Merry Masquerade in Savannah: A Made in Savannah Cozy Mystery (Made in Savannah Cozy Mysteries Serie Hope Callaghan (best sales books of all time TXT) 📖

“If you’re frightened of ghosts, you can sleep with me,” Carlita said.

“I…” Mercedes cast a quick glance into her room.  “No. I’ve got my gun for protection.” She gave her mother a quick hug and darted into her room, closing the door behind her.

Carlita heard the click of the door lock and grinned.  A gun wasn’t going to work on a ghost.

A nice, long warm bath was in order. Carlita filled the tub with water and climbed inside.  While she soaked, she mulled over Ava’s murder and grudgingly admitted that Elvira had been helpful.

She was able to place Ava near the pool house around the time of her death. She’d also found the cups and then told them about the card Weston had jotted his cell phone number on.

Obviously, something had happened to the card either before or after Ava’s death.  If they could get their hands on the card, they would be that much closer to figuring out who did her in.

Carlita thought about the busted front gate and the theft of William’s weaponry from the drawing room.  Weston and EC Security Services had been on the premises prior to the party, which would’ve given Weston - and others, ample opportunity to steal the dagger that killed Ava.

If that was the case, Rick Dykstra wasn’t much of a suspect unless he had visited Beachy Bargains Pawn Shop and somehow purchased William’s dagger after it was stolen from Montgomery Hall.

Carlita’s head was spinning by the time she finished her bath.  She quickly changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth before crawling into bed and pulling the covers to her chin.

As she drifted off to sleep, she couldn’t help but think tomorrow was going to be a very busy day.

Chapter 19

Carlita was up early the next morning after tossing and turning half the night. Part of it was because she was in a strange bed, but also because she couldn’t get Ava’s death and the clues Elvira had given them out of her mind.

She hoped Tori had been able to schedule an impromptu brunch with Mimi Dykstra where she would be able to glean a few clues from Ava’s former employer.

Carlita started the Keurig and the fragrant aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the room.  After a quick glance out the window to gauge the outside temperature, she slipped on a pair of jeans and a simple cotton blouse before easing the coffee mug from beneath the dispenser. She took a small sip.

It was stronger than she typically brewed at home, but it was perfect after putting in a restless night and knew she’d be glad for the extra shot of caffeine as the day wore on.

The upper floor was quiet and no one was in sight as she crossed the hall to Mercedes’ room.  She rapped softly on the bedroom door and heard a muffled reply. The lock clicked and Mercedes opened the door.  “You’re up early.”

She watched her mother ease into an empty chair next to the small desk.  “How did you sleep?”

“Not that good.  I think it was a combination of a strange bed, thinking about Ava’s killer and what we learned from Elvira.”

“You have to admit, her information was helpful.”

“It was. How did you sleep?  Did any ghosts wake you up in the middle of the night?” Carlita teased.

“Nope. I was out like a light and slept all night.  I woke up about half an hour ago.  I think my room is above the kitchen since I coulda swore I heard the sound of pots and pans banging through the vents.”

Carlita pointed at the laptop.  “Are you still researching the suspects?”

“I did a little more digging around and wasn’t able to find much more.  Iris, Jenny, Byron, Chad and Lucien all have social profile pages, but they’re not very active and their posts are few and far between.” Mercedes wiggled to the side to face her mother.  “I hate to say this, but Iris and Byron have the most motive and opportunity to have taken Ava out.”

She told her mother both of them had almost unlimited access to the interior and grounds of Montgomery Hall.  “Think about it.  The weapons that were stolen were small enough to slip under a shirt or jacket.  They could be in and out easily.”

“But what about the busted front gate?”

“It was staged to give the appearance that a stranger was the one who broke in and stole the antique weaponry.  As far as we know, Duke never barked or raised an alarm that an intruder had entered the premises.  The home alarm didn’t sound and no employees saw or heard anything.”

“True. Elvira said when she scaled the wall; Duke and Lucien took her down not long after she hit the ground.” Carlita warmed her hands on the outside of her coffee mug before taking a sip.  “Perhaps it was Lucien.  No one would even look twice if he were wandering around Montgomery Hall at all hours.  All he would have to say is he heard something.”

“What I don’t get is how it all ties into Ava’s murder,” Mercedes said.

“Unless Ava somehow suspected the thief and confronted the person.”

Carlita slid out of her chair and walked over to the window.  “While I was lying awake last night, I kept thinking if we could figure out what happened to the business card Ava slipped into her bra shortly before her death, we’ll have her killer.”

“It’s definitely worth a trip to Ava’s room to search it again.” Mercedes held up her coffee cup.  “I sampled the mocha coconut flavored coffee. It’s really good.” She downed the last of her coffee and stood.  “I was hoping after breakfast we could head to the Indian burial grounds.  After I ran out of people to investigate, I decided to do a