“I hope you’re right,” Carlita sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if I’ve lost my mind, taking on all of these businesses.”
“Nah. Those gems have given us the cushion we needed to get going. I did some preliminary numbers on the value of what we’ve got left.” Tony reached into his front pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “I think it’s safe to sell them in the store since the mafia heat is off us these days. If we pawn off what we got left, we would still have around fifty grand to play with, give or take a couple thousand.”
“You mean invest in Pete and Tori’s venture,” Carlita said.
“Yep. I’ll leave that up to you.”
Carlita gazed at her son thoughtfully before sliding out of her chair. She wandered over to the fireplace mantle and the secret compartment.
“In a way, the gems have been my security blanket.” Carlita tugged the pouch of gems from their hiding spot and replaced the mantle before returning to the table.
She untied the bag and shook it lightly, sending the precious gems tumbling across the table.
The emeralds, rubies and diamonds twinkled in the overhead light. Carlita picked up a small diamond and rolled it between her thumb and index finger.
In an odd way, the gems were one of her last remaining connections to Vinnie. That and the Savannah property. Carlita had grown to love her new home. She loved the charm of the city, loved her neighborhood, and had made some genuine friends to boot, something she’d never done in New York, partly because Vinnie didn’t want friends. He was more interested in “business associates.”
Savannah was in her blood now and as each day passed, New York became more of a distant memory. Day by day, she was putting down roots.
Carlita shifted her gaze from the gems to her children. They were putting down roots and making friends…good friends. Pirate Pete was one of them. “I’ve made my decision. I’ll let Pete and Tori know that the most we can invest is twenty-five thousand. It will still leave us an extra cushion.”
Tony nodded his approval. “I have the cash on hand in the pawnshop account. You can use it now, and I’ll replace it when the gems sell.”
Before she could change her mind, she grabbed the business checkbook and wrote out a check to Pirate Ventures, LLC, the name listed at the top of the agreement. She signed her name and jotted down the date before placing the papers back into the file folder.
“You gonna deliver the check in the morning?” Mercedes asked.
“No. I think I’ll run it over to the Parrot House this evening.”
“I’ll go with you,” Mercedes said. “I could use a little fresh air.”
Carlita and Mercedes followed Tony out of the apartment and down the steps. They stopped outside the door to his studio apartment. “You want me to go with you?” Tony asked.
“Nah. I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Carlita said. “Thanks for helping me figure this one out. I don’t want to have too many irons in the fire. I also don’t want to pass over a promising business venture.”
Tony patted his mother’s shoulder. “Pop would be proud of you, Ma. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, son.” Carlita’s throat clogged. “It means a lot. I want to make all of my kids proud. I also want to leave something behind for you, including my grandchildren and future grandchildren.”
Tony wagged his finger at his mother. “Don’t be gettin’ any ideas. At least not yet. Shelby and I aren’t even married.”
“I know. No rush.” Carlita thanked her son a second time, and Mercedes and she stepped into the alley.
The evening air was cool and she rubbed the sudden goosebumps on her arms. “I’m already having second thoughts. Maybe I should sleep on it.”
“I say we keep going.” Mercedes placed a hand on her mother’s back and propelled her forward. “You made the right decision. If you’re nervous about it, maybe you could change the agreement to twelve months instead of two years.”
“But then it would look like I don’t trust Tori and Pete,” Carlita said.
“It’s a business arrangement,” Mercedes said. “Don’t let your emotions get in the way of making a sound business decision.”
“True. I don’t wanna be wishy washy,” Carlita said. “I’m gonna leave it like it is.”
“Good. I think we’ll be fine. Plus, it’s only twenty-five thousand bucks.”
“Only? Only twenty-five thousand bucks? That’s a lot of money.”
“Let me rephrase that.” Mercedes linked arms with her mother as they strolled to the end of the block. “At least it’s not a hundred grand.”
When they reached the Parrot House, the restaurant lobby was standing room only. The hostess told them Pete was out for the evening and wouldn’t be back until morning. She offered to leave the file in his office.
Carlita thanked the young woman after handing her the folder and mother and daughter stepped out onto the porch. “You think she’ll put it in his office?”
“Yes. You worry too much.” Mercedes kept up the conversation during the walk home. She told her mother she was making progress on her new book while her mother teased her about killing off the character who was like their new tenant, Sam Ivey.
“After you told me why he quit the police force, I felt bad for the way I killed him off.”
“How did you kill him?”
“Sam was on a solo cave diving excursion. He became trapped in one of the cave’s chambers and died when his oxygen tank ran out. It took days before the rescuers recovered his body.”
“Mercedes,” Carlita chided. “That’s terrible.”
“What? I was going to have him eaten alive by an alligator.”
Back at the apartment, Carlita decided to turn in early. Now that
