Midge was looking at Cherry queerly, as if she could read her mind. She dug through her pockets and came up with a dollar. “For your postcards,” Midge smiled as she handed it to Cherry.
Cherry gave Midge a quick peck on the cheek. She put the worn dollar in her purse. “I’m going to wait until we get to the Rockies to spend it,” she planned out loud. “They’ll have the best scenic postcards.”
“That’s a good idea, Cherry,” Midge said. Suddenly, she perked up. “Look, here’s Velma.”
Velma smiled as she crossed the parking lot to join them.
“What have you and Lauren been doing all this time?” Midge asked in a casual tone.
“Oh, just talking,” Velma said. She got behind the wheel, took a chiffon scarf from her purse, and tied it around her hairdo. “I’ll drive next, okay? I’m getting awfully antsy just sitting all day.”
Cherry checked her little book. “It’s really Nancy’s turn,” she said. “But I think it will be okay. I wish Nancy would hurry up and get out here,” she worried aloud. “We’re going to fall way behind schedule. And where’s Lauren? It seems like she’s always running off.”
“Lauren will be out soon,” Velma said. “Don’t worry about her.”
“I’m going to get a newspaper so I can check the weather report,” Cherry decided.
“What do you and Lauren have to talk about?” Midge wanted to know once Cherry had left. She slid into the seat next to Velma.
“Girl stuff,” Velma said in a casual manner. She took out her compact and powdered her nose.
“What kind of girl stuff?” Midge asked anxiously.
“It’s a secret, Midge.”
“Even from me?” Midge sounded hurt.
“Especially from you,” Velma declared, refusing to budge an inch. She snapped her compact shut.
“Fine,” Midge said, in a sullen tone.
Velma rolled her eyes. “You are such a big baby,” she teased Midge.
“I’m in no mood to be teased,” Midge grumbled. “I’m all sore because I had to sleep on a stupid cot all night—alone—and now—” Velma stopped her angry words with a big kiss.
“I am in a mood to be teased,” Velma whispered. “If we don’t get somewhere soon where we can be alone, I don’t know what I’ll do,” she sighed in Midge’s ear.
Midge gulped hard. Golly, she loved her girlfriend!
“Let’s get out at the next big town and take a train with a sleeper car to Illinois,” Midge grinned.
Velma snuggled close. “What’s on your mind, babe?” she asked. “I mean, besides—”
“Besides a long, slow train ride?” Midge laughed. Then she shrugged. “I’m worried about Nancy’s scheme. You know how you’re always telling me that I have to stop jumping to conclusions all the time? I’m trying, but, well, I just have a bad feeling about this plan of Nancy’s to waltz into River Depths and spill the beans about everyone’s favorite dad.”
“I hope this time you’re wrong, Midge,” Velma said.
“Me, too. All in all, I guess I’d better stay,” Midge admitted. “Someone on this trip’s got to have a level head,” she said, in all seriousness.
“And who would that be?” Velma giggled. “I don’t know, Midge. I’d use a lot of words to describe you, but level-headed wouldn’t be one of them.” She whispered some of those words in Midge’s ear until Midge turned bright red and pulled Velma close for a big kiss just as Cherry appeared back at the car with a horrified expression on her pretty face.
“Midge, Velma, look!” she shrieked. In her hand was a copy of the Wyoming Buffalo Bulletin. And on the front page was a photograph of Nancy, with the caption, “Have you seen this girl?”
Midge closely examined the photograph. “Why is Nancy wearing a tiara?” she wondered.
“Nancy was Miss River Depths 1955,” Cherry replied. “I guess it was the most recent picture the newspaper had on file.”
“We’re safe then,” Midge cracked. “As long as we don’t let Nancy wear her crown outside of the car, no one could possibly spot her from this picture.”
Cherry could see that Midge had a point. “Yes, this photograph is obviously a poor-quality reproduction and four years old, besides. And Nancy’s hair is much more modern now than it was when this photograph was taken,” she said. “Plus, today she’s wearing a casual shirtwaist dress, suitable for car travel, and simple white moccasins. Surely no one will think she’s anyone other than a girl on vacation.”
“So there’s no problem,” Midge said. “Let’s get the others and get out of here.”
“But look, Midge, there’s more!” Cherry cried as she scanned the news article below the picture. In a tremulous tone, she read the horrible story aloud.
DESIRE TO “RULE THE ROOST” MAY HAVE TRIGGERED CRIME, SAYS CRIMINAL EXPERT
River Depths, Illinois—Horrible housekeeper Miss Hannah Gruel, once celebrated for her prize-winning huckleberry pies, now sits in the cell which will likely be her home for years to come. Just twelve days ago, Miss Gruel shot her employer, prominent attorney Carson Clue, during a domestic dispute, leaving him to die on the floor of his newly refurbished Formica kitchen.
“I told that man time and time again to stay out of my kitchen while I was baking,” Miss Gruel declared as she was taken away in handcuffs from the murder scene. Steely-eyed Hannah has maintained a grim silence ever since. River Depthians are left wondering, what made this simple housekeeper suddenly go berserk?
“Hannah Gruel obviously has a deep desire to dominate and one day she could no longer contain herself, and she snapped,” said Prof. Melvin P. Merville, well-known expert and widely read author on matters of the criminal mind. “It’s the classic Rule-the-Roost Syndrome, so common in frustrated spinsters who have trouble accepting male authority.”
“Why, Nancy would be so upset if she knew the horrible things people are saying about Hannah! She’d probably have a hysterical nervous breakdown!” Cherry cried, waving her arms about in excitement. “I must hide this newspaper immediately,” she said as she stuffed the paper in her purse. She snapped her purse shut just in the nick of time, for Nancy had come outside. By the look on her face, Cherry could tell she had had no luck reaching her chums, Bess and George. But she had combed her titian hair into an attractive ponytail.
“It’s time to go,” Midge breathed a sigh of relief upon spying Lauren straggling out to join them. Lauren, Cherry, and Nancy climbed into the back seat and made themselves comfortable. Velma started the car and backed out of the parking lot, only to narrowly miss being rear-ended by a dusty brown Impala.
“Watch out, Velma!” Cherry cried, just in the nick of time.
