by Mabel Maney
He hiked up his fitted, straight skirt and sat down. He was so angry, the veil on his cloche hat was all askew. He hastily straightened it.
Judge Meeks dropped his gavel in alarm. Had Mrs. Meeks gone mad?
"I have something to add to that, Myra," Mrs. Tweeds declared as she rose to her feet. The crowd buzzed with excitement. Mrs. Tweeds was the head of the Ladies' Auxiliary, the second most influential society woman in River Depths, and Myra Meeks's best girlfriend. What could she possibly have to add to the perplexing puzzle?
Mrs. Tweeds was too overcome with emotion to speak for a moment. She appeared ready to faint. Cherry accepted the call to duty and raced to her side with a jar of smelling salts. "Thank you, my dear," Mrs. Tweeds said softly. "I certainly don't deserve such kindness after the way I treated you girls the other day," she murmured. Then she took a deep breath.
"I have something terrible to confess, too," she cried. "I know Nancy is telling the truth about her father!" She held up a hand to silence people's protests. "Late one evening, many years ago, I barged into the Clue house with a casserole in hand, and found Mr. Clue," she stopped for a moment to steady her voice, took a deep breath, and whispered, "somewhere he shouldn't have been.
"I was so frightened, I ran out of that house and didn't go back for years. I'm ashamed to say I never told anyone what I had seen. Who would have believed me, anyway?" she cried to the crowd.
"Would you?" she pointed to a businessman in a gray flannel suit. He hung his head in shame.
"I say we put an end to this terrible injustice right now, dismiss all charges against kindly housekeeper Hannah Gruel, and beg Nancy's forgiveness for ever doubting her story," Mrs. Tweeds proposed.
"But she killed her father," the row of townswomen chorused in unison. "And for that, she must be punished!"
Mr. Donald walked up to the women, all the while fingering the horseshoe brooch pin over his right bosom. "I love your new jewels, girls," he purred, in Mrs. Meeks's high, reedy voice. "They're so unusual. I haven't seen anything like them in the shops in town. You'll have to let everyone in on your little secret!"
"We've changed our minds," the matrons cried. "Set Nancy free!"
Midge had to grin when she saw the women furtively rip off their jewelry and sneak it into their purses.
"Set Nancy free! Set Nancy free!" became the cry of the crowd. The citizens of River Depths surged around the young sleuth and offered their sincerest congratulations.
"I don't believe this," Bess whispered in relief. "This is almost too good to be true."
Midge jumped out of her seat. "I'd better untie the real Mrs. Meeks," she grinned. She paused in the doorway of the courtroom to reflect on the amazing events she had just witnessed.
"Who would ever have guessed the truth that could be uncovered by one man in a dress?" Midge shook her head and smiled.
* * *
CHAPTER 50
* * *
Trouble!
"More sherbet?" Bess asked brightly. She was fixing a tray to be brought upstairs to Hannah, whose condition had greatly improved when she'd heard she was a free woman.
"And Nancy's come home," Hannah had cried right before bursting into tears and engulfing the girl in a big hug. Now Hannah was sleeping peacefully with Gogo at her feet, and Terry was getting some muchneeded rest. Bess was fussing around the kitchen, preparing a sumptuous celebration meal. The others lounged about the house, too stunned by the day's events to do more than pinch themselves in relief.
Nancy shook her head. She was frankly too worried to eat another bite of the delicious dessert. She stared out the kitchen window at the garden, where Jackie and Cherry had their heads together in deep discussion. "I've come home too late," Nancy frowned as she watched the attractive, dark-haired nurse giggling while Jackie demonstrated the correct way to pat down a prisoner.
"What did you say, Nancy?" Bess asked as she bustled about. Her cake would be done soon, and she still had to mix the yummy frosting that would go on top. "I need a jar of cherries," Bess decided aloud. "For garnish."
"What did you say about Cherry?" Velma wondered. She had wandered into the kitchen for another cool glass of minty iced tea. "Uh, oh," Velma warned when she glanced out the window and saw Jackie and Cherry together. "I'd get out there if I were you," she suggested to Nancy.
