Nancy Clue Mysteries 2 - The Case of the Good-for-Nothing Girlfriend (10 page)

The others, awakened by the crash, quickly scrambled out of the car. "Oh, no!" Cherry cried. "What's that leaking out from under the car?"

"What happened?" the girls cried in unison.

Midge turned bright red. "We had a little accident," she explained. "Is anyone hurt?" she asked anxiously.

Cherry, grabbed her firstaid kit, pinned on her spare nurse's cap, and gave each of her chums a quick physical exam. She was relieved to find no one had been injured in the sudden shake-up. But their car was in a sorry state!

"Now we're never going to make it to River Depths! " Cherry blurted out without thinking. When she saw the expression on Velma's face, she immediately regretted her hasty words.

"I'm so sorry!" Velma exclaimed, on the edge of tears. "I must have lost control for a moment."

"No, babe, it's my fault!" Midge cried. "If I hadn't been poking around, er, never mind. I'm the reason we're in this jam, and I'll get us out of it, too.

"And we were almost out of this darn state," they heard her swear in displeasure. "Who'd ever have thought I'd be eager to get to Nebraska?"

"I'll help you, Midge," Nancy declared as she climbed atop the car and peered inside. Cherry thrilled to the sight of the attractive girl standing on the front bumper over the open hood with her legs splayed apart. "It's good to see Nancy back to her old self again," Cherry thought happily.

"How's it look?" Cherry fretted as she watched her chums fiddle with the complicated system of hoses under the hood. "Will it run?"

"That course I took in auto mechanics sure has come in handy on this trip," Nancy joked bravely as she hopped down off the bumper. Then her face grew cloudy. "I fear this car isn't going anywhere without a tow truck," she sighed.

Midge frowned. "The radiator's busted and all the vital fluids have leaked out," she added. "I'm sorry about this, Nancy," she added in a solemn tone. "I'll push it to the nearest service station."

Velma put her hands on her full, rounded hips and raised one shapely eyebrow. "I'll help, but first let me take off my high heels," she said, balancing herself against the car to remove her three-inch, T-strap summer sandals.

Midge assured her that she didn't need any help. She bent down and put her strong muscles to work, but the car wouldn't budge!

"Wait, we forgot to remove the suitcases," Cherry said. She snapped open the trunk and took out Nancy's three-piece powder blue monogrammed travel set and matching cosmetics case, Midge's battered leather valise, Velma's pink travel bag and Lauren's knapsack.

"Try again," Velma urged. This time, over Midge's objections, she added her weight to the force. But still the car didn't move.

Cherry peered into the deep trunk. "Maybe it's Lauren's rock collection. It's certainly grown since this morning," she mused. It took the girls almost ten minutes to clear the trunk of the many different boulders, rocks, and pebbles Lauren had picked up in the Rocky Mountains. "I hope she left some for the other travelers," Cherry said in concern.

"That darn kid!" Midge cried in an exasperated tone. "She's becoming a big pain in the neck! We've got enough to do without having to haul a mountain around with us. Who on earth would want this many dumb rocks?" Midge muttered. "Why can't she collect something small, like stamps or matchbooks? Whose bright idea was this to begin with?"

"I thought it would be fun and educational and keep her occupied," Cherry said meekly.

"Where is Lauren?" Velma jumped in. The girls looked around, but their sixteen-year-old traveling companion was nowhere to be found.

"Great. Now we have a disappearing kid on our hands," Midge said in disgust.

"I'll bet she's wandered off to find another rock," Cherry guessed. "According to my travel guide for the state of Wyoming, there are lots of interesting rocks in this area, like terra cotta and jasper." Cherry pronounced the exotic names carefully. She secretly thought it fun to travel cross-country, seeing new and unusual landscapes, people, and rocks. And although Lauren's collection did take up an awful lot of space, they really hadn't lost any time because of it. Besides, Cherry was really beginning to learn something about the fascinating world of rocks and minerals!

"She sure is a funny little kid," Velma remarked. "But sweet. Remember at the beginning of the trip when she told us her father was a rocket-ship engineer? Later she told me he was a geologist, and that's why she knows so much about rocks."

