Nancy Clue Mysteries 2 - The Case of the Good-for-Nothing Girlfriend

by Mabel Maney

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, but did you say you were going to River Depths? River Depths, Illinois?" the woman asked. She put down the orange soda she was holding in one neatly gloved hand and slipped off her jacket to reveal a white nylon shell top that, despite the heat, looked band-box fresh.

  She noticed Cherry staring wide-eyed at her. "You're wondering how it is I've been sitting in the car all day and I'm still perky as a daisy, aren't you? It's the miracle of synthetic fabrics," the woman announced grandly. Actually, Cherry had noticed how wrinkle-free the woman's blouse was.

  "Now, didn't you say you were going to River Depths?" the woman queried.

  Without thinking, Cherry nodded her head.

  Midge groaned. No one was supposed to know that they were speeding to River Depths with Nancy Clue!

  "Marty, they're going to River Depths, too," the woman called to her friend sitting in the front seat of a white, fourdoor Buick. Her friend, a handsome brunette with a smart, short hairdo tinged with silver at the temples, smiled and waved at the girls before going back to studying her map.

  "We're from the Wyoming Buffalo Bulletin, sent to cover the story of housekeeper Hannah Gruel, charged in the murder of attorney Carson Clue," the smartly dressed woman announced importantly. "Marty-that's my friend over there; her real name is Miss Martha Mannish, but everyone calls her Marty for short. Well, Marty and I decided to do some sightseeing on the way; that's why we're driving. By the way, my name is Gladys Gertz. Miss Gladys Gertz. I'm the newspaper's society editor and Marty's our wedding photographer. I usually never get to cover exciting crime stories such as this, but because it's a housekeeper that did the deed, they gave it to me," she confided with a sunny smile. "It's my big chance to really dig up some dirt!" She took a starched white handkerchief from her black alligator handbag-which Cherry noticed perfectly matched her low-heeled pumps-and wiped her brow.

  "Goodness!" Miss Gladys Gertz exclaimed. She took a reporter's thin spiral notepad and a pencil from her pocket. "Tell me, why are young girls such as yourselves so interested in this trial?" she asked. "What fascinated you about this particular murder? Do you think it was a crime of passion or one of premeditation? In your wildest dreams, would you have guessed that after twenty-two years of devoted service Hannah Gruel would shoot her employer through the heart?"

  "Er...ah...we don't know anything about a murder," Cherry blurted out. "We're going to River Depths because... because-"

  "Because of a rock collector's convention," Lauren stepped in to announce. She raced to the trunk and brought back a chalky white rock the size of a bowling ball. "See, this is one of our finest specimens. It's a piece of bentonite, or, in other words, weathered volcanic ash. Want to hold it?"

  "No, dear, I'll get all dusty," Miss Gertz shook her head. "I was so hoping to get the youth angle on this," she said, a disappointed look marring her pleasant features.

  "We don't know anything about any trial," Midge repeated Cherry's words.

  "But don't you girls keep up with current events?" the woman cried in bewilderment. "Ill health or not, housekeeper Hannah Gruel's trial will begin at nine a.m. Monday morning for the murder of prominent attorney Carson Clue. They say if she's too sick to go to court, they'll try her from her cot in the prison infirmary!"

  "Oh, no!" Cherry cried. "Poor Hannah!"

  Miss Gertz's eyes lit up. She scribbled some notes in her book.

  Midge shot Cherry a warning glance. "Now that I think of it, we did hear about this Gruel person on the radio," Midge hurriedly interjected. "My friend here is the excitable type," she explained. "She's a nurse. Just mention a sick person to her and she's ready to run to her side. Aren't you, Nurse Aimless?"

  Cherry nodded her head.

  Miss Gertz patted Cherry's hand. "I'm sure you're a wonderful nurse, dear," she said. She shook her head. "It does seem a little queer that they're putting this Miss Gruel on trial even though she's so ill. Seems to me they're in an awfully big hurry to get this over with. And isn't it odd that Nancy Clue isn't there to see the woman who killed her dear father stand trial?" Miss Gertz remarked casually. "Last they saw of her, she was somewhere in California, wasn't she? Driving around in a big convertible. Now what color was that car again?" Miss Gertz wondered aloud. She rifled thought her notes. "Ah, yes, here it is. It was a great big 1959 Chrysler..." She sneaked a look at the girls. Midge struggled to maintain a neutral expression. Was it her imagination, or was Miss Gertz watching them with a sly gaze? "...painted robin's egg blue with white-wall tires! My, that sounds like a pretty car, doesn't it?"

