Page 59 of Shakedown in Savannah

“And the other guy, the other business owner. It might not be a bad idea to see what’s up with him.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Carlita said. “It also wouldn’t hurt for me to take a spin around town and chat with Reese. She knows almost everyone and everything that goes on in Savannah.”

“But safely,” Pete cautioned. “If you plan to visit this check cashing guy’s place, don’t go alone. I can rearrange my schedule.”

“It’s not necessary.”

“I’ll go with Ma,” Vinnie offered. “I’m not leaving town until we figure out who killed this Enzo guy.”

“I can hitch a ride on Reese’s trolley first thing tomorrow morning. Afterwards, Vinnie and I will pay a visit to Mr. Ziffra.”

“I can’t help but think June Cleary might hold the key,” Carlita said. “If what Dernice said is true, the woman doesn’t miss a thing. She might know more than she’s letting on.”

“Meaning you might swing by to chat with her tomorrow, too?”

“Why not? Vinnie and I will be right there.”

“And what about Costanza?”

An uneasy feeling settled over Carlita. “He’s hanging around looking for something. It’s possible Lombardo is having him keep a low profile. Or it’s possible the investigators have already tracked him down and questioned him.”

“Again…”

“I’ll be careful,” Carlita promised.

Elvira glanced at her watch. “Snitch and I need to get going. Do you mind if we swing back by for another visit?”

“Not at all,” Pete said. “I think it’s safe to say there’s a budding romance in the works.”

“I guess we all need someone,” Carlita said. “Even Snitch and Gunner.”

*****

Later that night, long after she and Pete had gone to bed, Carlita tossed and turned, trying to figure out who had murdered Enzo. Was it Lombardo? Costanza? Someone else? If so, why?

She woke up early the next morning. Pete wasn’t far behind and Vinnie, who had spent another night in their spacious guest suite, joined them as soon as the coffee was ready.

Thinking a big breakfast for a busy day was in order, she whipped up a batch of scrambled eggs, fried some bacon, and cooked a pan full of potato wedges. Although not a breakfast person, she convinced her eldest son to have a bite to eat.

The trio gathered at the table, discussing their plans for the day. While Carlita caught the trolley for a spin around town, Vinnie would hang out at the apartment and catch up on some work. Meanwhile, Pete had meetings scheduled with his staff from both the restaurant and pirate ship.

After cleaning up, Pete left first. Carlita showered and ran down to the trolley stop, only steps from the restaurant’s front entrance.

Ting…ting…ting-a-ling. Carlita heard the bell moments before the trolley rumbled around the corner. Her friend Reese sat behind the wheel, announcing the stop via the intercom system. As they cruised closer, she caught Carlita’s eye and gave a friendly wave.

Carlita waited for the passengers to get off and then climbed aboard, swiping her ride card on her way to the empty seat directly behind Reese.

“Good morning, Carlita,” she cheerily greeted her. “You’re up and out early.”

“I am. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much sleep last night. A few troubling issues are upsetting the Garlucci family applecart.”

“Uh-oh.” Reese sobered. “What kind of applecart upsets?”

“Finding out my first husband borrowed money from some sketchy people to purchase a dump over on Morton Street.”

“Morton Street?” Reese wrinkled her nose. “That isn’t a good area of town to invest in.”

“Tell me about it,” Carlita sighed. “Although Annie Dowton seems to think it wasn’t a horrible investment. A man who came knocking on my door the other day to collect is now dead.”

---