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“Nope.”
“He’s the one that runs the tennis place. It used to be a bowling alley, you know. What’s a town like this need a tennis center for? We have a field for baseball at the town park, plus basketball hoops, and that’s plenty, you ask me. But then Parker moved to town and Glenn got it in his noggin that we needed a tennis center. So he started the place up and don’t you know, got Parker to work there. Glenn charges a pretty penny for lessons with Parker, you can be sure. It’s a real racket, pardon the pun.”
I give the obligatory laugh.
She’s settled into storytelling mode. “Those two didn’t get along, is what I heard. Glenn didn’t pay Parker enough, compared to what the tennis center was raking in for the lessons with a real, goodness-to-gracious famous player. I think Parker got fed up with it, finally. Just my humble opinion. He’s your friend. You might want to ask him.”
“I will. So, you think they argued?”
“Not just that. Parker broke into the place one night, real late. It’s a good thing he’s not in jail, you ask me.”
I choke down my sip of soda water and try not to look as surprised as I feel. “Excuse me? He broke in?”
“What, he didn’t tell you that?”
That’s why I’m talking to you.“Nope.”
“Well, shoot. Now I feel like I’ve spilled the beans behind his back…”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Parker’s a real good fella. Every one of us makes mistakes.”
“So, he broke into the tennis center, and… what happened? What was he doing?”
“Now, don’t get ahead of me. Let me try to tell it. It was about two weeks ago. Somewhere’s around there. Jasper Mowrey was out walking his dog and saw lights on in the place, even though it was near midnight. I don’t know, eleven or so. And everyone knows the place closes at eight pm. So Jasper called Glenn, and Glenn drove over to look into it, and don’t you know it, Parker was there. He didn’t even have a key. He let himself in through a window.”
“What was he doing?”
“Probably skimming off the cash register. A couple hundred dollar bills… who knows? Whatever he needed. That’s what some folks are saying. And then it came out that Katie Mowrey—that’s Jasper’s wife—she’s been seein’ lights on at that place at all hours for months, and she didn’t tell anyone about it. Figured it was no big deal. So we all think Parker’s been shimmying in through that window whenever he pleased. The truth is, I don’t blame him for stealing cash. What Glenn was charging for one lesson was practically highway robbery. Three hundred dollars for a forty-five minute lesson! Can you believe that? And I’m sure he was only paying Parker thirty bucks a pop.”
“So, Glenn fired him.”
“Right on the spot, is what I heard. Can’t have an employee squirming through windows and stealing from you, after all. Even if you are robbing folks blind yourself, day in and day out.” She shakes her head ruefully, drains the rest of her beer, then flags down the server.
Once she has a second full pint glass in front of her, I try for more information. She seems to be a wellspring of it, after all. “Any idea what’s up with his trailer, out on the edge of town?”
“No, what’d you hear? Something wrong with the place?”
“I heard he has a noise issue.”
“Now, that don’t make a lick of sense. There’s nothing out by him except the mountain, foxes, squirrels, and a few birds. I suppose birds can cause a racket… and there I go with the racket talk again.” She giggles into her pint glass.
The Tipsy Tavern is living up to its name, apparently. Her cheeks have a ruddy pink glow as she chugs down a healthy swallow.
“Any idea if he’s going to be working here tonight?” I ask.
“Oh, he comes and goes whenever he pleases.” She flaps a hand toward the door. “Hard to keep track of him. But since he’s not here right now, I doubt he’ll be coming in at all. Delilah’s got us covered.”
“Any guess on where he is?”
“Hm. Maybe he’s off somewhere with that Veronica. I’ve seen them together an awful lot. Either she’s coming in here, or his truck’s parked in front of her place. I saw that three times last month, all late at night.” She wiggles three fingers and then pokes her eyebrows up and down to emphasize the point.
She’s got this ‘dishing the skinny’ thing down.
So… Parker’s seeing this woman, Veronica, by the sounds of it. I shouldn’t be surprised. Carly did say he’s always dating someone new whenever she talks to him.
Then why did he invite me to go on a mountain bike ride with him?a little voice in my head asks.
