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Cherry looked at Harold. He was standing there with a big smile on his face. And in his hand was Nancy’s jewelry box!
“Oh, thank you!” Cherry exclaimed as she raced over to him. “I don’t know how to repay you,” she bubbled. “My friend has tons of nice jewelry at home, but still!” She breathed a sigh of relief. “If we hadn’t already eaten, I’d ask you to join us. The Potatoes Au Gratin here are simply delicious. We’re in a bit of a hurry ourselves,” she confided. “We’ve got to get to … well never mind. We’re just in a hurry. But our car’s been damaged, and a nice mechanic recommended this restaurant, and a motor court for the night, too. The Pocatello Komfort Kourt. Mel said it’s inexpensive but clean. Oh, I can’t even begin to thank you!”
“I should be thanking you!” Harold enthused.
Cherry looked puzzled.
“I mean, for your perfectly charming company,” the man added hastily. He handed Cherry the jewelry box with a flourish.
“Perhaps we’ll meet again!” Cherry cried to the nice couple. She waved good-bye and headed back for her booth, clutching the precious case in both hands.
“I imagine we will,” the man murmured softly. His companion raised one over-plucked eyebrow.
“I imagine we will,” she echoed with a sly smile.
CHAPTER 8 (#ulink_0ff2cd7f-239d-5f1d-9358-4f9dab77f9c4)
An Important Assignment (#ulink_0ff2cd7f-239d-5f1d-9358-4f9dab77f9c4)
“Guess what silly thing I almost did?” Cherry cried the minute she got back to the booth. But she forgot all about her adventure with the nice couple when she spied Nancy’s tear-streaked face. “What’s happened?” Cherry cried, as she slipped into the seat next to Nancy and threw her arms around her chum.
“The police are after me!” Nancy choked out.
“What?” Cherry shrieked in surprise. “How did they find out you killed your father?” she cried.
The noisy restaurant, packed with the supper trade, suddenly grew very quiet. Cherry cringed when she realized everyone had heard her. The family behind them was peeking over the top of the booth and staring at the girls in alarm.
“We’re rehearsing a play,” Midge said in a loud, calm tone. “Hamlet.” That seemed to do the trick. People went back to their many delicious potato dishes and left the girls alone.
Nancy quickly filled her chums in on the terrible news. She took care to keep her voice down. “When I couldn’t get in touch with either Bess or George, I decided to call the prison and try to speak to Hannah directly, to let her know I’m on my way. I pretended to be Hannah’s sister and took care to disguise my voice. The head matron said Hannah couldn’t be summoned to the telephone because two members of the River Depths Ladies’ Club had come to call and were giving her a permanent wave so she’ll be ready for her trial Monday morning.”
“That’s not so bad,” Cherry blurted out. “At least Hannah will look her best. Sometimes a new hairdo is the perfect medicine when you’re blue.”
Nancy shook her head. “There’s more,” she whispered dramatically. “There’s an All Points Bulletin out on my car!”
The girls gasped in horror.
“I don’t want to be picked up on the way,” Nancy whispered fearfully. “What if we’re spotted and have to tangle with some local police who don’t know me the way the Chief does?” she shivered. “Without my evidence, I couldn’t possibly tell my story to anyone. And Chief Chumley is the only one who can help me!” Tears trickled down her cheeks.
“I’ll just disguise your license plate; that’s easy,” Midge said in a calm, commanding tone that let them know she wasn’t at all shaken by the news that state police would be looking for the snappy convertible. Midge’s time behind bars hadn’t been all for naught, for she had learned many useful things. “And then we’ll—” But she clammed up quickly when Lauren reappeared holding a big red rock.
“What’s the matter with you guys?” Lauren asked. “Did someone die?”
Midge shot her a dirty look. “Lauren, be quiet,” she ordered.
“How come no one’s saying anything?” Lauren insisted. She stared at Nancy’s tear-streaked face. “Is she blubbering again?”
“Lauren, go play with your rock,” Midge said gruffly. But Lauren just stood there.
“Lauren, why don’t you go to the candy shop across the street and get some sweets?” Cherry suggested.
