Fatal Fettuccine (Made in Savannah Mystery #27)

Chapter 1

“Did she send it?”

“Finally.” Carlita adjusted her reading glasses. “It’s a good thing we have plenty of room. We’ll need it.”

Mercedes leaned over her mother’s shoulder, peering at the printout she held in her hand. “I had no idea Dernice and Luigi knew this many people.”

When Luigi Baruzzo popped the question, asking Dernice Cobb, Carlita’s neighbor, to marry him, she’d started planning a surprise engagement party at Ravello’s, the Garlucci family’s Italian eatery in historic Savannah, Georgia.

Elvira, Dernice’s sister, had offered to help by handling the invitations and inviting the guests. Unfortunately, she was in no hurry to share the list with Carlita, sending it over only hours before the surprise party started.

Mercedes made a choking sound. “Are these real names?”

“I was wondering the same thing. Sonny Skidz, Paul Maul.”

“Paul Maul. Isn’t that a cigarette?”

“Yes, except the cigarette brand is spelled P-A-L-L and M-A-L-L.”

“Are there any women on the list?”

“A bunch. Some of those names are even more interesting. Here’s one…Cyclone Courtney.”

Mercedes tapped her lower lip. “I think I have an idea who these people are. They’re bikers.”

“You could be right.” Carlita waved the list in the air. “From Dernice and Luigi’s motorcycle riding group.”

“The Thursday Riding Club. They have a reputation for being a little rough.”

“Elvira had better plan on bringing some of her security team to the party to keep an eye on these people. The last thing I need is a bunch of rowdy riders trashing Ravello’s.” Carlita snatched her cell phone off the counter and dialed her former neighbor’s number.

“Helloooo, Carlita,” Elvira sang. “I take it you got a copy of the list?”

“I did, and I have questions.”

“About what?”

“Who are these people?” She rattled off a few of the names.

“What you asked for—friends of Luigi and Dernice.”

“But Cyclone Courtney?”

Mercedes interrupted. “Mercedes here. Ma and I are wondering if some of these people are from their biker group.”

“Yeah. The Thursday Riding Club. By the way, you can scratch Cyclone Courtney from the list. She sent a message saying something had come up and she couldn’t make it.” Elvira’s voice grew muffled. “I’m leaving my office now and can swing by to go over it with you.”

“Might not be a bad idea. I would like to know what I’m getting myself into.”

“See you in a sec.”

“I…” It was too late. Elvira had already hung up.

Mere minutes later, a flit of movement passed by Ravello’s front picture window. Elvira appeared.

“That was fast.”

“Like I said, I was on my way out. So…you got a problem with the list, because if you do, it’s too late. The people have already RSVP’d.”

Carlita pressed her hand to her forehead. “At the risk of appearing judgmental, a few of them sound like they were recently released from prison.”

“Or are on parole,” Mercedes added.

“I’m sure some of them are. In fact, I know a couple for sure have records, but then so does my sister and Luigi.

However, you wanted to invite their friends, and these are it.

” Elvira placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t know why you’re getting so cranked up.

It’s not like you haven’t been around the criminal element. ”

“Key word being had,” Carlita said. “I try to avoid people who are likely to cause trouble, especially when it involves one of my businesses.”

“You could’ve fooled me.”

Mercedes crossed her arms. “What do you mean?”

“Mafia men showing up, claiming your deceased husband owed them money,” Elvira said. “Plus the burglaries.”

“Because of an investigation you were involved in,” Carlita reminded her.

“Most recently, gang activity.”

“Which was Luigi, not me.”

“Let’s not get into the minutiae of each incident,” Elvira lectured. “If you’re so concerned about it, call off the party.”

On the one hand, Carlita was tempted, only because she had plenty on her plate. To be fair, Elvira had a point. The Garlucci family had been involved in more than their share of criminal activities, both directly or indirectly.

“Elvira is right,” Mercedes said. “Luigi and Dernice don’t know about the engagement party.”

“My staff will also be here, including the security services employees who aren’t working,” Elvira said. “They can be our eyes and ears to make sure there isn’t any trouble.”

Carlita stared at the list. It was manageable, but still…the Thursday Riding Club? An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. What biker group came up with that name?

Dernice was no longer involved with former convicts, or at least she didn’t think the woman was. Same for Luigi. Despite being a former mafia man, he had left the life of crime and was a hardworking, upstanding citizen, not to mention an ideal tenant who rented an efficiency in Carlita’s building.

“Lest we forget…your oldest son, Vinnie, is a made man,” Elvira said. “A mobster through and through.”

“It’s up to you, Ma.”

“I just thought it would be such a nice surprise, a way to celebrate two people who have turned their lives around and are starting a new chapter.”

“We have the decorations, the gifts, the games, the food, all ready to go.”

“It would be a shame to cancel now. I mean, it’s less than twenty-four hours away.” Carlita heaved a heavy sigh, the weight of her decision settling in. “You both think we should go ahead with the party?”

Elvira and Mercedes nodded in unison.

“Then I say we stick with the plan.” Carlita folded the list and set it on the table. “We might have a few guests who are a little rough around the edges, but you’re right. No one will show up looking for a fight. What could possibly go wrong?”