Turmoil in Savannah: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 13)

by Hope Callaghan

  “But Quinton and Axel didn’t have records, either.” Reese tapped the sheet. “Why didn’t the police write these two up after the incident on board the ferry not to mention the incident with the other trolley at the cemetery?”

  “Maybe because they’d never been in trouble before and were let off with a warning,” Carlita theorized. “Let’s check out the lone woman, Lisa Zant.”

  There were several misdemeanors under her name, but nothing any young person couldn’t have done in their youth. Carlita studied the woman’s mugshot and the tattoo ring around her neck. “Why would someone want to tattoo their neck like that?”

  “I dunno. Davis Rutger had one around his neck, too. Maybe it was some sort of marking like gang members do,” Reese said.

  Last on the list was Clifton Boggs. He had several previous run-ins with local authorities. “He’s got the longest rap sheet of the bunch.” Carlita skimmed the first page and clicked the button at the bottom to pull up the second page. “Looks like he’s a lifetime local.”

  “More like lifetime troublemaker. Wait a sec.” Reese pointed at the computer screen. “Check it out.”

  Chapter 19

  Carlita’s eyes squinted as she scanned the report. “He was arrested for violence against a law enforcement officer last spring. I noticed that earlier. In fact, I jotted down a note.”

  “What if he was second in command?” Reese asked. “Maybe he and Rutger got into it, and Boggs took him out.”

  Carlita studied his picture, noting the same ring of tattoos around his neck. “I think he has the same tattoo ring.”

  She typed in Davis Rutger’s name, pulled up his profile and clicked on his online records and mugshot, confirming he sported the same tattoo as Lisa Zant and Clifton Boggs. Carlita faced her friend. “Do you recall if they all had tattoo rings around their necks?”

  “I don’t, but then it was so chaotic once we got going, I was lucky I was able to keep the trolley on the street.”

  Carlita grabbed an ink pen and scribbled tattoo ring next to Davis Rutger, Clifton Boggs and Lisa Zant’s name. She jotted question marks next to Kellen Saylor, Axel Bell and Quinton Jackson. “Autumn mentioned her brother, Steve, had done some tattoo work on the Savannah Six months ago, before they gained their notoriety.”

  “We should get the scoop from him,” Reese suggested.

  “It’s worth checking out.” Carlita finished researching the site and logged off. “Half of the group had the same tattoo. Kellen Saylor and the other two did not.”

  “At least not at the time the mugshots were taken,” Reese pointed out.

  “True.” Carlita carefully folded the sheet of paper with the Savannah Six’s names. “Steve’s shop, Shades of Ink, is right around the corner.”

  “I’m game.” Reese slid out of her chair. “The more information we have, the better off we are.”

  The women headed out the door when Carlita remembered an interesting remark Sam had made about Davis Rutger’s body. She turned around and headed back to the balcony.

  Sam and Mercedes sat close together, their heads almost touching. Carlita rattled the doorknob to announce her presence, and they both jerked back.

  She eased the door open and stuck her head out. “I’m sorry to bother you two lovebirds, but I have a quick question for Sam.”

  “Sure.”

  “The other day, you mentioned Rutger’s killer had carved something on his chest. Half of the Savannah Six have matching tattoo rings around their necks. I’m wondering if you can describe the carving.”

  Sam shook his head. “I shouldn’t have said anything. Rutger’s death is an active investigation, and the marking is significant. I wasn’t supposed to be privy to that information.”

  “Because the killer hung around long enough to leave it,” Carlita guessed.

  “That would be the assumption. I’m sorry, Carlita.”

  “I understand. Carry on.” She pulled the door shut behind her and then closed the blinds to give them privacy.

  Carlita grabbed her purse when a sudden thought occurred to her. She motioned to Reese, who stood waiting by the front door. “Hang on. I’ll be right back.” Carlita darted into the bathroom and dialed Ricco’s cell phone number. There was no answer, so she left a brief message asking him to return her call as soon as possible.

  Certain Reese would start wondering what had happened to her, she decided to try her daughter-in-law’s cell phone.

  “Hey, Ma.”

  “Hi, Brittney. How’s it going?”

