“I would give anything to know who they were talking about,” Carlita murmured. “Where did you say you went?”
“It’s not a place most reputable ladies hang around,” Luigi replied.
“I’m not always reputable,” Carlita smiled.
“But you’re a lady,” Ricco said. “The name of the place was Big Joe’s Pool Hall.”
“Big Joe’s Pool Hall,” Carlita repeated.
“We can run back down there and do some more snoopin’ around,” Luigi offered.
“I may take you up on that. For now, for the rest of today and tonight, I suggest you both lay low.”
“Done.”
Carlita exited the apartment. Luigi followed behind. “When you get a chance, can you ask Brittney to stop by? We’re supposed to check in with her at least a coupla times a day to make sure she don’t need nothin’.”
“Will do.”
Luigi returned to their new hangout, and Carlita decided to swing by the pawnshop before heading home. She found Shelby standing behind the jewelry counter, helping a customer, while her son was near the weapon’s case.
Carlita caught his eye. “I would like to have a word with you when you have a minute.”
“Sure.” Tony finished helping the customer and joined his mother by the front window. “I’m guessing you’re here because of Luigi and Ricco. They didn’t take too kindly when I first told them they needed to lay low. Vinnie was another story. He was freakin’ out.”
“I talked to Vinnie, too, and basically laid out his choices. Luigi and Ricco could ignore our advice to lay low and risk getting picked up, return to Atlantic City or hole up in a hotel.”
Tony let out a low whistle. “I’m sure that went over like a lead balloon.”
“Vinnie doesn’t know the situation down here. We do. Finally, he saw our way of thinking. Vito might be another story.” Carlita had another thought. “About the surveillance camera footage. Have you had a chance to check it out?”
“I’m one step ahead of you, Ma. It’s all clean.”
“Including the restaurant’s camera footage?”
“All of it,” Tony nodded. “Vito and Luigi aren’t on any of the footage. I…”
Carlita motioned for him to stop. “I don’t want to know.”
“Gotcha. We’ll leave it at it’s okay for the investigators to check our cameras. The cops were by earlier. I was busy, so they’re gonna stop back.”
A customer entered the store, and Carlita patted her son’s arm. “Thanks, Son. That’s a relief. I think the guys are on board now and have already moved into your old apartment. I’ll let you get back to work.”
She exited the pawnshop. The door to the efficiency was ajar, and she could hear Luigi and Ricco laughing. Carlita slowly climbed the stairs and returned to the apartment, the heavy scent of pure Italian goodness lingered in the air.
It was the kind of smell that made her miss home…not New York, but her real home in Sambuco, and the old days when her only worry was making sure she was home in time to help her mother fix dinner.
A melancholy sadness filled Carlita. So many of her loved ones were gone now. Her parents, her beloved Vinnie. Carlita wandered into her room and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the picture frame on the nightstand, the one of her solemn-faced husband.
“We got a mess on our hands, Vin.” Carlita picked it up and ran a light hand over the glass. “You’re gonna miss out on a new grandbaby. Can you believe it? Our Vinnie - married, settled down and soon to be a father. I never thought I would see the day. Someone is targeting Vinnie and Vito. Tony’s tryin’ to help me keep the businesses runnin’ smooth. You oughta see it down here.”
Carlita grew silent, and she stared at her husband. She could almost hear his gravelly voice. Aw, Lenore, you’re one smart cookie. You got this. I’m countin’ on ya.
A sob caught in her throat and a tear escaped, trickling down her cheek. She hastily swiped at it, sternly reminding herself she was head of the family now.
Her son trusted her to help protect his wife and unborn child…Carlita’s grandchild. She couldn’t fall apart now. There were too many people counting on her.
Carlita carefully set Vinnie’s picture on the nightstand. She straightened her back and slowly stood. The Garlucci family was going to make it through the next several days…several weeks, no matter what.
Now if only she could figure out how to keep the police away from her home.
