Maid of Honor

by Charlotte MacLeod

  “She ought to be, after that gorgeous present Chet’s grandmother gave her. Didn’t you absolutely die over all those diamonds and rubies?”

  “I wouldn’t mind having that brooch.” Persis was going to add, “—to stick on my bicycle,” but she managed to stop herself just in time.

  “Who wouldn’t? I suppose Loni’s going to wear it at the wedding.”

  “Of course not,” Tiggy took it upon herself to answer, dripping scorn at every pore for Madeline’s ignorance. “Brides don’t wear colored jewels. Just a string of matchless pearls,” she added, switching appropriately to a dreamy coo.

  Persis decided it would be a good idea to get off the subject of that brooch. “No kidding, Madeline,” she said. “Was Todd actually unconscious when they found him?”

  “That’s what Jennifer Dunphy told me. Her brother’s on the police force, and he was one of the men who answered the call. Jennifer gave me a lift to school this morning. She says they didn’t know if Todd was unconscious from the concussion or if he’d just passed out from too much drink. They’ll slap him with a nice, fat drunk driving charge when he comes to, I bet. Hey, you weren’t drinking with him?”

  “Madeline, you know my mother, right?”

  “Sure.”

  “Then do you honestly think I’d be crazy enough to show up at the house with liquor on my breath, at a time like this? Anyway, I can’t stand the stuff. You know I don’t drink.”

  “Oh, right. You have to stay sober and clear-headed so you can devote yourself to your art.”

  Madeline found Persis and her piano an endless source of amusement. Persis merely gave her a secret smirk, which, she knew, was the best way to get Madeline worried for fear she might be missing something.

  “You don’t know the half of it, Mad. Look, I’ve got to get to my next class. Thanks for letting me know about Todd. You coming, Tig?”

  “If I must. Modern Dramatists, ugh!”

  Tiggy crammed the last bite of fudge brownie into her mouth, dumped her tray in the cleanup bin, and followed her friend up the metal staircase. When they’d gotten far enough up so that Madeline couldn’t possibly overhear, she asked, “Persis, was that true, what you said about you and Todd?”

  “Tiggy, there isn’t any me and Todd. It’s exactly the way I said it was. He was making one last play for Loni. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her. And Madeline was trying to make something out of a big nothing, as usual. But, Tig, I do have something important to tell you. It’s still a secret. I haven’t even told my parents yet, so you’ve got to promise you won’t breathe a word to a soul.”

  That was enough to switch her friend off the ticklish subject of Todd Ormsey, as Persis had known it would be. Tiggy was perhaps a tiny bit disappointed that Persis’s real secret involved nothing more romantic than a music scholarship, but loyalty prevailed. She squealed and burbled and did her best to achieve a proper level of hysteria.

  “Persis, that’s fabulous! Just what you’ve always wanted. And you aren’t even a senior yet. I mean, most people don’t even get to apply for scholarships before they’re seniors. And you didn’t have to apply. I mean, here’s this handsome older man—” Tiggy wouldn’t have known Frederick Lanscome if she fell over him, but that didn’t matter. She no doubt had a clear mental picture of him already: lean, saturnine, and wearing riding breeches.

  “And he takes one long look at you and becomes so fascinated by your—” Tiggy eyed Persis’s new haircut sadly and had to amend her scenario. “—by your piano playing that he simply walks up to you and hands you the answer to your lifelong dream on a velvet cushion. Wait till I tell—oops, sorry! I won’t even whisper it to my teddy bear. Not till you say it’s okay or till I hear it from Madeline Parks, whichever comes first. By the way, are you really going to see Todd at the hospital?”

  Persis managed a smile and a shrug. “Why not? That will give Madeline something else to talk about, won’t it? I don’t suppose they’re letting him have visitors if he’s got a concussion, but you don’t have to let Madeline know I couldn’t get into the room, do you?”

  “Persis, you are something else! See you later.”

  They went to their separate classes, and the afternoon session began. Persis tried again to concentrate on her studies, but her mind kept wandering back to Todd Ormsey. It was some kind of luck that he’d been unconscious when the police got to him.

