“Oh myyyy God, there’s that reporter that went to see my mother. Look, he’s taking our picture!”

“Oh, shit!” Jill said, sitting down in the middle of the sidewalk when she realized she couldn’t outrun the cop who had climbed out of his patrol car. “Don’t open your mouth. Don’t say a word. They allow one phone call when they arrest you. You sure do have some fancy underwear, girl. I liked what you were wearing in that picture in the paper the other day.”

“This is a bathing suit. I had it on under my dress because I thought I might fall into the pond.”

“That sounds good,” Jill said, stretching her legs out in front of her, her palms on the concrete holding her upright.

“All right, ladies, up and at ’em,” the patrol officer said.

“And if we don’t?” Cady said, glaring at him.

“Then I’ll have to add resisting arrest to the other charges.”

“Which are?”

“Not paying me for all that beer you two drank,” the bartender snarled. The serpent on his arm was wiggling so fiercely, Cady’s head started to spin.

“Oooh, I’m so afraid of you,” Cady said bravely. She wondered if she was going to get sick. The patrol officer looked like he was wondering the same thing.

“Can I get a quote from you, Miss Jordan?” the reporter asked.

“Well, sure, Mr. Denville. What should we say, Jill?”

Jill’s brow furrowed. “Tell him…tell him…tell him anything you want.”

Cady’s head jerked upright. “We think we’ll reserve comment until such time as a comment is needed.”

“That was good.” Jill wiggled her toes for everyone’s benefit.

“Get in the car, ladies,” the patrol officer blustered. “Don’t make me call for backup.”

“My mother told me never to get in a car with strangers,” Cady said.

“My mother told me the same thing,” Jill said.

“I’m calling for backup.”

“He’s calling for backup, Jill.”

Jill giggled. “Back up, pull up, sit up, hold up. Whatever.”

“What happened to my dress?”

“Part of it is hanging on the parking meter,” Jill said, stretching her neck to see if the dress was where she’d seen it last.

Five minutes later, backup arrived in the person of Officer Conroy. He took in the scene and grimaced. “That one has a problem,” he said, pointing to Cady. “She likes to parade around and climb trees in her underwear. Haul their asses in and let them sleep it off.”

“I heard that! I am not an ex-a-bish-…show-off. Neither is my friend. So there!”

“She is not one of those,” Jill said, sticking up for her friend.

“Throw them both in the drunk tank with Carlyle Richards. He’s been on a three-day toot and doesn’t even know his name. They can keep each other company,” the cop said.

“Call my grandmother, Mr. Denville,” Cady shouted to the reporter, as both cops hauled and shoved them into the back of the patrol car.

“You two are a menace,” the patrol officer said. “The minute you women got the right to vote, all hell broke loose.”