“So they’re still in the area?”
“You could say that. At least one of them is still in the area. You haven’t watched the morning news I take it.”
“No. Why?”
“The authorities haven’t publicly released the name yet, but they found one of them dead behind the bus station late last night.”
Chapter 20
It took a minute for Reese’s statement to sink in. “Dead?”
“Yes. It was the woman. Dixie told me her name is Monica Clay, and she was murdered. Does the name ring a bell?”
“Monica Clay,” Carlita whispered to Mercedes. “Is that the name of one of our restaurant workers?”
“It sounds kinda familiar.”
“We’ll have to check,” Carlita told Reese. “What about the guy with the purple backpack?”
“I have his information along with the dead girl’s. From what Dixie was able to glean during the police questioning, he’s MIA.”
Reese continued. “Could be he and the woman argued, he killed her and then knowing the bus station had his contact information, not to mention they could track his ticket, he took off.”
“True. What a mess,” Carlita said.
“I’ve got it all. Names, addresses, cell phone numbers. Dixie sent it to me before the cops showed up. I gotta get going. The trolley is almost loaded here at the main depot. I’ll send it to you in between stops.”
“Thanks, Reese. You’re the best.”
Carlita ended the call and slipped the phone into her pocket. “Let’s head over to talk to Pete. I think we may be onto something. Reese has the names of the guy with the purple camo backpack and his companion, their cell phone numbers and addresses.”
“Awesome. We can match them to what we have on file for the restaurant employees.”
“If Pete can confirm the identity of the female server in the video, along with the picture Elvira’s surveillance camera picked up of the man dropping off the mysterious cake topper, we’re onto something.”
“I’m hungry,” Violet said.
“We’ll run by Pirate Pete’s place and then when we come back, I’ll make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” Carlita promised.
“Okay. Can I have some cookies?”
“Yes, if you wait until we get home, you can have Italian cookies, too.”
Mercedes led Violet and her mother off to the side. “I think we should send the video of the woman in the courtyard and Elvira’s surveillance camera shot of the man to Reese. We’ll ask her to forward both to Dixie to see if she can positively identify them, as well.”
“Great idea. Text Pete and let him know we’re on the way, too.” Carlita waited for Mercedes to send the pictures and a text to Reese and Pirate Pete before the trio began walking again. “I hope Pete is at the Pirate House.”
“If not, he’s at the dock and The Flying Gunner. It’s an easy walk either way.”
“I want to see the pirates again,” Violet chimed in.
“Wherever we end up, I hope it’s indoors.” The summer sun beat down on them as they walked, and Carlita’s shirt grew damp as her armpits began to perspire. She wasn’t sure if it was the heat or the fact they might actually be one step closer to figuring out what happened to Megan Burelli.
If it was a case of Louie’s henchman trying to take Vinnie and Brittney out and they hadn’t succeeded, her son and daughter-in-law were still in imminent danger. They needed to start piecing the puzzle together and fast!
The restaurant wasn’t open yet. Carlita knocked lightly on the entrance door.
A man appeared in the doorway. “We don’t open for another hour.”
“I know. I’m here to see Pete if he’s in.”
“Your name?”
“Carlita Garlucci.”
The door abruptly slammed in her face and Carlita jumped back. “Whoa.”
“How rude,” Mercedes fumed. “He didn’t even tell us if Pete was here or to wait a minute.”
“If he doesn’t come back in a couple of minutes, we’ll try The Flying Gunner.”
The door swung open, and Pirate Pete joined them on the porch. “I got yer text. I was gettin’ ready to answer when Joey told me you were here. Come in.” He motioned them inside. “Any news on your wedding guest’s condition?”
“No.” Carlita patted Violet’s head. “Is there somewhere we can talk? Little ears…”
“Ah.” Pirate Pete held up a finger. “Let me see if Susie is around. She can accompany Violet to the kitchen for a cookie.”
“I love cookies.”
Pete disappeared behind a swinging door and returned with a young woman. “This is Susie. She’s going to let you pick out a cookie and then bring you to my office.”
“Okay.” Violet took the young woman’s hand and they headed toward the kitchen.
“So there’s nothing new on the wedding guest,” Pete prompted.
“No, but we now have a dead woman possibly linked to my restaurant,” Carlita said. “We think the woman you saw crying in the alley the other day was found dead out behind the bus station.”
“You’re kidding!”
“I wish I was.”
Pete waited until they were inside his office before closing the door behind them. “What happened?”
Carlita briefly recapped everything she knew; starting with the two workers she suspected had been hired to murder Vinnie and Brittney. She mentioned the trolley, the bus station, Elvira’s surveillance footage of the mysterious man and ended with the body. “If you can positively identify the man who left the headless cake topper and the female server in the courtyard, we may have our suspects.”
Carlita handed Pete the photocopy of the female servers Mercedes had printed off. “Do you recognize either of these women?”
Pete slipped his reading glasses on and studied the picture. “Aye. That be her, the one on the right, except she wasn’t wearing a uniform when I saw her.” He handed the photocopy back. “You say you