"I can't make Cherry love me if she doesn't," Nancy cried. "Can I?" she looked hopefully at Velma.
Velma shook her head. "No, but you can give her plenty of reasons to try," she said.
Bess smiled. All this love talk just made her even more glad she had fallen for George, who was as faithful as a dog. "I'm going to bring Hannah an early supper," she announced. "I'll be right back. Someone stir the soup."
Nancy hopped up to help Bess with the tray. "I'll go with you," she sighed. "Anything's better than watching the garden show."
Midge meandered into the kitchen. "Hey, babe, whatcha doing?" she gave Velma a peck on the neck. Then she smiled when she saw Cherry and Jackie together in the garden.
"They make a nice couple, don't they?" she grinned.
"You're pretty happy with yourself, aren't you?" Velma frowned. "Tell me, Midge, how does it feel to break up a happy couple?"
Midge thought Velma was teasing until she saw the stern expression on her pretty face. "I didn't break them up," Midge defended herself.
"You didn't help matters any," Velma scowled. "I can forgive Jackie; she's in love. But what's your excuse, Midge?"
"Hey! " Midge cried angrily. "Nancy's the one who went out drinking all day and left her girl at home. And when she finally did come home, why-"
Velma's green eyes flashed with anger. "At least Nancy came home," she seethed. "How can you pass judgment on her when what you did was so much worse! " Velma yelled. "What if someone had encouraged me to leave you? Would you have liked that?"
"You did leave me," Midge pointed out. "For a whole week." That week, ten years ago, had been the worst of Midge's life.
"I still remember the morning you stumbled in with lipstick all over your shirt, stinking of somebody else's cheap perfume!" Velma pouted.
"Oh, Velma, I'm sorry," Midge tried to hug her. Velma pushed Midge away.
"That was years ago! " Midge cried. "I thought you had forgiven me."
"Well, I've discovered I haven't," Velma retorted angrily.
Midge trembled. She lit a cigarette and tried to compose her thoughts. She had had no idea Velma even remembered that one ugly episode of an otherwise perfect relationship.
"The night Nancy brought that girl home, the whole thing came back to haunt me all over again. I realize I haven't forgotten. Not completely," Velma said sadly.
Midge didn't know what to say. The sordid affair had been a horrible mistake. "We had had that terrible fight about my drinking, and you threatened to leave me. I was scared. So, like a jerk, I went out and got drunk and ended up at some strange girl's house."
"You ended up in her bed," Velma corrected in an ice-cold tone.
"There's no excuse for what I did," Midge admitted. "You mean everything to me, Velma. Nothing like that has ever happened again. And it never will."
"How can I be sure of that?" Velma said bitterly.
"Are you telling me that after all these years you still don't trust me?" Midge cried out.
Velma burst into tears. "I don't know what I'm saying," she admitted. "I just get so jealous sometimes. Why, I'm even a little jealous of you and Cherry."
"I'm amazed that you're worried about me and Cherry," Midge cried indignantly, "especially considering the way you've flaunted your crush on Lauren!"
"My what?" Velma cried. "What on earth are you talking about?"
"You and Lauren spent the entire trip running off together to have private chats," Midge shouted. "What else am Ito think?"
"The reason I spent so much time with Lauren is that," Velma dropped her voice and continued, "she got her visitor for the first time while we were driving to River Depths.
She turned to me for guidance," Velma explained vehemently.
"I supposed that's all she wanted," Midge scowled.
Velma gasped. "Lauren is a child," she retorted furiously.
"She's not a child," Midge reminded her. "You said so yourself-she's just a year younger than I was when I went to prison. Well, by the time I was locked up, I had had plenty of girlfriends. Older girls, too."
"Thanks for reminding me," Velma snapped. "I need reminders of what a runaround you used to be."
"Don't try to change the subject," Midge said angrily. "You always do that. That's how you win every argument, Velma. You get me all confused and excited."
Velma folded her arms over her shapely chest and took a step back. "Don't worry, Midge, I have no intention of getting you excited today," she said smoothly.
"That suits me fine," Midge said.
"Good," Velma spat out. "Oh, Midge, sometimes you make me so mad!" She looked around frantically. "Where's my purse? I've got to get out of this house!"
