Carlita thanked Sam for the information and told him to be careful before making her way home. She dropped her keys on the counter and walked over to the living room window. Sam and Sadie were heading in the opposite direction of the parking lot.
“Is everything all right?” Brittney, who was sprawled out on the couch, muted the volume on the television.
“As far as I know, Luigi and Ricco haven’t been picked up yet. There was no trace of either of them on our surveillance cameras. One of my tenants shared an important clue in Rutger’s murder, and it’s time for me to go to bed.”
“I’m not even tired,” Brittney said.
Carlita opened her mouth to tell her it was probably because she didn’t get out of bed until after noon but decided Brittney’s sleeping habits were none of her business. Or perhaps it was just the younger generation.
Mercedes was up half the night, too, working on her latest novel. Luigi and Ricco had given her plenty of new mafia material. She hoped her daughter would finish the last mobster book in her series and move onto something a little lighter…like romance.
“Where’s Mercedes?”
“She finished cleaning up and then said she was heading across the hall,” Brittney said.
“I think I’ll turn in for the night. Will you be all right?”
“Yeah. Rambo and Grayvie are keeping me company.” Brittney reached behind her where Grayvie was lounging on top of the couch and scratched his ears. “I wish I could’ve brought my pup, but Vinnie made me leave him at home.”
“These two will keep you company.” Carlita patted Rambo’s head. “I’ll see you in the morning…err…afternoon…tomorrow. Good night.”
It didn’t take long for Carlita to get ready for bed. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and slipped on her pajamas. Rambo was waiting for her by the bathroom door, and she let him in the bedroom first.
As was their new evening routine, Rambo patrolled the perimeter of Carlita’s bed before settling onto his own special doggie bed, one she’d recently purchased after he chewed holes in his old one.
The new bed reminded Carlita of a small cot. What sold her on it was the design. The bed was off the floor, keeping Rambo cooler. Plus, the pup couldn’t chew it.
She waited for him to circle the bed and find a comfortable position before switching off her lamp. Carlita thought about what Sam had said - Rutger’s killer had carved some sort of symbol or design on his chest.
She was relieved Luigi and Ricco weren’t caught on camera. She was also relieved her troublesome tenant, Angelica, was out. There was also Elvira’s possible mental breakdown. She’d never seen Elvira broken like she had today. What could possibly have happened to cause her to fall into such a deep depression?
Her mind wandered to her breakfast date with Pirate Pete…a wonderful beginning to a tumultuous day. He’d asked her for a second date…or maybe she was reading too much into it.
They had a lot in common - both having checkered pasts or more accurately, checkered “family” pasts. They both owned local businesses - restaurants at that, not to mention they were in a partnership together.
Maybe it was a matter of two friends who enjoyed spending time together…yet from the way Pete had looked at her earlier, there was something else.
Carlita made a mental note to call Reese in the morning, certain she was freaking out at being a suspect in Davis Rutger’s murder.
Right before Carlita drifted off to sleep, Pirate Pete Taylor was the last person on her mind.
*****
Chirp…chirp.
Carlita opened one eye and stared at her cell phone. Chirp. It went off a second time. She cast a quick glance at the clock and flung the covers back.
There was another chirp, and she snatched it off the stand. It was Reese. Carlita shifted onto one elbow. “Hey, Reese.”
“Hi, Carlita. I’m sorry to bother you this early, but I need help. I’m starting my regular route now and wondered if you had time to ride along with me.”
“Of course.” Carlita swung her legs over the side of the bed. “What time you gonna be by here?”
“Half an hour…around eight-thirty.”
“I’ll be there.” Carlita promised she would be waiting at the trolley stop and then hung up the phone. She dashed to the bathroom where she ran a quick comb through her hair and brushed her teeth. Back in her bedroom, she threw on a pair of slacks and a t-shirt.
Rambo whined as he watched her. “I know. You first.” Brittney’s bedroom door was closed. Carlita held a finger to her lips as they tiptoed past the door and down the stairs.
Luigi and Ricco’s sedan was parked in the lot next to Sam Ivey’s pickup truck. She made a mental note to chat with Brittney’s companions about avoiding the former police officer, and then a terrifying thought occurred to her.
What if Sam had already spotted Vito’s men and mentioned it to the police? If so, it was only a matter of time before they showed up on her doorstep again…or even worse, what if her place was now under surveillance?
Sam hadn’t mentioned the men last night. He had mentioned being booked solid with tours, so there was a chance he wasn’t aware of Luigi and Ricco’s presence. She made a mental note to stress to the men that it was imperative they keep a low profile.
Rambo and Carlita returned to the apartment where she fed her pets and then jotted a note to Brittney. She grabbed her purse and keys, making it to Reese’s trolley stop with minutes to spare.
Carlita waited for a passenger to exit the trolley before climbing on board. “Hey, Reese.”
“Hey, Carlita.” Reese swung the door closed and steered the trolley onto the street. “Thanks for meeting me on such short notice.”
“No problem. I planned to call you first thing this morning.” Carlita set her purse on the seat next to her. “Any news on Rutger’s death?”
