She was relieved Luigi and Ricco weren’t caught on camera. She was also relieved her troublesome tenant, Angelica, was out. There was also Elvira’s possible mental breakdown. She’d never seen Elvira broken like she had today. What could possibly have happened to cause her to fall into such a deep depression?
Her mind wandered to her breakfast date with Pirate Pete…a wonderful beginning to a tumultuous day. He’d asked her for a second date…or maybe she was reading too much into it.
They had a lot in common - both having checkered pasts or more accurately, checkered “family” pasts. They both owned local businesses - restaurants at that, not to mention they were in a partnership together.
Maybe it was a matter of two friends who enjoyed spending time together…yet from the way Pete had looked at her earlier, there was something else.
Carlita made a mental note to call Reese in the morning, certain she was freaking out at being a suspect in Davis Rutger’s murder.
Right before Carlita drifted off to sleep, Pirate Pete Taylor was the last person on her mind.
*****
Chirp…chirp.
Carlita opened one eye and stared at her cell phone. Chirp. It went off a second time. She cast a quick glance at the clock and flung the covers back.
There was another chirp, and she snatched it off the stand. It was Reese. Carlita shifted onto one elbow. “Hey, Reese.”
“Hi, Carlita. I’m sorry to bother you this early, but I need help. I’m starting my regular route now and wondered if you had time to ride along with me.”
“Of course.” Carlita swung her legs over the side of the bed. “What time you gonna be by here?”
“Half an hour…around eight-thirty.”
“I’ll be there.” Carlita promised she would be waiting at the trolley stop and then hung up the phone. She dashed to the bathroom where she ran a quick comb through her hair and brushed her teeth. Back in her bedroom, she threw on a pair of slacks and a t-shirt.
Rambo whined as he watched her. “I know. You first.” Brittney’s bedroom door was closed. Carlita held a finger to her lips as they tiptoed past the door and down the stairs.
Luigi and Ricco’s sedan was parked in the lot next to Sam Ivey’s pickup truck. She made a mental note to chat with Brittney’s companions about avoiding the former police officer, and then a terrifying thought occurred to her.
What if Sam had already spotted Vito’s men and mentioned it to the police? If so, it was only a matter of time before they showed up on her doorstep again…or even worse, what if her place was now under surveillance?
Sam hadn’t mentioned the men last night. He had mentioned being booked solid with tours, so there was a chance he wasn’t aware of Luigi and Ricco’s presence. She made a mental note to stress to the men that it was imperative they keep a low profile.
Rambo and Carlita returned to the apartment where she fed her pets and then jotted a note to Brittney. She grabbed her purse and keys, making it to Reese’s trolley stop with minutes to spare.
Carlita waited for a passenger to exit the trolley before climbing on board. “Hey, Reese.”
“Hey, Carlita.” Reese swung the door closed and steered the trolley onto the street. “Thanks for meeting me on such short notice.”
“No problem. I planned to call you first thing this morning.” Carlita set her purse on the seat next to her. “Any news on Rutger’s death?”
“Only that I’m a suspect and pretty sure I’m at the top of the list.” Reese told her she’d been visited by both Detective Polivich and Detective Jackson. “Reading between the lines, I’m on the radar because of the trolley incident and where his body was found.”
“But there’s no way you could’ve overpowered a man Rutger’s size.”
“Unless I used this.” Reese tapped the taser clipped to her hip. “The cops confiscated mine. This is a spare Buzz let me borrow. They were hinting I somehow managed to tase Rutger before binding his hands and feet. After he was restrained, I strangled him and dumped his body in the shed.”
“You and what army?” Carlita asked.
“I think they suspect more than one person was involved. Polivich mentioned two big, burly guys they caught on camera in your neighborhood the other night.”
“I heard the same.” Carlita kept quiet about Ricco and Luigi. The fewer people who knew about them, the better. She glanced over her shoulder before leaning forward. “Sam told me Davis Rutger managed to make some powerful enemies.”
“I started making a list of possible suspects.” Reese reached inside her pocket, pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper and handed it to Carlita.
“Let’s see what you have.” Carlita slipped her reading glasses on. “Who are these people?”
“The Savannah Six. I haven’t had time to research them. Before the incident the other day they were acting suspicious, huddled together near the back. I think they were arguing.”
“So right before they raised a ruckus on board the trolley, they were arguing.”
“Or it’s possible they were going over their plan to take control of the trolley.” Reese told her the group targeted the man who was pushed out the emergency exit because he was videotaping them with his cell phone.
“Why was he taping them?”
“I don’t know.” Reese shrugged. “They did something. I’m sure the investigators have already talked to the man.”
“Right.” Carlita stared thoughtfully out the window. “Do you mind if I take a picture of this list and do some searching on my own?”
“I was hoping you might help. Detective Polivich left a message earlier. He
