She could see his lips moving, an angry scowl on his face. Lawson’s scowl deepened when another man stepped off the riverboat and joined him.
He angrily shook his head and motioned at his damaged ship before marching back on board and disappearing from sight. The second man slowly followed behind.
After they were gone, Carlita pulled her cell phone from her pocket and scrolled through her list of contacts. She tapped out a brief message to Pete, telling him she had some important information and asked if she could stop by to talk to him.
Her second text message was to her friend, Glenda Fox. Hi, Glenda. It’s Carlita. I need to talk to you when you have time. Please call me. It’s kind of important.
She pressed the send button and started to slide the cell phone back into her pocket when it chimed.
Your message sounded urgent. Pirate Pete was the first to reply.
Carlita dialed his number. “I’m down by the river. Someone set fire to the Mystic Dream and Lawson Bates is naming you as one of the possible arsonists.”
“You’re kidding.” Pete paused. “Someone set fire to the Mystic Dream?”
“Yes, and I have more information. I think I should tell you in person. There’s a reporter by the name of Brock Kensington who’s hot to talk to you about the incident.”
“I see.” There was another long moment of silence. “I’ll be at The Parrot House within half an hour.”
“A word of warning, the hotshot reporter may already be camped out on your front step.”
“Then I’ll take the secret way to work,” Pete replied.
“Through the pirate tunnel?” Carlita chuckled.
“Of course. Is there any other way for a pirate to sneak around?”
“I wouldn’t know.” Carlita promised him she would be there as soon as she dropped Rambo off at home and then told him good-bye.
Her phone chimed again. It was Glenda Fox.
“Hello, Carlita. I just read your message. It sounded important. Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine. I called to warn you and Mark to be on guard.” Carlita briefly repeated what she’d told Pirate Pete, that the Mystic Dream was damaged and Lawson Bates was pointing fingers at Glenda’s husband.
“Oh dear,” Glenda said. “Lawson and Mark have butted heads several times over Savannah area development projects. Lawson seems to think since he’s a Savannah business owner and his cousin is the city mayor, he can stick his nose into everything that happens in this town.”
“I’m beginning to think I wouldn’t like Lawson Bates,” Carlita said. “There’s also a reporter from Channel Eleven News by the name of Kensington who was on the scene a short time ago. I’m almost certain he’s going to try to track down Mark to ask him about the Mystic Dream’s fire.”
“I know who he is. The man is a pain in the rear,” Glenda said bluntly. “Thanks for the heads up. I was going to give you a call to see if you wanted to join me for lunch in the City Market district. I figured I better hit you up before your new restaurant opens and you’re too busy for your friends.”
“I’m never too busy for friends,” Carlita said. “What does your schedule look like?”
“I know it’s short notice, but what about this afternoon? There’s a new restaurant, getting rave reviews I thought we could check out. It’s called the Garden of Goodness. The restaurant serves all kinds of baked pasta dishes, wood-fired pizzas, decadent desserts…you name it. Most of it is dining al fresco overlooking some magnificent gardens that were designed by Southern Style Courtyards.”
“It sounds intriguing. You’re making me hungry describing it,” Carlita joked.
“Perfect. If three o’clock works, I’ll call to see if they take reservations. You can’t miss it. It’s on City Market’s main drag.”
“Three o’clock is fine.”
When Carlita reached the apartment, she let Rambo inside and stepped into the hall to let Mercedes know she was heading to Pirate Pete’s restaurant.
Her daughter’s bedroom door was shut and the lights were off. She quickly jotted a note and left it on the kitchen counter before slipping back out of the apartment.
When she reached the Parrot House, Carlita tried the entrance door, and it was locked.
The restaurant didn’t open until eleven and it was still too early, so she sent Pirate Pete a text, telling him she was waiting on the front step. Carlita plopped down on the bench to wait.
Why would Lawson Bates accuse Pete of damaging the Mystic Dream? Surely, there was plenty of room for more than one tourist boat on the river.
The sound of a car horn pulled her from her musings. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched the Channel Eleven News van careen around the corner. It was heading her way.
Chapter 4
“Uh-oh!” Carlita dove behind a clump of bushes lining the side of the building and crouched down. She fumbled with the screen of her cell phone and tapped out a quick message to Pirate Pete. Don’t open the door. Channel Eleven News out front. She pressed send and prayed Pete would check his phone before opening the door.
The news van stopped in front of the entrance. Brock Kensington and the two camera operators exited the vehicle and made their way up the steps.
Carlita held her breath certain that at any moment Pete would open the door expecting to see her. Instead, he would find the news reporter shoving a microphone and a camera in his face.
The seconds ticked by and Carlita’s legs started to cramp, but she refused to budge, certain the slightest movement would give her and her hiding spot away.
Brock Kensington rapped sharply on the door. “I don’t see a vehicle. Maybe