Chapter 10
Carlita spent part of the evening working at the restaurant, seating diners and delivering food to the tables. After she finished, she returned to the apartment where Brittney, Luigi and Ricco were enjoying Brittney’s specialty and the angel hair pasta.
Much to Carlita’s surprise, Mercedes was there, too.
“Hey, Ma. You’re just in time. We have room for one more.” Mercedes darted to the balcony and returned carrying a patio chair for her mother.
“Thank you, Mercedes. It’s a good thing you made a big pot of pasta to go with the cabbage, Brittney.”
While the women ate, Vito’s men regaled them with stories of takedowns and setups. Mercedes hung on to their every word, and Carlita could see the wheels spinning in her daughter’s head, suspecting she was making mental notes for her mafia-style books.
After they ate, Luigi and Ricco headed downstairs to their apartment but not before Carlita reminded them they needed to keep a low profile.
She was carrying a stack of dirty plates to the sink while Mercedes loaded the dishwasher when the outer doorbell chimed. “Luigi and Ricco must’ve locked themselves out. I’ll go let them back in.” Carlita ran downstairs, not bothering to check the peephole before flipping the deadbolt and opening the door. It wasn’t the bodyguards standing on the other side but Detective Zachary Jackson, another local detective.
“Good evening, Mrs. Garlucci.”
“Detective Jackson.” Carlita joined him on the step, quickly pulling the door closed behind her.
“I’m sorry to show up unannounced. I’m working with Detective Polivich in investigating Davis Rutger’s death. I was hoping I could take a look at your surveillance cameras from last night and early this morning.”
“Of course. We have two sets of cameras…one for the pawnshop and the other for my new restaurant, Ravello’s.”
Jackson followed Carlita into the apartment. “What about this building…your private residence?”
“Since this place is sandwiched in between the two businesses, my son, Tony, figured additional cameras would be overkill. I do have a motion camera with a phone app for notifications, but it doesn’t record.” Carlita talked loudly, praying if Vito’s men were anywhere near the apartment door, they would hear the voices and stay out of sight.
“I’ll need to grab the keys to the pawnshop and restaurant.” Carlita ran up the stairs as fast as she could, hurried inside and grabbed her keys from the hook near the door.
Mercedes was still in the kitchen when Carlita burst into the apartment. “Is everything all right?”
“Fine,” Carlita said breathlessly. “I’ll be right back.”
She ran out again and down the stairs. The detective, still waiting at the bottom, gave her an odd look. “You didn’t have to hurry.”
“I like to run up and down the stairs. I treat it as my mini workout,” she gasped. “It’s great for the cardiovascular.” Carlita unlocked the back door to the pawnshop, flipped the light on and motioned the detective to follow her inside.
With a quick check of the hall to make sure the coast was still clear, Carlita closed the door behind them and flipped the deadbolt. “The monitoring system is here, on the desktop computer.”
She fired up the computer, accessed the files and double-clicked the screen. Carlita pulled up the previous day’s recordings, starting with the early evening hours.
They watched as an occasional passerby flitted past the cameras. There was a lag in the tape, and Carlita wondered if Tony had de
leted a recording of Luigi and Ricco. The detective didn’t appear to notice the gap, or if he did, he didn’t comment.
They finished going through the recordings from the previous evening. The footage ended early that morning. Much to Carlita’s relief, nothing appeared to hit the detective’s radar. She clicked away from the final recording and turned to him. “Do you want to go back and look at any of the recordings?”
“No. I was hoping there might be something more. Unfortunately, your cameras don’t reach beyond the trolley stop. I would still like to see what you might have on the restaurant cameras.”
“We can do that from the restaurant.” Carlita turned the computer off. She followed the detective into the hall, switching off the lights and locking the doors on her way out. “I’m sorry to hear about the young man’s death. He seemed to have somewhat of a troubled history.”
Jackson followed her to the alley. “It’s been a rough few weeks dealing with the Savannah Six.”