  That was a rotten thing to be thinking, but it must have been fairly obvious he was in no real danger, or Madeline would have had him already dead and buried by now. Maybe it hadn’t been a real concussion, just that bottle of vodka. Loni’d said he was really drunk when she’d left him.

  At least he hadn’t been in a state to let the police know Loni had been with him. Maybe he still hadn’t told anybody. Either way, though, she had to know. She’d been dragged too far into this mess to back out now.

  Chapter 12

  As Persis was leaving school after class, she had the luck to run into Jennifer Dunphy.

  “Hi, Persis. Too bad about your boyfriend,” was Jennifer’s greeting.

  Persis forced a smile. “Don’t tell me you fell for Madeline’s latest fairy tale. I thought policemen’s sisters were supposed to get the facts before they jumped to conclusions.”

  “Madeline told me she saw you with him in that white 1967 Sting Ray yesterday.”

  “She did. So did a number of other people, I expect. Todd’s family and mine belong to the same club, that’s all. I ran into him when we were having brunch with my sister’s in-laws. The ones who are going to be her in-laws after she gets married, I mean. Anyway, Todd was making a big deal about the Sting Ray, trying to make my sister sorry she’s marrying Chet Cowles instead of hanging around for the rest of her life wondering if gorgeous Todd was going to call. But Loni wasn’t playing, so he took me for a little ride instead. Then I came home, and that was that. Madeline’s just doing another of her soap opera routines. Say, Jennifer, is it true he cracked up the Sting Ray last night, or was that only Madeline’s next thrilling episode? She says your brother dragged him out of the wreck unconscious.”

  Jennifer, proudly aware of her connection with the forces of law and order, could be depended upon to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.

  “It wasn’t a wreck, exactly. The car flipped and landed on its roof, but it didn’t appear to be badly damaged. My brother says what must have happened is that Todd parked on a side hill next to a gully and forgot to set his hand brake. The car got knocked out of park into neutral and started to roll. The wheels on the one side went down into the gully and the car turned over; but it was going so slowly, there was no real smashup.”

  “That’s a relief,” Persis told her, and meant it. “It’s a fabulous car. How’s Todd, do you know?”

  “Sustained a simple fracture of the clavicle, which means a broken collarbone in case you didn’t happen to know,” Jennifer explained kindly, “and a mild concussion because he didn’t have his seat belt fastened when he flipped, and let that be a lesson to us all. My brother says Todd was so drunk he didn’t even know he was upside down when they took him out. You hadn’t been drinking with him, by chance?”

  “Neither by chance nor on purpose,” Persis assured her. “We just rode around awhile, that’s all. He was feeling down because Loni’s getting married and wanted to talk. They used to see a lot of each other before she got engaged to Chet.”

  “Oh, so that’s what started it. I’ll tell my brother. And Fred will say, ‘That’s an explanation, but not an excuse.’ You don’t know what a strain it is, being related to the cops.”

  “You don’t know what a strain it is having your sister get married. Want to swap? I’ve had about all I can take of Loni.”

  Jennifer shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ll stick with what I’ve got. Fred’s not so bad. I sure hope Todd Ormsey never gets in his way again, though. Fred’s awfully down on drunk drivers.”

  “Is he arresting Todd on account of th
e accident?” Persis asked her, feeling the old panic rise again. “He can’t do that, can he?”

  “I don’t think so, since Todd apparently wasn’t actually driving the car when it turned over. They might get him for trespass in the cemetery, but that’s only a fifty-dollar fine. They’ll all be waiting to throw the book at him if he ever commits another offense in this town, though. If he’s smart, he’ll get rid of that white Sting Ray, while he’s got a buyer, and buy himself something less easy to spot.”

  “Todd didn’t mention he was planning to sell the Sting Ray.”

  “He probably doesn’t even know he can. When they towed the car into the garage last night, the mechanic on duty told Fred he knows of some man who’s anxious to get his hands on an early model like that one. Don’t ask me why. I think they’re ugly, myself. Anyway, it seems this man collects old cars and has pots of money, so I shouldn’t be surprised if Todd could get top dollar from him.”

