Of course, Pete and Tori mentioned they were looking for more of a “silent partner,” someone who could help with start-up cash. And that was another thing…she needed to figure out the value of the remaining gems.
Tony would be able to give her a ballpark figure, since he dealt with jewels and gems at the pawnshop.
The trolley rolled to a stop near Ellis Square and Carlita made her way off.
“You gonna ride back later?”
“Maybe,” Carlita said. “I’m not sure yet.”
“Don’t forget, the last trolley runs until seven-thirty.”
“Thanks, Claryce.”
Claryce gave her a thumbs up and waited until a few of the other passengers and she were off the trolley before pulling back onto the street.
City Market was bustling with pedestrians. She could hear the faint echo of music coming from one of the more popular restaurants.
Carlita wasn’t sure exactly where the Garden of Goodness restaurant was located, so she walked to the end of the main thoroughfare and crossed the street to the other side.
Up ahead, she spotted a familiar figure who began waving. Carlita hurried to Glenda’s side and gave her friend a hug. “I hope I’m not late.”
“You’re right on time.” Glenda smiled as she gazed at Carlita’s hair.
“What?” Carlita patted her head. “Is something wrong?”
“There appears to be a cobweb clinging to your hair.” Glenda tugged on a strand of hair. “I got it.”
“Elvira,” Carlita muttered.
“Is she still living in the building across the alley?” Glenda asked.
“Yes, and she’s as troublesome as if she were still one of my tenants. Maybe even worse now.”
The women stepped inside the restaurant. The hostess led them to the spacious open-air courtyard in the back. “Have you dined with us before?”
“Nope.” Glenda shook her head. “This is our first time.”
The young woman rattled off the daily specials and then told them their server would be right with them.
Carlita’s mouth began to water as she studied the lunch menu. “I gotta try the cheesy Italian potpie.”
“That sounds good,” Glenda said. “You can’t go wrong with flaky crusts, melted cheese and chunks of chicken.”
The server arrived to take their order. Glenda chose the steak and potato pie while Carlita ordered the Italian potpie.
After the server walked away, Glenda turned to her friend. “Lawson Bates is on the warpath.”
Chapter 7
“He’s accusing you of sabotaging the Mystic Dream,” Carlita guessed.
“Yes. He showed up on our doorstep not long after you called, looking for Mark. Thankfully, Mark is travelling. Actually, he’s out of the country in Colombia, South America, but I don’t think this is the last we’ve seen of Lawson.”
“You’re not the only ones. He accused Pete Taylor and Emmett Pridgen of being involved, too.”
“Mark mentioned Pete Taylor obtained a permit to operate a pirate ship for tourism. That would definitely make Lawson angry and Pete a suspect.”
“Along with Emmett Pridgen,” Carlita said. “Although I’m not sure why Lawson named him.”
“But what possible motive would Mark have to damage the Mystic Dream?” Glenda shook her head.
“Does Mark have anything to do with the new development in the riverfront district? Lawson may be looking at it from that angle.”
“Yes, he’s on the development board. There are a number of other board members. Mark is the main contact for the project.”
“Bingo,” Carlita said.
“Well, he can accuse away, but he doesn’t have an ounce of proof,” Glenda said. “I’m going to call Mark after our lunch, to fill him in on what you said. I think we’ve spent enough time talking about Lawson.”
The women discussed upcoming Savannah events including the spring gardens and mansions tour. The tour highlighted a number of the downtown district’s award -winning homes and gardens.
“Is your home going to be part of the tour?” Carlita asked.
“Not this year. I decided to take a year off and enjoy the tours instead of working.”
The server returned with a tray full of food. She eased Glenda’s steak and potato pie in front of her, followed by Carlita’s Italian potpie. “Be careful. Both of these dishes are hot.”
Carlita picked up her fork and poked a hole in the top of the pie. The fragrant aroma of garlic wafted out and she licked her lips. “This looks delicious.”
She scooped out a large spoonful and blew on it to cool it off before taking a small bite. The garlic, mingled with the rich tomato sauce and melted cheese was the perfect combination. “This is delicious,” Carlita murmured. “You have to try it.”
“And you must try mine.”
The women exchanged a spoonful of food, each declaring them a tie. As they ate, they chatted about business, Carlita’s children and then Glenda asked Carlita about the cobweb. “What is Elvira up to these days, other than she’s giving you cobwebs?”
“She has both her businesses, EC Investigative Services and EC Security Services, up and running. Her sister, Dernice, is living with her and helping out.”
“And she’s sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong?”
“Of course. She claims something strange is going on in the upper level of her apartment building. The owner walled off the stairway, so Elvira decided to climb the fire escape and enter through an upstairs window.”
“She’s a trip,” Glenda chuckled.
“Yes, she is. While she was climbing up, a section of the fire escape broke off. I happened to be walking Rambo and noticed her dangling from what was left of it.”
“Good grief.”
“So, I got one of the men working at Ravello to rescue her, except she wasn’t ready to be rescued.”
“She was determined to check it out.”
“Of course. When I caught up with her, she was digging around inside a bunch of storage boxes.”
“She was trespassing, breaking and entering and then rummaging through someone else’s stuff.”
“In a nutshell, and depending on whether she
