I’m surprised Mercedes didn’t mention it to me.” Carlita knew Mercedes would be all over that.

  “They don’t advertise, at least not that I’ve ever noticed,” Tori said. “It’s more a word of mouth about the ghost tours. Your best bet is to start asking around about the 1976 Tour.”

  “I will. Thanks for the info.” The conversation shifted to Pirate Pete, the beautiful fall weather and Carlita’s pawnshop business.

  When Iris returned to check on them, Carlita glanced at her watch. “It’s getting late. I should get going.” She stood. “Give me a call the next time you’re heading into town and maybe we can run over to the City Market for lunch.”

  “It sounds lovely.” Tori accompanied Carlita to the front door. “I’ve been tossing around the idea of holding a fall ball Thanksgiving weekend. I haven’t had one in years, and thought it might be time to shed my reputation as a recluse.”

  “A fall ball? It sounds intriguing,” Carlita said.

  “It is - or was - a grand affair, a chance to dress up. Guests disguise themselves with masks and there’s a big reveal at the end of the party.”

  “I haven’t been to a party in years.”

  “Neither have I.” Tori opened the front door. “The more I think about it, the more I’m warming to the idea. It would be fun.”

  “Count me in.” Carlita thanked Tori for the tea and the information and then headed to her car.

  When she reached the road, Carlita rolled her window down and turned her radio up. Traffic on the main road, connecting Tybee Island to the mainland, was light and she hummed along with a catchy tune, enjoying the warm sea breezes as she drove.

  Despite the cloud of suspicion hanging over Mercedes’ head, things were going well. Carlita was looking forward to Thanksgiving and now Tori’s party. It would give her an opportunity to meet more locals and perhaps even make some new friends.

  When she reached the apartment building, she drove into the alley and parked in an empty spot next to Elvira. Carlita hadn’t seen much of her troublesome tenant since her kidnapping at Fort Pulaski, and it was almost a relief not to have to deal with the woman.

  Carlita had stopped by Elvira’s apartment the other day, after hearing a loud pounding sound coming from her place early in the morning. Elvira opened the door but refused to allow Carlita inside, telling her the apartment was a mess and she wasn’t up to having guests.

  Carlita peeked inside Elvira’s car before wandering down the alley and into the apartment building.

  Mercedes’ Segway was gone and she remembered her daughter mentioning she had a lunch date with Detective Zachary Jackson. She confided in her mother she wanted to hear what he had to say about Jon Luis’ murder investigation.

  Carlita started to head up the steps, but changed her mind and made her way into the back of the pawnshop to see if Tony needed anything.

  The store was busy and she caught her son’s eye. He motioned for her to wait, so Carlita walked the aisles, straightening merchandise and checking out the new inventory of items.

  When Tony wasn’t working, he spent most of his free time with Shelby and Violet. The couple had planned to visit an art show in Charleston, South Carolina and were going to spend the weekend, leaving Violet with Carlita for a couple of days, but Shelby abruptly cancelled the trip, telling Tony she wasn’t ready to leave Violet home.

  Carlita didn’t press the issue and hoped it wasn’t because she didn’t trust her to watch the young child. Or maybe when she found out Gina and her grandkids were coming for a visit, she didn’t want to burden Carlita.

  Although that wouldn’t have been the case. Carlita loved Violet as if she were one of her grandchildren.

  “Can I get some help over here?” A woman motioned to the jewelry display case, so Carlita grabbed the keys from the desk and made her way over.

  “My grandmother had a cameo brooch almost identical to this.” The woman pointed to an antique 14k white gold brooch.

  “It’s a gorgeous piece.” Carlita lifte
d the brooch from the tray and handed it to the woman. “We had a pair of matching earrings, but it looks like we sold ‘em already.”

  The customer turned the brooch over in her hand and squinted her eyes as she studied the price. “I see you’re asking $275 for this piece. Would you be willing to take $175 cash?”

  Carlita shook her head. “Unfortunately, I would lose money sellin’ it to you for that low of a price. I’d be willing to go down to $250.”

  “$245,” the woman countered.

  “Sold,” Carlita said. “You can pay over there.”

  The woman handed the brooch back, and they walked over to the cash register where Carlita rang up the purchase, wrapped the jewelry in tissue paper and slipped it into a plastic bag.

  Tony made his way over and watched as the woman exited the store. “Look at Ma…wheelin’ and dealin’. How much did she get you to come down?”

  “The tag said $275 and I sold it for $245,” Carlita said. “I hope that’s okay.”

  “Not bad.” Tony shrugged. “She’s a regular. Comes by here about once a week, always lookin’ for a bargain. I think she’s got one of those online shopping sites for antiques. She buys from us, marks up the price and sells all over the country.”

  “Not a bad gig,” Carlita said. “Maybe we should consider ramping up our own website and sellin’ stuff online.”

  “It’s a lotta work and I don’t have time,” Tony pointed out. “Plus, we have a decent spin on our merchandise as it is. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

  Carlita patted her son’s arm. “As usual, you’re right. It was just an idea. How you holdin’ up with Paulie taking a few days off?”

  “It’s been a little hectic.” Tony lowered his voice. “I heard him and Gina gettin’ into it out in the hallway this morning. She was givin’ him grief about the internet café business and…”

  Tony’s voice trailed off.

  “And what?”

  “Well, I wasn’t gonna say nothin’, but she said she wasn’t gonna move here ever, so I think you can forget about that one.”

  Carlita frowned. “I’m not surprised. I shoulda known it wasn’t gonna happen.” She looked around. “Where’s Mercedes? She said she was gonna help out today.”