claiming his share of Carithers’ Chance, he also wins you?”
Katie zipped the case closed with a vengeance. “Certainly not. People don’t belong to people.”
“You could have fooled me. Listening to you talk about the Carithers family, I thought you owned each other heart and soul.”
“That’s different. That’s Southern tradition.”
“So’s gambling. Sounds to me like you and Montana won each other. Some package deal.”
“Oh! You sound just like him. Bossy and dictatorial!” Katie picked up her case and marched down the steps to the foyer.
“I’m perfectly happy to take a few days’ personal leave and go with you, Katie.”
“You don’t have any left, Cat, you’ll have to take time off without pay.”
“Okay, time without pay. You can just gamble an extra hand and share your winnings. Call it expense money.”
Katie wanted to refuse, but she needed Cat. She needed her courage and, it occurred to her, she needed her car. “All right. You can go.”
“I’m already packed,” Cat said. “But I would kinda like to know where we’re heading.”
“To New Orleans.”
“Why my car?” Cat glanced around. “Where is the blue goose anyway?”
Katie threw her bag in the back of Cat’s Mustang.
“Apparently Carson took it.”
“And how’ve you been getting back and forth to work?”
“Montana insisted on driving me.”
Cat’s “Hmm” was all interest and questions. “Do we know what happened to Carson’s car? Or did he use that as part of his wager, too?”
Katie leaned her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. “I have no idea. For all I know, it could have been repossessed. Let’s go to New Orleans, Cat.”
“You’re the boss. Any specific place we’re heading?”
“Carson is supposed to be dating a showgirl on one of the riverboats there. I want to talk to her.”
“You think she knows where he is? I thought he had a fiancée.”
“He does.”
Katie never realized how many gambling boats and dinner cruisers there were along the river. The gambling casinos were open twenty-four hours a day. The dinner cruises provided the live shows and entertainment. But none of them gave out information about their patrons.
Finally, just after lunch, they boarded the
Dixie Queen
, a permanently anchored, gaudy paddleboat that advertised the finest entertainment north of New Orleans and the biggest winners at their gaming tables. A sign on the dock announced they were holding tryouts for their show.
“That’s it,” she declared. “That’s how we’ll get some answers.”
“What’s it?” Cat echoed.
“We’ll apply for jobs. Get friendly with the other girls and see what we can find out.”
“Katie, we only have the rest of the day. We don’t have time to waste applying for jobs. Besides, what makes you think anybody would hire us?”
Katie brushed by her friend and started down the deck. “I didn’t say we had to get hired. I just said we’ll try out. Besides, I took ten years of dancing and you can belt out a fair tune. Let’s go for it.”
It didn’t take any more convincing to sway Cat. She was always up for something new. However, Katie wasn’t nearly as confident as she tried to sound. She had no doubt that Cat could pull it off, but there was no way she could become a chorus girl.
Minutes later a short bald man was walking around them, studying both women as if they were prize steers and he was a butcher. “Tell me again about your experience,” he said, glaring sternly at Katie.
“I’ve had ten years of ballet, tap, jazz.”
“So has every girl south of the Mason-Dixon line,” he said. “Experience, lady. Where have you worked?”
“Well,” she improvised wildly, “I spent some time on the
Scarlet Lady
.”
“Montana’s boat? I didn’t know he had a show.”
“He sometimes offers shows,” Cat threw in. “For special occasions, for private parties. I was the singer.”
With that, she pulled up a stool near the piano,
Katie zipped the case closed with a vengeance. “Certainly not. People don’t belong to people.”
“You could have fooled me. Listening to you talk about the Carithers family, I thought you owned each other heart and soul.”
“That’s different. That’s Southern tradition.”
“So’s gambling. Sounds to me like you and Montana won each other. Some package deal.”
“Oh! You sound just like him. Bossy and dictatorial!” Katie picked up her case and marched down the steps to the foyer.
“I’m perfectly happy to take a few days’ personal leave and go with you, Katie.”
“You don’t have any left, Cat, you’ll have to take time off without pay.”
“Okay, time without pay. You can just gamble an extra hand and share your winnings. Call it expense money.”
Katie wanted to refuse, but she needed Cat. She needed her courage and, it occurred to her, she needed her car. “All right. You can go.”
“I’m already packed,” Cat said. “But I would kinda like to know where we’re heading.”
“To New Orleans.”
“Why my car?” Cat glanced around. “Where is the blue goose anyway?”
Katie threw her bag in the back of Cat’s Mustang.
“Apparently Carson took it.”
“And how’ve you been getting back and forth to work?”
“Montana insisted on driving me.”
Cat’s “Hmm” was all interest and questions. “Do we know what happened to Carson’s car? Or did he use that as part of his wager, too?”
Katie leaned her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. “I have no idea. For all I know, it could have been repossessed. Let’s go to New Orleans, Cat.”
“You’re the boss. Any specific place we’re heading?”
“Carson is supposed to be dating a showgirl on one of the riverboats there. I want to talk to her.”
“You think she knows where he is? I thought he had a fiancée.”
“He does.”
Katie never realized how many gambling boats and dinner cruisers there were along the river. The gambling casinos were open twenty-four hours a day. The dinner cruises provided the live shows and entertainment. But none of them gave out information about their patrons.
Finally, just after lunch, they boarded the
Dixie Queen
, a permanently anchored, gaudy paddleboat that advertised the finest entertainment north of New Orleans and the biggest winners at their gaming tables. A sign on the dock announced they were holding tryouts for their show.
“That’s it,” she declared. “That’s how we’ll get some answers.”
“What’s it?” Cat echoed.
“We’ll apply for jobs. Get friendly with the other girls and see what we can find out.”
“Katie, we only have the rest of the day. We don’t have time to waste applying for jobs. Besides, what makes you think anybody would hire us?”
Katie brushed by her friend and started down the deck. “I didn’t say we had to get hired. I just said we’ll try out. Besides, I took ten years of dancing and you can belt out a fair tune. Let’s go for it.”
It didn’t take any more convincing to sway Cat. She was always up for something new. However, Katie wasn’t nearly as confident as she tried to sound. She had no doubt that Cat could pull it off, but there was no way she could become a chorus girl.
Minutes later a short bald man was walking around them, studying both women as if they were prize steers and he was a butcher. “Tell me again about your experience,” he said, glaring sternly at Katie.
“I’ve had ten years of ballet, tap, jazz.”
“So has every girl south of the Mason-Dixon line,” he said. “Experience, lady. Where have you worked?”
“Well,” she improvised wildly, “I spent some time on the
Scarlet Lady
.”
“Montana’s boat? I didn’t know he had a show.”
“He sometimes offers shows,” Cat threw in. “For special occasions, for private parties. I was the singer.”
With that, she pulled up a stool near the piano,
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