by Mabel Maney
Just then, Cherry noticed the glare of oncoming headlights about a quarter mile down the road. "There's a car coming our way," she yelled, adding, "Maybe they'll give us a ride to town, and Midge won't have to push the car after all."
They turned on their headlights and honked excitedly so the driver would see them, but, to their utter amazement, the middleaged man wearing dark glasses and a straw hat pulled low over his face zoomed past!
"Yoo hoo! Help! " Cherry yelled as she raced after the dusty brown Impala. The woman in the passenger seat turned around, and Cherry got a good look at her frightfully overbleached hair, garish red head scarf, and white plastic sunglasses before the car picked up speed, leaving the girls in a cloud of dust.
"How terribly rude! " Cherry cried as she took a clean hankie from her purse and wiped her face. "I know they saw us! Why, that woman looked straight at me!"
"When we get to River Depths, I'll have Police Chief Chumley run a check on all known dusty brown Impalas," Nancy said hotly. "I'll bet they've many outstanding traffic citations. Someone needs to explain the rules of the road to them."
The episode had lit a fire in Nancy. She traded her corksoled wedge sandals for a pair of ballerina flats and positioned herself behind the car.
"Heave ho, girls!" she cried.
* * *
CHAPTER 5
* * *
That Special Something
Midge gave a great big satisfied sigh. "Those were the best mashed potatoes I've ever had," she groaned as she licked the last of the gravy from her fork and pushed her plate aside.
Cherry beamed. "Idaho is the Land of Famous Potatoes, Midge!" she cried before taking another bite of her delicious, creamy Potatoes Au Gratin-perfectly baked spuds smothered in a rich cheddar cheese sauce and topped with a mound of sour cream.
"How are your French Fried Potatoes, Lauren?" she asked their teen-aged friend, who was hungrily gulping down thin strips of fried potatoes smothered in catsup. Lauren nodded and kept eating. She was especially hungry after her rockclimbing adventure.
Cherry glanced anxiously at Velma, who was busy checking her makeup in her compact mirror. "Her Hash Browns are getting cold," Cherry worried, knowing that the dish was most delicious when eaten piping hot. Cherry noted, too, with dismay, that Nancy had barely touched her plate of Scalloped Potatoes-generous slices of potato floating in a delectable mushroom sauce. "Although she has managed to consume two vodka martinis, that's not nearly enough nutrition for a girl on the go." Cherry knew Nancy was anxious to know the fate of their damaged automobile, now in the hands of a capable mechanic at a garage just around the corner from the Pocatello Potato Palace, where the little group was enjoying the fine local cuisine.
The nice mechanic had promised to report back to the group as soon as possible as to the condition of their vehicle. While Cherry sincerely hoped the damage would require no more than a simple repair job, she had to admit she wouldn't at all mind staying the night in Pocatello, a lovely little town nestled in a peaceful valley, ringed by the famous Pocatello Peaks.
"Nancy could surely benefit from some of this refreshing mountain air," Cherry thought, taking a peek at her chum. Nancy was staring anxiously into her empty martini glass. "If I don't stop her, she's going to worry herself sick about Hannah," Cherry realized with alarm.
"Isn't it lucky we met a mechanic willing to work this late on a Friday night, and for no extra fee besides?" she remarked in a cheery tone, trying to get Nancy to look at the bright side of their predicament. "We were fortunate to meet such a helpful person."
"Mel thought you were pretty swell, too," Midge grinned. "Especially when you dropped your purse and bent over to pick up your things just as that gust of wind blew through the garage."
Cherry flushed hotly, and promised herself she'd never remove her undergarments again, no matter how hot the day!
"A true professional is on call twenty-four hours a day, Midge," she retorted, hoping Nancy wasn't taking Midge's teasing seriously. "Nancy must be terribly jealous," Cherry thought. "Why, Midge as much as said I deliberately used my feminine wiles to charm the auto mechanic!"
