TCOT Long Range Repercussions Chapter 2
Perry Mason hung up from his conversation with Max Stein and sucked in a deep breath. As he turned to face Della Street, he raised his eyes heavenward as if to ask for help. He walked over to her and was about to take her hands when she crossed them over her chest and started tapping her foot.
"All right Counselor, suppose you tell me what's going on. It would seem that you've told everyone else so I think it would be to your advantage to let me in on this little secret of yours."
"Della, baby…"
"Just Della will be fine."
"Can we at least sit down? Let me get us a drink."
"Quit stalling Mr. Mason."
The attorney breathed deeply again and felt the start of a wicked headache. He struggled to keep his voice even.
"I am not stalling, however I am going to sit down on the couch. You are welcome to join me or you can stand there and be confrontational. It's up to you."
"I am not being confrontational!"
"Then what would you call your behavior?"
"I wouldn't call it anything other than asking you to tell me what you so obviously know is bad news."
"You're not being fair. You're not even giving me a chance to explain. It's attack first, ask later.
"Now who's not being fair."
"It's how I feel."
"Well how do you expect me to act when you leave me out?"
"I don't expect you to act like you're twelve."
"You know for a brilliant man Counselor, you're being quite immature yourself."
Perry sighed hugely. "And this conversation is getting us nowhere." He stood and again walked over to stand in front of his secretary. He spoke without raising his voice, but he was clearly aggravated.
"Look Della, I've had a hell of a day and now I have a hell of a headache. I think it's best if I go for a walk and maybe by the time I get back, you will be more amenable to having this conversation with me."
Suddenly Della knew she had gone too far. She tried to deflect the time bomb she knew was about to go off. Her voice softened and she looked at her employer almost shyly. "We never did have dinner. I…I could make you something or…"
"I'm not hungry." Perry turned and started for the door but stopped when he heard Della's voice. It was something between a sob and a moan but it was so quiet, he almost didn't hear it."
"Perrrry…I'm…I'm sorry. Please don't leave."
In an instant he was beside her, pulling her into his arms. Feeling her body tremble and her tears on his shirt, he held her tight, one hand rubbing her back, the other stroking her soft curls. Her tears always made his heart ache and this time was no different.
"Shhhh…shhh…don't cry darling, please don't cry. I'm sorry too. It was unfair of me to take out my frustrations on you. Come over here with me." Perry led her to the couch and sat down, gently pulling her into his lap. She laid her head on his chest and he cradled her against him, all the while continuing to rub her back and gently wipe the tears from her face.
At length she raised her head and met his stare. Her voice was low but clear and she placed her hand on his face in a soft caress.
"Please tell me what's wrong."
"I will baby, but first will you do something for me?"
"I'll do whatever you want Counselor, you know that."
"Yes, I do. I want you to promise me that you won't let this affect us or our future. You have to promise me that you will be logical…that you won't let your emotions override any decisions that have been made already. It's going to be hard enough because the people involved are our friends, but please Della, please separate them from us. I love you. I love you so much…more than I've ever loved any woman…and we've come so far…we've overcome so many obstacles. I don't want anything to ruin what we have. I couldn't stand it if…"
"Perry, I love you more than anything and I don't want anything to spoil what we have either. But you're scaring me so no matter what it is just tell me."
Della felt Perry's grip tighten as he began to speak.
"Sweetheart, when was the last time you spoke to Nina?"
"I think it was last Wednesday…no Thursday, remember? I stopped by around noon because you were at that lunch meeting with Judge Ackerman and Alex Newman and Max. I invited her and Paul to come with us and Judy and Max Saturday but she said that Paul was working a big case and she didn't think he would be free."
How did she seem to you?"
Della scrunched up her face and if the situation wouldn't have been so serious Perry would have laughed and teased her. Now he sat waiting for her answer.
"Come to think of it, now that you brought it up, she looked tired…and a little sad. I asked her if everything was all right and she said that she was just tired because P.J. was cutting another tooth and keeping her awake at night." A thought flashed through Della's mind and she took a deep breath before she spoke again. "You're not asking me just as a concerned friend or the baby's Godfather are you?"
Perry shook his head. "I'm afraid not, kid. Della, yesterday Paul came and talked to me."
"I know. I was there but something told me that he wanted to speak with you alone so I picked that time to file those papers at court."
Perry smiled slightly. "I figured as much. Anyway, he and Nina…well they've been having trouble for some time now—for months actually. And it seems like it won't be getting any better. He…they're getting a divorce and Paul wanted me to represent him."
Della's faced paled considerably and she began to tremble once again. For a moment she couldn't talk and when she found her voice it was shaky and raspy. "Oh God Perry!—Paul and Nina. No, oh no! It can't be. It just can't."
"I know darling, I know. Believe me I was just as shocked as you were. I thought I knew Paul so well. He's one of my best friends. He's like a brother to me…Hell, he is my brother. We've gotten so close to Nina, too. I don't know how they kept it from us for so long.
"They put on a good front that's for sure. All this time and neither one of us suspected anything. Maybe they didn't tell us because they thought they would be all right or maybe…"
"Or maybe what?"
"Maybe they thought we'd take sides or we'd both side with Paul."
"I thought of that too. But whatever they thought the cat's out of the bag now and I don't think there's any going back. That's why I want to talk to Max. If anyone can help them it's him. I'm going to have Max suggest counseling first. If they don't want to do that then I'd like him to act as their mediator or worse case scenario, Paul's counsel."
"This is a mess and as much as I love Paul and Nina, the one my heart really breaks for is the baby." That thought brought a fresh onslaught of tears and Perry held Della close, soothing her once more.
"You're right Della, it is a mess and the only way to help them is to be there for them and the baby. The only good thing in this is that the baby is too young to realize what's going on and, knowing Paul and Nina as we do I'm sure their first concern will always be P.J."
"Perry?"
"Yes dear?"
"Now that I know, I'd like to be at that meeting tomorrow with Max—if you think I wouldn't be in the way."
"Reading my mind again Miss Street? I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with me. You know I trust your judgment implicitly and your insight is remarkable. You're right so many times it's almost scary."
"It's just plain woman's intuition Mr. Mason."
"Della, my beautiful wonderful girl, you are many things but plain you are clearly not and neither is that mind of yours." Perry nuzzled Della's forehead then pulled back and looked at her lovingly. "Now, as important as our friends are and as major a problem as they have, can we put it all on hold and just concentrate on us for now? Correct me if I am mistaken but I do believe you mentioned dinner…so if you take care of the entre, I will be more than happy to take care of dessert. Do we have a deal?"
There was no verbal confirmation from Perry's secretary. Instead, she met his lips with her own and left him with such a searing kiss that it blocked out anyone and anything except the two of them. Perry would later tell her that her kisses gave lip lock a new definition.
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The clerk at the Adirondack Hotel in downtown Los Angles smiled approvingly at the tall women standing on the other side of the registration desk. Dressed impeccably in a lightweight knit dress that fit her like a glove she slowly pushed one side of her shoulder length blonde hair away from her face as she signed the book in a neat precise signature. Holding up a slim silver compact she checked her cherry red lipstick, making sure that and the rest of her makeup was intact. Looking up at the clerk with dark brown eyes, she gave a fake smile to the young man as she answered his question in a breathless voice.
"I'm not sure how long I'll be staying, young man. One week, maybe more. I'll have to let you know and by the way, call me Vanessa."