CHAPER THREE

Perry rolled over and looked down at Della. Usually they slept cuddling, but due to Della's sensitive skin they were on their own sides. As he was reaching for her he heard someone calling his name outside. Groaning he thought what now?

Pulling on a robe and calling to Della he headed for the front door. "Della, someone is yelling outside the front door."

A little groggy she watched him limp toward the front of the cabin. "I'll be there in a minute," she called.

Opening the front door Perry found Ken, dressed in running clothes, lying at the bottom of the steps writhing in pain, "what is the world happened to you?" He asked anxiously.

Slightly embarrassed the younger man admitted, "I tripped over Della's fishing trophy and fell down the steps. I hit my head and I think I broke my arm."

Starting down the steps, the lawyer inquired, "what was the trophy doing on the steps? Can you get yourself up at all?"

"I think I can sit up, but I need help standing. I put the trophy on the top step when I took it out of the car to find my running shoes. I was tying my shoes when I heard Deidre on the road. I was trying to avoid her, tripped over the trophy and here I am."

The big man frowned. "Maybe with Della's help we can get you up or do you want me to call an ambulance?"

Ken groaned as he tried to move around and the pain in his head made him wince. "Maybe an ambulance would be better."

Just then Marie and Deidre came up the walk. "What's going on?" They wanted to know.

"Ken fell down the steps, hit his head, and he thinks he may have broken his arm. We were trying to decide whether to try and get him up or call an ambulance."

Looking over the situation Marie said, "It looks badly twisted and I'm sure it's painful. I've had a little first aide training, but we might do more damage moving him."

Della came out on the porch just then. "I've already called for an ambulance. The volunteers will be here shortly. Perry, we need to get dressed, and would you two mind staying with him while we change?"

Marie told them, "I have an appointment in half an hour in town, but Diedre can stay, if that's alright."

"Perfect," Della told her neighbor, "We'll take her with us if she wants, and bring her back."

Diedre looked like she was in heaven as she brushed Ken's hair back from his forehead. As they walked back into the cabin Ken was saying, "That whole fishing tournament was jinxed from the beginning we never should have entered."

As the young woman made sympathetic noises he went on, "can you imagine sitting on the dock, using ordinary bait, and an old fashion rod and reel and winning the tournament over experienced modern fishermen?"

The last thing Della heard as she closed the door was, "oh you poor darling."

Serves him right she thought. This younger generation thinks they have all the answers. Why I was fishing when he wasn't even thought of.

They were almost finished dressing as they heard the ambulance drive up. The paramedics were assessing Ken as Perry stepped onto the porch. A blond muscular man in his thirties told the attorney, "We are going to take him into the county clinic. It is about half an hour from here in Strathmore. This young lady is going with us."

"We will be right behind you," Perry said, "how is he doing?"

Looking at Ken on the stretcher he commented, "He is bruised, the arm is badly twisted, and they will check out his head injury. We started an IV and it has something to relax him. We better get under way we'll see you at the clinic."

Perry thanked him and had turned to call for Della as she came through the door carrying two travel coffee mugs and announced, "I'm ready to go."

They hurried to the car and tried to keep up with the ambulance until they hit the highway. "Well Diedre must be in heaven getting to spend all that time with Ken." Della mused.

Concentrating on his driving Perry remarked, "He's pretty well out of it."

"Some women like that. They can't talk back." Della tried not to let him see her grin.

With a quick glance Perry asked, "So you would prefer me unconscious?"

"I wasn't speaking of anyone specific. I'm just saying there are women who like to be the aggressor."

"That wouldn't be you though?" He inquired.

She arched an eyebrow at him and wiggled her shoulders, "well not all the time. Don't tell me you would be intimidated by a woman who liked to take charge. As I recall you have had some rather assertive female clients over the years."

Pulling into a parking place at the clinic he turned to her as he shut off the car. "Of course, you realize who I picked to be with. I've always let you speak your mind"

Getting out of the car and not waiting for him to help her, she turned to him and asked, "you let me speak my mind? Oh Mr. Mason sometimes you amaze me."

As they headed for the entrance he took her arm and questioned, "What does that mean?"

Walking up to the registration desk she explained to him, "we don't have time for this discussion right now." She turned to the clerk. "We came in with Ken Malansky.

They were told to sit down in the crowded waiting room and someone would be with them in a little while.

With crying children, frantic parents, a man in a wheel chair, a woman in labor who just arrived, paramedics in and out, and relatives awaiting news of loved ones, there was little opportunity to talk.

After a half hour a doctor finally came out and called, "Mr. Mason."

They went up to the doctor who didn't look more than about 25 years old. "I'm Mr. Mason."

I'm Doctor Taylor. I'm an orthopedist. I happened to be here when they brought Mr. Malansky in."

Della asked, "how is he doing doctor?"

"If you'll come back to his room I'd like to tell you all together," the doctor explained.

Perry interjected, "the cost is no problem he is completely covered for any expenses. Miss Street is the head of our firm and she can give you all the specifics."

Patting his arm, she explained, "I've already taken care of that information Mr. Mason."

The doctor smiled at her, "just follow me. He may be a little groggy he was in a lot of pain."

Ken didn't look so well with a bruise on his cheek, scratches on his hands, and his arm wrapped up with an ace bandage. He smiled at them and while his speech was slightly slurred he managed to tell them he thought he would be alright.

