Torch Song
Prelude
Hamilton Burger, beleaguered District Attorney for all of Los Angeles, sat in Perry Mason's office, staring across the conference table at his courtroom nemesis. The cigarette he had lit a couple of minutes before was still between the index and middle finger of his left hand, utterly forgotten. Silence, deep and profound, permeated the room, and the anxiety eating away at him was visible.
The conversation he was about to have caused his stomach to churn.
Opposite him, Perry sat observing the troubled prosecutor, wondering at his seemingly nervous demeanor. He had no idea what the problem was, but for Hamilton Burger to come to him, to seek him out for a private meeting, indicated the need was great indeed. Something, somewhere, was terribly wrong.
Because it was Burger's appointment, Perry did nothing to break the lingering silence. If his guest wanted to wait until Doomsday to speak, then so be it. In the meantime, the defense attorney utilized his time jotting down the details he had already gleaned. He looked up from his notepad as Della Street, his private, confidential secretary, entered, carrying a tray with a large coffee pot, cups, creamer and sugar and a plate of cookies. She poured a cup for Burger, set it in front of him with a smile, and offered him cream and sugar. He shook his head, declining.
Taking the time to pour a cup for Perry, she added a spoonful of sugar as a course of habit before setting it in front of him with a sweet smile.
"I'll leave you two alone. Call if you need anything," she said as she straightened, unconsciously running a hand along the back of Perry's shoulder.
As she stepped away, Burger stopped her with a hand to her arm, eliciting a frown from Perry.
"Please stay, Della."
She patted his hand. "Of course."
Perry immediately rose, pulled out a chair for her, and made sure she was comfortable. Burger watched with surprise as Perry poured a cup of coffee for her, adding just a small amount of sugar and a little cream, and even stirring it before setting it in front of her.
Looking at Hamilton, Della sensed the same thing Perry had. The district attorney was very nervous. Her hazel eyes widened momentarily, then narrowed speculatively. Then she averted her gaze over to her boss. He was watching their guest intently, but there was a light in his blue eyes that hadn't been there before, as though the excitement of the meeting was sure to bring with it all the brainpower he could handle.
"Would you like me to take notes?" she offered, then waited for Burger to give his consent.
He shook his head. "No, because this is strictly between the three of us. It's very personal and...
He stopped, dropping his head into his hands. Della looked at Perry, who merely arched his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.
She reached out, laying her hand on his arm. "Mr. Burger?"
At the soft, gentle tone in her voice, Hamilton Burger looked into the hazel eyes, saw the concern, and offered her a pitiful grimace.
"Perry, Della, I need your help and it will mean a great deal of danger for both of you," he said quickly in a hushed tone.
Perry smiled reassuringly at the man. "Why don't you start at the beginning, and we'll see what we can do to help."
Hamilton took a deep drink of the coffee. "That's really good coffee, Della." Setting the cup back he looked across the table at Perry. The time had come. "Perry, does the name Gavin Richards mean anything to you?"
Perry nodded. "Of course. He's the Attorney General, works in the capitol. Good man. From all reports, he is a decent, hard-working public servant. I understand he's running for," he broke to consider it, then guessed, "Congress?"
"Senate, actually. And yes, he is one of the most decent, honest men I know. And I've known him since his law school days," Burger added. "I was the best man at his wedding and am godfather to his two children."
"So does he need help with his campaign?" Perry asked casually.
Hamilton grimaced. "In a way, yes." His eyes diverted to Della for a moment as he drained the remainder of his coffee, then he looked at Perry squarely in the eyes.
Della, noticing the cup was empty, stood and refilled his cup. She could see how difficult this conversation was for him. She slipped into the law library, returning a few moments later with a bottle of scotch and two glasses. Filling one halfway and handing it to Perry, she filled the other with a good measure of the amber liquid, setting it on the table in front of Hamilton.
The man smiled for the first time. "I don't suppose I could get some ice?"
Della smiled. "Of course, Hamilton."
When she left the room, Burger sighed. A dreamy expression came over his features before he schooled it back into a troubled one. Glancing at Perry, he commented, "She's the perfect woman…secretary. You're a lucky man."
Perry tried to hide his jealousy. "I know."
Della returned with the ice bucket but seeing the tension in her boss's eyes, a crease cut between her brows. Now what could have possibly happened in the thirty seconds I was out of the room?
Once both men had their drinks and Della had resumed her seat, Burger continued his story.
"Gavin has always been an anti-gambling advocate. He's been trying for a couple years now to shut down the houses in Rowena. It seems like every time he has the votes, someone backs out, for one reason or another."
Perry scowled. "Pressure from…ah…backers?"
Hamilton nodded. "Yes. The problem is, no one can find out who is putting the pressure on his supporters. There are plenty of men who stand to lose a fortune. Add in the silent partners of the gambling houses, and the list grows exponentially. He can't even rule out a cabal or a conspiracy. Now, whoever it is has taken the next step."
He drained his drink. Perry pushed the scotch bottle toward the man, but Hamilton shook his head.
"Perry, Gavin is being blackmailed." He reached into his inner jacket pocket, passing an envelope across the table to Perry.
Opening the envelope, Perry took out several black and white photographs. There were three that showed Gavin being handed an envelope, obviously meant to show a payoff of some kind. The rest were of Gavin and a rather voluptuous blonde in suggestive, provocative positions.
Perry passed them to Della, who studied the images quickly, repackaged them, and handed the envelope back to Perry. She met his eyes. Like his, hers were troubled.
"I take it these are fake or retouched?" he asked Burger for clarification.
He nodded. "The other man is a bagman for the Lanza crime family. The femme fatale is the former girlfriend of Rico Pinelli. His father is Salvatore Pinelli."
Perry let out a low whistle. "Hamilton, Gavin has made some really dangerous enemies."
The D.A. ran his hands through his close-cropped curly hair before looking at the lawyer. "I know, Perry. And so does Gavin. That's why what I'm about to ask is the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life."
Perry's blood drained from his face. All of a sudden it made sense why Hamilton Burger had been so nervous, and had been so hesitant to begin. Why the man had continuously stolen glances at Della. Absently he reached for the decanter and filled his glass, then drained his drink in a long, uninterrupted gulp. The burning liquid sharpened his focus. His fingers, still holding the glass, were a little clammy.
Hear the man out, he advised himself. It might be okay.
"Let's have it."
"I need you to infiltrate the Pinelli crime family." He sighed. "Both of you."
The glass slipped from his fingertips, shattering on the table. "Get the hell out of my office."