But Lauren didn’t budge. “What’s going on?” she demanded to know.
“I sure could go for some bon-bons,” Velma purred. She reached into Midge’s shirt pocket and took out a dollar. “Lauren, would you be a dear and get me some chocolates?” she smiled prettily.
Lauren beamed from ear to ear. “Sure!” she said, snatching the dollar from Velma’s hand. “Coconut cremes or fruit centers?” she wondered excitedly.
“I’m sure whatever you choose will be just right,” Velma murmured.
Lauren flushed with pleasure. “Watch my rock,” she called over her shoulder as she raced out the door.
“Smart-aleck kid,” Midge muttered under her breath as she watched Lauren eagerly do Velma’s bidding.
Cherry smiled. She had never seen Lauren so cooperative as she was with Velma. When Cherry had first met the brash teen, she had frankly been taken aback by her obvious lack of good breeding. Since then Cherry had tried to set a good example for the young girl. It looked like her example was finally beginning to pay off!
“Now if I could only get her to take some pride in her appearance, I know I could transform her into the graceful young lady I know she really is,” Cherry thought dreamily. “An attractive, polite, nice-to-be-around girl. The kind of girl who thinks first before she blurts out unpleasant thoughts.” As an older, more experienced girl, Cherry knew it was her duty to show Lauren the way to womanhood.
“With the cops out looking, we’ve really got to keep Nancy’s identity a secret until we can get her home. What if the kid goofs and gives her away?” Midge groused.
“That’s a very real concern, Midge,” Cherry said solemnly.
“She’s smart enough to understand the gravity of the situation,” Velma declared. “Besides that, she’s hardly a child! May I remind you, Midge, that she’s only a year younger than you were when you went to prison?”
Midge threw up her hands in mock defeat. “Again, I am wrong and you are right,” she joked. “Happy?”
“Almost,” Velma said, giving Midge a sweet smile and batting her thick, dark lashes. She planted a big kiss on Midge’s cheek.
Midge grinned. “I say we go and check out that motel the mechanic recommended. I’m ready for bed!”
“Good idea, Midge,” Cherry said, checking her sturdy nurse’s watch. It was nine p.m. “It’s still early, but it would be wise for us to get a good night’s sleep. And I’ve got a full evening ahead of me yet. I simply must wash my hair and rinse out my undergarments, plus get out my maps so I can figure the quickest route through the Rocky Mountains tomorrow. Besides,” she added, lowering her voice to just above a whisper. “I feel creepy knowing the police are looking for Nancy. The sooner we get inside and away from prying eyes, the better.”
“I agree,” Midge said in a stage whisper. She made a big show of furtively looking around. “See that man over there in the gray suit? The one smoking a pipe?”
Cherry nodded. She stared at the man perched at a counter stool, reading the newspaper while eating a baked potato.
“I’ll bet he’s an undercover cop,” Midge whispered. “Notice his rubber-soled shoes? They wear them so they can follow people around and not make a squeak.”
“Pretending to be engrossed in the evening paper is a good ruse,” Cherry whispered back earnestly.
“Keep an eye out for him,” Midge warned.
“I will,” Cherry answered solemnly.
“You’re a good detective, Cherry,” Midge winked.
Cherry beamed. She tarried so as to get a good look at the man on the stool. “He’s clever to act so casual; as if he’s really here for supper,” she thought. Cherry was so intent on watching the strange man’s every move, she bumped smack into Lauren on the way out of the restaurant.
“Careful!” Lauren cried, clutching a gold and white candy box tied with a pink bow. “These are for Velma. Where did she go?”
“The others have run ahead to the motel,” Cherry explained helpfully. “I stayed behind to—” But Lauren took off, cradling the box of sweets to her chest.
Cherry took one last look at the man shadowing them; then, confident that she could identify him later, headed for the motel and a good night’s sleep.