Cherry put her arm around Nancy, hoping to squelch any doubts as to her loyalty to her one and only true love! "Ignore Midge," she wanted to cry. "I would never do anything to jeopardize what we have."
Cherry noted with relief that Nancy wasn't paying one bit of attention to her. She was, in fact, busy scribbling notes on the paper coaster that had come with her drink.
"I was just writing down what I intend to do when we get to River Depths," Nancy explained. "When I'm working on a case, it helps to keep track of things." She showed them her list.
1. Get Father's letters from secret hiding place
2. Confess to killing Father
3. Pick up Hannah from prison
"Although I probably won't really need the evidence, since the Chief will believe me based on my fine reputation alone, immediately free Hannah, and declare the shooting a case of justifiable homicide," she pointed out, putting a question mark next to the first line.
Midge groaned, rolled her eyes, and shot Velma a disgusted look. Velma gave her a placating smile. Although Midge hadn't come right out and said it, Velma could tell her girlfriend was none too keen on Nancy's plan.
"Nancy, I'm not so sure-" Midge started, but Velma cut her off.
"Why don't you call the Chief now and tell him the whole truth? Then we won't have to rush so to get to River Depths," Velma suggested.
"Oh no, Velma," Nancy replied. "I must tell the Chief in person, and I must hand him Father's letters as I'm telling him, so that he understands fully the gravity and delicacy of the situation. But," she added as she rifled through her summer straw bag then tossed it on the table. "If anyone has any nickels I could borrow, I am going to try and contact Bess and George again."
Cherry handed over her red leatherette coin caddie, which she always kept filled with an assortment of change. Nancy jumped up and raced for the corner telephone booth situated in the rear of the restaurant.
Nancy had so far been frustrated in her attempts to contact her friends George and Bess, and inform them of her impending arrival. George Fey, a girl with a boy's name, and Bess Marvel, a giggly, plump girl with a sweet nature who was never far from George's side, had been Nancy's closest friends for years, and together the three chums had solved many an exciting mystery.
Midge sighed and shut her mouth. For now she'd hold her tongue about Nancy's plans. Besides, wasn't Velma always saying she was too quick to jump to conclusions? Midge leaned over the table and speared a potato from Nancy's plate. "It's a sin to let good food go to waste," she declared as she gulped down a big bite of Nancy's yummy Scalloped Potatoes. Cherry was just about to warn Midge about the health hazards of sharing food when she noticed that Midge had turned her attention from the plate and was now staring at the front of the restaurant with a bemused grin on her face.
"What does Midge find so amusing?" Cherry wondered. She looked across the crowded restaurant and was startled to see their mechanic standing in the doorway; only, in place of the oily overalls and cap favored by those whose work brought them in contact with many greasy items, Mel had changed into pressed, pleated trousers and a crisp white shirt.
And she was headed straight for their table!
"I'm going outside for a smoke," Midge declared suddenly, jumping up from the table and racing toward the door.
"I'm going to powder my nose," Velma said, following Midge.
"I'm gonna go to the garage and make sure my rocks are safe," Lauren said, hot on the couple's heels.
Cherry turned bright red. Her heart raced at the thought of being left alone with Mel. "Why, I wouldn't even know what to say to her," Cherry gulped. After all, she was only a nursewhat did she know about auto repair?
* * *
CHAPTER 6
* * *
A Chance Encounter
"What's the news?" Midge asked in a sincere tone as she
slid into the seat facing Cherry. Cherry blushed when she looked up and saw the great big grin pasted on Midge's face.
"Mel said the car can't possibly be ready until morning, but she has her assistant working on it right now while she drives to the next town to pick up a muchneeded part. We can have it back first thing tomorrow," Cherry reported. Cherry was frankly relieved that Nancy had not yet returned to the booth. How was she going to break the bad news?
"Is that all she said?" Midge wanted to know.
