Nancy Clue Mysteries 2 - The Case of the Good-for-Nothing Girlfriend (9 page)

"Lauren, that's what your napkin is intended for," Cherry told her nicely, pointing to the red-checkered cloth folded by the side of the girl's plate. "And, please take off your baseball cap when eating indoors. I could see wearing a hat if this were a picnic," she added, so the girl wouldn't think her hopelessly rigid. "You wish to be both pleasing and pleasant to others, don't you?" Cherry asked.

Lauren just scowled and pretended she hadn't heard.

"Why don't you take off your cap?" Velma wondered. "You have such pretty hair." Lauren blushed and did as Velma suggested.

Midge scowled. Cherry beamed.

"Let's go!" Midge cried suddenly in a testy tone. She gripped the back of Velma's chair. "Let's go, Velma," she said.

Velma gave Midge an imperious look. "I'm going to fix my lipstick," she said calmly. "Then we'll go." She headed for the ladies' lounge with Lauren hot on her heels. Midge followed them both.

From the little shriek that came a moment later, Cherry knew that Midge had once again been mistaken for a boy. She saw the grim restaurant manager roughly escort red-faced Midge out to the parking lot.

Cherry gulped down one last bite of her scrumptious liver loaf. She realized that Nancy had barely touched a bite of her cottage cheese and gelatin salad, although she had managed to finish her cocktail! "Is there something else you'd like?" Cherry quizzed her, determined to get some nourishment in her friend.

"I'll be right back," Nancy murmured as she grabbed her purse and jumped up from the table. "I'm going to freshen up and then try to reach Bess and George again," she called over her shoulder.

Cherry stuck some crackers in her purse, hoping she would be able to talk her chum into eating something later. By the time she had paid the bill, tipped the waitress, and purchased a package of chewing gum, she had used up every penny of the pin money she'd squirreled away for small amusements.

She went out to the parking lot and found Midge, leaning against the trunk of the car smoking a cigarette with a sour expression on her face.

"How am I going to buy postcards to send to my friends?" Cherry wailed. But Midge didn't seem to hear her.

"Did you happen to see my girlfriend?" Midge wanted to know.

Cherry shook her head. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Velma or Lauren since they had disappeared into the ladies' lounge ten minutes ago," she said.

"What do you think they're doing in there?" Midge wondered softly.

Cherry shrugged. "Trying out new hairstyles?" she guessed brightly.

Midge laughed bitterly. "I'll bet that's it," she said. But Cherry didn't think Midge sounded convinced. Cherry wished she knew what was bothering Midge all of a sudden. Oh, they had been through many an adventure together, and a girl couldn't ask for anyone braver or bolder than Midge Fontaine, but Cherry knew that under all that teasing and joking beat a real girl's heart. One that broke easily, Cherry suspected.

Midge was looking at Cherry queerly, as if she could read her mind. She dug through her pockets and came up with a dollar. "For your postcards," Midge smiled as she handed it to Cherry.

Cherry gave Midge a quick peck on the cheek. She put the worn dollar in her purse. "I'm going to wait until we get to the Rockies to spend it," she planned out loud. "They'll have the best scenic postcards."

"That's a good idea, Cherry," Midge said. Suddenly, she perked up. "Look, here's Velma."

Velma smiled as she crossed the parking lot to join them.

"What have you and Lauren been doing all this time?" Midge asked in a casual tone.

"Oh, just talking," Velma said. She got behind the wheel, took a chiffon scarf from her purse, and tied it around her hairdo. "I'll drive next, okay? I'm getting awfully antsy just sitting all day."

Cherry checked her little book. "It's really Nancy's turn," she said. "But I think it will be okay. I wish Nancy would hurry up and get out here," she worried aloud. "We're going to fall way behind schedule. And where's Lauren? It seems like she's always running off."

"Lauren will be out soon," Velma said. "Don't worry about her."

"I'm going to get a newspaper so I can check the weather report," Cherry decided.

"What do you and Lauren have to talk about?" Midge wanted to know once Cherry had left. She slid into the seat next to Velma.

"Girl stuff," Velma said in a casual manner. She took out her compact and powdered her nose.

"What kind of girl stuff?" Midge asked anxiously.

"It's a secret, Midge."

"Even from me?" Midge sounded hurt.

"Especially from you," Velma declared, refusing to budge an inch. She snapped her compact shut.

"Fine," Midge said, in a sullen tone.

Velma rolled her eyes. "You are such a big baby," she teased Midge.

"I'm in no mood to be teased," Midge grumbled. "I'm all sore because I had to sleep on a stupid cot all night-aloneand now-" Velma stopped her angry words with a big kiss.

"I am in a mood to be teased," Velma whispered. "If we don't get somewhere soon where we can be alone, I don't know what I'll do," she sighed in Midge's ear.

Midge gulped hard. Golly, she loved her girlfriend!

"Let's get out at the next big town and take a train with a sleeper car to Illinois," Midge grinned.

Velma snuggled close. "What's on your mind, babe?" she asked. "I mean, besides-"

"Besides a long, slow train ride?" Midge laughed. Then she shrugged. "I'm worried about Nancy's scheme. You know how you're always telling me that I have to stop jumping to conclusions all the time? I'm trying, but, well, I just have a bad feeling about this plan of Nancy's to waltz into River Depths and spill the beans about everyone's favorite dad."

