“Nope. Both were Caucasian, medium height; sandy brown hair for him and lighter colored hair for her. I remember admiring the man’s slick backpack.”
Finally…Carlita might be onto something. “What about his backpack?”
“It was camo purple, my favorite color.”
Chapter 13
“Camo purple,” Carlita repeated. “You’re sure.”
“Positive. Like I said, I thought it was pretty cool and of course, my favorite color.” Elvira glanced at her watch. “I better get going if I want to catch a trolley other than evil Reese’s trolley.”
“You wouldn’t have a problem with Reese if you stopped harassing her riders and trying to sneak on without paying.”
“She’s lying,” Elvira insisted. “I paid. She’s just getting senile and forgets.”
“What about harassing the other riders?”
“So I asked a coupla riders a coupla questions. She has it in for me. Reese is nothing but a troll who drives an ugly peach trolley.”
“The Big Peach,” Carlita corrected.
“Big and ugly.” Elvira marched to the door. “Hey, what was inside the mysterious box I picked up yesterday morning?”
“It was a…cake topper.” Carlita left off the part about it being headless. The less Elvira knew the better. “I still don’t know who sent it.”
“If I get a chance, I’ll take a look at my surveillance camera. It’s motion sensitive. It would’ve picked up anyone dropping it off in the alley.”
“That would be great. How much will it cost me?”
“We’re still on for my business card display inside your restaurant?”
“Of course. A deal is a deal.”
“Then it won’t cost you. Unless I think of something good.” Elvira slipped out of the building. She walked past the front picture window and disappeared from sight.
“She’s a trip.”
“She is,” Glenda agreed. “And just think - she’s going to be your forever neighbor.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I heard the young woman who collapsed at the wedding is in serious condition.”
Carlita sobered. “Yes. I haven’t gotten an update today. According to Elvira’s secret source, she collapsed after ingesting a toxic substance.”
Glenda gasped. “From your food?”
“I hope not, but it could be.” Carlita sighed heavily. “I’m waiting to hear back from Officer Clousen.”
“But you’re thinking it might be something else?” Glenda asked.
“Maybe.” Carlita eyed her friend, wondering how much she should share. “There were a couple of suspicious incidents before the wedding that make me wonder.”
“A threat?”
“It depends on whether you would classify receiving a headless cake topper a threat.”
Glenda’s hand flew to her mouth. “And it was sitting on your back step before the wedding?”
“Yep. It was inside the unmarked package Elvira picked up. Someone also broke into the restaurant, busting through the back door, but they didn’t take anything.”
“How frightening,” Glenda murmured. “Have you mentioned it to the authorities?”
“Not yet. I figured I would wait until I heard from them first.” Carlita kept quiet about her suspicions the incidents might have involved the “family.”
What if she’d unwittingly hired a worker or workers whose intent was to take out Brittney or Vinnie? She barely knew her new kitchen crew, having put Dominic in charge of hiring them.
“Are you okay?” Glenda asked. “You turned white as a ghost.”
“I…I think I’m tired. I should head back to the trolley stop. Reese will be along shortly to pick me up.”
“Keep your chin up,” Glenda said. “I’m sure the authorities will find out the young woman’s collapse was unrelated to the wedding.”
Carlita nodded absentmindedly. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.” She wandered back to the stop, her head spinning. She needed to get her hands on a picture of the mysterious trolley riders with the purple camo backpack. Perhaps Reese had come up with an idea.
The Big Peach rounded the corner and pulled up to the curb.
“Hey.” Reese looked as if she were about to explode into a million tiny pieces as she waved at Carlita.
“You thought of something.”
“You betcha.” Reese waited until the passengers boarded and they were on their way. “I’m going to tell Buzz that you’re missing a small handbag, similar to the one the woman left on the trolley.”
“So you’re going to tell your boss you think the woman stole it from me?”
“Sure. I mean, Jim already mentioned they were acting suspiciously. You’re an area business owner. Buzz won’t even question it. He’s a big suck up anyways.”
Reese continued. “I was going to talk to him after my shift ends, but I came up with an even better idea. I think you should come with me.”
Carlita mulled over Reese’s idea. She wanted to have a look inside the handbag. Perhaps there was some sort of clue. “I…I’m not good at lying, but I suppose it’s worth a try.”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up at five-fifty.”
“I ran into Elvira in the Savannah Architectural Society office. She made me wonder if there’s a possibility I hired the two people on the trolley and they’re the ones who contaminated the food.”
“But why?”
“I have a few theories. It’s still too early to start pointing fingers.” How could Carlita tell her new friend that her family, and even her eldest son, had ties to the mob?
When they reached Walton Square, Carlita gathered her things and hopped off. “I’ll see you later.”
“You got it. This is exciting,” Reese beamed. “I had a feeling about you when I met you.”
“That I was trouble?”
“No, that you’re special.”
Carlita shook her head. “I’m special all right. Specially cursed.”
She trudged across the street to the pawnshop to check on Josh and the other employee, who had just arrived.
After a brief conversation, she left a few glazed donuts behind and climbed the stairs to the apartment.
When she got to the top, Carlita noticed Sam’s apartment door was ajar, and she grinned. Maybe he
