Page 6 of Family Ties and Alibis

“Let’s do it.” Carlita could feel a bubble of excitement welling up inside her. Travel. It has always been a dream for as far back as she could remember. Her first husband, Vinnie, was perfectly content to leave his wife at home to raise their children, never venturing too far from Queens, New York.

A made man, she later found out her husband was involved in a number of illegal activities. Not long after his death, she’d made the shocking discovery he owned property in Savannah, Georgia.

Promising her husband on his deathbed she would get their sons out of “the family,” Carlita firmly believed the Savannah property was her sign to make the move. Taking a leap of faith, she sold their family home. Not long after, she and Mercedes packed up and moved south. Carlita had never looked back.

Pete leaned in so they were eye-level. “Do you know what I love about you?”

“What?”

“Everything.”

Carlita flung her arms around his neck. “I love you too. Sometimes I still can’t believe I finally found my soulmate.”

A stiff breeze blew in from the water.

She shivered involuntarily, warily eyeing the sky. “I see some dark clouds rolling in. Let’s start back.”

Within seconds of reaching the lobby, the skies opened up and rain poured down.

“We made it back in the nick of time.” Carlita stifled a yawn. “I don’t know about you, but all this fresh air and our long day of travel has tuckered me out.”

“I could use a catnap. I say starting right now, and with this family trip, we focus on settling into retirement mode. Afternoon naps will be at the top of the list.”

Reaching their hotel room, Carlita tapped the “do not disturb” button and dimmed the lights. She swapped her travel clothes for comfy pajamas and joined Pete in the enormous king-size bed.

Carlita sneaked in a kiss before tucking the covers under her chin. Despite feeling drained, she couldn’t help but worry about Salvatore Tomaria’s threat to burn the casino down and her son’s scuffle with him. Salvatore wasn’t a common name. Tomaria, on the other hand, sounded Italian.

Hopefully, the man was only venting and had no plans to follow through on his threat. Vinnie had enough to worry about without wondering if some nutjob was going to destroy the casino. Despite having been around more than her share of career criminals, there was something about the guy that caused an inkling of concern.

The last thought she had before drifting off to sleep was to wonder if Elvira was digging up the Parrot House Restaurant’s parking lot. Even if she wasn’t, Carlita was certain the thought had crossed her mind.

Chapter 3

Carlita steered her scooter to Ember Steakhouse’s entrance, her heart plummeting when she noticed other diners were dressed to the nines—fancy cocktail dresses for many of the women while the men wore suits and ties.

“I hope we’re not underdressed,” Pete said.

“I was thinking the same thing.” She ran her hand along the sleeve of her silky blue blouse. “I figured black slacks and a dressy shirt would be appropriate. Vinnie didn’t mention a dress code.”

“We’ll find out soon enough.” Pete approached the hostess station. “We’re part of the Garlucci group.”

“Your name?”

“Pete and Carlita Taylor.”

“I’ll take you to your table.” The hostess marked her chart and motioned for the couple to follow her.

Weaving their way past clusters of tables, they crossed over to where Mercedes, Luigi, Tony, and Shelby sat waiting.

“What a great view.” Carlita shifted from her scooter to an empty chair. The windows gave them an unobstructed view of the resort’s tropical oasis, even offering a peekaboo glimpse of the waterfall. “Vinnie snagged us a primo dining spot.”

A familiar voice echoed in her ear. “Only the best for the Garlucci family.” Vinnie leaned in, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. He shook Pete’s hand. “Did you enjoy the rest of your afternoon?”

“We did a little exploring and even took a nap,” Carlita said. “The beds are like sleeping on a cloud.”

“I’m glad you’re settling in.” Vinnie greeted the others before taking his seat at the head of the table.

Carlita gazed around. “Where’s Brittney?”