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“I know Russell Sterling. He owns Sterling Automotive Group.” Steve rubbed his thumb against his fingers. “He makes the big bucks. I’m sure you’ve seen his ads on television.”

“Television ads? You’re right. He’s the fellow with the cheesy moustache and catchy slogan, ‘Save big bucks and buy from us.’”

“That’s the one. Russell’s a decent guy who has had a string of bad luck, at least lately. He was here at the fundraiser.”

“Reese mentioned two individuals who match the description of the burglars from last night also broke into his business.”

“Really?” Steve arched his eyebrow. “I wonder if they’re the same ones.”

“It’s possible. Do you think he would mind if I swung by and asked him about it?”

“I have no idea.” Steve told her that it was a family-run business and Russell was in charge of the day-to-day operations. “Which means you have a pretty good chance of catching him at the dealership.”

Carlita thanked him and she and Rambo returned home. As they passed by the parking lot, she noticed a shiny new SUV with New Jersey license plates parked off to the side. On closer inspection, she realized it was her oldest son, Vinnie’s luxury SUV.

Picking up the pace, Carlita ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She reached the landing and heard voices along with the tinkle of laughter, a very distinctive laugh.

She flung the door open and found her son, daughter-in-law, and little Vin standing in the kitchen. The toddler spotted his grandmother. With arms wide open, he waddled across the floor and plowed into her.

Carlita scooped him up. Holding him tightly, she spun the little boy around. “What are you doing here?”

“We thought we would surprise you.” Vinnie, grinning from ear to ear, sauntered over. “Pete said you missed us and invited us to come down for a few days.”

Her husband, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and looking pleased with himself for pulling off the surprise visit, folded his arms. “I almost spilled the beans last night.”

Carlita set her grandson on the floor and hugged her son. “I have missed you all so much.” She stepped back, holding him at arm’s length. “You look good, like you’re beefing up a bit. Have you put on a few pounds?”

“More than a few.” Vinnie patted his gut. “I need to get back to the gym.”

Brittney, looking as beautiful as always, as if she’d just stepped off the pages of Vogue magazine, tottered over in her high heels. “Pete invited us to stay here, but if it’s too tight, we can always book a hotel room.”

“Not on your life.” Carlita gave Brittney a gentle hug, careful not to muss her meticulously coiffed blond locks. “You’re as gorgeous as ever.”

“Thanks.” Brittney playfully patted her hair. “Vin upped my allowance for my beauty regimen. It takes some big bucks to keep all of this looking glam.”

“You would be gorgeous with no makeup and your hair down, but if it makes you happy.” Carlita motioned them back to the bar area. “Are you hungry? Can I get you something to drink?”

“We’re fine, Ma,” Vinnie said. “We grabbed a light snack on our way into town.”

Little Vin let out a squeal and began chasing after Rambo, who led him around in circles.

“We were gonna fly, but decided it would take the same amount of time to drive,” Vinnie said. “Brittney has been champing at the bit to meet Melody.”

“Mercedes and I took her and Violet on a picnic down at the park earlier so Shelby could get some rest.”

The family wandered into the living room where Vinnie and Brittney took turns filling them in and catching up.

“How long can you stay?” Carlita finally asked.

“Unfortunately, like I said only for a couple of days.” Vinnie motioned to Pete. “Pete promised you two would plan a trip to Jersey soon.”

“We’ve talked about it.”

“Why don’t you caravan?” her son suggested. “Bring Mercedes, Sam, Tony, Shelby. Maybe even Elvira and her entourage. We’ll invite Paulie and his gang to come down at the same time. I think even Luigi would be on board for a trip north.”

Carlita playfully placed her hand on her son’s forehead. “Did you say Elvira? Are you sure you’re feeling all right?”

He chuckled, swatting it away. “On second thought, let me think about it.”

“She’s in Alaska.”

“Alaska? What’s in Alaska?”

“Gold mining,” Pete said.

“Ah.” Vinnie snapped his fingers. “I should’ve known. So…what else has been going on?”

“The pawn shop got broken into.”

“At least the window got busted out,” Pete elaborated.

“I discovered something interesting.” Carlita filled Brittney and Vinnie in and then told Pete about Russell Sterling.

“I know Russ,” Pete said. “He’s been around for ages. So, his business was broken into as well?”

“According to what Reese said. I was thinking about running by there to find out what happened.” Carlita glanced at her watch. “It’s almost dinnertime. It can wait until tomorrow.”

“I thought we could eat downstairs,” Pete said. “I’ve already reserved the back room so we can enjoy a quiet meal.”

“Quiet? We’re talking about the Garluccis here.” Carlita bounced on the tips of her toes and kissed her husband’s cheek. “You’re the best husband, the most thoughtful man. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. It was worth the effort to see your face light up when you walked through the door,” Pete said. “In fact, I let Mercedes and Tony in on the surprise. The rest of the family should be here any moment.”

While the others headed to the restaurant, Carlita took a minute to freshen up. She thought about what Reese had said and the fact Sterling’s place was also targeted.

The big questions were who and why. She pushed the troubling thought aside. It would have to wait. Tonight was all about family, and she wasn’t going to waste another second worrying about the sloppy, amateur burglars.

Tomorrow was a new day. After a good night’s sleep, she would be ready to dive in and hopefully start figuring out who it was.