Exes and Woes: A Garlucci Family Saga Novel (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 14) Read online

  The mailman joined them on the sidewalk, carrying a small stack of mail.

  “Back again?” Dernice asked.

  “I am. Are you going to sign for a certified letter today?”

  “Maybe tomorrow. Unless you wanna give it to me without a signature.” Dernice leaned forward. “Is it the same one from yesterday, from the same law firm?”

  “It is. I can’t give it to you until you sign.”

  “What happens if I don’t sign?”

  “After the third attempt, we return it to the sender.”

  “Hang on.” Dernice ran into the building and came back, waving her phone. “Can I take a picture of it? I want to send it to my sister.”

  The mailman paused for a moment and then shrugged. “Sure. No law says you can’t take a picture.”

  Dernice snapped a picture of the envelope. “Come back tomorrow, and maybe I’ll take it.”

  “Tomorrow will be my final delivery attempt.”

  “Gotcha.” Dernice took the rest of the mail from him.

  Carlita waited until he returned to his delivery truck. “What’s that all about?”

  Dernice studied her phone. “Blickman and Faust, Attorneys at Law, Hilton Head, South Carolina. They’re sending something to Elvira.”

  “Why don’t you sign for it?” Mercedes asked.

  “Elvira told me that under no circumstances should I sign for any mail, and then she wanted to know who it was from.”

  “Elvira is having some legal issues,” Carlita said.

  “Could be. Or maybe it has something to do with another piece of mail she got. Check it out.” Dernice motioned Carlita and her daughter inside the office. She snatched an envelope off the desk and handed it to her.

  Mercedes leaned over her mother’s shoulder as Carlita removed the contents. “It’s a Warranty Deed.”

  “Yep.”

  “Tybee Island,” Mercedes said. “She bought property on Tybee?”

  “Check out the grantee…the buyer.”

  Carlita lowered her gaze, her eyes skimming the first paragraph. “EC Investment Group. You started an investment group?”

  “Not me. This is the first I’ve heard of it. Remember when I told you Elvira cleaned out one of the business accounts? Now I know where all of the money went.”

  “I’d forgotten about that until you just mentioned it.” Carlita thought about the day Elvira disappeared and remembered Dernice telling her that she’d emptied one of the business accounts on her way out of town. “Why is she buying property on Tybee Island?”

  “I think I know.” Mercedes snapped her fingers. “I’ve been doing some research on Tybee Island for my upcoming book. An investment company is snatching up properties near the beach. They plan to build a large entertainment complex along with housing and vacation rentals.”

  Dernice’s eyes narrowed. “No kidding. Before Elvira went MIA, she was spending a lot of time working security detail on Tybee. She wouldn’t let anyone else handle the accounts, insisting on taking care of them herself.”

  “Why wouldn’t she just tell you she was starting an investment company?” Carlita shook her head, confused.

  “We’re talking about Elvira here,” Dernice said.

  “Good point. So now what?”

  “There’s an address on the deed. I want to check out the property. But first, I gotta handle a small employee issue at one of the jobs.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t go alone, to Tybee, I mean.” Carlita tapped her chin thoughtfully. “If you wait a couple of hours, I’ll see if Luigi is free. We’ll tag along while you check out the property. At the same time, you can talk to him about a job.”

  “That’s a great idea.” Dernice walked them to the door as they set an agreed-upon time to meet in the alley parking lot.

  “We’ll be there, or at least I’ll be there and hopefully Luigi too.”

  Dernice’s cell phone chimed, and she glanced at the screen. “I gotta take this call. I’ll meet you out back later.”

  Carlita gave her a thumbs up, and she and Mercedes headed out. “What do you think?”

  “About what?” Mercedes asked.

  “About Luigi working with Dernice.”

  “No one is gonna know how Luigi is gonna do unless they give him a chance.”

  They returned home and found Luigi standing on the stoop. He lit a cigarette and watched as they approached. “Your neighbors are quiet these days. Not much action goin’ on.”