  “Great. Byron is a doll. When he found out I twisted my ankle the other day, and it was starting to swell, he’s been waiting on me hand and foot.” There was a muffled sound. “You can put it right there. Thank you.”

  Brittney returned. “Byron brought me a Swiss coffee. It’s the best decaf coffee on the planet. It’s one hundred percent chemical-free and brewed with water imported from the Swiss Alps.”

  “That sounds…expensive. I’m glad you’re happy and comfortable. Byron is the best.”

  “He is.”

  “I was wondering if Ricco or Luigi are close by. I tried calling Ricco’s cell phone, but my call went to voice mail.”

  “I saw them pass by in the hall…RICCO! LUIGI!” Brittney screamed into the phone. “They’re coming. Hang on.”

  There was a small pause, long enough for Carlita’s ears to stop ringing. “Ricco speaking.”

  “Hi, Ricco. It’s Carlita. I’m sorry to bother you, but I thought of something. When you found Rutger the other morning, you checked his pockets for identification before you came and got us.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did you take any pictures of his body?”

  “I didn’t.”

  “There was mention of some sort of carving on his chest. While you were searching his pockets, did you happen to notice it?”

  “No.”

  A man of few words, Ricco grew quiet.

  “What about Luigi?”

  “Yeah. Luigi flipped him over. He mighta noticed something. We’re here with Brit. Give me a minute so we can step into the hall.”

  “Of course. The less she knows, the better.”

  There were muffled sounds, and Carlita knew Ricco was on the move. She could hear a door close. “Carlita’s on the phone. She wants to know if you noticed anything carved on Rutger’s chest when we found the body.”

  She could hear Luigi reply, but his voice was muffled. “What did he say?”

  “I’ll let you talk to him.”

  “Luigi speaking.”

  “Hi, Luigi. I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you noticed an unusual carving on Rutger’s chest the other morning when you found his body in the shed.”

  “Yeah. Wasn’t a very good carving, either.”

  “Can you describe it?”

  “It was bloody. Mostly dried blood.”

  “I’m sure it was.” Carlita’s stomach churned at the thought. “Could you tell what it was?”

  “No. I can send it to you, though.”

  “A picture of the carving?” Carlita asked.

  There was a loud cracking sound on the other end. “What? Why did you hit me?” Luigi grunted. “You was walkin’ around the shed checkin’ for more bodies, and I snapped a picture.”

  Carlita nearly jumped for joy. “Can you send it to me?”

  “Sure. I got it on my cell phone. It’s in my room.”

  There was a moment of silence, and Ricco returned. “Luigi’s goin’ to get his phone, and send you a picture, which I knew nothin’ about. He shouldna done that.”

  “It certainly wouldn’t look good if the authorities picked you up and found a snapshot of the dead man on Luigi’s cell phone,” Carlita agreed.

  “It was dumb…dumber than a box of rocks. He’s gonna be deleting it as soon as you get a copy.”

  Carlita’s cell phone dinged, and she glanced at the message from Luigi. “Hang on.” She confirmed the picture was in the text and then ret
urned to the phone. “Thanks, Ricco. Thank Luigi for me, too.”

  “Sure. Right after I drag him outside and knock some sense into the numskull,” Ricco said. “You need anything else?”

  “No. Wait. How are you settling in at Montgomery Hall?”

  “This place is so sweet,” Ricco let out a low whistle. “I ain’t never been in such a swanky place that wasn’t filled with red velvet wallpaper and shag carpet.”

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying your stay. Hopefully, it will only be for a night or two.”

  “Take your time. Brit’s ringing her bell. Gotta go.” Ricco disconnected the line.

  Carlita exited the bathroom and joined Reese, who gave her a puzzled look. “Sorry. While I was in there, I had a sudden thought. I remember Tony mentioning he snapped a picture of Rutger’s body when he and Rambo found him,” she fibbed.

  “He did? And you just remembered?” Reese asked incredulously.

  “It…slipped my mind. I asked him to send it to me.”

  “Why didn’t you go downstairs to the pawnshop and ask him?” Reese shook her head, confused.

