Nancy Clue Mysteries 2 - The Case of the Good-for-Nothing Girlfriend (33 page)

"Why, unless you're a health professional, it's against the law to carry controlled substances. Not only that, Nancy doesn't know what she's doing."

"Nancy knows how to give medication," a small voice said. Bess was standing at the top of the stairs with a guilty look on her face and a bag of groceries in her arms. "Once when Nancy and I were volunteer nurse's aides at the county clinic, a nurse showed us how to give out pills," Bess explained. "We weren't supposed to, but there was an epidemic and people were waiting hours for that one nurse to medicate them."

"That's unethical," Cherry gasped. "Who is that nurse? Why, she ought to be reported! And Nancy must be stopped!"

"But Hannah's at no real risk," Bess pointed out. "Nancy would never do anything to harm Hannah."

"But what Nancy's doing is wrong," Cherry insisted. "Isn't it?"

She looked around the room at her chums. She could see by the expressions on their faces that they didn't share her feelings. "Midge?" Cherry said in a weak voice. "What do you think?" Surely Midge would come to her defense! "Do you find me rigid and unbending?" Cherry asked.

Midge didn't know what to say. She tried to choose her words carefully. "Sometimes, Cherry, people do the wrong thing for the right reason."

Cherry puzzled over this for a moment. "I think I understand what you mean," she finally said. "It's like when I accidentally killed that evil priest. It was wrong to beat him to death, but I did save the lives of many women. Is that what you mean, Midge?"

"Something like that," Midge nodded.

"Tell me the truth, Midge," Cherry begged. "Am I really so awfully good that I get on people's nerves?"

"Yes, Cherry, you are," Midge blurted out before she could stop herself. When Velma heard this, she crossed her arms over her bosom and glared at her girlfriend. Midge had a feeling she would be sleeping on the sofa that night.

"But we really like you anyway, don't we, girls?" Midge added hastily.

"Really and truly," Velma gushed.

"Very much," Jackie added in a sincere tone. "I like you very much," she added softly. "Very, very much."

But there was no consoling Cherry, who flung herself on the newly made bed and burst into tears. "It's true; I am a good-for-nothing girlfriend," she sobbed. "I've let Nancy down the one time she really needed me. I should be at the jail cell right now, drugging Hannah. Instead, I'm here, frantic with worry. You know, my nickname in high school was Miss Goody Two Shoes, and until today, I was always a little proud of it," she confessed between sobs. "I thought it was an honor! But now I'm ashamed of myself!"

Suddenly, a determined glint came into Cherry's eyes. She blew her nose on the handkerchief she always kept in her pocket and raced down the attic stairs. The rest of the gang followed close behind. Where could she be going in such a hurry?

Cherry grabbed a lightweight blue cardigan sweater from the hall closet, paused for a second to powder her tear-stained cheeks, and headed for the front door. "Maybe I can make it to the prison in time to offer assistance to Nancy," she explained to her chums. "Any assistance she needs." But when she opened the door, she was shocked to find an attractive brunette girl, dressed in the sharp royal blue uniform of a Navy Nurse, standing in her way.

"Terry Tickerson, what are you doing here?" Bess cried.

The attractive girl smiled, showing off a darling dimple in her left cheek. She put down a leather satchel and took off her striking nurse's cap-a snappy, white cotton number with an impressive gold navy insignia on its brim.

Cherry noted with not a little envy that the girl's uniform, with its smart black piping and gold military buttons, was much handsomer than Cherry's own plain nurse's whites. She stifled an urge to salute.

"Didn't Nancy tell you I was coming to visit?" Terry grinned. "Why, when I saw her at the Tin Tan Club last night, she invited me to stay a few days until my ship left port. So here I am," Terry said cheerfully. "Ensign Tickerson, reporting for duty," she announced, standing straight at attention.

"Nancy said you might be in the market for a nurse," she explained when she saw their puzzled expressions. "But I see you've already hired one," Terry said as she spied Cherry. Cherry looked ruefully at her own rumpled uniform, now dusty from her work in the attic. She looked downright drab in comparison with Terry!

Terry picked up her valise, pushed past Cherry, and walked into the living room. "It sure is good to be back," Terry said, looking around the attractively furnished Clue living room. "I remember this place so well. Nancy and I used to spend a lot of time on that couch," she murmured, gesturing toward the overstuffed gray wool davenport. "It's good to see this old place. And Nancy, boy, does she look good!" Terry gave a loud wolf whistle.

"By the way, where is that girl?" she asked. As she pulled off her pristine white cotton gloves, took her compact and lipstick from her modern blue handbag, and refreshed her makeup, she continued her confession to Bess. "I was thrilled when Nancy asked me to spend a few days here," she admitted. "When I ran off to join the Navy, I thought she'd never forgive me. But after the way she acted the other night, well, it seems she's not only forgiven me, but she may even be as eager as I am to pick up where we left off."

Terry snapped her compact shut and put it back in her purse. "I'll just put my bag in her bedroom and slip into a fresh uniform," she said. "And when I come back, Bess, you can introduce me to your friends."

Cherry opened her mouth, but nothing came out. "You don't need to show me the way," Terry said, patting Cherry on the shoulder. "I've been to Nancy's bedroom plenty of times." She picked up her valise and headed upstairs.

"I've got to roll some bandages," Cherry gulped as she raced for the little attic room. The girls heard the door to the secret room slam shut, then the unmistakable sound of a true heart breaking.

"Do something," Velma hissed to Midge. "I don't care how you do it, but get rid of that nurse-now!"

"Let her stay!" Jackie cried. "Let Cherry see, once and for all, what Nancy really is."