Cherry was astonished by this revelation. "At the Komfort Kourt this morning, when we were brushing our teeth, she told me her father was a spy," Cherry revealed. "And that her mother had been a circus performer and they met on a secret mission under the Big Top."

Midge burst into laughter.

Cherry looked hurt. "I'll bet there are spies in the circus," she said in a wounded tone. "My father says there's spies everywhere these days. You can't be too careful."

"You have to admit, that Lauren is quite a character," Midge chuckled.

Cherry frowned. "Lying is nothing to laugh at, Midge," she said. "That could be a sign of a serious disturbance that could lead to real trouble later. Why, Lauren could even become a juvenile delinquent!"

"Well, whatever her destiny, we can't go anywhere without her," Midge said. She leaned back on the hood of the car, took a cigarette from the pack in her shirt pocket, and lit one. "I'll go after her as soon as I have a cigarette."

"Fine," Nancy said in a brisk tone. "While you do that, I'll walk to town and engage a tow truck to get us out of this jam."

"Good idea, Nancy," Velma agreed. "I don't think Midge should push any more cars."

"A walk to town will be invigorating after a day in the car," Cherry pointed out. Then she blurted, before she could stop herself, "But how ever will we pay for the tow and repair? We only have twenty-four dollars left!"

"We should have taken that nice mechanic Mel up on her offer to bill us, and kept more money back in case of emergencies," Velma said.

"Or left Cherry as collateral," Midge joked.

"We'll put our heads together and come up with something," Cherry said weakly, hoping Nancy didn't notice her red cheeks.

"I know a way to make a few dollars fast," Nancy declared, patting her purse. "I think it's time to take a trip to the jewelry store."

Cherry was puzzled. This didn't seem like a good time at all for Nancy to go shopping! Then it dawned on her what Nancy meant. "You don't mean you're going to sell your precious jewelry, do you?" Cherry gasped. "Oh, no!"

"I've tons more at home," Nancy assured her. She sat down and dumped the contents of her travel jewelry case in her lap.

Cherry went over to get a closer look. She never tired of looking through Nancy's lovely gems. "I like this one best of all," Cherry said, picking up a small silver, diamond-studded brooch in the shape of a horseshoe. It fit quite nicely in the palm of her hand.

"This was Mother's," Nancy said sadly.

Cherry fingered the bauble, a hand-forged piece of silver cleverly bent into the shape of the luckiest of charms. Diamonds ringed the U-shaped piece. She turned it over and read the inscription aloud. "Rebecca Clue, May 1937."

Nancy explained the origin of the unusual brooch. "Mother was a talented equestrian, and she won this for jumping through hoops. Just a few weeks later, her roadster crashed and she perished in its fiery flames. I was too little to remember much, except that she was very beautiful, and very kind, and-" Cherry, whose keen nurse's eye missed nothing, spotted tears in Nancy's bright sapphire blue eyes.

"Let's see what else you've got," Cherry said briskly as she examined the baubles in Nancy's lap with keen interest. "How pretty!" she cried as she slipped her hand through two thin gold bangle bracelets dotted with diamonds and held them up so they sparkled in the bright sunlight.

"Those were my sweet-sixteen presents from Father," Nancy said, almost in a whisper.

Cherry gulped hard and quickly took off the bracelets. Golly, she was a lucky girl! She had a mother and a father, and even if Father was so busy with his real-estate business he sometimes didn't come home for days at a time, well, at least she had parents. And a twin brother, too, and a courageous Collie named Lady. Why, Nancy had nobody! Cherry quickly corrected herself. "Nancy's got me," she thought happily. Cherry just knew that, in time, she could make up for all the things Nancy had lost.

She looked sadly at her chum, who was holding up a simple pair of emerald drop earrings that exactly matched the color of Cherry's eyes.

"These should bring a pretty penny," Nancy said. "Enough for this repair, the rest of our expenses to River Depths, a whole bunch of fashionable frocks for you and Velma, overalls for Lauren, and a fresh pair of trousers for Midge."

While the other girls had plenty of outfits, thanks to Nancy, and Lauren had packed two pairs of dungarees, Midge had come unprepared and been stuck in the same pair of trousers for days.

