Nancy Clue Mysteries 1 - The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse (10 page)

Cherry and Tom shook their heads. "Frankly, I'm confused," Tom said. "But then again, a lot of things you girls do confuse me."

"Do I have to draw you two a picture?" Midge sighed impatiently. Tom and Cherry nodded. Midge rolled her eyes and continued.

"The men who followed Cherry are after this book. They took my old copy by mistake. That means we've still got what they want. Whatever that is," she wondered, staring at the book in her hand.

"That's good news...isn't it?" Cherry faltered.

Midge shook her head. "It would be, except the kidnappers must think they've got what they wanted. They won't be coming back here any time soon. And they've got Velma."

"Can't we just find these terrible men and give them the book in exchange for Velma?" Tom asked.

"It may not be that simple," Midge said ominously. "You finish in here, Cherry. I'll search downstairs, and Tom, you search my bedroom and the bathroom."

"What are we looking for?" he asked.

"Anything that could lead us to Velma. Anything at all!"

The three split up and for the next ten minutes they turned the tidy house upside down in a frantic attempt to unearth a clue regarding Velma's disappearance.

Tom came out of the bathroom looking distressed. "I didn't find any clues," he admitted. "Unless this is one," he said, holding up a pair of sheer black panties. "Whose could they be?" he teased.

"They're Velma's-of course!" Midge said, blushing a little. She snatched the panties out of his hand and threw them on the bureau. She clutched her stomach. "Gosh, I get hungry at the queerest times!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not sure I can continue to hunt for clues on an empty stomach," Tom chimed in. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Speaking of food, I just remembered something. I overheard the men who took Velma talking about food. I think they were discussing pies, of all things. Now what kind was it?" he mused.

"Apple," guessed Midge.

"Chocolate?" guessed Cherry. "Pecan? That's my favorite."

"No, it was a fruit." Tom thought a minute. "I've got it!" he cried. "I he..rd them say something about cherry pie."

"Cherry pie!" Cherry yelped. "They weren't talking about cherry pie, they were talking about me! That settles it; they were after me! I just remembered-Velma was wearing my buttercup-yellow frock! They must have gotten us mixed up! But who are they?"

"Would it help if we had the license number of the car?" Tom suggested.

The girls blinked at him with astonishment.

"You have the license number?" Midge cried.

"Well, you know I have this habit of memorizing things for fun," he said.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Cherry admonished.

"I forgot," Tom said apologetically. "I get nervous when things like this happen."

"And they call females the weaker sex," Midge teased. "Let's have it." Tom closed his eyes, and concentrated. In a moment, he recalled not only the license number of the car, but other details, as well.

"It was a fabulous shiny red convertible with California plates," he recalled. "I wish I had one!"

"Midge says we can't call the police; how will knowing the license number of the car help us? We can't trace it ourselves," Cherry pointed out.

"I know a cop we can trust!" Tom declared. "Midge, remember that uniform party I went to at the Miraloma Club last month?" Midge shook her head. She didn't remember.

"You know," Tom urged. "I borrowed your cafe curtains for my costume. I went as Lawrence of Arabia."

"I remember now," Midge nodded. "Our curtains never looked so good. He returned them washed and pressed," she told Cherry.

"A uniform party? I could go to one of those," Cherry babbled nervously, remembering the two starched nurse's uniforms tucked securely in her luggage.

"My point is," Tom continued, "at the party there was a girl dressed as a cop who turned out to be the real thing. She said to call her if I ever needed a friend on the force. Her name is Betty. I don't remember her last name, but she's the only girl cop in town, so it shouldn't be too hard to track her down."

While Tom went downstairs to call the police station, Cherry went into the bathroom to powder her nose. Tom returned a few minutes later with good news. "Betty's on her way over," he reported. "She said not to touch anything, but I told her it was too late."

Cherry grimaced as she surveyed the topsy-turvy bedroom. "Nancy Clue would have known not to touch anything," she mused.

For a moment, her thoughts strayed from the drama at hand. It had been only two days since she had read about the murder of Carson Clue, but so much had happened in the meantime, she hadn't had a spare second to think about it. "I've been too busy even to read the newspapers. Golly, I hope Nancy's okay," she thought anxiously. Reluctantly, she put all thoughts about Nancy aside, and set about helping Tom and Midge straighten the room.

While Tom tidied, he whistled a lively tune.

"What a festive melody," Cherry said. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Tom replied. "It's been going round and round in my head for the last hour, but I can't remember the title. This happens to me all the time, and it just drives me crazy!"

"I know the title of that song," Midge said. "It's called `San Francisco'. It's from that old Clark Gable movie-why?"

Tom shrugged. "I don't know why, but I can't get it out of my head. I must have heard it recently, and...I've got it! One of the men was whistling it. That's where I heard it! Why, I think they inadvertently gave me a clue!" he gasped. "They must be headed for San Francisco!"

"And we're going to stay just one step behind them," Midge declared. "We're going to San Francisco, too!"

