The Sassy Belles by Beth Albright Page B

sweet part of
the fabric of the river. It was just for show. Tourists and out-of-town family
loved it and kept it in business. But it was one of the main reasons I loved to
eat at the Cypress Inn, especially at dusk. It was beautiful to see the boat in
all her original glory just meandering along the curve of the river, on her way
home, straight toward the setting sun, with her paddle wheel churning the muddy,
ink-colored water below.
    The Cypress Inn is built hanging off the hillside. All glass
and old driftwood, it looks like it has been there forever. Two stories and
facing the river, it’s built in a triangle shape so everyone can watch the river
while they eat their catfish and hush puppies.
    Hanging baskets of azalea and begonias drip blossoms over the
outdoor porch. And the trees are thick with magnolia blooms big enough to hold
the spoonfuls of occasional afternoon rainwater that was a daily, almost
unnoticeable part of Southern springtime.
    It was this gorgeous scene that we all stepped out of the car
to see, though the beauty of it was muddied by the dark reason we were all
gathered there. Harry left us as he jogged ahead to catch up with Sonny. I knew
he needed to see the body for himself. I also knew he wasn’t fully embracing the
possibility of what might actually be waiting for him at the bottom of that
path. But I was.
    Vivi was mumbling to herself, “See what horny can do? You see?
If Lewis and I weren’t always so horny, I’d have beautiful roses on my supper
table tonight and Lewis would still be here.” She kept walking and mumbling and
looking at her feet as she stumbled to the path. She looked up at me. “Okay, I
know it’s not possible for us not to be who we really are, but I just cannot
believe that my last vision of Lewis alive will be with that holster on and
Deputy Dick in his hand.”
    Vivi and I linked arms like two old women and walked down the
curvy stone walkway to the riverbanks. The footlights along the daffodil-strewn
path twinkled in the encroaching darkness. It led us, roaming, down the hill and
delivered us to the wooden planked bridge that guided us to the gazebo.
    I heard the sounds of the sirens coming in the distance.
    We located Sonny and found a small huddle of people standing
east of the gazebo and, at the center of the group, with bare shoulders shaking,
stood young Mandy Morrison, Tuscaloosa’s Miss Everything. She was head
cheerleader, Miss Tuscaloosa High School, Miss West Alabama Fair Queen…. She
had plans of moving to New York and launching herself on Broadway.
    Seeing how distraught she was, I had a feeling this event might
slow things up a little.
    Mandy, her mom, dad and younger brother were all at the Cypress
Inn celebrating her high school graduation and acceptance into a small liberal
arts college in New York when Mandy and her dad went for a little
father-daughter stroll along the river. They had stopped to smell the wandering
vines of honeysuckle when Mandy spotted the body—well, part of the body.
    Right there, bobbing against the bank, was someone’s leg and
the lower half of their torso.
    Vivi and I pushed into the little crowd of people just as Mandy
was recounting her unfortunate vision.
    “I was just giving my dad a hug and, like, I looked over his
shoulder and I saw a leg! At first I thought it was, like, a log….”
    Mandy kept talking…enjoying the attention even though she was
somewhat “grossed out.” As she kept up the frenetic, breathless encounter of her
graduation dinner surprise, Sonny took notes and the officers collected the
evidence.
    Vivi and I peeked over the crowd of people now gathering at the
banks.
    “For God’s sake!” she hollered. “It’s not even the whole entire
body! But this is the half I know best. No. No way
is this my Lewis.” Vivi could not keep it to herself.
    Harry jumped in immediately. “This is not a good time to share
your opinions unless someone asks, okay?” He was clearly on edge.
    Vivi looked up at