  The girls breathed a big sigh of relief.

  The beep-beep of a car horn interrupted Miss Gertz's next comment. "Oops! There's Marty. I must be off!" Miss Gladys Gertz ran to join her traveling companion. "It's been nice talking to you girls. Perhaps we'll meet again! Toodle-oo!" she cried as she waved good-bye, hopped into the car and sped off.

  "Nancy's not going to like this one bit!" Cherry cried, when the reporters were safely out of earshot. "We must take a vow not to mention one word of what Miss Gertz said. The last thing Nancy needs right now is more upsetting news. She's shown symptoms of acute anxiety on this trip. Anxiety is often most unpleasant," she declared.

  Midge knew from experience the true nature of reporters. "They're just like vultures," she shuddered, remembering how the press was quick to vilify her in the shooting of her own father many years ago. "He didn't even die, and they still wanted to hang me," she recalled bitterly.

  "Not one word of this to Nancy," Cherry warned Lauren as they retrieved their things from the car.

  After securing directions to the DoubleD Motor Lodge and Diner, they waved so long to the nice mechanics and headed downtown, three blocks due east.

  "Don't you think Miss Gertz's look is understated yet elegant?" Cherry remarked to Velma. "Just perfect for a successful career gal."

  Lauren rolled her eyes and looked at Midge. "Girls!" she said.

  Midge grinned. "Yeah," she said, a dreamy look in her eyes. "Girls! "

  "By the way, that was a good save," Midge praised Lauren as they set off behind Velma and Cherry. Midge was struggling to carry her valise as well as Nancy's three-piece, powder blue monogrammed travel set and matching cosmetics case, too. "About the rock convention and all. You're a sneaky little thing," Midge grinned. She stopped grinning when she noticed a dusty brown Impala pull into the service station. A middleaged man wearing dark glasses and a straw hat pulled low over his face, was driving. The woman next to him was wearing a red head scarf and white plastic sunglasses.

  "Why, that car looks just like the one that almost hit us earlier today at the sandwich shop," Midge thought angrily. "I'm going to go over there and give those people a piece of my mind," she fumed.

  "Honey, are you coming?' Velma called.

  Midge contented herself with merely glaring at the driver of the brown Impala, who hastily buried his face in a map. "Something about him seems odd," she thought. Then she shrugged. She had enough on her mind at the moment without worrying about some rude man. It had been a long day, and they still had to find a way to break the bad news to Nancy-the news that they would once again be stuck for the night. "And tonight I'm sleeping with Velma," Midge vowed to herself. "There must be some way, short of actually wearing a dress, that I can get into a motel room with her."

  She became so engrossed in dreaming about her girlfriend, she didn't see the driver of the dusty brown Impala turn to his passenger, whisper excitedly, and point at the girls. And she was so busy hanging onto the luggage while trying to catch up to Velma, that she didn't see the driver get out of his car, amble over to the mechanics, and strike up a friendly conversation.

  Had she noticed what was going on back at the garage, her dreaming of Velma would have dissolved into suspicious fuming about the motives of the strange couple!

  * * *

  CHAPTER 16

  * * *

  "Look Out!"

  "This town looks j
ust like a movie set for a Western!" Cherry cried in delight as they walked along the wooden sidewalk of Dust Bin. She exclaimed over the charming early Western reproductions everywhere-the dirt road, wooden sidewalks, big balls of tumbleweed blowing about in the soft evening breeze, the old wooden lampposts lining the street.

  "There's even rope hanging on each lamppost," Lauren pointed out. "In case you want to tie up your horse. Keen!"

  Soon they were at the DoubleD Diner, designed to look like an old saloon. "This town is aptly named," Cherry complained cheerfully as she dusted her penny loafers with a clean handkerchief before stepping through the swinging wooden doors. The girls looked around the room, but Nancy wasn't among the handful of diners enjoying the $1.29 fried steak special.

  "Where could she be?" Cherry worried aloud. "Perhaps she's putting on her face in the ladies' lounge," she remarked, dumping her firstaid kit on the floor and heading toward the back of the room to find her friend.

