“I would love to.” Carlita forwarded the photos to both Dernice’s and Elvira’s email accounts.
Starting with the first one, the group of four studied them, searching for clues about the visitor’s identity.
Elvira lingered longer on one of the frames, when the mystery person first arrived.
“What do you see?” Dernice asked.
“I’m kind of picking up on the way this person walks.”
“With one foot in front of the other,” Carlita joked.
“Haha. You’re hilarious. It’s their steps.”
“They’re moving fast, like they’re in a hurry,” Dernice said.
“Because they don’t want to get caught.” Elvira zoomed in on the photo. “If the police are investigating this as a homicide, I’m sure they’ve gone over these same recordings, searching for clues and are already assembling a list of visitors.”
“It stands to reason,” Carlita agreed. “Which is why it’s only a matter of time before they show up at Ravello’s.”
“When they come looking for me again, I’m gonna tell them about the motorcycle accident.”
“Creed was hurt, not Sonny,” Elvira reminded her sister. “Facts are facts.”
“Sonny told Reese the brakes on his bike were not working properly,” Carlita said.
“Which could be a nothingburger.” Elvira turned. “You do realize the fettuccine is potential evidence. If you don’t hand it over to the cops and they find out about it, you could be charged with attempted obstruction of justice.”
“Elvira is right,” Pete said. “I believe you should pick up the samples and hold on to them for the authorities.”
“I told the health department inspector they had been disposed of,” Carlita said.
“Which is true. On the flip side, you failed to mention you had taken samples to a lab to be tested, but now that you know the fettuccine was tainted, it’s potential evidence.” Elvira reminded her she had zero motive.
“I’m not worried about being charged with Sonny’s death. I am worried about it being leaked to the local news, having it ruin my business and/or having the city shut Ravello’s down.” Carlita told them she’d already decided to pick up the food and store it in the fridge. When the cops showed up, she would turn it over to them.
“Or reach out to them first,” Pete suggested. “Being proactive might be a better idea.”
“True.”
“Back to attempting to identify this person.” Elvira continued clicking through the photos. “I think it’s a woman.”
“Because…”
“The way they walk. If you pay attention, you can see they move quickly. Men plod along.”
“Plod along?” Pete echoed.
“Like this.” Elvira slid out of her chair and walked across the office, her legs stiff and straight and her arms out by her side.
“You look like a robot,” Dernice chuckled. “Men don’t walk like robots.”
“Sure, they do.”
“Pete doesn’t walk like that,” Carlita motioned to her husband. “Show her.”
Pete strode past the desk.
“He does seem a little stiff,” Dernice said. “But not like a robot.”