“Perhaps now that the ringleader is…gone…things will settle down.” Carlita stopped when she reached the restaurant’s entrance. Like the pawnshop, there were two sets of deadbolts securing the back door.
It took a few tries before she managed to locate the correct keys. “I’m sorry it’s taking me so long. I’m not usually around to lock up after closing.” She eased the door open and flipped the light switch, pausing long enough to give her eyes time to adjust to the interior lights. “The surveillance videos are on this laptop.”
She made her way to the corner desk, repeated the steps of switching the computer on, logging in and pulling up the surveillance camera records. Carlita slid out of the seat and motioned for the detective to take her place. “It makes more sense for you to sit here.”
“Thank you.” The detective traded spots with her and began making his way through the recordings. The angle of the restaurant cameras gave a broader view of the vacant lot across the street, but without streetlights and because of the angle of the cameras, they couldn’t see more than ten feet beyond the sidewalk.
“I was hoping your cameras would give us a break in the case.” The detective studied the last frame and then rapped his knuckles on the desk.
“Me too,” Carlita said. “I hope you’re able to track down Mr. Rutger’s killer. The fact his body was found nearby is disturbing.”
“We’re doing our best.” Detective Jackson slowly stood. “We also reviewed another local business owner’s surveillance camera recordings. Detective Polivich noted two persons of interest, men, coming out of your alley last night. According to Polivich, they looked suspicious. We were hoping your cameras were able to catch them on video, as well.”
“Suspicious?”
“Like they were casing the joint.”
“Oh, dear. Do you think they may have been involved in Mr. Rutger’s death?”
“As I said, they are persons of interest, and we would like to talk to them.” The detective pulled a card from his front pocket and handed it to Carlita. “Here’s my card. Please call me if you see anything suspicious or happen to remember anything you think might be helpful to the case.”
“Most definitely.” Carlita tucked the card in her pants pocket before turning the computer off. “I caught a glimpse of the poor man’s body this morning before the authorities arrived. Someone murdered him.”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss an open investigation,” the detective said.
“Yes, but you could see someone had bound his feet together, and there were red marks around his hands and neck like he was strangled.” Carlita briefly closed her eyes. “I can’t get the image out of my head.”
“I’m sorry if my visit upset you,” the detective apologized.
Her eyes flew open. “I know you’re only doing your job. My friend, Reese, one of the trolley drivers, had a run-in with the victim yesterday morning. I’m sure you already know that.”
“We do. Ms. Magillicuddy has been questioned.” Detective Jackson began making his way toward the door. Carlita hurried after him. “There’s no way she could’ve overpowered Mr. Rutger, bound him and then choked him.”
“Like I said, Mrs. Garlucci, I can’t discuss an open investigation. I’ll walk you back to your apartment.” He waited for her to shut off the lights and lock up.
They stepped into the dark alley, and Carlita caught a whiff of cigarette smoke. Her scalp tingled, and she knew they were being watched.
“You smell that?” The detective sniffed the air and began looking around. “I smell cigarette smoke.”
“I do, too.”
The detective made a move toward Carlita’s parking lot and the general vicinity of the smell.
She lunged forward to stop him. “I’m sure it’s nothing. My son, Tony, and his wife live above the restaurant. He isn’t allowed to smoke in the house, so he has to come out here to have a cigarette.”
“I see.” The detective eyed Carlita before shifting his gaze in the direction of the dark parking lot.
“I…I really should get back home.”
The detective relaxed his stance. “As I said, I’m sorry to bother you.”
“It’s no bother. I only wish I could’ve helped.” Carlita and the detective began walking. “I do wish Tony would quit smoking.”
“It’s a bad habit,” the detective agreed.
Carlita slowed when they reached the back door. “Thank you for walking me home.”
“And thank you for your time and for letting me take a look at your surveillance videos.”
“You’re welcome.” She patted her pocket. “If I see anything at all suspicious, or if I happen to remember anything, I’ll give you a call.”
