Free Divas Do Tell by Virginia Brown Page B

while all the movie people are here. They have money, and you just never know when one of them might come into the shop.”
    “How many of these corsets does Bitty have?” I wondered aloud, and Carolann grinned.
    “Two. One in white and one in black and red.”
    “Bitty does love to be prepared for every occasion,” I said. “I shudder to think what Rose has put in the Blue Room.”
    “She’s not as farsighted as I am. I think she’s done very little to entice the wealthy.”
    “A pity. I’m sure she’d sell out the shop in an hour if they only knew.”
    “Any luck on finding out who sent Dixie Lee those death threats?” Carolann asked as we positioned the new items within three feet of the front door.
    “Yes. Everyone in Holly Springs and a fifty mile radius wants to see her dead. Other than that, no, we don’t know who sent them.”
    “It makes me wonder how everyone felt about her before she wrote the book. Was she always this hated?”
    “I have no idea. I vaguely remember her from my teenage years. She was older than us by three years, I think. Or four. It depends on who you talk to as to her age.”
    “She’s certainly made some unwise decisions in her life.”
    I finished setting up the rack with the bras, then said, “Haven’t we all? We just don’t write about them in a bestselling book.”
    “Have you read it yet?”
    “I’ve read the first three chapters. Bitty loaned me her copy. She highlighted certain paragraphs in it, so I’ve been a little worried she might do something rash.”
    Carolann laughed. “I’m shocked at the very suggestion. Bitty is such a calm person. Not at all a danger to herself or the community.”
    She was being sarcastic. It’s well-known that my serene cousin carries a huge pistol and has been known to use it, although never too recklessly. Due to Diva complaints, she took classes and had her weapon registered, but that’s not always enough to protect the town. Her efforts did come in handy not long ago, but now we’re just waiting on catastrophe.
    Business picked up during the day, and I didn’t have much time to think about Dixie Lee or the threats against her, although I did catch some of the excitement at the movie people being in town. It was interesting watching them set up for location shots, the camera guys setting up little tracks and adjusting all the time for lighting or the best angles.
    By the time we closed the shop at six it was dark, and the movie people had all vanished from the street in front of the courthouse. One of the shop’s customers had said they were shooting scenes at Cady Lee’s house, supposedly the childhood home of the Forsythe family and where the fictional character of Desirée DuBois grew up. Some of the book’s scenes featured the narrator, Desirée, as an observer of the events she described. From what I’d read so far, Desirée immersed herself in the lives of others only when it moved the story along. The main plotline revolved around the scandal of Billy Joe Cramer and Susana Jones—or Joe Don Battles and Sharona Smith as they were known in the book—and how Civil Rights issues affected them.
    “Do you want to go over and watch them film at Cady Lee’s house?” Carolann asked, and I shook my head.
    “I have to go home to feed critters. If I’m too late, Brownie tends to devour furniture and other delicacies. I’m not sure I could explain that to my parents.”
    “I’m going over there for a few minutes,” said Carolann. “It’s just so exciting to watch.”
    I didn’t feel a bit left out as I drove home. Watching movies being made held limited appeal for me. Bitty may be blinded by Hollywood lights, I told myself, but I was just fine in the dark.
    It doesn’t take as long as one might think to put out big pans of dry cat food and open dozens of tins for cats in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They’ve got the routine figured out a lot better than I do. Some sit patiently waiting while others curl