"How like you to think of others first!" Cherry cried. "And while it's true that at this point Midge's pants should be burned, I don't need a new frock. I'd go naked first before letting you sell those earrings! Didn't you tell me those earrings were a family heirloom? Why, I'd walk the last one thousand one hundred fifty-seven miles to Illinois before I'd let you sell them," she declared stubbornly.

"You won't get nearly what those gems are worth," Midge remarked. "Besides, you'd better save them for later. There's no telling when you'll need to cash them in."

"I have plenty of money at home," Nancy assured them. "Besides, as the last living Clue, I'm sure to inherit everything."

"Not if you're convicted of murder," Midge thought darkly. She kept her mouth shut, though. Nancy had made up her mind, and Midge could see nothing she said would change that. "Maybe things will turn out for the best," Midge thought. But she didn't really believe it. Not for one minute.

"I'm going to walk to town," Nancy declared as she tossed her things back in her jewelry box. "I'm dying of thirst."

"I think a nice, cool drink would be refreshing," Cherry agreed.

"Let's go, then," Nancy urged. "My treat."

Cherry felt badly when she realized that from now on, everything was going to have to be Nancy's treat. Cherry had spent all her spare change on postcards to send to her parents, clever trinkets fashioned from native rock for her brother Charley, and packages of rock candy for her nurse friends. "Even if Nancy is the reason we're taking this trip, it still isn't right that she has to pay for everything," Cherry thought, vowing that once she got back to her job on the Women's Psychiatric Ward at Seattle General Hospital, she would save every extra penny until Nancy was paid back in full.

"Or maybe I'll find a nursing job in Illinois," she thought dreamily, "and I can pay Nancy back in person!" The last eight days had been the happiest time of Cherry's life, and Nancy's, too, she was sure! Cherry decided to wait a little longer before springing her dream on Nancy-the dream of becoming an Illinois nurse! Luckily, she knew there were always plenty of jobs helping unfortunate people wherever she went.

"As soon as this whole horrible murder mess has blown over, and Nancy is back to normal, I can let her in on my secret." Cherry thought with a smile. Golly, she could hardly wait to see the look on Nancy's face when she told her the news!

"We'll stay behind and find Lauren," Midge and Velma volunteered.

"Thanks, Midge and Velma," Cherry said. She was touched that her friends had offered to stay behind in the hot, dusty place. "Even though I'm sure they'd rather take a brisk walk to town, they know that Nancy and I want to be alone."

Before the girls began their walk into town, they changed into comfortable walking shoes. Cherry donned a pair of stylish penny loafers. Nancy chose a pair of leather-soled ballerina slippers. But there was one problem!

"These shoes don't go with my outfit!" Cherry wailed, looking ruefully at her flared skirt and soft blouse, which was just right for a long car ride, but entirely too fussy for a casual stroll. Nancy saved the day by pulling a matching red and white gingham skirt and blouse ensemble with a wide white belt from her suitcase.

Cherry ran behind a bush to change her costume, and minutes later she and Nancy were ready for their walk to town.

"According to our map, there's a town called Dust Bin two miles east," Nancy reported.

"Sounds romantic," Cherry thought dreamily. "We'll be back in approximately one hour," she waved good-bye. As soon as the couple was out of sight, Midge pulled Velma close.

"We're finally alone," Midge murmured happily, nuzzling Velma's neck while stroking her soft dark hair. "I finally get you all to myself."

Velma blushed. "I thought we were supposed to be looking for Lauren," she murmured as Midge pulled her toward the car.

"Oh, yeah," Midge said, all flustered. "I forgot. Stay here," she said. "I'll be right back." Within minutes, Midge had located their young chum. She was not at all surprised to find Lauren standing in the middle of a quarry. And in her hands was a large rock.

"I found a cool rock with a fossil of a crustacean in it! " Lauren called up in delight. "It's really keen down here-you guys should join me!"

Midge smiled. "Nancy and Cherry went to town to get help. Don't wander too far off. They'll be back in an hour," she called out.

Lauren flashed Midge the okay sign. Midge, convinced that her motherly duty was done, raced back to the car...and to Velma!