CHAPTER 9 (#ulink_1be1c0a2-ac75-5e03-a0e6-df630637cffe)
A Horrible Mix-up! (#ulink_1be1c0a2-ac75-5e03-a0e6-df630637cffe)
“What a horrible mix-up!” Cherry cried as she kicked off her flats and flopped onto the double bed she would share with Nancy that night. “I can’t believe the motel manager thinks Midge is a man and won’t let her in the room with us!”
The girls had thought their luck was finally changing when they spied the Pocatello Komfort Kourt, a neat row of rustic cabins with a panoramic view of the surrounding Peaks. They were inexpensively priced and, by all appearances, clean and comfortable.
Under normal circumstances, right now Cherry would be exclaiming over the knotty-pine paneled interior of their cozy cabin, the thick moss green chenille bedspreads, and the modernized bathroom with its hot and cold running water. “You’ve got all the amenities of a big-city motel,” the manager had said, pointing out that each cabin had many modern conveniences, “including a radio.”
It was when he opened the door to cabin number thirteen and Midge marched inside that the manager had exclaimed, “Men are not allowed to stay with young ladies in my cabins!”
Cherry almost chuckled, but stopped short when she realized he was talking about Midge!
The manager had taken one look at Midge’s short hairstyle, men’s trousers, and bulging biceps and had jumped to the mistaken conclusion that he and Midge were of the same ilk. And, to Cherry’s surprise, the usually quick-tongued Midge did nothing to correct the man’s mistake!
“Unless you can prove these girls are your sisters, you’re not staying in that room, young man. There’ll be no hanky-panky going on in my Komfort Kourt,” the manager had reiterated.
Cherry was just about to blurt out, “That’s no man—that’s Midge!” when Midge had shot her a sharp, warning glance that said, “Keep quiet, Cherry.” For some reason, Midge had apparently thought it best to go along with the man’s mistaken impression.
Poor, tired Midge, who had practically pushed the car to town all by herself, was being forced to make her bed on a little cot behind the front desk, for there were no more rooms available at the Komfort Kourt, or, for that matter, anywhere in Pocatello!
“There’s a philatelist convention in town, and everyone’s full up,” the manager had explained. “You’re lucky there was just a last-minute cancellation; everything else has been booked for months.”
The girls had already handed over six precious dollars for the cute, cozy cabin, and it seemed the only thing they could do was stay there for the night, even if it meant splitting up the little group.
“I’m surprised Midge didn’t argue with the manager,” Cherry remarked to Velma as she dropped a quarter into the metal box at the head of the bed, lay back, and let the vibrating motion soothe her tired muscles. “All she had to do was tell him she’s a girl, and she’d be in here with us this very minute. I’m going out and tell Midge to do just that,” she declared. “Just as soon as I’m done relaxing.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Velma cautioned as she kicked off her leather-bottomed flats and lay down on the bed next to Cherry.
Cherry was frankly puzzled. Why, it seemed like a sound idea to her!
“In some towns, girls dressed as boys aren’t exactly welcome with open arms,” Velma explained.
Surely Velma was teasing, Cherry thought. But when she looked at Velma, she could see by the frown on her face that the older girl was serious!
“Midge could get into big trouble if she’s found out,” Velma said, “The manager would probably call the police in to run us out of town.”
“You mean, there are places where it’s against the law for a girl to wear slacks?” Cherry exclaimed.
Velma nodded.
“But you’re wearing slacks,” Cherry pointed out.
“They’re girl’s slacks,” Velma explained. “Don’t you see?”
Cherry didn’t see, but she nodded anyway. She didn’t want Velma to think she wasn’t sophisticated. Besides, the long day was catching up with her, and she was beginning to feel dizzy with fatigue. “Maybe I’m too tired and wrinkled to understand anything right now,” she thought. Cherry felt lucky, and a little guilty for it, knowing her sweetheart was close by. Nancy was just in the next room, taking a warm bath.
“Midge and Velma belong together always!” Cherry thought, her head aching from thinking of the silly thing that was keeping them apart. Cherry let the relaxing vibrating motion of the motorized bed calm her throbbing head.
