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

officer asked Brittney a few more questions and then excused her when the baby started to fuss.

Carlita pointedly gazed at her watch. “Is there anything else you need?”

“As a matter of fact, I would like to take a quick look around,” Thryce said.

“Why?”

“To cover all of my bases.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Carlita pressed her palms together and defiantly lifted her head.

“I have a search warrant.” The officer calmly removed a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. “I have a warrant to search the entire building, if necessary.”

“This is harassment,” Vinnie exploded.

Thryce motioned to the other officers. “You start here. I’ll start in the back.”

The apartment was small, and it didn’t take long for the cops to look around. Thryce took the longest, snooping around Carlita’s laptop while she hovered behind him. “You’re wasting your time.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Thryce pivoted, facing Carlita. “Do you mind if I take a look at your arms?”

“My arms?”

“Pull up your sleeves.”

“I don’t do drugs,” Carlita pursed her lips.

Thryce ignored the comment. “You too, Mr. Garlucci.”

Carlita and Vinnie reluctantly rolled up their sleeves, moving them back and forth as Thryce inspected their skin. He studied Carlita’s neck, and then his gaze traveled all the way down.

“What are you looking for?” she asked.

“Clues. That’s enough. Thank you,” Thryce said. “Where is your daughter, the one who argued with Roxy hours before her death?”

“She’s staying across the hall at Autumn Winter’s place while my son and his wife occupy her room.”

“Perfect. I can kill two birds with one stone.” Thryce and the other officers made their way out of the apartment and to Autumn’s front door.

Carlita was right behind them. There was no way she was going to allow him to bully Mercedes and Autumn like he attempted to do to her.

He knocked loudly. The door opened, and Autumn appeared. “Hello.”

“Good morning. I’m Officer Thryce and am here to talk to Mercedes Garlucci.”

“She’s in the back.”

The officer consulted his notes. “Autumn Winter?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Can I come in? I would like to ask you a few questions about Roxy Ciccone.”

“I...” Autumn stepped into the hall and pulled the door shut behind her. “It’s messy.”

“He has a search warrant,” Carlita said.

“Why would you want to search my apartment?” Autumn’s jaw dropped. “I never even talked to Roxy. In fact, I didn’t even know her name until yesterday.”

“I don’t plan to search your apartment unless you refuse to let me in.”

“Fine.” Autumn relented. “You can come in.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Determined to keep tabs on what he asked Mercedes, Carlita squeezed in behind them.

Thryce arched his brow.

“I have a right to be here. You’re not gonna railroad my daughter and tenant.”

“Suit yourself.” Thryce asked Autumn the same standard questions. He didn’t bother jotting her answers down, which Carlita assumed meant he didn’t consider her to be a suspect.

“Is Mercedes Garlucci available?”

“She…” Autumn’s eyes slid to the side as she looked at Carlita.

“Do I need your permission to talk to your daughter?” Thryce shot Carlita a quizzical look.

“No. You can talk to Mercedes. She has nothing to hide.”

Autumn hurried to the back and returned moments later with Mercedes. “Autumn said you wanted to talk to me.”

“I’m Officer Thryce from the Savannah-Burnham Police Department.” Thryce repeated the same greeting he had to Carlita and her son and then began a similar round of questioning.

Her answers were almost identical to Carlita’s, and the only difference was her explanation of the events leading up to the altercation between her and Roxy. “She was hitting on my boyfriend.”

“And you took a swing at her for hitting on him?”

“No. Sam can take care of himself.”

“Hold up.” Thryce lifted a hand. “Sam?”

“Sam Ivey.”

“Former police officer, Sam Ivey,” the cop confirmed.

“Yes,” Mercedes nodded.

“This is getting more interesting by the minute,” Thryce said. “Let me get this straight. Roxy Ciccone hit on your boyfriend, Sam Ivey. You told her to knock it off, and when she didn’t, you took a swing at her.”

“That’s where you’re getting it wrong,” Mercedes said. “Like I said, Sam can take care of himself. It was the slur she called me.”

“A slur,” Thryce repeated.

“She called me a fat schifosa – a fat ugly woman, so I hit her.”

“And she hit back.”

“Yes.” Mercedes finished the story, how Roxy landed a punch to her gut, they fell to the deck, which was when Luigi and Ricco sprang into action, and Luigi took Roxy’s gun from her.

“Did you know she was carrying a weapon?”

“No, but I wasn’t surprised. A lot of women carry concealed weapons, at least the ones I know do.”

“Did you see Roxy again, after she was escorted away from the party and locked in a bathroom?”

“No.”

Thryce finished jotting down some notes and then slipped the pen and pad of paper into his pocket. “I would like to take a look at your laptop and cell phone.”

“Why?”

The officer smiled indulgently. “It’s my job.”

“He has a warrant,” Carlita said.

Mercedes reluctantly removed her cell phone from her pocket and handed it to him. “I’ll go get my laptop.”

Carlita watched him tap the screen. He quietly studied it for several long moments and then handed the phone to one of his partners. “Make sure I didn’t miss anything.”

“Where do you want it?” Mercedes returned with her laptop.

“The coffee table will suffice.” Thryce settled on the couch while Mercedes set the device in front of him.

Carlita pulled Autumn and Mercedes to the side. “He doesn’t have anything on you. I’m sure he’s almost done.” She gazed over her daughter’s shoulder and noticed him staring intently at Mercedes’ computer screen.

“Hey, Jonkers.” He motioned to the female officer