Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans
Page 32

Apparently not everybody. “She’s at the community center. He seemed surprised that I didn’t know where it was. Why’s that?”
“Everyone around here knows it as the commune. It’s the place to buy drugs and moonshine.”
“And it got busted? Should we be going there then?”
“Why not? It got busted last week. It should be fine now.”
She had a point.
There were several cars in the parking lot of a building that looked like a converted church. I pulled into a spot and turned to Neely Kate. “Are you really gonna hide in the seat again?” I asked in disbelief when I saw that she was hunched down again.
“Yes. I am.”
Sighing, I climbed out of the truck, leaving the engine running. Before I shut the door, I looked down at her. “What’s she look like?”
“Look for long dark hair, big brown eyes. Tight clothes. That’ll be her.”
“Okay . . .”
I couldn’t imagine what Tabitha might be doing at the community center, but I discovered as soon as I walked through the door. A group of older women were in the middle of a large room that looked a lot like a school cafeteria. There was a stage at one end, and round tables were shoved against the two side walls. Racks of folding chairs were stored opposite the stage. Middle Eastern music blared, and the gray-haired women were wearing scarves with bells hanging off them, gyrating their hips to the tempo. A beautiful young woman stood in front of them, wearing a crop top and booty shorts, shaking her hips in circles.
“Come on, Maybelline,” the young woman said, looking over her shoulder. “Shake them hips so Harvey’ll want to grab ’em and get busy.”
Most of the women giggled, but a few looked horrified.
The song ended, and the young woman turned around. “Great lesson, ladies! See y’all next week!”
The instructor walked over to a duffel bag on top of one of the round tables and looked me up and down. “Were you here for the belly dance lesson? Because you’re about fifty years too young.”
“No, actually . . . I’m looking for Tabitha. Is that you?”
She stood up, looking wary. “Maybe, maybe not.”
Maybe she didn’t want to admit she was Tabitha, but every other female in the room looked close to retirement age.
When I didn’t say anything, a panicked look filled her eyes. “I meant to show up for that twelve-step meeting last week, but look—” she swung an arm toward the women who were in the process of removing their scarves, “I’m here teaching these geriatrics just like I promised my probation officer.”
I shook my head. “No. It’s nothing like that. I need to ask you about Dolly Parton.”
Her eyes widened. “What about her?”
“Do you know where she is?”
She crossed her arms and looked down her nose at me. “And who’s askin’?”
“I’m sorry.” I took a step closer. “I’m Rose. I’m a friend of Dolly’s, and I haven’t seen her in days. I know you’re her best friend, so I figured you’d know how she’s doin’.”
She still eyed me with suspicion. “How do you know her?”
“Uh . . .” I panicked, forgetting Neely Kate’s coaching. “We work together.” Oh crappy doodles. I didn’t even know where she worked.
Her arms dropped, and she looked less defensive. “At Gems?”
Gems? Billy Jack said she’d run off with the bartender from where she worked. Gems had to be a bar or a restaurant. “Yeah, that’s right.”
A slight smile lifted her lips. “Why didn’t you say so?” She looked me over, shaking her head. “I have to say that you don’t look the type. But then, Mud’s one for the unusual.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but at least she was still talking. “She hasn’t shown up for work in a few days. And neither has the bartender she’s been seeing. Do you happen to know where she is? Her momma’s worried.”
She shook her head with a frown. “I told her not to take a job there. Gems is nothing but trouble.”
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“Everyone knows that Mud is up to no good. It might pay better than the other place, but it’s not worth the risk.”
“What’s he up to?”
She looked at me like I was a crazy person. “You’re the one workin’ there. You tell me.”
Oh, yeah.
“So you don’t know where she’s run off to?”
“I don’t know what she’s up to half the time anymore. Not since her bitch of a cousin’s wedding. If anyone knows what Dolly’s up to, that woman would know.” Disgust covered her face. “Neely Kate River.”
What on earth had happened to make her hate Neely Kate so much? And she knew Neely Kate was married, but she’d called her by her maiden name and not her married name—Colson. Based on the timing, the fight had to be related to Neely Kate’s wedding. Maybe Tabitha was upset she hadn’t been asked to be one of Neely Kate’s many bridesmaids, since nearly half the county had been in the wedding.
“Her boyfriend, Billy Jack, said she took off with a bartender from Gems.”
“Oh, really?” she asked, getting excited. “Which one?”
Panic set in. “Cute. Brown hair.”
A sly grin spread across her face. “Good for her. I told her that weasel Billy Jack was foolin’ around on her.” She laughed. “I heard from a girl at the club that Dolly busted his ginormous flat screen a couple of weeks ago.”