Christmas Family Style in Savannah: A Garlucci Family Saga Novel (Made in Savannah Mystery Series Bo by Hope Callaghan (summer reading list txt) 📕

to jump. Something told her it was going to be a very long day. She headed to the window to see who was standing on the stoop. Before she could get there, it rang again, and then a third time.

The baby started crying.

“Good grief.” She took a quick peek out to confirm her suspicions. The only person capable of being that annoying this early was Elvira. She hurried down the steps and flung the door open. “Give me time to get to the door.”

“I wasn’t sure if your doorbell was working.”

“You’re freaking the baby out.”

“That’s right. I forgot about the munchkin staying with you,” Elvira said. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay.”

“I thought I would let you know that it was her. The cops released a sketch, and it was Roxy all day long. They put out a phone number asking anyone who knew her to contact them.”

Even though Carlita had been almost one hundred percent certain it was Roxy’s body, she still felt as if someone had gut-punched her.

“You okay?” Elvira asked. “Cuz you just went one whole shade of white on me.”

“Yes. No. I was hoping it wasn’t her.”

Elvira shifted her feet. “Let’s take a brief trip back in time and go over the series of events, to refresh our memories.”

“Mercedes and Roxy fought. Luigi and Ricco sprang into action to separate the two. Roxy went for her gun. Luigi managed to get it from her.” There was something else Carlita remembered. “Pete, with Luigi and Ricco’s help, escorted her to the bathroom. I remember Pete checking her to make sure she didn’t have another weapon.”

Elvira interrupted. “Did Ricco and Luigi see Pete check her, cuz I don’t remember that part.”

Carlita thought about it. The events were starting to blur. “No. Now that I think about it, everyone had left by then. It was just Pete and me. He placed the metal bar across the door. I watched him do it. In fact, he double-checked to make sure it was secure.”

She continued. “Roxy threatened Pete. After the ship docked and the party ended, we went back there to let her out. The door was wide open, and Roxy was gone.”

“So, maybe she jumped off the side of the ship and decided to swim to shore,” Elvira theorized.

“Except that there was a trail of blood leading to the railing.”

“Holy guacamole.” Elvira’s nostrils flared. “That’s new information. So, someone took her out.”

“It’s beginning to look that way.” Carlita cast a quick glance up the stairs. “Brittney’s father is sending someone down to look into the matter.”

“The ‘family,’” Elvira whispered. “We’re dead. We’re all dead.”

“We can’t panic, at least not yet.”

“Easy for you to say. You didn’t argue with Roxy only hours before her death, and in front of dozens of witnesses.” Elvira began to pace. “That puts Dernice and Luigi in the hot seat too. Luigi took her gun. What’s the boss man going to think when he finds out his former employee disarmed his current employee right before she took a hit?”

Elvira was right. The possibilities of what Vito might do were endless, and none of them were pleasant.

Elvira abruptly stopped. “Roxy ticked Pete off too. I mean, he knows the ship like the back of his hand. It wouldn’t be hard for him to slip away for a few minutes, head back there, injure Roxy and then heave ho…overboard she goes.”

“I suppose some might see it that way, but Pete did not take Roxy out.”

“And then there’s Mercedes. She hit Roxy, which is when things really took off. Who’s to say she didn’t slip away and do the deed?”

The more Elvira pointed out the possible scenarios, the more nauseous Carlita grew. Soon, the cops would be showing up on her doorstep. Jersey Joe would be on her doorstep. Reporters would find out.

“I gotta…I gotta think this through.” Carlita blindly turned and stumbled back up the stairs.

Elvira wasn’t far behind and followed Carlita into her apartment.

Vinnie, who was standing in the living room, took one look at his mother’s face. “It was her.”

“Yeah,” Elvira nodded. “The cops released a sketch. They’re asking people to come forward, anyone who might be able to identify her.”

“I need a minute.” Vinnie pulled his cell phone from his pocket and headed to the balcony. He stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

“Joe Mariani will be on a plane within a couple hours.” Brittney, who heard them talking, wandered into the room.

“That’s a hitman name if I ever heard one,” Elvira said. “Joe Mariani, the hitman.”

Brittney shook her head. “Mr. Mariani isn’t a hitman. He’s Daddy’s attorney and close confidant.”

Elvira shot Carlita a look. There was no doubt in either of their minds that Mr. Mariani was capable of “taking care of business” if he suspected foul play – attorney or not.

“We need to have a family meeting,” Carlita abruptly said. “We need to get Paulie, Tony and Mercedes over here to help us come up with a plan, and fast.”

Vinnie returned, his face pinched and expression somber. “Mariani is taking the first flight out. I’m picking him up at the airport as soon as I get the call. At most, we have five, maybe six hours to get a jump start on figuring out what happened.”

“Right. Right.” Carlita snapped her fingers. “You get your sister and brothers over here. I’m going to call Pete. We need to hustle.”

“What about Luigi and Ricco?” Elvira asked. “They’re suspects too.”

“Right,” Carlita said. “Ricco spent the night with Luigi.”

Brittney pressed a light hand to her forehead. “All of this is freaking me out. I think the baby and I should go lie down.”

“That’s an excellent idea,” Carlita agreed. The less Brittney knew and could report to her father, the better. She waited for mother and