“Poor Midge,” Cherry sighed. “She’s going to miss out on a swell evening. I thought later we could all wash and set each other’s hair. Then we can play some games.” She had noticed a deck of playing cards in the top drawer of the bedside table, along with some postcards and a complimentary pen with the name of the motel on it. “It will be just like a Friday night at the nurses’ dorm,” she told Velma, smiling as she recalled the many swell times she had had while lying in her narrow single bed, just inches away from an identical one occupied by her roommate, Nurse Cassie Case, a perky brunette with a warm smile and an infectious laugh. The two nurses had spent many pleasant hours laughing and chatting well into the night, giving each other relaxing back rubs and engaging in fun pillow fights.
Cherry suddenly had a grand thought. What if they put vibrating motors on the nurses’ beds? “It would be soothing after a long day at work.” She made a mental note to suggest just that, once she got back to the hospital.
“I guess Midge is lucky the manager offered her that little cot behind the desk,” Cherry remarked. “Although, I’m sure she would prefer a hot bath and a nice comfy bed. Plus, she’s going to miss out on all the fun.”
“We won’t tell her the beds vibrate,” Velma whispered conspiratorially.
“Okay,” Cherry agreed. There was no use rubbing salt into Midge’s wounds!
Velma got up off the bed and hopped into her shoes. “I’m going to go and see my sweetie,” she said.
“See if you can find Lauren while you’re out there,” Cherry suggested. “It’s taking her an awfully long time to get one bucket of ice.”
“She’s probably hanging out with Midge, learning how to spit or something,” Velma said in a teasing tone. She powdered her nose, refreshed her lipstick, and threw her coat over her shoulders. A chiffon scarf tied around her pretty dark hair completed her evening ensemble.
“You look beautiful!” Cherry enthused. “Have a swell time. Say good night to Midge for me.”
“Thanks, I will,” Velma smiled. “Now, you know, I won’t be back for a while,” she warned. “Are you two going to be okay all alone?”
Cherry blushed.
Velma grinned. “Say good night to Nancy for me,” she said. “On second thought, give her a great, big kiss good night!”
Cherry turned beet red. She was having that very same thought!
“I’ll knock three times before coming back in, okay?” Velma promised. “Remember. Three knocks,” she repeated as she went out the door.
Now Cherry was really red! Her heart began racing wildly. Alone with Nancy! All day she had been dreaming of being near Nancy, of putting her arms around the attractive, titian-haired sleuth, of …
Her time ran out, and the bed came to an abrupt halt. Cherry was so lost in her dreaming she practically slid off! She was just debating whether to spend another quarter when the washroom door flew open and Nancy emerged, wrapped in a bath towel that left her lovely legs and shapely shoulders bare for all to see.
Cherry thought she had never seen anything so fetching as Nancy standing there in the doorway with the mist from the steamy room swirling about her, her cheeks all rosy, and her damp, trademark titian hair curling softly around her flushed face.
“Golly, she’s the most beautiful girl ever,” Cherry thought breathlessly. She felt a sudden pulsating sensation somewhere deep inside. It was her heart beating a mile a minute! Cherry slipped a quarter into the metal box, and, ever so slowly, the bed started to move.
Nancy said nothing, but just walked toward her with a friendly look in her eyes. She gave Cherry a sweet smile. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable if you got out of that tight outfit?” Nancy murmured.
Cherry felt faint. She quickly unzipped the back of her dress and lay back on the bed, closing her eyes. She awaited Nancy’s soft kiss.
After a moment had passed with no kiss, Cherry opened her eyes and found, to her dismay, that Nancy had slipped into a white flannel nightgown, matching terrycloth robe, and plush slippers, and was busy tidying the room.
“Thanks for letting me bathe first,” Nancy said cheerfully as she neatly hung her dress and slip on a hanger, wiped the dust from her shoes, and put her pearls in her white leather travel jewelry case.
“Help yourself to any of my pajamas,” Nancy said, when she realized Cherry had unzipped her dress. She threw Cherry a quick kiss and slipped under the covers next to her. “How odd. The bed’s moving,” Nancy mused aloud before proclaiming, “I’m so sleepy I can’t possibly stay awake one more minute! Goodnight.”