Cherry turned bright red. "Something big is broken," was all she could remember of the detailed discussion she had had with Mel about the state of their automobile. Cherry had tried hard to concentrate but had suddenly become all lightheaded when the handsome, husky girl with short gray hair, large expressive blue eyes, and a ready grin had slid into the booth next to her. Although potatoes were one of Cherry's favorite foods-after all, they were loaded with essential vitamins and minerals-she had suddenly lost her appetite! Not only that, she had noticed the most unusual feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had hoped the potatoes weren't spoilt.
While Cherry had tried to pay attention as the girl drew diagram after diagram of the underbelly of their car, she had found herself staring instead at Mel's large, strong hands, so deftly sketching complicated mechanical parts Cherry couldn't possibly understand. "She has the strong, yet dexterous, hands of a surgeon," Cherry had thought, noting with her keen nurse's eye that Mel had taken extra care to scrub her short-clipped nails especially clean that evening.
"I think it's going to be very expensive, Midge," Cherry gulped, quickly adding, "But Mel said if we didn't have the money, I could leave my address and she would bill me."
"That's very generous of her," Midge grinned as she lit a cigarette.
"People in Idaho are famous for their desire to help others, Midge. Why, did you know that there are more nurses here per capita than anywhere else in the United States?"
Midge looked impressed.
"She even worried whether we had sleeping arrangements for the evening," Cherry continued.
"Did she?" Midge raised one eyebrow. "How very kind of her. What did you tell her?"
Velma suddenly appeared at Midge's side. "Her time in the ladies' lounge certainly wasn't wasted," Cherry thought, noting Velma had changed into casual Capri slacks topped with a snug peach sweater. "She looks like a movie star."
"I always get dressed up on Friday nights," Velma explained her festive outfit. Cherry admired her sophisticated French twist hairdo, exotic green eye shadow, and bright peach lipstick. Her bangle bracelets made a cheerful clatter as she playfully punched Midge on the shoulder. "Move over," she said in a bossy tone. Midge moved.
"Cherry was just telling me that nice mechanic offered her a bed for the night," Midge filled her in.
"She did no such thing," Cherry shrieked. Cherry could never tell when Midge was pulling her leg, and more than once in the eight days since she had first become acquainted with the handsome blonde, she had found herself dizzy with confusion. For good-natured Midge had a gentle teasing manner that made Cherry forget her sworn duty to stay calm at all times. "When I reminded her that there were five of us, she helpfully directed me to a nearby inexpensive yet clean motel," Cherry whispered urgently, her face all aflame.
"Ignore her, Cherry," Velma said in a soft tone. She turned to Midge. "You're such a tease," Velma lightly admonished her girlfriend, giving her a little pinch on the thigh.
Midge flushed with pleasure. "I'm a tease?" she murmured, putting an arm around Velma and pulling her close. "That sweater should be against the law," she sighed, as she nuzzled Velma's neck.
Cherry hurriedly pretended to be engrossed in the menu. She hadn't fully recovered from her embarrassment earlier that evening, when she had opened the car door to discover...
"Let's get dessert, shall we?" she cried. "I see the special tonight is sweet-potato pie. It looks good, doesn't it? Why don't I go get Lauren and we'll all have pie?" she babbled nervously. In her confusion, she grabbed Nancy's summer straw bag instead of her own patent-leather purse, and fled. But before she could get out the door, she slipped on a wet spot on the linoleum floor and fell smack into a man and a woman waiting to be seated.
"Watch it, girlie," the man growled as Cherry bumped into him and sent his straw hat and dark glasses flying. She flailed about, trying to stop herself from falling, and finally gave up, plunging face first into the bosom of a middleaged woman outfitted in a shockingly casual shorts ensemble and silly Roman sandals. Nancy's summer straw bag flew open, and her white leather jewelry case slid under a nearby booth.
"Mother says a real lady would never wear shorts in public," was all Cherry could think as she went down.
* * *
CHAPTER 7
* * *
Mysterious Strangers
Cherry's cheeks were as red as a summer tomato. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as she took her hands off the strange blond-haired woman.
"Well!" was all the woman had to say as she glared at the flustered nurse.
