Matrimony & Mayhem: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Book 11) Hope Callaghan (small books to read .TXT) 📖

“Yes. Elvira’s surveillance camera caught him dropping off the unmarked box on my back step.”

Mercedes tapped her cell phone screen and passed it to Pete. “This is the man.”

Carlita watched as Pete studied the picture. “That be him. See the black server uniform he’s wearing?”

“No.” Carlita hurried behind the desk and peered over Pete’s shoulder. “You’re right. I never noticed the uniform. So, you’re saying these two were the ones you spotted in the alley, and the woman was crying.”

“Yes.”

“If Dixie at the bus station can confirm these are the same two, and we can match their contact information to what we have on the job applications, I think we have Megan Burelli’s poisoner.”

“But who killed the woman, Monica Clay?” Mercedes asked.

“My gut tells me it was the young man who was with her,” Carlita theorized. “It makes the most sense.”

“Have you heard from the newlyweds?” Pete asked.

“Yes. Shelby called to check on Violet a couple of times. They’re coming home today.”

There was a muffled tap at the door. It creaked open, and Susie escorted Violet inside.

“Did you eat your cookie already?” Carlita asked.

“She ate two,” Susie laughed. “I stopped her from eating a third.”

“Thank you, Susie,” Pete said.

“No problem.” Susie pulled the door shut behind her.

Carlita clutched Violet’s sticky hand. “We’re going to nickname you the cookie monster.”

“Mommy is bringing me a special surprise.”

“I bet she’s bringing you a shark,” Pete teased.

“I don’t want a shark.”

“I’m sure it’s not a shark,” Carlita said. “We better get going.” She turned to Pete. “Thank you for meeting with us. You’ve been very helpful.”

“Don’t forget about our Savannah restaurant group’s meeting on Wednesday. It’s at Russo’s restaurant this time.” Pete led them out of his office, through the restaurant and to the parking lot. “He’s expanding his operations and adding catering facilities.”

“That’s a good idea,” Carlita said. “I’ll be curious to see how that works out. It’s something we may look at down the road.”

“I thought about gettin’ into it myself a few years back, but then I bought me a pirate ship.”

“You stay busy enough. I guess I’ll see you on Wednesday. I plan to tell the authorities what we’ve found so far, right after I’m able to confirm Monica and the missing man were employed by me.”

Carlita thanked Pete again for meeting them on such short notice, and joined Mercedes and Violet in the parking lot.

The walk home was at a brisk pace, thanks to Violet, who pulled them along.

They turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt when a strange vehicle blocked their path.

Chapter 21

The vehicle was unfamiliar, but the man standing on the stoop was easily recognizable. “Officer Clousen.”

“Hello, Mrs. Garlucci. I left a message earlier asking if I could swing by. When you didn’t reply, I figured I would take my chances.”

“I…didn’t get a message.” Carlita glanced at her cell phone. “Oh wait. I see a missed call.”

“I wanted to let you know Ms. Burelli passed away early this morning. It may be some time before we get an official word on the cause of death. In the meantime, I have a few questions.”

Carlita motioned to Mercedes. “You better take Violet inside.”

“This should only take a minute.”

Mercedes ushered the small girl inside the building, and the police officer waited until the door closed behind them.

“Are you aware of any of your other wedding guests becoming ill during the wedding reception?”

“No, not that I know of,” Carlita answered honestly. “As far as I know, Ms. Burelli was the only one.”

“Your wait staff…were they regular employees or hired by a third party to serve the guests?”

“They were hired employees, but new hires. My restaurant will be opening for the first time later this week. I’ve never worked with the employees before Saturday’s wedding.”

“And you screened them before hiring, as in background checks, that sort of thing,” Clousen said.

“Yes, of course. The same way we do when we hire our pawnshop employees and the same way we screen our tenants before signing a lease.”

“That’s what I thought. I appreciate your time, Mrs. Garlucci. I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as I hear anything else.”

“You’re welcome. I…I feel terrible,” Carlita said.

“I can see you do,” Clousen said kindly. “Thanks again for your time.”

“Before you go.” Carlita motioned to the officer. “We have had a couple of strange incidents occur, right before my son’s wedding and Ms. Burelli’s collapse.”

Carlita briefly told him about the mysterious cake topper and the break-in at the restaurant.

The officer jotted down a few notes. He paused when she got to the part about the break-in. “What did the intruders take?”

“Nothing,” Carlita said.

“Nothing?” The officer paused, pen midair. “Nothing at all?”

“Not that I’m aware of, which is odd,” Carlita said.

He flipped the cover of the notepad and shoved it in his pocket. “You could file a police report, for insurance purposes, but the fact that nothing was stolen…”

“I know.”

She felt foolish for mentioning the cake topper. The officer probably believed it had been shipped to their home by mistake. “I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.”

“I’ll be in touch.” The officer climbed into his unmarked patrol car and backed out of the alley.

Carlita slowly made her way inside and trudged up the stairs. She could hear excited chatter coming from within and a male voice. She swung the door open and found Shelby and Tony seated on the sofa. Violet was sandwiched between them.

“Mommy’s home!” Violet exclaimed.

“They sure are.” Carlita hugged her son and daughter-in-law. “You both look rested.”

“The honeymoon was wonderful.” Tony reached for his bride’s hand. “Thank you so much for watching Violet, for