She woke early the next morning and started a pot of coffee. Grayvie, Carlita’s cat, joined her in the kitchen and began rubbing against her ankles.
She reached down to pat his head and scratch his ears. “We’ve got ourselves a real sad situation, Grayvie. We need to figure out who attacked Lawson Bates and get our pirate ship out on the waters.”
Carlita picked him up and held him close. She absentmindedly wandered to the balcony door and gazed out.
A flash of light caught her eye, and she watched as Elvira flitted past a second story window. “She didn’t.” Carlita set Grayvie on the floor and stepped onto the balcony.
Sure enough, Elvira was in the upper level of the building across the alley. She wasn’t alone. Carlita caught a glimpse of Dernice, Elvira’s sister, as she marched past the window. “I hope the owner catches them.”
Their movement was non-stop as they hurried back and forth. Carlita remembered what Pete said about the Civil War era treasures.
Perhaps she didn’t want to tell Elvira what Pete said, certain her former tenant would start digging holes all over the courtyard, the alley and the properties, in search of more treasures.
Carlita made her way to the balcony railing and leaned over the edge, waiting for another Elvira sighting. When she saw Elvira pause in front of the window, she cupped her hands to her lips. “Elvira!”
Elvira stuck her head out the window. “What?”
Instead of answering, Carlita wagged her finger at her as she shook her head.
Elvira promptly closed the window and disappeared from sight. “If I had her landlord’s name, I might have half a mind to call him to let him know what she’s doing.”
A breathless Mercedes burst onto the balcony. “I was up half the night doing some research on Pirate Pete, Emmett Pridgen and Mark Fox, and you’ll never guess what I found out.”
Chapter 16
“Let me back up,” Mercedes said. “I got to thinking about Mark Fox; you know how Glenda told you he was away on business in Colombia?”
“Right.” Carlita nodded. “That’s why there’s no way Mark set the Mystic Dream on fire. He was out of the country.”
“True, but in Colombia.” Mercedes stared at her mother expectantly.
“I’m not following.”
“Colombia, South America. They speak Spanish.”
Carlita’s eyes widened. “Which is what Kyle said Lawson and the stranger were doing - speaking Spanish.”
“If you went to Colombia on a business trip and the native language was Spanish, don’t you think you would need to speak Spanish, too?”
“Oh no.” Carlita began to pace. “Perhaps Lawson and Mark were in the middle of a business deal, something went south and Lawson and Mark fought.”
“But why wouldn’t Mark confess to arguing with Lawson?” Mercedes asked. “It seems out of character for him.”
“If Mark attacked Lawson and he recovers, he could easily name Mark as the one who caused his injuries,” Carlita said. “He’s a well-respected businessman in this area.”
“Who has a lot of business connections as well,” Mercedes pointed out. “I also picked up on our visit with Glenda and Mark that they both seemed kind of uncomfortable and did you notice Mark limped when he crossed the room?”
“No, I didn’t notice. I must be losing my touch,” Carlita said. “Now what do we do?”
“Obviously, we can’t prove Mark and Lawson became involved in a physical altercation. It sounds as if the authorities are already investigating,” Mercedes said. “I have a little more digging around to do, but thought I would tell you what I came up with so far.”
Restless, Carlita ran down to the pawnshop, which had just opened, to see if Tony needed any help. She chatted with her son and then headed out the front door.
Carlita cast a glance at the large Riverfront Real Estate sign propped up in the window of John Alder’s place, something she hadn’t noticed before. She crossed the street, stopping briefly in front of the window and then continued walking toward Annie’s real estate office.
She could see Annie sitting at her desk, her head down.
Carlita quietly eased the door open. The overhead door chimed and Annie looked up.
She smiled when she saw Carlita. “Hello, Carlita. What brings you to my neck of the woods?”
“I’m mulling over a mystery. Do you have a minute so I can bend your ear?”
“For you…I have two.” Annie motioned to an empty chair. “I’m sure you heard John Alder is selling his place and moving away. I was surprised when he asked me to list his property. You two were getting close.”
“There was a small spark between us. I have to admit it turned into more of a friendship.” Carlita sank into an empty chair. “I guess I’m not ready for romance. Maybe I’ll never be ready.”
“I know the feeling. There are days when I get a little lonely and it would be nice to have someone to do things with, but other times, especially when I talk to friends who are in the midst of marital drama, I’m glad I’m single.”
“Drama…that’s the last thing I need,” Carlita said. “Have you had any interest in John’s place?”
“There’s been a great deal of interest. I predict he’ll have multiple offers in the next day or so. Commercial real estate is a hot commodity in Savannah. Businesses are looking to come to the area. The fact John already did the legwork and obtained a business license makes the property even more appealing.”
“Speaking of business licenses, I signed on a business venture with Pirate Pete and Tori Montgomery.”
“You mean the pirate ship over on the river?” Annie adjusted the bridge of her glasses. “Everyone is talking about it. Well, that and Lawson Bates’ attack.”
“Yep. I invested some of my