  “Really? That might cheer Todd up. He was telling me he’d bought the Sting Ray at a terrific bargain. I’ll pass the word, if I get a chance. What’s this collector’s name?”

  “I don’t know, but Todd could call the station and ask Fred. Were you planning to see him?”

  “If I don’t, Madeline Parks will never forgive me. If I do, my mother will tear me apart bare-handed. I wish I’d never laid eyes on that Sting Ray!”

  That, at least, was the unvarnished truth. Persis sighed.

  “I suppose I’ll have to. I’d feel like a crumb if I didn’t. Do you think they’re allowing visitors?”

  “I should think likely. Fred didn’t think Todd was badly hurt. He says drunks are usually so relaxed that they get off more easily than the other people involved. That’s one reason he’s so down on them. Oh, want to hear something funny? Fred told me it was some woman who called in to report the accident. She said she and her husband had been at the cemetery watching the baby owls hatch. Can you bear it?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding!”

  Persis laughed, as Jennifer expected her to. Inwardly she was thanking her stars that she’d insisted on making that phone call from the playground, and that she’d had that flash of inspiration about the baby owls.

  “Well I’m glad it wasn’t worse. I guess I’d better get over there, if I’m going.”

  “Can I give you a lift?” Jennifer offered. “My mother let me take her car today.”

  “Thanks, but then I’d have to come back here for my bike. The hospital’s not far from where I live. See you tomorrow, Jennifer.”

  The ten-speed made quick work of the mile or so between the high school and the hospital. Persis rather enjoyed the brief ride, but she did get an attack of stage fright when she had to ask the woman at the reception desk which room Todd Ormsey was in. The receptionist didn’t even look up at her, though, merely flipped through the card index, said, “Three fifteen. Take the elevator and turn left,” and went on to the next inquirer.

  Todd must be doing all right if they were letting visitors in. The woman hadn’t even bothered to ask if she was a member of the family. Persis felt a shade less uneasy as she trudged along one of those interminable slippery-floored hospital corridors and at last managed to find the right room.

  Todd was in bed with his arm in a sling, awake and bored. To her relief, he was also alone. She stepped over to his bedside.

  “Hi Todd. How’s it going?”

  “Persis!” The patient was more surprised than delighted to see her. “What are you doing here? Did Loni send you? Why didn’t she come herself? Hey, she’s not badly hurt?”

  “Why should she be?” Persis was cool enough now. “She wasn’t with you. Don’t you remember?”

  “She wasn’t? I thought she—ouch!” Todd had made the mistake of trying to raise his head. “Sorry, but that hurt. I have a slight concussion, they tell me. I honestly don’t remember a thing about the accident, just waking up in this bed with an awful hangover. What happened to Loni? How come she wasn’t there?”

  “She must have decided to leave the party before it broke up. Anyway, the last I saw of her, she was safely asleep in her own bed. She probably doesn’t even know about your accident yet. I didn’t, till I heard it from your cousin Madeline.”

  Persis decided there was no sense in beating around the bush. Better say what she had to, and get out of here before somebody else came in.

  “Look, Todd, I was talking with Madeline at school today. She said she’d seen me out with you in the Sting Ray yesterday and wanted to know how come. I couldn’t let her know it was Loni.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because that would have been total disaster, and you know it as well as I do. I told Madeline we’d bumped into each other at the club yesterday, and you’d invited me for a ride to try out the new car. I said we only stayed out a little while, then I went home and helped my mother clean up from a dinner party she gave Saturday night.”

  Which in fact she had done, in a manner of speaking.

  “I said I didn’t know where you’d gone after I left you, but I knew you were feeling pretty far down about Loni and Chet.”

  “Whatever gave you that idea?” Todd sounded annoyed.

  “My feminine intuition. Anyway, it was the best thing I could think of at the moment. It might not be an excuse for your getting drunk by yourself in the cemetery and wrecking your car, but it’s an explanation,” Persis added with a mental thank-you note to Officer Fred Dunphy.

