Stealing Taffy (Bigler, North Carolina #3) - Susan Donovan Page 0,108

tiny voice was nearly drowned out by the noise of Miller gunning the Cadillac’s engine and screeching out of the Cherokee Pines parking lot. Tanyalee reached behind her to find Fern’s sticky little hand, determined to keep her calm.

“Now, don’t you worry, Fern. I’ll find a way to get us … I’m going to make sure we…” The sound of her own panicked laughter raced through her mind. Exactly what do you plan to do, Tanyalee Marie Newberry? You can’t flirt your way out of this one!

“I’m so sorry, Tanyalee.” Fern sniffled softly. The only other time Tanyalee had heard Fern make that particular noise was at the hair salon, when she didn’t feel worthy of a cut and blow-dry. Every other minute Tanyalee had spent in her company, Fern had pretended she was as strong as hillbilly-forged iron wrapped in steel.

“This is all my fault,” she whimpered.

“I really don’t see how that is possible.” Tanyalee was determined to keep the drama to a minimum. “Now, just days ago I could have easily blamed this on my sister’s husband, Mr. High-and-Mighty J.J. DeCourcy, who was hell-bent on my unhappiness. But with recent developments being what they are, I’d have to say this is the work of my no-good, pistol-wavin’ ex-fiancé, Wim Wimbley! I should have known he’d do somethin’ like this! He’s tryin’ to keep me from testifyin’ at his trial—”

“Tanyalee—”

“But this is what I get for making amends with that unrepentant, connivin’ jailbird—”

“Tanyalee—”

“Why, he’s just plain vindictive, that’s what! Did I ever tell you how he shredded my credit cards into itty-bitty confetti and then left a pile of plastic right there on my Liberty Rose pink bathmat for me to find when—”

“Tanya! Frickin’! Lee!”

Tanyalee took a deep breath and composed herself. “Just because you and I are trapped in the trunk of a speeding Cadillac driven by a socially prominent lunatic is no reason to be rude, Miss Bisbee!”

“Okay. So what you’re going to do right now is take a deep breath and shut up for three seconds, because there is something very important you need to know about this here situation.”

Tanyalee blinked rapidly and fluttered her hands at her eyes in the dark, trying to dry them before her mascara ran. A racing heart and an undeniable fear of impending death was no excuse for allowing herself to look like a darned raccoon. “Fine,” she said. “I’m listening.”

The Cadillac swerved then, slinging them against each other. Tanyalee threw out a hand to brace herself against the carpeted trunk lid and pushed with all her might.

“Ow,” Fern said, her voice muffled. “Your bony ass is in my stomach.”

“Oh, for pity’s sake!” Tanyalee did a little exploring with her hands when the car settled once more onto the straightaway. The Cadillac’s trunk was cavernous, more than big enough for the two of them along with the last couple boxes of cupcakes, now a little worse for wear. Both long boxes were a bit flattened in the middle, so Tanyalee pushed them toward the rear bumper before the icing squished out everywhere. It was bad enough being kidnapped. Must she be covered with frosting, to boot?

Tanyalee found that if she twisted her hips just so, she could face the deeper part of the trunk where Fern lay. She braced her hands on one side of the trunk and her peep-toe pumps on the other. For the first time ever, she found herself grateful that Aunt Viv hadn’t purchased a Japanese subcompact back in 1976, since there was plenty of room in this land yacht’s trunk for two abductees. At least Fern wouldn’t get squashed at every turn. For all her toughness, she was built like a baby bird.

“Fine. Say your piece.” Tanyalee sighed. “Only I really do think this may be—”

“It’s about the meth lab!”

Tanyalee blinked. “Oh, sweetie, no. Dante said that was all tied up. It’s a closed case.”

“I lied to him, all right? There was a man working with Spivey and I saw him out there once. He didn’t see me. And I never heard anybody call him by his real name, just the ‘Fat Man.’”

“Oh.”

“He might be skinnier now, but the guy drivin’ your car is the man Dante is lookin’ for.”

“Gracious.”

“I thought he’d been arrested with everyone else until Dante started asking me questions about him at the bowl-a-thon.”

“Go on.”

“He asked me if I’d ever seen anyone who went by that name and I lied! I just … I thought it’d be better if I didn’t