Sadie let out a small yip.
“And look at you.” Carlita bent down to admire Sadie’s pink bow. “It looks like you’re ready for your doggie date.”
“She is, and so am I.”
Mercedes joined her mother. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes. Sadie and I have been looking forward to our tour all day,” Sam shifted his arm from behind his back to reveal a large bouquet of fresh flowers. “This is from Sadie and me, to thank you and Rambo for agreeing to show us all of the doggie hotspots.”
“For me?” Mercedes’ breath caught in her throat. She slowly reached for the bouquet. “I…thank you.”
Carlita gazed at the orange roses, yellow sunflowers and gold chrysanthemums tucked in among an array of magnolia and autumn leaves. “You are so sweet.”
“Thank you…Sam.” Mercedes caressed the tip of one of the roses. “They’re beautiful.”
“I’ll put them in some water if you two want to get going.”
Mercedes carefully handed the bouquet to her mother. “Thanks, Ma.”
“You’re welcome.” Carlita called Rambo to the door and waited for her daughter to clip his leash to his collar. “Have fun. Don’t hurry back.”
The smile was still firmly in place as she quietly closed the door behind them. Something told Carlita the relationship between her daughter and their handsome tenant had finally taken a turn.
Carlita hummed under her breath as she puttered around the apartment. She wondered how Sam and Mercedes’ date was progressing, and then she began mulling over the list of possible suspects in the artwork’s theft. Was it an inside job? Or could it have been one of Elvira’s employees?
Tony stopped by after the pawnshop closed. “We’re ordering pizza for dinner. Shelby asked me to invite you to come over.”
“Thank you, Son. I was just wondering what to have.”
“I figured we could discuss Shelby working part-time with us.”
“Sure. Give me a few minutes to freshen up, and I’ll head your way.”
“Mercedes can come, too.”
“She’s with Sam.”
“Sam Ivey?” Tony lifted a brow.
“Yes. Mercedes and Rambo are showing Sam and his new pup, Sadie, all of the doggie hotspots around here.”
“You don’t say.”
Carlita motioned to the bouquet of flowers, prominently displayed on the coffee table. “He brought her flowers.”
“Ah,” Tony chuckled. “And Mercedes didn’t punch him in the face?”
“No. I think she’s finally coming around.”
“It’s about time.”
Carlita promised to be along shortly. After a quick trip to the bathroom, she checked to make sure the back door was locked before stepping off the stoop.
There was a serene coolness to the evening air, and Carlita believed it was a sign that Sam and Mercedes were having a wonderful time.
She picked up the pace and strolled toward the opposite end of the alley. A bright beam of headlights bounced off the back of the building as a vehicle turned in her direction.
The car crept closer before coasting to a stop.
Carlita’s eyes squinted as she attempted to figure out who it was. It finally dawned on her when she recognized the all-too-familiar vehicle, and her heart skipped a beat.
Chapter 11
Detective Wilson stepped out of his unmarked police car. “Mrs. Garlucci.”
“Detective Wilson.” Carlita greeted him with a curt nod. “What brings you to my doorstep once again?” Although she asked the question, she was certain the detective’s visit was related to Elvira and the museum’s missing artwork.
“I have a few more questions I would like to ask about the recent theft of the painting from the Darbylane Museum.”
“Of course. I already told you everything I know when you stopped by yesterday.”
“Are you sure you didn’t leave out a few extra details?” The detective gazed at Carlita expectantly.
“No. Elvira used me as a reference. I know nothing about the theft of the painting.”
There was a brief pause before the detective spoke. “Then let me refresh your memory.” He removed a notepad from his front pocket and flipped it open.
“The museum’s surveillance cameras captured you, along with Elvira Cobb, entering the museum via the rear entrance at approximately two o’clock p.m. the day the artwork went missing. Ms. Cobb accompanied you to the Cotswold Georgian Exhibit. You stood there for several moments studying the painting before the two of you returned to the hallway.”
“Yes. As I explained to you the other day, Elvira was waiting for the special guest’s arrival, so she took me on a quick tour of the exhibit. It doesn’t mean I had anything to do with the museum’s theft.”
“Ms. Cobb is a suspect.”
“Surely, you don’t believe the person who was in charge of keeping the artwork safe is the same person who stole it.”
“We have several suspects. No one has been ruled out.” Wilson gave Carlita a pointed stare. “In fact, the museum curator claims surveillance cameras caught you sneaking into the storage room this afternoon. Would you like to explain what exactly you were doing?”
Carlita’s heart sank, and her mind raced as she tried to come up with a plausible explanation for being involved in Elvira’s dirty work. Even she had no sane reason for why she’d agreed to help. “I…was looking for the restroom and accidentally ended up in the storage room.”
“You were in there for one minute and forty-nine seconds. I’m sure you must’ve realized upon entering the room that it wasn’t the restroom.”
“True.” Carlita knew she was busted and decided to come clean. “Listen, Elvira did not steal the artwork. I did not steal the artwork. I told her I would take a quick look around, which is what I did.”
“These incidents now put you on the list of suspects,” Wilson said.
“It won’t be the first time,” Carlita muttered. “Elvira has a way of getting me in trouble without even trying. You’re wasting your