The doctor put the x-rays up for them to view. "As you can see he has some torn ligaments, we are going to watch that rotator cuff and see how it heals. There is no break and it is his right arm and he tells me he is left handed. We will give you the signs of a concession and if he would seem to get worse he needs to be seen immediately."

"Does that mean we can take him home today, doctor?" Della wanted to know.

"I would like to keep him here for a few hours for observation and then you could take him home."

Diedre who had been sitting there quietly said, "I can stay with him if you have things to do. Have mom come with you when you come to pick Ken up.

Perry looked at Della. "What do we have to do?"

She looked at him and shook her head. "We have to be back in the office tomorrow. You have appointments all day. Also, we have to pack and close up the cabin."

"Oh" was all the lawyer said.

They thanked the doctor and Diedre, told Ken they would come back for him in a few hours. He was half asleep and at that point didn't care what they did.

Walking to the car Perry suggested, "we could cancel everything for tomorrow and not be so rushed.

Della told him impatiently, "That deposition has been postponed twice and we can't reschedule again. You have lunch with Judge Egerton, there is the reading of the Masterson will, and you know there is going to be problems with that, and Paul and his family were coming for dinner.

"What if I go into the office and you stay here and get things settled? I'll go get Ken and bring him back to the cabin, you can straighten things up and pack, then I'll come back and get you day after tomorrow."

By this time, she was infuriated. "Let me get this straight you will go back to the office, leaving me to pack, close up the cabin so it is ready for Marc and Sylvia next week, nurse Ken, and you can handle everything back home?"

Trying to sound reasonable Perry said, "Since we can't cancel our schedule that seems like the most sensible alternative."

She looked at him for a few minutes before saying, "Sometimes, Perry Mason I don't think you have a brain in your head."

He wrinkled his forehead and squinted his eyes. "I am just trying to be reasonable Della. I couldn't have foreseen Ken falling over your trophy. If I must keep the appointments I thought by leaving you and Ken here, you wouldn't have to rush around so much."

"Of course, you did." Then she lapsed into silence the rest of the way back to the cabin. When they got back Della climbed out of the car, walked into the cabin, and straight to their room. She began packing, his bags.

Just grateful she didn't want to argue anymore Mason busied himself getting his fishing gear together. A little over an hour later she emerged from Ken's room with two suitcases. Perry had fixed them some brunch.

"I was just going to call you, he explained. I fixed us a salad, French bread and some ice tea.

Della took all the bags and set them by the door. Sitting opposite him and filling her plate with salad she informed him, "you are all set to go after we finish eating."

He was frowning as he asked, "Are those all my suitcases? I don't remember having that many, but you packed."

Buttering a piece of French bread, she explained, "They aren't all yours they are yours and Ken's. You can box the wine we have left. You see dear, I'm staying here you take Ken with you."

"Della, what is going on? I'm confused, I'm just thinking of you."

Dropping her fork, she asked, "thinking of me Perry really? As you probably forgotten we were supposed to get away together after Katelyn was exonerated."

"Well we did," he remarked sounding confused.

She sighed deeply, "Yes we all did. You, me, and Ken."

"You said you didn't mind." He reminded her.

"What could I say. He reminded us the trial ruined his fishing vacation. Then we got into the stupid tournament, the boat sank, and your knee hurt."

Pouring more ice tea and hoping to appease her he mentioned, "you did win the tournament."

She shook her head as he tried to refill her glass. She continued, "you are missing the point. After the wedding the reason we were going away was to rest your shoulder and knee. We needed some alone time to talk about what had happened during that case. We didn't need a chaperone."

"I didn't know how to say no to him. He seemed so excited." Perry explained.

"You understand," she told him, "you put me in an untenable position. You asked in front of everyone. I didn't want to look like the bad guy."

Perry stood up and took his plate out to the kitchen. "I wish you had told me."

Bringing out the food she asked, "would it have really changed anything? Then we went into the case with your old friend. You were exhausted mentally and physically. We really needed time alone and here we are. So, go back to the office, take Ken with you. He can be the head of the firm. I need some time alone."

He put his arms around her, "Della be reasonable Ken can't do what you do."

Putting her hands on his shoulders and pushing him away slightly she explained, "maybe what we need is some time apart to think things through clearly."

"I don't like this," he admitted.

Patting him on the arm she said, "you'll do just fine. Once you are working you don't let anything or anyone distract you. You better get the car packed. I'll hand you the things from the porch."

'When will you be coming back and how will you get back?" he wanted to know.

She tried to smile, "I'll have Marie take me to the train station it will just be a couple days."

He leaned down and kissed her gently, "I don't like this."

Running her hand down his cheek, "Just think how much you will miss me and what a great reunion we will have."

Pulling her in close he whispered, "we could practice for the reunion before I go."

"Perry Mason, you have a one-track mind sometimes. If I say yes you won't want to go. I do need some time by myself. If I go with you a new case will turn up and it will be the same old merry-go-round."

Tilting her face up to his, the persuasive lawyer said, "I could change your mind."

She laid her head on his broad chest and answered, "yes you could, but it would solve nothing. Time to get ready to go."

Nearly an hour later the car was packed, and Perry was starting the car. Della was watching him from the porch. Marie was following him to pick up her daughter. She turned away, so they would not see the tears streaming down her face. The damn man, he could be so infuriating, and yet God help her she loved him.

They had settled nothing, but maybe some time apart would give things a different perspective. Too often she had overlooked things or just let them slide. This time with the two men had shown her a side of them she didn't like. Perhaps it would take something drastic to resolve things. Spending time alone would help her clear her mind.