Chapter 31
“I am not sure exactly what Camille wanted, Baby,� Johnny said. “I can only assume that the two showed up here to cause trouble. What kind of trouble I really couldn’t say. Robbie was too drunk for anything to happen.�
“Daddy’s right, Mom,� Frannie said, “Robbie just fell down and stayed on the ground. He hadn’t moved a muscle from the time he fell until the time the security people picked him up.�
Baby giggled in spite of herself. “Somehow I always knew that Robbie Gould would turn out to be a creep.� She looked at Johnny. “I’ll never forget when the two of you were fighting. You threw him down on the ground and told him that he wasn’t worth it.�
“And,� Johnny smiled, “I said the same thing to him again. I don’t know if he heard me or not.�
They all laughed.
“What about Camille?� Baby asked.
“Camille was escorted out of the ballroom by security guards. I don’t exactly know what they did with her.�
“Well, let’s hope they have her under control,� Baby said, looking at Frannie. “You said that Pay Per View crew has just arrived.�
“Yes, that’s right,� Frannie said, looking at her mother. “They came a day early. And their security is tighter than a drum.�
“Which means,� Johnny said, “you think that the Robbie and Camille matter has been taken care of.�
Frannie nodded her head and smiled. She turned back to her mother.
“Do you have any more patients, Mom, because you and Pop are going to show me how you did that last dance of the night.�
Baby smiled and looked at Johnny. “What have you been filling her head with?�
Johnny smiled walking over to put his arms around his wife. “Just the truth.� He laughed. “You ready?�
“Wait, just a minute,� Frannie said, looking at her watch. “Has anyone seen my husband. Chrissy sent for him hours ago.�
“Right here,� Kevin Bowman answered. Frannie squealed with delight. She threw her arms around him laughing. They embraced then let each other go.
“Feels like you’ve been gone forever,� he whispered in her ear.
Frannie laughed. “Me, what about you? Directing and choreographing my father’s two musical revivals on Broadway. I don’t know when you are coming or going anymore, Kev.�
He smiled and his bright blue eyes twinkled. He was two years younger than Frannie, but none of that bothered either of them. They were too much in love. He looked just like his mother, Penny Johnson Bowman and was the most beautiful guy in the whole world.
Or at least the way that’s how Frannie thought of him.
Baby and Johnny looked on in approval until Michelle, one of the leading dancers in the show came bursting into the room.
“There’s smoke coming from the back of the ballroom,� she said, her eyes bright with fear. “I thought you should know.�
Chapter 32
It took the Catskill Mountains Fire Department most of the night to put the fire out. Thankfully, the ballroom didn’t burn to the ground as Frannie had first thought. They had saved most of it, but not enough to host the upcoming reunion.
The fire had begun in the kitchen, but it was determined that it had been deliberately set. The clues had come from the small Coach handbag with the initials CPM burned into it. The investigators had discovered a cigarette lighter hanging out of the bag and an empty gasoline can which was left carelessly on the floor. The fingerprints matched the handbag, the cigarette lighter and the gasoline can. They didn’t have to go very far before they found their culprit, Camille Peterson Manning. She was in the men’s room trying to revive Robbie Gould who had remained passed out. The two of them were arrested and taken into custody as suspects.
Meanwhile, Frannie, Penny and Phil needed another place to hold this reunion. Almost everyone had arrived and still more were expected to show up.
“You can’t just cancel the whole show,� Frannie said, pacing back and forth. “I have never worked so hard for anything in my life. I will not quit now. This is everything I’ve ever dreamed about.�
“Half of the ballroom is ruined,� Penny said, watching Frannie’s eyes. “The ceiling is falling down. The walls are black, the curtains on stage are burnt to a crisp. There is not enough room for the guests let alone the dancers.�
“Well,� another voice piped up. “We can’t cancel. It is too late and people are arriving by the minute.�
“Where do you propose we hold this little reunion?� Phil asked, looking at Frannie and Penny, then he looked up and focused on the new arrival.
“There’s the stage in the rehearsal studio where we used to do our dirty dancing after hours, remember?� Johnny said, looking at Penny. He walked toward her. We could set up in there.�
“Do you really think that it is big enough?�
Johnny smiled. “It fit all those dancers didn’t it?� He laughed. “Penny, it just needs a quick fixing job. If we start now, we will finish by late morning.