  Lauren hopped onto a stool at the bar. She dug into her pockets. Mixed in with old candy wrappers and a green cat'seye marble was enough change for a chocolate soda. She ordered, and when her soda arrived, she took a deep, satisfying slurp. "Want some?" she offered to Velma, who sat down and took a sip of the delicious concoction.

  Cherry returned, looking dismayed and worried. She was too confused by the turn of events to warn them that they were in danger of ruining their supper. Where was Nancy?

  "She's selling her beautiful jewelry!" Cherry gasped suddenly. "That's got to be it. That's why she insisted on being left behind while I accompanied that nice mechanic back to the car. Why, she lied to me!"

  Midge had never seen such a fierce look in Cherry's eyes before. "Velma used to get that same look whenever she had to pull me out of a fight," Midge remembered. "That look meant I was going to be sleeping on the couch."

  "Hide all sharp objects," Midge joked as they watched Cherry race out of the diner.

  Velma grinned. "Young love," she sighed. "I'm glad we're old married folks now," she said to Midge with a wink. She dug into her purse and came up with a handful of quarters. "Later on I was going to wrestle those pants off you and wash them, but I think we're going to be here for a while," Velma said. She put her quarters on the scarred wooden counter. "Bartender, another round for my friends."

  But before the waitress could bring the three chocolate sodas, a loud scream brought the girls to their feet.

  "Stop, thief!" they heard a girl cry.

  "That sounds like Cherry!" Midge exclaimed as she raced out of the diner with Velma and Lauren at her heels.

  "Look, Midge! Across the street!" Lauren cried. "That's Nancy and Cherry, in front of the Treasure Chest jewelry shop! "

  The girls watched in horror as a tall, unattractive man with flaming red hair pushed Cherry out of his path so hard he knocked the hapless girl into the street. And right into the path of an oncoming car!

  Nancy's quick thinking saved the day. She grabbed a rope from the post in front of the jewelry shop, swiftly looped it into a lariat, swung it over her head, and expertly roped Cherry in. The driver of the car slammed on the brakes just as Cherry was pulled back from certain death!

  "Those rodeo lessons I took sure come in handy," Nancy grinned in relief as she hugged Cherry. In a flash, the other girls were at Cherry's side, expressing their relief that their chum was okay.

  Two nicely dressed career gals with horrified expressions on their faces jumped out of the car and raced over to Cherry. They were the reporters the girls had meet earlier at the garagethe ones who were determined to find Nancy Clue!

  "Oh, look. It's the reporters we met earlier at the garagethe ones who are traveling to River Depths to interview Nancy Clue," Midge said loudly.

  Nancy sensed danger was near. She turned her head, dug into her purse, and found a gay chiffon scarf, which she quickly wrapped around her trademark titian mane. A pair of dark glasses completed her disguise.

  "My dear, are you all right?" Miss Gladys Gertz fussed over Cherry. "I wasn't paying any attention to the road ahead," she confessed. "I was just looking at this darling Western motif and thinking about doing our rumpus room over in a similar style, and then suddenly there you were smack in front of me in the middle of the road!

  "Why, I could have killed you!" she cried in horror, throwing up her glove-clad hands in alarm. "Oh!"

  "I'm okay now, Miss Gertz," Cherry calmed the frantic woman. "Except for the rope burns on my arms, there was no harm done." Lucky for her, she had had the foresight to pack rope-burn salve.

  "What on earth happened?" Miss Gertz quizzed Cherry. "Why did that rude man push you? Shall I call a police officer?"

  "It was all a mistake," Cherry stammered. "I thought he had taken Nan...er...my friend's jewelry box, but now I see it's just fallen on the ground." She picked up the jewelry box, gave it a quick once-over, and was relieved to find nothing missing. "It was all a silly mistake," she stammered.

  "That redhaired man did take Nancy's case," Midge thought. "Cherry's cry must have scared him into dropping it. Too bad these nosy reporters are here, otherwise I'd go after him," she schemed. "But by now he's long gone," she reasoned. She slyly surveyed the ground around them, but saw no clues.

  "We must call the police and report this immediately," Miss Gertz declared, fishing through her purse for some change for the telephone. She handed a nickel to her companion. "Marty, be a dear and call the police and inform them that we've been accosted by a rather rude man!"