  “Speaking of action and neighbors, Dernice is looking to hire experienced security people. Would you be interested in talking to her?”

  “Sure. Yeah.” Luigi took a deep drag off the cigarette and blew the smoke over their heads. “I appreciate you helpin’ me out. I’m not sure if being a pawn shop employee is the right career move for me.”

  “I agree. You need to explore some other options.”

  “I’m headin’ in.” Mercedes slipped past her mother and returned inside.

  Carlita waited until she was gone. “My friend, Pirate Pete, the one who sneaked you and Ricco through the tunnel, is hosting a private event on his pirate ship and needs some security help, as well.”

  “Pirate ship?” Luigi flicked his ashes on the ground. “Sounds interesting.”

  “I think it might be a good start for you. It’s next weekend.” Carlita changed the subject. “Have you finished working today?”

  “Yeah.”

  “If you have time, we can head over to the pirate ship to talk to Pete.”

  “I got nothin’ but time on my hands.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Carlita ran up the stairs. She sent a quick text to Pete to give him a heads up they were on the way.

  While they walked, Carlita chatted about life in Savannah, asking if Luigi had met any of the locals or made any friends.

  “As a matter of fact, one of the other tenants, Cool Bones, invited me to check out him and his band at the Thirsty Crow. I played a little saxophone back in the day, and he invited me to jam out with them.”

  Despite Luigi’s compact and broad girth, he moved at a quick clip.

  “Cool Bones is a great guy,” Carlita said breathlessly as she struggled to keep up.

  “Sorry, Mrs. G.” Luigi slowed. “I’m used to havin’ to hustle.”

  “In more ways than one, I’m sure.”

  They passed the Parrot House, Pete’s restaurant, crossing the street to Morrell Park. The park was not only home to the Waving Girl statue, but it was also the docking area for The Flying Gunner, Pete’s pirate ship.

  They reached the dock and side-stepped a trio of employees who were hosing off the gangplank. The workers waved them through and waited for them to climb the gangway and board the ship.

  Pete’s office was on the main deck, on the opposite side of the ship. Carlita gave his office door a light rap. She eased the door open when she heard a muffled reply.

  “Carlita.” Pete pushed his chair back and made his way across the room. “That was fast.”

  “Thanks for seeing us on such short notice. I’m sure you remember Luigi,” she said as the men shook hands. “I explained to him that you’re hosting a private event and need some extra help.”

  Luigi jabbed his thumb at his chest. “If you’re lookin’ for security, I’m the guy for the job.”

  “Guy for the job. Watch your booty,” Gunner squawked. “It’s a big job.”

  Luigi’s head shot up as he eyed the parrot in the corner cage. “Who’s this character?”

  “Character is right,” Carlita chuckled. “This is Gunner, Pete’s parrot, and the namesake for this pirate ship.”

  Gunner strolled along his perch. “Gunner, the pirate.”

  “Gunner,” Luigi snorted. “Like guns – gunner?”

  “Rat-a-tat-tat,” Gunner sang. “Don’t let anyone steal your booty.”

  “Ain’t nobody stealing Luigi’s booty.” Luigi leaned in.

  Gunner lunged forward, clamping onto the tip of Luigi’s fedor
a as he plucked it from his head. It dangled from the bird’s beak for a second before he lost his grip, and it fell to the floor.

  “Hey.” Luigi grabbed it. “Don’t be messin’ with my fedora.”

  “Mess with the fedora,” Gunner repeated. “Gunner is a pirate.”

  “You gotta watch him,” Pete warned. “Gunner can move fast when he sees something he likes.”

  “Gunner wants a fedora.”

  Luigi shot the bird a look of irritation as he tightened his grip on the hat. “A fedora frocked nuisance.”

  “Let’s have a seat.” Pete motioned for Carlita and Luigi to join him. “I’m not sure if Carlita explained my situation. I’m hosting a lively – and by lively, I mean rowdy group of insurance salesmen for a private event on board The Flying Gunner Sunday evening. I have a few employees who will be helping with the security but could use someone with your level of expertise.”