“Only that I’m a suspect and pretty sure I’m at the top of the list.” Reese told her she’d been visited by both Detective Polivich and Detective Jackson. “Reading between the lines, I’m on the radar because of the trolley incident and where his body was found.”
“But there’s no way you could’ve overpowered a man Rutger’s size.”
“Unless I used this.” Reese tapped the taser clipped to her hip. “The cops confiscated mine. This is a spare Buzz let me borrow. They were hinting I somehow managed to tase Rutger before binding his hands and feet. After he was restrained, I strangled him and dumped his body in the shed.”
“You and what army?” Carlita asked.
“I think they suspect more than one person was involved. Polivich mentioned two big, burly guys they caught on camera in your neighborhood the other night.”
“I heard the same.” Carlita kept quiet about Ricco and Luigi. The fewer people who knew about them, the better. She glanced over her shoulder before leaning forward. “Sam told me Davis Rutger managed to make some powerful enemies.”
“I started making a list of possible suspects.” Reese reached inside her pocket, pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper and handed it to Carlita.
“Let’s see what you have.” Carlita slipped her reading glasses on. “Who are these people?”
“The Savannah Six. I haven’t had time to research them. Before the incident the other day they were acting suspicious, huddled together near the back. I think they were arguing.”
“So right before they raised a ruckus on board the trolley, they were arguing.”
“Or it’s possible they were going over their plan to take control of the trolley.” Reese told her the group targeted the man who was pushed out the emergency exit because he was videotaping them with his cell phone.
“Why was he taping them?”
“I don’t know.” Reese shrugged. “They did something. I’m sure the investigators have already talked to the man.”
“Right.” Carlita stared thoughtfully out the window. “Do you mind if I take a picture of this list and do some searching on my own?”
“I was hoping you might help. Detective Polivich left a message earlier. He wants to talk to me again,” Reese cleared her throat. “I have a feeling they’re looking hard at me.”
“I don’t understand why.”
“I tried to tase Rutger and throw him off the trolley. There’s something else.” Carlita’s friend tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “I’ve been arrested before.”
She hurried on. “It was years ago when I was younger and did stupid stuff. I was involved in a series of petty thefts, and now it’s coming back to haunt me.”
“But nothing since then,” Carlita said.
“Nope.” Reese shook her head. “Not even a traffic ticket.”
They finished a complete loop of the trolley route and reached Carlita’s stop. She waited for the trolley to pull alongside the curb and stood. “I’ll start digging around as soon as I get home and call you later.”
There were tears in Reese’s eyes as she thanked her friend. “I don’t know what to do. If the authorities arrest me, Buzz is going to fire me for sure.”
“I’m sorry, Reese. You happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hang in there. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” Carlita waited for the trolley to pull away before crossing to the other side and stepping into the alley.
Dernice, who was standing next to Elvira’s car, ran out to greet her. “Hey. Carlita.”
Carlita slowed. “Good morning, Dernice. I was just thinking about Elvira last night. How’s she doing?”
“She’s gone.”
Chapter 12
“Gone?” Carlita blinked rapidly. “Elvira went somewhere?”
“She took off,” Dernice said. “Her purse and favorite backpack are gone, too. She didn’t leave a note, didn’t take the car. Just up and left. I tried calling her cell phone. It went right to voice mail.”
“Maybe she decided to get out of the house, take a break and she’ll be back.”
“I’m thinking she’s going to be gone awhile. She cleaned out one of the business accounts. Fifteen thousand bucks.” Dernice snapped her fingers. “Gone.”
“No kidding.” Carlita grew thoughtful. “The good news is she probably isn’t planning to do herself in because she wouldn’t need money.”
“She doesn’t need money. She needs help.” Dernice tapped the side of her forehead. “I hate to say it, but my sister’s gone a little whacko. Last night, she told me she was convinced the government wired our home and they’re spying on us. Then she said something about hearing voices.”
“Have you contacted the authorities?”
“I’m on my way down to the police station to file a missing person’s report. I wanted to give you a heads up in case she tries to contact someone - me or you.”
“Have you checked with other family members?”
“We have no other family, just her daughter, Zulilly, and you.”
“Me?” Carlita asked.
“Elvira thinks of you as family.”
“I…I’ll be sure to let my children know Elvira’s gone missing, and we’ll keep an eye out for her.”
Dernice thanked her and promised to let her know as soon as she heard anything. Carlita promised to do the same and then watched Dernice make her way to the parking lot, her shoulders slumped as if she was carrying the weight of the world.
Carlita prayed a silent prayer for Dernice and Elvira before trudging back upstairs. She could hear Brittney moving around inside the bedroom. The door was closed, so she headed to her desk in the dining room.
She forwarded the picture she’d taken of Reese’s list to her email and logged onto the computer. Carlita printed it off and set it aside. First up was an online search. She typed in “Savannah Six, Savannah, Georgia.”
Several recent news stories popped up. Carlita vaguely remembered hearing about a couple of the incidents but hadn’t followed the stories. The most recent was about Davis Rutger’s death and how the authorities were questioning not only the other members of the “six” but also the businesses the group had victimized.