  “I…I guess I should have. Let’s take a look.” Carlita’s finger trembled as she pressed the message key. She tapped the screen to enlarge the picture, forcing herself not to focus on the neck injuries and odd angle of Rutger’s body. Instead, she focused on his chest and the blob of red in the middle.

  “This must be it.” She tapped the screen, enlarging the picture before showing it to Reese. “It’s a red splotch.”

  Reese winced. “That must’ve hurt.”

  “What a horrible way to go. Someone wanted to torture this man before killing him but who?” Carlita studied the picture for a long time before shutting her phone off and placing it back inside her purse. “Let’s head to Steve’s tattoo shop. Maybe he can help us make heads or tails of the tattoos and their meaning.”

  It was a short walk from the apartment, around the corner and to Halston Street.

  “This is it.” Carlita slowed in front of the tattoo shop. Steve was inside and with a customer. “Crud. He’s with someone.”

  “We can at least ask him to call.”

  “Right.” Carlita eased the door open.

  Steve cast them a quick glance before doing a double-take. “Hey, Carlita.”

  “Hi, Steve. I know you’re busy but was wondering if you could give me a call on my cell phone when you have a moment.”

  “Sure.” He waved the tattoo tool he was holding. “I think I have your number but jot it down just in case. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done here.”

  Carlita did as Steve suggested, putting her name next to the number and thanking him before the women stepped back onto the sidewalk. “That puts a wrench in our plans.”

  “Or a delay in tracking down the mystery behind the tattoos. I better head home to get ready to start my afternoon shift,” Reese said. “I’ll check Wednesday’s rider logs but don’t hold your breath.”

  “Any clue no matter how small might help us.”

  “I’ll send you a text as soon as I’ve had a chance to look at them unless I’m in jail by then.”

  “You’re not going to jail. The authorities have nothing on you.” The women reached the alley, and Carlita watched Reese climb into her jeep, making a half-hearted attempt at a smile as she drove off.

  Carlita started up the stairs and changed her mind. She stepped into the pawnshop. Business was booming, and she hurried to the store floor to help her son and the part-time employee.

  The next couple of hours flew by as she worked the cash register. Finally, there was a lull in the crowd. Another part-timer showed up to relieve Tony, and he joined his mother.

  “Thanks for helping out, Ma.”

  “Any time, Son.”

  “You get Brittney and the guys settled in over at Montgomery Hall?”

  “Yeah. I checked on them a short time ago. They’re liking their new accommodations.”

  “Who wouldn’t?” Tony chuckled before his expression grew serious. “The cops were here snoopin’ around, asking to take another look at the surveillance camera recordings, and mentioning Luigi and Ricco.”

  “It’s a good thing they’re outta here.”

  “That was brilliant bringing them in through the tunnels last night.”

  “Brilliant and risky.” Carlita sucked in a breath. “If I live through this, I’m gonna need a vacation.”

  “Would you settle for a quick break?” Tony asked. “I was gonna swing by Ravello’s and grab a bite to eat since the shop’s covered.”

  “I would love to spend time with you. You don’t want to head home?”

  “Shelby and Violet are visiting her Uncle Jerry. They were headin’ to Tybee Island for the day and won’t be home until late.”

  “I’m glad they’re getting out. You need to do that more often, too.”

  “Shelby says the same thing. I think I’m turnin’ into a workaholic,” Tony said. “How’s the investigation goin’?”

  “We’re at a standstill. I’ll fill you in after you grab some grub.”

  They reached the restaurant, and Tony ordered the daily special, a spaghetti and meatball platter with a side of garlic bread.

  Carlita, who was still full from the breakfast Mercedes had made, grabbed a soda. “Let’s enjoy some fresh air.” She carried their drinks to the courtyard, where she unlocked the gate and followed him inside. “We should come out here more often.”

  “I always forget about it.” Tony eased onto one of the bistro chairs and removed the to-go lid. “The special looks delish.”

  While her son ate, Carlita told him about the rap records of the Savannah Six and how she had noticed that half of the members’ necks sported similar tattoos.

  “Sounds like a gang marking.”

  “The odd thing is not all of them had the tattoos, at least not that I could tell.”