  "It was all a misunderstanding," Cherry insisted, not wishing to alert the police to Nancy Clue's whereabouts. "Please don't go to any trouble on my account," Cherry begged. "Besides, we must get to the DoubleD Motor Lodge and secure a room for the night."

  "At least let us buy you dinner for all the trouble we've caused," Miss Gertz proposed. "Goodness, all this excitement's made me hungry." She grabbed Cherry by the hand. "We won't take no for an answer," Miss Gertz insisted. "Besides, Marty and I could use some fresh company. We've all but talked ourselves to death, haven't we, Marty?" Marty nodded but said nothing.

  Minutes later the girls were back at the diner, seated around a large wooden table gaily outfitted with a red-checked tablecloth. While they waited for seven steak dinners with all the trimmings to be brought to their table, they fielded questions from the inquisitive reporter. One by one the girls introduced themselves, revealing nothing else. Everyone but Nancy, that is, who pretended to be too engrossed in the decor of the diner to pay attention to the conversation.

  "I just love these horseshoe-shaped drink coasters, don't you?" Nancy exclaimed. "What a charming idea."

  But Miss Gertz couldn't be ignored. "What's your name, dear?" she persisted.

  "I'm...I'm...Miss Darcy New," Nancy said hesitantly. "Yes, Darcy New. From River ...er...dale. Yes. Riverdale ...er... California."

  "What a pretty name!" Miss Gertz exclaimed. "Darcy. So unusual. Why, with your peaches-and-cream good looks and exotic name, you could be a movie star! I'll bet you are. I'll just bet. And you're in disguise. That's why you're wearing dark glasses. Am I right?"

  Nancy nodded, then excused herself and raced for the ladies' lounge.

  Midge dropped her voice to a dramatic whisper. "That is Darcy New, the movie star," Midge revealed. "But it's a secret. You see, Darcy New is the star of Twin Mountain's newest picture. It's called ...um...er...Chit Chat. It's just about to be released."

  Miss Gertz's eyes grew wide with excitement. "I figured as much!" she cried. "Not much gets past old Gladys here. But why are you going to River Depths? And why on earth does Miss New have a nurse traveling with her?"

  Midge thought quickly. Hadn't Nancy once mentioned an adventure at a sanitarium in River Depths? "Darcy New's on the verge of a nervous collapse," Midge said solemnly. "Surely you've heard of the world-renowned River Depths Sanitarium? Specializing in nervous disorders? All the really big actresses go there."

  Miss Gertz nodded. "Of course," she whispered excitedly,
her eyes all aglow. "That's why you have a nurse along!"

  Midge nodded. "That's right. But you can't let Darcy know you know,"

  Miss Gertz put one hand over her heart. "Cross my fingers," she whispered solemnly. Marty nodded.

  "Good," Midge said. "If word leaked out about Darcy going to the sanitarium, why, there's no telling what might happen. She could go over the edge, and that would put an end to a brilliant movie career. Do you want that to happen?" Midge added dramatically.

  "Oh, no," Cherry whispered, forgetting for a moment that Midge was making the whole thing up. "Poor Darcy!"

  Midge shot her a dirty look and kicked her under the table. Fortunately, Miss Gertz didn't notice. She was so overcome by Midge's sad story, she had covered her mouth with her handkerchief.

  "Your secret is safe with me," Miss Gertz gasped out.

  When Nancy returned to the table, the reporter winked at Midge and put on a cheerful smile. "Dear, you're here just in time for the main course!" Miss Gertz cried as she spied a waitress carrying plates of steaming food their way. "Before the food gets here, would you be a dear and give me your autograph?

  "Oh dear, where's my pen?" Miss Gertz cried as she turned her pocketbook upside down, searching for her writ ing tool. "Got it! Now, what can you write on? I know. Sign your name on this newspaper."

  Cherry gasped when she saw what was in Miss Gertz's hand-a copy of the Wyoming Buffalo Bulletin! Miss Gertz noticed her keen interest in the newspaper.

  "Isn't that a charming photograph of Nancy Clue on the front page?" Miss Gertz asked Cherry. "And inside is the most delicious recipe for rhubarb pie. I must remember to save it. I'm always meaning to save things and then I simply forget. Oh, well, that's what happens when you're a busy reporter and have to keep all sorts of information stored in one little brain."