"Next time be more careful," the man barked. "You could have hurt my wife!"
"I'm so sorry, ma'am" Cherry stammered. "I'm a nurse. Perhaps I should give you an exam to make sure I haven't hurt you." She looked closely at the woman, giving her a quick visual check for bumps and bruises. Her eyes grew wide when she realized that the woman she had almost knocked to the ground was the very same passenger of the brown Impala that had passed them on the road earlier that evening.
"It's you!" she cried.
The woman's eyes grew big in alarm. "I don't believe we're acquainted," she said icily. She hastily donned a pair of cheap white plastic sunglasses.
"No, it's you. Now I'm sure of it," Cherry insisted. "A man in dark glasses and a straw hat, and a woman with blond hair, a red scarf, and glasses just like yours passed us on the road outside town," she explained excitedly. "You were in a dusty brown Impala."
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," the woman glared at Cherry. "You must have us mixed up with some other people. Now, please stop before you further embarrass me."
"Can't you see my wife is very sensitive?" the man hissed. "Why don't you leave her alone!"
Cherry felt dizzy with confusion. What a horrible mistake she had made! "I'm sorry," she blurted out. "If there's anything I can do-"
She was just about to offer the woman a fresh handkerchief when the husband waved Cherry away and snapped in an angry tone, "I think you've done quite enough already." He hastily retrieved his hat and glasses and donned both, pulling the hat low over his face. "Now, just leave us alone before you really do some damage."
Cherry was stung by the man's harsh words. Tears filled her eyes. She who had given so selflessly to others now stood accused of deliberately harming another human being! She tried to explain that she had slipped accidentally, but the indignant couple would hear none of it. They turned their backs on Cherry. "Miss, we're in a big hurry. Could we please be seated?" the man snapped at a passing waitress carrying a plentiful platter of potato pancakes.
"Please," Cherry tapped the woman on her shoulder. "At least take an adhesive bandage with you. You might find a scratch later, and it's best to keep germs and dirt out of an open wound." She fished in the purse under her arm and realized with a start that she had left her handbag at the table and had taken Nancy's summer straw bag by mistake.
"If this is Nancy's purse, then where is Nancy's jewelry box?" she exclaimed after a quick but thorough check of the bag's contents. Now she really felt like crying! The jewelry box was gone!
In a flash, the strange couple was back at her side. "Did you say you've lost a jewelry box?" the woman asked in a helpful tone. She put a hand on Cherry's arm. Her angry demeanor had vanished. In its place was a friendly face full of concern.
"Yes, it's my friend's, and it's chock full of expensive things, like sapphires and diamonds, not to mention family heirlooms," Cherry explained. "It was in this pu
rse a minute ago. It must have flown out when I bumped into you."
"You mean, when I bumped into you," the woman insisted. "Really, it was all my fault. I can be so clumsy at times! I was just telling Harold-he's my husband-well, I was just telling him that you seem like the nicest young girl, and so helpful, too! Isn't it funny how you confused us with another couple? They say everyone's got a twin somewhere."
"That's true," Cherry blurted out, relieved to find a reasonable explanation for her mix-up. "As a matter of fact, I recently met a girl who looks a lot like me and-" But before she could tell the fascinating story of her recent adventure, the woman patted Cherry on the arm and said, "Let's all look for your jewelry box, shall we?"
"We're sure to find it," her husband Harold said heartily. "Miss, you go look behind the counter while the wife and I search under the tables. I think I saw something fly from your handbag and land back there. Now isn't that the darndest thing?"
Cherry slipped behind the counter and searched with all her might, but could find nothing more than a handful of pennies and some after-dinner mints covered in dust.
"Did you lose something?" a nice waitress bent over the counter and asked her.
"Yes, a small, white leather case, with a little brass latch and the initials N C stamped in gold on top!" Cherry cried.
"Does it look like the one that man has in his hand?" the waitress wanted to know.
Cherry looked at Harold. He was standing there with a big smile on his face. And in his hand was Nancy's jewelry box!