Mabel Maney - The Case Of The Good-For-Nothing Girlfriend

She stifled an urge to break out in a resounding refrain of the state song, a melodic tune sung each morning in all Idaho schools, right after the Pledge of Allegiance. Cherry contented herself with humming the first stanza of “Here We Have Idaho” under her breath.

“Brrrr. It’s started to get chilly,” she shivered, folding her arms across her bosom and skipping ahead to the car so she could retrieve her sensible white cardigan sweater, which she had left in the back seat.

“Oops!” Cherry cried in embarrassment when she flung open the back door and got a sudden surprise. She turned a brilliant shade of crimson.

She had found Midge! And Velma, too!

“I’m gonna have to push this thing to town,” Midge declared as she slammed the hood of the car in disgust.

Cherry quickly consulted the map of Idaho she always carried in her purse. If her calculations were correct, downtown Pocatello was only a few miles away. “We’ll get there before it’s completely dark,” she was pleased to note.

Before Midge could start pushing, Cherry jumped into the back seat and grabbed her travel first-aid kit. She wanted it to be in easy reach in case Midge hurt herself.

Midge had to grin when she saw the attractive girl emerge holding the white metal box with the red cross emblazoned on the side. Every time Midge saw the comely, dark-haired nurse, she was amazed at the resemblance the girl had to her own Velma. In fact, the two looked so much alike that one night just eight days earlier, Midge had found herself in the embarrassing position of pinching the wrong girl! Luckily, besides being a first-rate registered nurse and crackerjack detective, Cherry had turned out to be a good sport as well.

While Cherry was girlish in every sense of the word, Midge disguised her more feminine attributes with a cool attitude. She was frankly passionate about two things and two things only: her cocker spaniel Eleanor, left at home in Warm Springs, Oregon, and “the other love of my life,” the beautiful, curvaceous Velma, who had hopped back into the car and was at this very moment using the rearview mirror to refresh her lipstick and run a comb through her shoulder-length, shiny black hair, styled in an attractive page boy.

Midge snapped back to reality just in time to hear Nancy and Cherry chorus in alarm, “Where’s Lauren? We can’t possibly go until Lauren gets here! Where could she be?”

Midge flushed a little. “A while ago she expressed an interest in the natural beauty of our surroundings, so I suggested she take a walk,” she admitted. “But I warned her not to go too far from the car,” Midge added with concern in her voice. She called for their young friend, but there was no answer. “Everyone stay here,” Midge ordered. “I’ll go get her.” She ground out her cigarette under the heel of her black penny loafers, kissed Velma good-bye, and strode off.

Cherry busied herself tidying the car, Nancy sneaked behind a bush to change into a fresh outfit, and Velma hopped up on the hood of the automobile and began applying a coat of polish to her long, tapered fingernails.

“Aren’t you at all worried?” Cherry wondered as she brushed cookie crumbs from the white leather interior of the snappy convertible. She was frankly amazed at Velma’s cool demeanor. “Lauren’s lost, we’re stuck on some back road, and, only moments ago, Nancy was on the verge of near-hysteria!” Cherry cried.

Velma grinned and patted the spot next to her. Cherry hopped up.

“Relax,” Velma said kindly, squeezing Cherry’s arm. She rummaged through her purse and tossed a bottle of Pearly Pink nail polish in Cherry’s lap. “Those girls of ours are always involved in some little adventure, aren’t they?” she added conspiratorially.

Cherry smiled. Velma was right. She hadn’t thought about the consequences of being in love with someone as busy as a famous girl detective. She hoped she was up to the task! “How did you get so wise?” Cherry blurted out. “About people, I mean?”

“I’ve lived with Midge for eleven years,” Velma laughed. “Honey, I could write a book!” The two girls laughed merrily. “You know what I think is the cutest thing?” Velma added with a chuckle. “I realized today that Lauren is turning into a miniature version of Midge!”

“It’s true,” Cherry agreed. “Earlier, when we stopped for sodas, I watched Lauren walking toward the car and thought, she’s beginning to walk like Midge.”

“That strut’s kind of cute on a kid, don’t you think?” Velma grinned. Then she got a dreamy look in her eyes. “When I see Lauren, with her scruffy clothes, tough attitude, and bossy ways, I think, that’s what Midge must have been like as a young girl. I wish I had known her then, before five years in that women’s prison made her so—”

“What do you think of this color on me?” Cherry cried loudly, cutting Velma off. “Do you think this particular shade of pink polish really complements my dress?” She flung her hands about, trying to warn Velma that Nancy was headed their way. Velma got the hint. Cherry was trying to keep unpleasant topics out of earshot of the distraught detective.

“I think that color is you, Cherry,” Velma said enthusiastically. “Oh, hi, Nancy, you’re back.”

“We were just discussing nail polish,” Cherry explained. She gave her chum a quick peck on the cheek. “What do you think of this color?” Cherry asked, holding out one hand. Nancy agreed with Velma that the pale pink polish looked especially nice with Cherry’s pink taffeta outfit. “You do look good in pink, Cherry,” Nancy said.

Cherry blushed prettily at the praise. “And you look enchanting in that full-skirted, sleeveless, paisley-print, silk chiffon summer dinner dress you’ve selected! It’s darling! And I love that beaded sweater you’ve casually tossed over your shoulders. It looks like you’re ready for a gay evening.”

“I’m afraid my summer straw bag isn’t nearly fancy enough for this outfit,” Nancy admitted ruefully. It was the only purse she had with her! “Imagine forgetting to pack a dressy purse! What must I have been thinking?”

Cherry tried to steer Nancy away from serious topics. “I love your pearls!” she enthused, taking a closer look at the luminescent beads around Nancy’s neck. “You have so many nice things,” Cherry gushed, remembering the sapphire and diamond starburst brooch and earring set Nancy had worn the night they met.

“Hannah insisted I pack my portable jewelry case,” Nancy explained, pointing to her purse, where she kept the small white leather case with its assortment of fine jewelry and some fun costume accessories, besides. Her face suddenly grew grim, and the sparkle went out of her pretty blue eyes. Cherry knew she was thinking of Hannah, whose only jewelry now was a prison identification bracelet. She quickly tried to change the subject.

“Brrr, it’s getting chilly, isn’t it?” Cherry cried. She buttoned her sweater all the way up to her chin and rubbed her hands together. But her thin cotton sweater proved to be poor protection against the evening mountain air.

“Let’s see if I’ve got something warmer,” Nancy said. She went to the trunk of the car and removed the largest of her three-piece powder blue travel set. She snapped open the suitcase. “Velma, this black cashmere topper coat will look nice with that yellow sheath you’re wearing,” she said. The hip-length coat fit Velma to a tee. “And, Cherry, this is a little dressy for your summer frock, but it will keep you warm,” Nancy said as she handed Cherry a pink wool coat with dolman sleeves and a big shawl collar. Nancy shrugged on an old red car coat, explaining ruefully, “It’s this or a brocade evening stole.”