Bess gasped. "What do you mean by that?" she cried in defense of her oldest friend. "Are you saying that Nancy's a...a-" Golly, Bess could scarcely bring herself to say the word.

"Yes, I'm saying that Nancy's a flirt!" Jackie thundered.

Bess was frankly taken aback by Jackie's blunt manner. "Oh, dear, why isn't George here?" she fretted. "She'd know what to do!" Then a funny look came into her eyes. George wasn't there because she was with Nancy!

"Come to think of it, Nancy was awfully eager to have George accompany her to the prison. Why do you think that is?" she worried aloud. Could Jackie be right? Was Nancy really a shameless vixen? In that case, was George safe with her? Was anyone's girl safe with her? Suddenly, Bess's head ached from all the terrible thoughts swirling around inside it. She turned to Midge.

"Oh, Midge," she sobbed as she threw herself into Midge's arms. "Nancy's stolen George away from me!"

"Help," Midge mouthed to Velma.

"There, there," Velma patted Bess on the back. "Nancy and George aren't at all interested in one another," she said soothingly.

"Velma's right," Midge tried to comfort the weeping Bess. "Why, if George were going to fall for anyone here, it would be my girl," she pointed out.

Bess started to cry even harder. She let go of Midge and threw herself on the couch. Velma raised one brow in alarm and shot Midge a withering look.

"I was just trying to help," Midge explained sheepishly.

"Sweetheart, do you really want to help?" Velma murmured as she gave Midge a long, passionate kiss while running her hands down the front of her girlfriend's shirt.

Midge moaned softly. "I'll do anything," she promised. "Just tell me what you want."

"I want you to go upstairs-" Velma murmured.

"Yes?" Midge breathed excitedly. "And?"

"And tell that Navy Nurse to put her stethoscope and tongue depressors back in her purse and march right out of here!" Velma cried.

"There will be no need for that now," Cherry snapped. The girls gasped when they saw that Cherry had swapped her simple, utilitarian uniform and sturdy, white rubber-soled nurse's shoes for a stylish evening dress of shimmering sea green chiffon, fourinch stiletto heels, and a satin evening stole of creamy white silk. With her pale, smooth skin, sparkling green eyes, and curvy figure, Cherry looked like a dream!

"Wow!" Jackie marveled. "Oh, man, and I thought you looked good in your uniform!" she blurted out. She whistled low, under her breath. She couldn't take her eyes off the gorgeous girl.

"I found this in Nancy's closet," Cherry explained as she whirled about, allowing them to admire the way the skirt flew up around her shapely legs. "I think the plunging neckline is just what I need for a gay night on the town, don't you agree?" she cried in a jaunty tone.

Jackie agreed, only she couldn't find her voice to say so.

"Cherry, you look positively vivacious!" Bess cried.

Cherry threw back her head and laughed merrily. She sauntered over to the gilt-edged mirror above the sofa, patted her glamorous upswept hairdo, applied another layer of lipstick to her full, luscious lips, and turned to give Bess a wicked wink.

"Two can play at this game," Cherry announced mysteriously.

"Are we going to play a game?" Bess queried. "Now?"

"Nancy will see she's not the only fish in the sea," Cherry retorted.

"Are you going to prison to see Nancy?" Bess queried her. "Dressed like that?"

"Dressed like what?" Cherry cried. "Like a vexing vixen? Like Nancy? No, Bess, I'm going to the Tin Tan Club to bat my eyelashes at some nice mechanics!" she seethed. As if on cue, a taxi pulled up in the driveway and beeped its horn. Cherry flew out the door.

"But what about Hannah?" Bess gasped. "What will we do?"

Cherry paused for just a moment in the doorway. "Have that Navy Nurse take care of her," Cherry spat out.

"Don't wait up," was the last thing she said to her startled chums.

After Cherry made her dramatic exit, Terry sat in the kitchen with the other girls and filled them in on what had happened when she had encountered her heartbroken colleague upstairs.

"Cherry came into Nancy's room while I was unpacking and showed me these letters. She asked if I was the very same Terry who had written these torrid love letters to Nancy and signed them with lipstick kisses, and before I could think straight, I admitted I was! I tried to tell her I had written them long ago, that I'd never come between Nancy and her new girl, but that nice nurse went all to pieces!" Terry cried as she flung the ribbon-wrapped onionskin letters on the kitchen table.

"Cherry told me Lauren found them in the attic. I went upstairs to see what else of mine Nancy had kept, and when I came back downstairs, Cherry was standing in front of Nancy's three-way mirror, applying mascara. She did look lovely in that sea green chiffon dress with the plunging neckline," Terry sighed. "I can see why Nancy goes for her.

"I didn't know Nancy already had a girl," she added woefully. "Why, the way she was acting last night at the Tin Tan Club, she seemed indubitably single! I should never have come here! Why did I believe Nancy might have... could have... changed? I'm such a fool," she said sadly.

Midge filled Terry in on the details of last night's drama with the strange, redhaired girl.

"So old Nancy is still up to her tricks," Terry sighed. "Poor Cherry! "

Bess's brown eyes grew big as saucers. "What do you mean?" she quizzed.

"The girl's a terrible flirt," Terry said bluntly. "But only when she's drinking. It's the funniest thing. When she's just Nancy, she's as trustworthy and level-headed as a scout, but the minute she has a cocktail, she becomes a totally different girl. That's why I left town so suddenly. I kept finding Nancy at the bar wrapped around some glamour girl."

Bess gasped. Terry couldn't possibly be talking about the same perfectly poised, wellgroomed, polite-to-strangers, respected-by-all, girl sleuth that Bess knew so well!