  “I also told Madeline I didn’t want it spread around that we were together because my mother thinks you’re too old for me. So by now you can bet it’s all over Donville that Todd Ormsey is dying of a broken heart, and if I were you, I’d leave it that way. You’ll be surprised how many women are going to come rushing over here to heal it for you.”

  Todd’s bruised lips managed to twist themselves into a grin. “Not bad, Persis. How come Madeline thought Loni was you?”

  “Because Loni was wearing my clothes.”

  “Hunh!” He gave a little snort of laughter. “I might have known. You two are quite a pair, you know that? Which of you thought of the clothes? Loni, I’ll bet. She always was full of cute tricks.”

  “Will you forget about Loni?”

  “I might, under certain circumstances.”

  Todd was eyeing Persis Green as if he’d never seen her before. “So your mother thinks I’m too old for you?”

  Persis smiled down at him and shook her head. “Forget it, Todd, it wouldn’t work. You like ’em dumb and willing, they tell me.”

  The injured man was really laughing now. “Maybe I’m not too old to change my mind. I don’t know if I’d be able to invite you for another ride in the Sting Ray, though. I’ll have to find out first if there’s anything left of it.”

  “The car doesn’t seem to be badly damaged,” Persis was able to tell him. “Jennifer Dunphy’s brother was one of the policemen who took you out. He told her and she told me.”

  “Yeah? What else did he tell her? I’m surprised he hasn’t already been up to arrest me for desecrating the cemetery or something. I suppose, from now on, every cop in town’s going to be stopping me to find out if I’ve got Pepsi-Cola on my breath. I wish to God I’d never bought that damned car!”

  “Then why don’t you get rid of it?”

  “How, for instance? Who’s going to want a car that’s been in a wreck?”

  “I’ll bet I could get you a buyer this afternoon.”

  “Some kid with three hundred dollars he’s made slinging hamburgers, right?”

  “Wrong. A wealthy collector who’d be willing to pay every nickel the Sting Ray is worth. And maybe a little more.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “I don’t know,” Persis admitted, “but I could find out. It’s somebody Jennifer Dunphy’s brother knows about.”

  “Her brother the cop? You’ve got to be kidding. Hey, how’d you like to put in a good word for me?”

  “I can if you want. You might
be doing yourself a favor, though, if you get in touch with him personally.”

  “Me?”

  “Why not? All you have to do is call the police station and ask for Officer Fred Dunphy. You could thank him for coming to the rescue and tell him you’ve decided to get rid of the Sting Ray because it’s too fast and sporty and you’re going to get a nice, respectable old lady’s car for a change. You know, hand him a line about how you’ve decided to reform. Maybe that will get the cops off your back for a while.”

  “That’ll be the day, when I talk nice to a policeman. On the other hand, you may have a point there. Shake ’em up, give ’em something new to think about.”

  “It would be better than having them come roaring out at you the second you start to put your foot on the gas pedal, wouldn’t it?”

  “I don’t know. That’s one thing I’ve never tried, yet. Be a good kid and ask at the desk if I can have a phone in my room now, will you? They wouldn’t let me when I woke up this morning, on account of the concussion.”

  “And I probably shouldn’t have stayed here talking to you so long. You’d better get some rest now. I’ll tell them on my way out, okay?”

  “Thanks. Oh, Persis?”

  She paused in the doorway. “Yes, Todd?”

  “I don’t suppose they’ll keep me here more than another day or so. But if they do, will you come and visit me again?”

  “If I can.”

  She hesitated a moment, then came back and stood looking down at him, her face sober.

  “What happens if I can’t?”

  She wouldn’t have believed Todd Ormsey could blush.

  “What the hell do you think I am? Okay, Persis. We had a nice little Sunday afternoon drive in the Sting Ray, you and I. Then I took you home to Mama. Is that what you want?”

  “You didn’t take me home to Mama. She’d have blown a fuse if she’d seen us together. You let me off at the corner. Thanks, Todd. Take it easy. Stay away from fast-moving cars and quick-thinking women. See you around.”

  She gave him a warm smile and a light pat on his trussed-up shoulder, and went out.