  Luigi puffed up his chest. “I can handle whatever you got, even a bunch of suits.”

  “Don’t let their profession fool you. It’s a wild party crowd.” Pete threw out a generous sum for the evening assignment, and Luigi quickly accepted before the conversation shifted to the upcoming holiday.

  Luigi, bored with the conversation, began drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair.

  Carlita stood. “We should get going.”

  “Yeah. I gotta get outta here. This room is a little too cramped for my liking.” Luigi made his way to the door.

  “Luigi!” Gunner yelled. “My fedora!”

  Carlita burst out laughing as she approached Gunner’s cage. “Do you want Carlita to buy you a fedora?”

  “Pretty lady,” Gunner said. “Gunner’s fedora.”

  “I’m gonna step outside to have a smoke.” Luigi tromped out of the office.

  Carlita started to follow, but Pete reached out to stop her. “Thanks for stopping by, lass,” he said softly.

  Carlita could feel a warm flush fill her body. “You’re welcome. Thank you for giving Luigi a chance.”

  He looked as if he was going to say something else.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Luigi seems like a good guy.” Pete released his grip. “I best let you get going.”

  The couple joined Luigi, who was talking to the deckhands.

  She turned to Pete. Their eyes met, his dark and unreadable. Her heart did a little flip, and she quickly looked away.

  Luigi shifted his attention to them, unaware of the exchange. “Ready?”

  “Yes.” She gave Pete a shy smile. “Thanks again for offering Luigi a job.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Carlita could feel Pete’s eyes on her as she and Luigi exited the docking area. They crested the incline and stepped onto the sidewalk.

  “While we’re pounding the pavement, I thought now might be a good time to talk about Dernice. She and I are taking a drive over to Tybee Island to check out a property her sister purchased.”

  “Tybee, huh?” Luigi shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. “Castellini was lookin’ at an investment property over there. Some big bucks investors were plannin’ on settin’ up shop there, and he was lookin’ to get in on the action. I’m up for a ride. I gotta get something cookin’. I can’t keep depending on you for help.”

  “You’re helping us, too,” Carlita pointed out. “But I can see you want to make it on your own. I think you’ll like working with Dernice.”

  Luigi was silent as they trudged back to Walton Square, passing by Annie Dowton’s real estate office and the pawn shop. They circled the block and began making their way to Elvira’s building.

  Carlita had just stepped off the curb when she felt a tiny tremble, seconds before there was a loud explosion.

  Chapter 3

  There was a split second of eerie silence followed by the wail of an alarm.

  “You stay here. I’m gonna check it out.” Luigi rushed around the corner and out of sight.

  The apartment building’s back door flew open. Tony and Mercedes ran into the alley.

  Tony was the first to spot his mother. “What’s goin’ on?”

  “I don’t know.” Carlita pressed a trembling hand to her chest. “Luigi and I were heading next door to talk to Dernice when all of a sudden, there was this explosion.”

  “It sounded like a bomb going off,” Mercedes said. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Carlita sucked in a shaky breath. “It scared the daylights outta me. Luigi went to find out what happened.”

  Off in the distance, there was the faint echo of sirens. The sirens grew louder as a firetruck and two police cars raced past the alley entrance.

  “Luigi ain’t coming back. Let’s go check it out.” Tony led the way around the building. Several firefighters stood near Elvira’s front entrance…or what was left of it. The bottom of the door was splintered, and the sidewalk was covered with shards of broken glass. “He’s over there.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Carlita caught a glimpse of an EC Security Services’ van racing toward them. The van came to a screeching halt behind the fire truck. Dernice flew out of the vehicle, a look of panic on her face.

  Carlita and her children sidestepped the firefighters and joined Luigi. “What happened?”

  “From what I can tell, it was a gas explosion,” Luigi said.

  “Step back, folks.” A firefighter waited for them to move away while a police officer began stringing caution tape along the sidewalk.