  “You should run it by Steve Winter. He’s the tattoo expert.”

  “I’m one step ahead of you,” Carlita said. “Autumn told us Steve had done some work for the Savannah Six before they gained notoriety. I’m waiting for him to call me back. I also want to show him the picture Luigi took of the carving on Rutger’s chest.”

  “Luigi took a picture of the body?” Tony twirled a forkful of spaghetti. “That was stupid.”

  “Probably not the best move. For the record, I showed it to Reese who thinks you took it.” Carlita patted her pocket to make sure she still had her phone. “I’ll show you after you’re done eating. It ain’t pretty.”

  Carlita briefly recapped the previous night’s disastrous plan to tail Luigi and Ricco to Big Joe’s Pool Hall, how they got trapped in the dead-end alley and Ricco and Luigi ended up saving their necks.

  “They weren’t happy,” Tony guessed.

  “Not at all. I get the feeling they’re in the thick of things with Duce. What if Vito sent these two down here not only to keep an eye on Brittney but to do a little digging around in the gambling business, as well?”

  Tony toyed with his fork. “Vinnie mentioned it yesterday. He didn’t want you to worry. He figured the less you knew, the better. Savannah is on Vito’s radar again. Ricco, he can’t wait to get out of here and head north, but Luigi…I think he’s taking a liking to Savannah.”

  “Seriously?” Carlita shifted. “You think he wants to stay?”

  “Maybe. He’s kinda hinting at it. Who knows?” Tony shrugged. “What I do know is they better stay out of trouble with Phil Duce and the Savannah Six. Vito ain’t gonna be happy if they’re on the cop’s radar and get picked up.”

  Carlita’s phone chimed. She snatched it out of her pocket. It was Tori. “Uh-oh. Tori is calling.”

  “Hey, Tori. How’s it going?”

  “Fine. My houseguests are settling in. I thought I should give you a call regarding a conversation Byron overheard.”

  “From Brittney?”

  “No. Not Brittney. It was a conversation between Luigi and Ricco
. I think the tracking device might come in handy tonight.”

  Chapter 20

  Carlita frantically motioned to her son before pressing the speaker button. “I’m sittin’ here with Tony. I put you on speaker so he could hear. You overheard Luigi and Ricco talkin’ about going somewhere later tonight.”

  “A meeting with Philip Duce or as they called him, ‘Phil the Pill.’”

  “Did they mention a location?” Tony asked.

  “Somewhere down by the river. I’m assuming not far from that horrid stallion club which should have been razed. Byron said they noticed him and stopped talking, so all he knows is there’s some sort of meeting with Phil the Pill this evening down by the river.”

  “That’s more than enough to go on. Thank you for the heads up,” Carlita said.

  “You’re welcome. The men are no problem. They like to hang around outside and in William’s game room. Brittney, she’s a little…” Tori abruptly stopped. “Never mind.”

  “What were you going to say?”

  “Nothing. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “She’s a little high maintenance,” Carlita guessed.

  “You could say that, but you mentioned she was a bit more work.”

  “I’m sorry. I owe you one.”

  “She’s keeping Byron on his toes,” Tori joked.

  “Tell Byron I owe him one, too. I owe everybody one,” Carlita said. “It may be only a day or so before Brittney and the guys are able to come back here.”

  “Take your time. Like I said, they’re livening up the place.”

  Carlita thanked her friend again and disconnected the call. She waved the phone in Tony’s direction. “Ricco and Luigi are cookin’ something up with Duce or maybe Duce and some others from Big Joe’s Pool Hall.”

  “It could be at Vito’s request,” Tony pointed out. “I was a little surprised when Vinnie said Vito sent them down to talk to Duce. When they were here last time, Vito was tryin’ to put the screws to the owner, Pat, and things didn’t end well.”

  “Could it be Duce plans to set them up?” She popped out of her chair. “Think about it. Vito and Vinnie were here a few months back. They met with the owner of the Black Stallion Club to discuss a joint business venture - illegal gambling. For whatever reason, Vinnie originally told me Vito thought it was small potatoes. Let’s say for the sake of discussion, Vito walked away after a disagreement with Pat Duce, the former female owner.”