Midge threw some clothes into a old leather valise, along with the book from Nurse Marstad. "Maybe along the way I'll figure out why this book is so important," she mumbled.

"Let's get your car gassed up while Tom stays here and waits for Betty. Meet us at the diner on the corner of Fifth and Main as soon as you can," she instructed Tom.

Twenty minutes later, Cherry and Midge had been joined by Tom and Betty, as well as Tom's roommate, Monty. Between bites of perfectly scrambled eggs and tasty toast, they excitedly explained everything to Betty.

Betty sat quietly while everyone had their say. When she did speak, she exuded confidence and authority. Cherry felt better already, knowing that Betty was on their side.

"The first thing to do is find out who owns the car that Velma was taken away in," Betty said.

The group perked up.

"But it's probably been stolen, so the information won't be all that useful to us."

Everyone slumped with disappointment.

"The good news is that Velma's pretty tough. She can take care of herself," Midge piped up.

"Velma's tough?" asked Cherry, trying to picture the petite woman with the girlish giggle doing tough-girl kinds of things.

"The stories I could tell you..." Midge leaned toward Cherry.

"We'll have story time later, girls," Betty said. "Here's the plan." She lowered her voice. "You girls go to San Francisco. When you get there, look up my friend, Officer Jackie Jones. She works out of the Castro Street station. Make sure to tell her you're a friend of Betty's. I'll do my best to get in touch with her before you get there, but it may be tough. There's a big case brewing in the city, and all the cops have been called in to solve it.

"What happened?" Cherry asked, fascinated.

"Someone's snatched a whole convent of nuns," Betty said darkly. "The entire order of The Sisters of Mercy has suddenly disappeared!"

"Golly, why would anyone kidnap nuns?" Cherry slapped her hand on her forehead. "What's this world coming to?"

Midge abruptly jumped up from the table. "I'll be right back," she said. But several minutes passed, and Midge hadn't returned. Cherry looked around the restaurant and spied Midge pacing in the corner. She was on the telephone, but she wasn't talking. "She's trying to get in touch with someone," Cherry thought. "I wonder who?"

Midge put down the telephone receiver and came back to the table. "I'm sorry," she said. "Where were you, Betty?"

"I was just about to say that I can post someone at your house in case anyone shows up or calls, if that's okay with you." Midge nodded her approval. "We'll keep in touch by telephone."

"I want to go to San Francisco, too," said Tom, eagerly.

"Tom, you have the most important job of all," Midge said, solemnly.

Tom brightened. "What's my assignment?"

"Your job, Tom, is to babysit the kids!"

"What!" exclaimed Monty. "A dog on my beautiful new white carpet?"

"No," said Midge. "Six dogs. Six dogs, a cat, one rabbit, one guinea pig, a bird and a turtle. The mice can take care of themselves."

Monty put his head on the table and pretended to cry. Tom put his arm around his chum and tried to comfort him.

"It's okay. We'll just cover the whole house in plastic. It will be just like your mother's!"

"Oh, golly, could it get any worse?" Monty groaned.

Everyone laughed, even Monty.

Midge insisted on driving the first leg of the journey. "I'm too tense to sleep," she said as she took the wheel. Cherry quickly fell asleep in the seat next to her, using Midge's leather jacket as a pillow. When she awoke, Midge was singing along softly to a country western station between puffs on a cigarette. She noticed Cherry was awake and grinned. "I guess I shouldn't be smoking in front of a nurse. It is a filthy habit."

Cherry said nothing, but opened the window to clear the car.

"I read you," sighed Midge as she stubbed out her cigarette in the already overflowing ashtray. "I only smoke when I'm nervous. Or when Velma's family visits. Or after sex."

Cherry blushed at the confession, making Midge laugh. "You're cute when you blush," she said, making Cherry blush even more.

"You dating anyone?" Midge asked.

"No," Cherry said abruptly.

"Why not?"

"I'm too busy. After all, nursing is an important profession and my job keeps me occupied. It's rewarding and fulfilling work."

"And there's no chance of meeting anyone at work, right?" Midge teased her. "Golly, Cherry, you sound like a nurse recruitment poster! What's a nice girl like you doing all alone?"

Cherry groaned. "You sound just like my mother," she said.

Midge laughed and lit another cigarette. "I bet your mother and I don't have the same thing in mind."

"What did Midge mean?" Cherry wondered. "I just never seem to meet anyone I really like," she said.

It was true. For try as she might, Cherry didn't find the doctors and interns at her hospital very interesting, despite the attention they paid her.

"You'll meet somebody someday," Midge assured her. "I hooked up with a couple of losers before getting involved with Velma."

"You mean.. .you and Velma..." Cherry blushed a deep crimson. "Golly! I mean...oh!" she cried, covering her red face with her hands. "Nurse Cassie Case is right. Sometimes I can be so na've!"

Midge laughed at her consternation. "It's okay, Cherry. Lots of people think we're just roommates, especially since Velma's such a fem."