“That it is,” Sam agreed. “After The Great Fire of 1889 that decimated Savannah, Honoria decided to open her home as the first bed and breakfast in the area. Mrs. Foley saw great success with her inn and remained there until her passing.”
“Where does the ghost story come in?” Mercedes asked.
“During renovations in 1987, workers tore down a wall and discovered a skeleton hidden inside. The remains have never been identified. Legend has it the poor guy had been murdered.”
He went on to tell them that according to local lore, there were two versions of what happened to the unfortunate victim. The first was the man, a tenant, was enamored with Mrs. Foley, so enamored he snuck into her room one night. Startled, Honoria grabbed the nearest thing to her, a candleholder, and swung it with all of her might.
“That’s terrible,” Mercedes said. “Hopefully, the authorities realized it was an act of self-defense.”
“Except the authorities never found out about it,” Sam said. “The second version of the story is a boarder snuck into Mrs. Foley’s room at night and tried to strangle her. In a panic to try to free herself, she grabbed a candlestick and bashed the man over the head, killing him instantly.”
“She hid the body,” Carlita guessed.
Sam nodded. “Most stories agree Mrs. Foley feared she would spend the rest of her days in prison, so she persuaded another tenant to help her hide the body. In return for his help and keeping quiet, he lived there rent-free. Supposedly, Mrs. Foley confessed to the misdeed on her deathbed, but never actually revealed where she hid the body.”
“We know all about finding bodies in walls,” Mercedes muttered.
Carlita nudged her daughter with her shoe and gave her a warning look. “The locals now believe the Foley House Inn is haunted?”
“And so do a lot of ghost seekers,” Sam said. “The discovery and removal of the skeleton has triggered a haunting in Foley House. I’ve talked to several of the staff, who claim to have seen a male phantom in a top hat walking through the garden at night. There have been reports of strange noises and unexpected bursts of air that startle guests. Nicknamed ‘Wally’ by locals, the wraith shows no signs of checking out anytime soon.”
“That’s a good story,” Mercedes said. “Now I really do want to check it out.”
“Are there any more stories you’d like to share?” Carlita asked.
“I better save some in case you invite me over for dinner again.” Sam grabbed his napkin and dabbed at the corners of his mouth. “The pizza was delicious and the company very much appreciated. I should head home. I’ve got some reservations to confirm and paperwork to take care of.” He pushed his chair back and stood.
“Next time, I’ll have you over for authentic Italian,” Carlita promised. “Please take some of these leftovers with you. There’s no way we can eat all of this pizza.”
“Are you sure?”
Absolutely.” Carlita hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a large Zip-lock bag. She stuck several pieces of pizza inside, along with a couple of leftover garlic knots and handed the bag to Sam.
“Thanks again, Mrs. Garlucci.”
“Carlita.”
“Carlita.” Sam smiled warmly at Carlita, nodded at Mercedes and made his way out of the apartment.
After he left, Mercedes arranged the rest of the leftover pizza in one of the boxes and placed it inside the fridge. “I don’t think he likes me.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Carlita asked.
“He spent most of his time talking to you.”
“Mercedes Garlucci.” Carlita stuck her hand on her hip and studied her daughter. “That’s crazy. He was talking to both of us. Besides, I thought you didn’t like him.”
“He’s okay.”
“He’s very nice, not to mention handsome,” Carlita said.
“If you like the tall, brooding hunky look.”
“Ah…I get it.” A slow smile spread across Carlita’s face. “You do like him. That’s the problem. You don’t want to like him, but you do.”
Mercedes face turned a tinge of pink. “That…that’s crazy,” she sputtered. “I do not think he’s attractive or handsome. He’s nice to you, but not to me.”
Carlita threw her hands in the air. “I give up! First, he’s rude and annoying and now he’s indifferent. You definitely have the hots for our new tenant.”
“I do not,” Mercedes insisted. “That’s absurd.” She stomped out of the kitchen. Moments later, her bedroom door slammed.
“Oh, Mercedes.” Carlita chuckled aloud. “It’s starting to make perfect sense.”
Chapter 19
Carlita studied the employment application and list of questions Pete had given her. The first applicant was scheduled to arrive any time and although she wasn’t going to be actively participating in the interview, she planned to take a few notes to see if any of them might be a good fit for Ravello.
Pete had set up a small interview alcove in the main part of the pirate ship, what he explained would soon be transformed into the ship’s snack bar and gift shop.
The ship would be advertised as a pirate ship adventure. Most of the action would take place on the open upper deck, where a band of merry pirates would engage in sword battle, shoot cannons and take prisoners, whose punishment was the threat of “walking the plank.”
Gunner was also with them in the interview area, excited to be on board the ship. He walked back and forth along his perch, chatting with Carlita and Pete. “What a beautiful day to be walkin’ the plank.”
“Are you going to walk the plank, Gunner?” Carlita asked.
“Gunner is too handsome to walk the plank,” he replied.
The first applicant arrived not long after Carlita. Pete’s office assistant showed her in.
The nervous young woman perched on the edge of her seat, tightly clasping her hands in her lap.
Carlita was certain she was ready to bolt at any second and attempted
