This is an excellent question. I've wondered the same. My AW is going to 3+ meetings a day. She doesn't work. She's using the cover of the meetings to drink. She often goes straight from the meeting to the liquor store.
My AH used to do this. Go to AA meetings and then go drink. An alcoholic will use whatever cover they can to drink, and if pretending to be in recovery works, then they will do it.