As Carlita read through each of the stories, she began to see a connection. The group had specifically targeted the tourist industry. Not only had they targeted Savannah Trolley Company, the company Reese worked for, but they had also targeted the ferry that shuttled passengers from Morrell Park to Hutchinson Island.
Another involved a recent disturbance at the Savannah Convention Center, and the third was when the “six” had attacked a group of students from Savannah School of Design who were on a local ghost tour.
Carlita jotted down notes about the recent incidents before she started researching Davis Rutger. She remembered hearing Rutger was the governor’s nephew, but the information was somewhat misleading. Although Davis Rutger was the nephew of a governor, he was the nephew of a former California governor.
She made a note about the information and then typed in the first name on Reese’s list, Clifton Boggs. He had a lengthy rap sheet and an arrest for violence against a law enforcement officer. Carlita jotted second in command with a question mark next to his name.
The second, Quinton Jackson, and the third, Axel Bell, were only mentioned in passing.
The more Carlita researched, the more it became apparent Rutger had been the Savannah Six’s ringleader. The fourth name, Kellen Saylor, popped up several times. Saylor was listed as the member who attacked the ferry captain before being taken down by several passengers.
The ferry incident was serious enough that two of the Savannah Six, Davis Rutger and Kellen Saylor, had been detained and given a free ride to the police station. The story reported the two men had been released the same day and the charges against them being “mysteriously dropped.”
The last name to hit Carlita’s radar was not a man, but a woman - the sixth member of the Savannah Six. Her name was Lisa Zant. Although there was a small photograph of the woman with the news story, there was little information about her other than Zant had joined the gang shortly before the group got their nickname.
“Whatcha doing?” Brittney had crept up behind Carlita, and she jerked back. “Brittney! You scared me half to death.”
“Sorry. I thought you heard me.”
“No. I was working on something for a friend. How are you feeling today?”
“I feel fine, but I’m bored. I mean, not that you’re boring or anything.”
“You could take the trolley across town and do a little shopping,” Carlita suggested.
“Shopping sounds like fun.” Brittney brightened. “Will you go with me?”
Shopping wasn’t necessarily what Carlita had in mind, but she didn’t have the heart to tell her “no.” “I suppose I could.”
What she’d planned to do was finish checking out the Savannah Six and then head next door to the vacant lot to have a look around. “Why don’t you grab a bite to eat first.”
While Brittney ate, Carlita finished checking out the “six” members. Nothing else struck her as a possible clue. It was obvious the group was trouble which meant they had their share of people who had a motive to take Davis Rutger out.
Brittney finished her bowl of cereal and banana. “I’ll run to the bathroom to get ready.”
“I’ll be waiting.” After Brittney left, Carlita headed across the hall to Autumn’s apartment. She could hear the soft strains of music coming from inside and gave the door a sharp rap. It flew open, and Mercedes appeared. “Hey, Ma.”
“How’s it going?”
“Great. Autumn’s at work. I’m covering an afternoon shift at Ravello’s. How’s Brittney?”
“Bored. We’re heading to the City Market district to do some shopping. Before we do that, I want to run over to the vacant lot and take a look around.”
“To search for clues?”
“Yeah. Reese thinks the police are targeting her, so I offered to help.” Carlita told her daughter what she’d found so far…the names of the Savannah Six members. “I noticed a pattern. These g
uys and the woman were targeting tourist-related businesses. The trolleys, the shuttle ferry, local students on a ghost tour. Why target them?”
Mercedes shrugged. “Because most of what’s around here is touristy stuff and convention centers.”
“True.” Carlita tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I wonder about the guy who was attacked. The authorities haven’t released his name. I bet Reese knows who it is.”
“I’m sure.”
Carlita ran back to the apartment, grabbed her cell phone and returned to Autumn’s apartment where she tapped out a message to Reese.
It took a couple of minutes before Reese replied with the man’s name.
“Phil Duce,” Carlita repeated the name. “Why does Phil Duce sound familiar?”
“It sounds familiar to me, too,” Mercedes said.
“I’m gonna check it out.” Carlita began searching for the internet app on her cell phone.
“I already got it.” Mercedes waved her phone in the air. “Phil Duce owns Black Stallion Club.”
“Whoa.” Carlita’s eyes grew wide. “Pat Duce owned the club. Remember? She was running an illegal gambling ring. I thought the cops shut that place down after she was arrested for murder.”
“It looks as if someone in the family opened it back up. Phil Duce owns the nightclub.”
Carlita’s cell phone rang. “Hey, Reese. Are you sure the person who was attacked and tossed out the back of your trolley was Phil Duce?”
“One hundred percent. I got his name from Detective Polivich.”
“He owns Black Stallion Club.”
“The place is a dump. Wait a minute…” Reese grew quiet.
“What?”
“I was in there a coupla days ago. Some of the other drivers and I met up there for drinks after work. So, you’re saying the owner of the Black Stallion Club was the guy Rutger pushed out the back of my trolley?”
“If it was Phil Duce. Mercedes did a search. The club has some shady ties to illegal gambling and other questionable business practices.”
Turmoil in Savannah: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 13) Page 9