"I saw it on the coffee table," Midge informed her in an icy tone. Velma stormed out of the house, but not before snatching up her purse and the keys to Nancy's car.
Lauren wandered in from the garage where she had been sorting and labeling her rocks according to classification. She had overheard the whole argument. Everyone had heard it.
"Where is Velma off to in such a rush?" Lauren asked.
"Who cares?" Midge slammed around the kitchen.
"Velma shouldn't have talked to you like that," Lauren scoffed. "She'll be sorry she said those things. Whadda ya bet, in another minute she comes back and asks for your forgiveness?"
Midge snorted and lit a cigarette. She leaned against the sink. "You obviously don't know Velma very well," Midge laughed bitterly. "If anyone's gonna have to get down on her knees, it's going to be me. But I'm not going to do it. This time, I'm right."
"Just go find her and say you're sorry, Midge!" Lauren cried. Golly, hearing those two fight had put her in a panic! "Then everything will be okay."
"That'd be like saying I was wrong, and the minute you admit you were wrong, well, then it's all over," Midge warned. "There's one thing you gotta learn about femmes, Lauren. They're jumpy and excitable and are wont to fly off the handle for no reason at all. Oh, you could be minding your own business and then all of a sudden, boom, you're in the dog house."
"Huh?" Lauren mused.
"Don't you see? That's exactly what they want. From that day on, they lead you around like a little dog on a leash. Besides, Velma's the one who's wrong here. She's going to have to come to me."
Midge decided to sit on the porch and have a smoke while she waited for Velma to come to her senses.
A few hours later, the front door burst open and a gorgeous, dark-haired girl with a short, modern Italian haircut, a black circle skirt, a snug white shell sweater, and large hoop earrings, walked in.
"You're not here to see Nancy, are you?" Cherry gasped in alarm. She had to look twice at the glamorous stranger before realizing it was Velma! "Velma, you've cut off all your hair!" Cherry cried.
"I know. How do you like it?" Velma preened.
"Oh, Velma, you really look like a movie star now!" Cherry enthused. "But what is Midge going to say?"
"I don't care!" Velma asserted as she slammed her purse on the coffee table and hurled herself face-down on the davenport cushions. To Cherry's great distress, Velma burst into tears.
"I meant it when I said it looked good," Cherry consoled her.
"I'm not crying about my hair," Velma said. "It's Midge! " She sniffed. "By the way, where is she? Has she been asking for me?"
"She's soaking in the tub," Cherry reported. "She and Jackie helped George work on her jalopy all afternoon, and Midge got awfully dirty."
"So Midge spent the day tinkering with the guys, huh?" Velma quizzed her. "She didn't leave the house or anything?"
Cherry shook her head. "Is something wrong with Midge?" Cherry wanted to know. "She's in an awfully bad mood."
"There are several things wrong with Midge," Velma steamed on her way up the stairs.
Cherry heard the bathroom door burst open and slam shut. Soon there were muffled shouts, and although Cherry couldn't make out any of the words, she had never heard such screaming in her life. Finally there was a loud smack and a big splash. Velma raced down the stairs and out the front door, taking time to slam it hard, twice.
"I am never speaking to you again, Midge Fontaine," she yelled from outside the house. "You can go back to Warm Springs all by yourself. From now on, consider yourself a single Midge."
"That's fine with me," Midge bellowed from the top of the stairs. She had a bath towel wrapped around her waist, and her tee-shirt on backward, and she was rubbing a red spot on her cheek. Cherry wanted to warn her that she was getting soapy water all over the rug, but now didn't seem like the time.
"That's fine with me," Midge repeated angrily. "Because you know what you are, Velma? You're... you're..." Cherry was shocked when she saw Midge sink to the carpet, put her head in her hands, and sob, "You're the best girlfriend I've ever had."
* * *
CHAPTER 51
* * *
An Agonizing Decision
"Midge has smoked every cigarette in River Depths, and Velma's locked herself in the powder room and refuses to open the door. I can't believe all this is happening!" Cherry cried.
