"Hey Paul, how would you like to join me, Hamilton, and a few other boys on a camping trip this weekend?"
Paul stopped abruptly in front of the chair he normally hijacked when he visited Perry's Mason's office and regarded the legendary defense attorney with skepticism. Surely, this had to be a smokescreen or joke or something because normally Paul was summoned to Perry's office for an eleventh hour errand. Sometimes Paul wondered if his hair had gone prematurely white from the stress associated with those eleventh hour errands. Also reeking of bullshit was the inclusion of the names Hamilton and Tragg.
"Is that supposed to be funny?" Paul asked, lighting up a cigarette and dropping his tall frame into the chair finally.
"Not at all," Perry replied, though that mischievous smirk of his tugged at his lips. "Even though we usually work on opposing ends of these cases, we often end up working closely together. I think it would be beneficial for all of us to get to know one another better."
Paul remained unconvinced. "Are you certain you're not just pulling my leg because I just can't imagine you wanting to spend a weekend hanging out with Burger and Tragg? Whose bright idea was this anyway?"
"Well mine and Hamilton's. We got to talking about a case over lunch and then the conversation shifted to hobbies and whatnot. It seems we all have a fondness for the great outdoors so we thought a weekend camping would be a fun way to get to know each other better."
"Well, I think it's a wonderful idea," Della chimed in, preparing coffee for everyone. "As hard as you all work and the long hours you devote to it, you could all use a weekend away from the city and out in the fresh air. And look on the bright side, Paul; if Perry is out there with you there's no way he can give you any assignments."
"You know, beautiful has a point," Paul acknowledged, exhaling a plume of smoke. "Count me in."
A triumphant grin was Perry's only response. He could always count on Della to back him up.
W^^^W^^^W
Perry and Paul arrived at the campsite about three hours after court had let out for the week. There was the usual rush hour traffic masquerading as a parking lot on the freeway to endure on the way out of town and they'd also stopped for dinner along the way. Thankfully, they'd planned ahead and Mason had picked Paul up in the morning and they'd simply packed all their gear into Mason's car at that time, eliminating the necessity of having to follow Paul back to his place to drop his car off. There'd really been no logical reason to take both cars. Hamilton, Tragg, and Andy would have one or two themselves so there was no danger in being stranded out the boonies in the unlikely event that the car broke down.
Noting that the tent going up was still a work in progress, Perry and Paul deduced that Tragg and Andy had just beat them there by maybe a half hour or so. Given that it was the middle of June, daylight hadn't completely ebbed away, but darkness was fast approaching.
The nearby campfire cast flickering shadows around the campsite and provided some light, though Andy had left his car's headlights on. He wasn't going to want to do that for long though without risking the battery so Perry and Paul exited Perry's car and quickly made their way over to help finish putting the tent up.
"Glad you're here, Mason," Andy said. "It was getting tougher with just the two of us and the daylight vanishing. The headlights help, but only on the side they can shine on. Now someone can hold a flashlight."
"I'll grab one," Paul said, beckoning for Perry to pass the key to the trunk and he hurried back to the car to rummage for one of the flashlights they'd packed.
Tragg finished driving a stake in and glanced up at Perry and then around the campsite, nothing that they were still waiting on Hamilton. "Eh, he should be here soon. Apparently, Alexandra rather enjoys camping from their younger days and was disappointed she couldn't tag along. He probably just got a late start after putting that fire out."
"Or he'll show up with her," Andy warned.
Paul's brows furrowed. "You think he actually would?" At first he'd thought Andy meant that jokingly, but there hadn't been a trace of humor in his voice or in his expression.
"In this instance, I don't think so," Tragg replied. "He needs a break from all those girls he lives with."
They finished threading the final rod of the tent and secured it.
"Well, there we are, gentlemen. Our palace for the weekend," Tragg said, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Shall we move in?"