  “I wonder what caused it.” Carlita told the others what Dernice had said earlier, how she suspected someone had been inside the building, but nothing had been touched.

  “Could be intentional. Maybe someone is targeting their investigative services company,” Tony said.

  “A disgruntled customer,” Mercedes chimed in.

  A Channel 11 News van arrived moments later. The crew exited the vehicle and began setting up their equipment. Brock Kensington, a local reporter, emerged. He swaggered onto the sidewalk and began smoothing his hair.

  “Autumn can’t stand that guy,” Mercedes said.

  Brock waited for the camera crew to give him the thumbs up. He approached one of the officers, turning so that they both faced the camera.

  Kensington spent several moments interviewing him before approaching Dernice, who was standing next to a firefighter. She waved him off as she shook her head.

  Not ready to give up, he shoved the microphone in her face.

  Dernice glared at the reporter and pushed the microphone away. For a second, Carlita thought she was going to take a swing at him. The firefighter must’ve thought the same and stepped between them.

  “He’s telling the reporter to buzz off,” Luigi said.

  Kensington finally backed down. He leaned in and said something to his camera crew. They returned to their van and sat inside with the engine idling for a long time before slowly driving off.

  The firefighters packed up their gear and hoses and drove away, leaving only the police officers and Dernice.

  Tony consulted his watch. “As much as I’m dyin’ to know what happened, I need to get back to work.”

  “This might take a while. I’ll keep you posted,” Carlita promised.

  “I’m gonna take off too.” Mercedes followed her brother, careful to steer clear of the taped off area as she made her way past the building.

  “They’re all leavin’.” Carlita craned her neck, watching as one of the last officers on the scene jotted something on a notepad, and then tucked it into his front pocket.

  Carlita and Luigi waited until he and his partner left before joining Dernice near the entrance.

  “What happened?” Carlita asked.

  “I was gonna take Elvira’s rusty old propane tank to the store to swap it out for a new one. I left it by the door, so I wouldn’t forget. It musta’ had a leak, and something ignited it.” Dernice’s hands flew up. “The thing went off like a bomb and blew out my front door.”

  “Luigi and
I heard the explosion. We were in the alley when it happened.”

  “Ten minutes earlier, and the tank would’ve gone off with me inside. I could’ve been blown to smithereens.” Dernice began removing the police tape. “It blew the glass right out of the door.”

  Shards of glass crunched under Carlita’s shoes as they cautiously followed Dernice inside. The smell of rotten eggs hung in the air. “Is it safe to be in here?”

  “Yeah. The firefighters checked the air quality before they left. Remember how I called the cops earlier because I thought someone was messing around but didn’t see anything on the surveillance cameras? I was wrong. The cameras did catch someone. Check this out.” Dernice removed a silver laptop from the desk drawer, placed it on top and lifted the lid.

  The trio watched as a dark, four-door sedan crept by. An arm shot out of the driver’s side window.

  “What are they doing?”

  “I have no idea. Throwing something at the building?” Dernice shook her head.

  “Can I see it again?” Luigi asked.

  “Sure.” Dernice played the clip again.

  “It looks suspicious.” Luigi shifted his feet. “When was this recorded?”

  “This morning, around the same time I came back here and discovered the door was open.”

  “With no sign of forced entry,” Luigi said.

  “Nope.”

  Carlita pressed the tips of her fingers together. “Is there anything you can think of that may have happened recently, maybe a client’s case that didn’t go as planned?”

  “It’s against company policy to discuss client cases. Elvira would have a fit if she thought I was sharing confidential information.”

  “And where is Elvira?”

  “Believe it or not, she’s in St. Augustine.” Dernice began rubbing her temples. “I can’t take much more of this. She has plenty of time to run around, start new businesses and buy properties. Meanwhile, I’m stretched and stressed to the max.”

  “Which is why Luigi and I were on our way over in the first place,” Carlita said. “You need help. Luigi has a security background.”

  “I do need help.” Dernice popped out of the chair. “Before we get down to business, I want to show you what the firefighters found while they were checking the place.”