“I appreciate that.” The detective turned on his heel and returned to his unmarked police car. He opened the driver’s side door and then stopped, his gaze shifting to the parking lot and the vicinity of where they’d smelled the smoke.
“Keep going,” Carlita muttered under her breath. “Move along.” She waited until he climbed into his car and drove off before releasing the breath she’d been holding.
Her gut told her Luigi and Ricco had been hiding out in the parking lot or somewhere nearby, watching Carlita and the detective. Detective Jackson sensed it, too, and she suspected he didn’t completely buy her explanation that it was Tony who was smoking.
“Are you okay?”
Carlita stumbled backward, clutching her chest.
Sam Ivey stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at her.
“Sam. You scared me half to death.”
“I’m sorry.” Sam and his pup, Sadie, hustled down the steps. “I saw you leaning against the window and thought I heard you gasping for air.”
“I…I’m fine.” Carlita offered him a smile. “I haven’t seen much of you lately, Sam. You’re keeping a low profile.”
“It’s my busy season. I’m booked solid until after New Year’s. The cooler weather brings out the tourists.”
“Can’t say as I blame them.”
“I heard you have your hands full, too. An unexpected houseguest, evicting a troublesome tenant, finding a body in the vacant lot across the street.”
“You could say that. I’m sure Mercedes has shared her thoughts on our houseguest.”
“She was venting about it yesterday. She seems in a better mood now that she’s staying with Autumn.” Sam’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “I offered to let her move in with me for a few days, but she told me no.”
Carlita punched him in the arm. “You did not.”
“I didn’t, but I wanted to see how you would react. Now I know.”
“No shacking up.” Carlita wagged her finger.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“So…” Carlita leaned her hip on the edge of the staircase. “Are you two official yet?”
“Official?”
“Officially dating. All I can get out of my daughter is ‘We’ll see. We’re in no hurry.’”
“We’re dating,”
Sam switched Sadie’s leash to his other hand. “I think she’s worried you’re going to go overboard and start planning an engagement party.”
“I like the sounds of that.” Carlita placed a light hand on his arm. “I’ll stop nosing in. I’m happy for you. Mercedes seems happy. Speaking of party, I’m hosting a fall party at the restaurant the Saturday after Halloween. We’d love for you to come.”
“A costume party?”
“That’s an idea. What would you come as?”
“A tour guide,” Sam joked.
Carlita laughed. “Very funny.”
Sadie let out a whimper and began wrapping her leash around Sam’s legs. “That’s Sadie’s signal we need to hurry.”
“Be careful out there. The authorities still haven’t caught Davis Rutger’s killer.”
“I stopped to chat with some of my buddies at the precinct earlier. They were talking about Davis Rutger. He was bad news.”
“Yes, he was. He was causing trouble on Reese’s trolley yesterday. He and the other members of the Savannah Six attacked her and pushed a passenger out the emergency exit, injuring him.” Carlita stepped closer. “You probably know a little more than I do about the investigation since your friends are cops. Do the authorities have a suspect on their radar?”
“More than one, including the rest of the Savannah Six members along with a few local business owners Rutger never should have messed with.”
“I saw his body before the cops got there. Someone bound his feet, and there were burn marks around his neck. I think he was murdered somewhere else and his body dumped in the shed.”
“Stands to reason. There…” Sam abruptly stopped.
“What?” Carlita asked. “What were you going to say?”
“It’s something the police discovered…an unusual clue.”
Chapter 11
“A clue?”
“Rutger’s killer branded him. The killer carved a symbol on his chest.”
Horrified, Carlita clamped her hand across her mouth. “How awful.”
“It’s only a rumor, and the guys didn’t know exactly what it looked like. My guess is it was some sort of message.” Sadie began to whine. “We better go, or you’re gonna have a puddle on the floor.”
Turmoil in Savannah: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 13) Page 8