Midge and Velma had spent the evening shouting at one another while their chums huddled in the kitchen, pretending not to hear the angry remarks and tortured sobs. Even Gogo had hidden from them. The morning had proven little better. It was quiet, all right, but that kind of dreadful quiet that came after a battle no one had won. The imperiled couple had simply grown too tired to fight.
"What more could possibly happen today?" Cherry cried to Bess as she threw up her hands in dismay.
Nancy came running from the den where she and George had been sequestered all morning, going over the box of papers taken from the Chief's desk drawer. Little by little, Nancy was piecing together a paper trail that would completely destroy the Chief's reputation as an upstanding citizen. "After I get through with him, no one will even care what happened to Chief Chumley," Nancy had made that happy announcement earlier. "No wonder he was trying to get rid of me. I would have uncovered his dastardly deeds sooner or later!"
Cherry thrilled to the sight of Nancy in her natural surroundings-her cheeks rosy from hard work, her pretty eyes flashing with excitement each time she came into the kitchen to announce a new discovery. This was the Nancy of her dreams: hard at work, level-headed, and outfitted in a charming jumper and dotted blouse. "Gosh, I wish I had Velma to talk to," Cherry thought. "Yesterday I was so sure that Nancy and I could never be more than just friends, and today I think I've changed my mind!"
"Cherry, your long-distance call to Pleasantville, Idaho, has finally gone through," Nancy informed her.
All thoughts of her own quandary flew out of Cherry's head when she realized she was finally going to get a chance to speak to her mother!
"Mother? It's Cherry," she exclaimed when she picked up the telephone. But to Cherry's surprise, it wasn't her mother on the other end. It was Visiting Nurse Katie Klempke, an attractive, pleasantfaced girl with lovely blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, who had been Cherry's classmate at Stencer Nursing School. "Is mother ill?" Cherry gasped.
"Both your parents have had complete mental breakdowns," the pleasant-voiced nurse replied.
Cherry quickly relived her last moments at her parents' house in Pleasantville. She had just finished dressing for an early supper when her mother informed her that there was a carload of rather noisy girls waiting for her. "We'll explain everything," her brother Charley and his close chum Johnny, partners in a successful interior design shop in New York City, had promised as Cherry raced out the door and into Nancy's arms.
What could the boys have said that could have caused her parents to go into complete and utter shock
?
"Oh, no," Cherry cried. "I must come right home!"
"There's no need for that," Nurse Klempke replied in a brisk tone. "Your parents are being moved to the Pleasantville Sanitarium later today. Besides, Charley and his handsome friend Johnny are here. And they've taken care of everything! "
Cherry could see that!
"Hello, Charley? It's Cherry."
"It's good to hear your voice, Cherry," Charley cried. "Are you having fun?"
"In a way," Cherry said. "It's hard to say. Oh, Charley, what's happened to Mother and Father?"
"Nothing too terrible," Charley chuckled. "They had rather a shock the day you left, but they'll recover in time."
"Did you tell Mother about me and Nancy?" Cherry wondered.
"Mother's stopped planning your wedding, dear," Charley admitted. "I was going to tell her about me and Johnny next, but she collapsed, so I told Father instead."
"Oh dear!" Cherry cried. She shut the door to the den so she could speak her mind. "I almost wish you hadn't done that," she said.
"We mustn't blame ourselves for Mother's collapse," Charley warned. "She's been due for a good long vacation for years."
"It's not that," Cherry cried. "It's just that now something has happened, and I'm not sure if what you told Mother is true. Oh, Charley, you're going to have to go and tell her I'm in love with two girls now!"
Charley let out a whistle. "Is this the shy nurse who used to be my sister?" he teased. "Tell me everything, sis," he said. So Cherry did. But when she got off the phone with her brother, she was no closer to a decision. "You'll know what's right when it's time to choose," her brother advised.
Cherry went back to the kitchen with a heavy heart. As she was telling Nancy all about her parents' complete and utter nervous breakdowns, there was a knock at the door. It was Mrs. Milton Meeks-the real Mrs. Milton Meeks. "At least, I think it is," Cherry puzzled. She got a closer look at the matron. "Oh, yes, it is you, Mrs. Meeks! " she cried when she spied the beady eyes and small, determined chin.