"I hope this time you're wrong, Midge," Velma said.

"Me, too. All in all, I guess I'd better stay," Midge admitted. "Someone on this trip's got to have a level head," she said, in all seriousness.

"And who would that be?" Velma giggled. "I don't know, Midge. I'd use a lot of words to describe you, but level-headed wouldn't be one of them." She whispered some of those words in Midge's ear until Midge turned bright red and pulled Velma close for a big kiss just as Cherry appeared back at the car with a horrified expression on her pretty face.

"Midge, Velma, look!" she shrieked. In her hand was a copy of the Wyoming Buffalo Bulletin. And on the front page was a photograph of Nancy, with the caption, "Have you seen this girl?"

Midge closely examined the photograph. "Why is Nancy wearing a tiara?" she wondered.

"Nancy was Miss River Depths 1955," Cherry replied. "I guess it was the most recent picture the newspaper had on file."

"We're safe then," Midge cracked. "As long as we don't let Nancy wear her crown outside of the car, no one could possibly spot her from this picture."

Cherry could see that Midge had a point. "Yes, this photograph is obviously a poor-quality reproduction and four years old, besides. And Nancy's hair is much more modern now than it was when this photograph was taken," she said. "Plus, today she's wearing a casual shirtwaist dress, suitable for car travel, and simple white moccasins. Surely no one will think she's anyone other than a girl on vacation."

"So there's no problem," Midge said. "Let's get the others and get out of here."

"But look, Midge, there's more! " Cherry cried as she scanned the news article below the picture. In a tremulous tone, she read the horrible story aloud.

River Depths, Illinois-Horrible housekeeper Miss Hannah Gruel, once celebrated for her prize-winning huckleberry pies, now sits in the cell which will likely be her home for years to come. Just twelve days ago, Miss Gruel shot her employer, prominent attorney Carson Clue, during a domestic dispute, leaving him to die on the floor of his newly refurbished Formica kitchen.

"I told that man time and time again to stay out of my kitchen while I was baking," Miss Gruel declared as she was taken away in handcuffs from the murder scene. Steelyeyed Hannah has maintained a grim silence ever since. River Depthians are left wondering, what made this simple housekeeper suddenly go berserk?

"Hannah Gruel obviously has a deep desire to dominate and one day she could no longer contain herself, and she snapped," said Prof. Melvin P. Merville, well-known expert and widely read author on matters of the criminal mind. "It's the classic Rule-the-Roost Syndrome, so common in frustrated spinsters who have trouble accepting male authority."

"Why, Nancy would be so upset if she knew the horrible things people are saying about Hannah! She'd probably have a hysterical nervous breakdown!" Cherry cried, waving her arms about in excitement. "I must hide this newspaper immediately," she said as she stuffed the paper in her purse. She snapped her purse shut just in the nick of time, for Nancy had come outside. By the look on her face, Cherry could tell she had had no luck reaching her chums, Bess and George. But she had combed her titian hair into an attractive ponytail.

"It's time to go," Midge breathed a sigh of relief upon spying Lauren straggling out to join them. Lauren, Cherry, and Nancy climbed into the back seat and made themselves comfortable. Velma started the car and backed out of the parking lot, only to narrowly miss being rear-ended by a dusty brown Impala.

"Watch out, Velma!" Cherry cried, just in the nick of time.

Velma hit the brakes, and the Impala swerved and sped past them.

"Say, isn't that the same car that passed us back in Idaho yesterday?" Midge cried out.

"Oh, it couldn't be," Cherry countered. "Midge, you're so paranoid!" she teased.

Velma gave a little laugh and Midge tried to hush her by biting her neck, which only made her giggle harder. Soon everyone except Lauren was laughing joyously as they headed east into the system of canyons and peaks that made up one of the most noteworthy landscapes in the world. Cherry felt in her purse for the offending newspaper. She would throw it away at the first opportunity. Nancy must never see it!

Cherry put her hand in Nancy's and gave it a little squeeze. "Rocky Mountains, here we come!" she cried happily.

Dear Mother and Father,

Am having a splendid time. The Rocky Mountains are even more magnificent than I imagined! I'll call you when we get to River Depths (That's in Illinois, the "Land of Lincoln.") Today we drove by the famous Abraham Lincoln statue near Laramie, Wy. Imagine! It's twelve and a half feet tall and made completely of bronze! Mr. Lincoln certainly was tall! Ha! Ha!

On to Nebraska!

Much love, your daughter,

Cherry Aimless, R.N.

P.S. Is your telephone out of order?

"Oh, no!" Midge groaned as she and Velma climbed out of the car to survey the damage to their snappy automobile. Velma had taken her mind off the road ahead for only a split second, but it had been long enough for the car to veer off course and crash into a boulder.

Midge flipped up the hood, and then jumped back in alarm as clouds of steam came pouring out. She vowed that next time she would keep her hands to herself when Velma was driving. "But everyone was asleep in the back seat and I was all alone with Velma and I didn't know I'd cause an accident! " Midge moaned to herself.