“What…” Carlita’s mind whirled.
“What is that?” Mercedes whispered under her breath. “A present?”
“Yes. It’s a tabletop telescope. Elvira thought it was a gift for her, but it appears it’s a gift for the caretaker and his wife.”
The woman took the gift and carefully set it on the wicker chair next to the front door before embracing Astrid. The man hugged her next. They stood talking for several long moments.
They stepped off the porch, now close enough for Mercedes and Carlita to eavesdrop. “You’re staying with the lady who owns the security company tonight?” the man asked.
“Yes. I’m leaving in the morning.” They made small talk, and finally, Astrid turned on her heel and began walking away.
Mother and daughter dove for cover, making it behind the trashcans without a second to spare as Astrid moseyed through the gate.
The man’s steps were slow as he leaned heavily on his cane and followed Astrid out. “…and call us dear, when you finally make it to wherever you’re going.”
“Thank you, Mr. Cagle. I hope you enjoy your special birthday gift.”
“I’m sure I will.” The man waved a final time. He watched Astrid walk away before closing the gate behind him.
Cagle picked up his cane, straightened his back and with quick steps made his way back toward the porch.
“The old man made a miraculous recovery,” Mercedes whispered sarcastically. “Astrid gave them a gift.”
“No.” Carlita’s heart skipped a beat as the pieces began falling into place. “I don’t think that’s a present. I think it’s the missing artwork.”
“Disguised as a gift - a small telescope?”
“Yep. Not only was Elvira set up, but also Astrid. For some reason, the caretakers had her thinking she was holding onto a birthday gift for the man. They tricked her. They gave Astrid the painting to hang onto.”
“You don’t think she knows what it is?”
“I…I don’t know what to think. Judging by the comment she made to Mr. Cagle, I don’t think so. Detective Polivich needs to get over here to take a closer look at what Astrid just handed over to the caretakers.”
Mercedes pulled her cell phone from her pocket. “I don’t have his number. I’ll call the main number for the Savannah Police Department.”
It took several tries and transfers before Mercedes finally reached the detective.
“Detective Polivich speaking.”
“Detective Polivich. This is Mercedes Garlucci.” Mercedes paused.
“Yes. Carlita Garlucci is my mother. We think we may have important information and possibly a lead in the whereabouts of the missing artwork.” Mercedes covered the phone. “What is the closest square?”
“I don’t know, but Savannah Dry Cleaners is around the corner,” Carlita said.
“Can you meet me at Savannah Dry Cleaners downtown? It’s not far from the museum.”
“An hour?” Mercedes frowned. “It may be too late by then.”
“Fine. We’ll see you in ten.” She disconnected the call. “He’s on his way.”
The women stayed close to the building as they retraced their steps and made their way to the dry cleaners around the corner.
Carlita cast an anxious glance in the direction of the museum. “This all makes perfect sense. Astrid is an innocent accomplice. The caretaker and his wife stole the painting. They met Astrid when she was hanging around here. They played her. They pretended to care for her all the while using her to conceal the painting.”
The detective pulled up in an unmarked car a short time later. “This better be good.”
“Are you still detaining Elvira?” Carlita asked.
“Yes. That woman is one of the most aggravating people I have ever met.”
Carlita snorted. “It took you all this time to figure that out?”
“What’s the big emergency?”
Mercedes briefly outlined what she and her mother had observed and overheard.
“You think the security company employee, Astrid Herve, was inadvertently hanging onto the stolen artwork for the museum’s caretakers?”
“Disguised as a birthday gift for the caretaker, Mr. Cagle,” Carlita added.
“You’re sure?”
“No. I mean, we watched Astrid hand the wrapped gift to Mrs. Cagle. She told Mr. Cagle she hoped he enjoyed his surprise gift and then thanked him and his wife for befriending her.”
“And you’re sure the woman, Astrid, has no idea what’s inside?”
“Not from the conversation we overheard. We believe the Cagles tricked her into holding onto it for them. As of half an hour ago, they still had possession of the package.” Carlita almost mentioned the telescope, but revealing what she knew would only raise more questions about her involvement. She decided it was best for the investigators to discover what was inside the wrapped package on their own.
The detective returned to his car to call for backup. Two more unmarked vehicles arrived on scene moments later, and he briefly explained the situation. “Let’s go check it out.”
Carlita and Mercedes started to follow. Polivich stopped them. “You’re safer staying here.”
“You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for us,” Mercedes said.
“I could arrest you for interfering in a police investigation.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Mercedes gasped. “We’re only trying to help.”
“We’ll stay back,” Carlita promised. “I think it’s only fair we’re allowed to see if we were right.”
The detective eyed them silently before relenting. “Fine. But stay out of the way.”
Carlita assured them they would stay far away, but close enough to watch the events unfold.
The authorities blocked off the alley and the street. Carlita and Mercedes made their way to the back of one of the police vehicles. They watched as several officers, along with Detective Polivich, entered the property.
“What if we were way off?” Mercedes whispered.
The officers were gone a long time, and Carlita was beginning to wonder if they had it all wrong. “It’s possible,” she admitted.
Finally, the detective reappeared. He and a uniformed officer escorted the elderly couple from the property to the back of
