Working for the Enemy 9

Thanks for the constructive feedback and support. It very much keeps me going!

To answer a point raised not related to this from the reviews. I removed the PM/Ironside story 'Identical'. I write for fun, I like to share. I appreciate reviews, constructive feedback and ideas generated by the wonderful folks who appreciate, read and contribute.

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Della Street gripped the back of the clients chair and looked directly at Perry Mason. On entering the office, she had refused his invitation to take a seat and instead had placed herself deliberately behind the clients chair. Her unspoken protective barrier consisted of that chair and the lawyers desk. It gave her some confidence she didn't really feel.

'That's all I have to say because it's all I heard,' she said for the third time. 'I have nothing more to add.'

Perry placed the tips of his fingers together and pushed upwards. His eyes narrowed in concentration, it looked like he was praying and perhaps he was. Praying for the evidence to break the case wide open and allow him to reconcile and protect the woman standing in his office.

'Della,' he said. 'I need to know exactly every word that you can recall.'

Della threw her hands up in exasperation. 'I have no idea how many times I have to repeat myself. I've already told you and I couldn't see what they were doing exactly during the silences, but I can guess. Your fiancée is seemingly cheating on my old boss with my new one. You lawyers are real pieces of work in the romance department. Tell me Mr Mason is that how you all like to get along? You share each other?' Della gave a shiver of disgust and gathered her purse and gloves from where she had dropped them in the clients chair. Perry glanced at Paul who had backed himself into a corner as far away from any explosions of temper that may have threatened to make an appearance. Perry jerked his head in a silent request to Paul to allow him a few minutes alone with his former secretary. Paul nodded imperceptibly and cleared his throat. Pretending to look at his watch, he spoke up.

'Della, I forgot one of my men was due to report back on a case. Can you give me a couple of minutes, and then we'll go to that dinner I promised.' He made a move towards the door.

'It's alright Paul,' Della knew he was making an excuse to leave her there. 'I can wait in the lobby or start making my way to Clay's. If you're that busy, I can go and just grab something on my way home.'

'Beautiful, I promised you dinner, and that's what you'll get. Wait around here, I won't be but a couple of minutes.' Then he was gone before she could protest any further.

Silence descended. Della shifted nervously from one foot to the next and kept her eyes lowered, looking at the floor. Perry sat impassively behind his desk watching her every movement, taking in every detail of her face. She truly was an exquisite woman he thought. Beautiful, poised, elegant, graceful. He inwardly grimaced about the events that had lost her to him for now. He sincerely wished that the for now was just that. There would be time for arguments and recriminations with her later. Perry would plead his case afterwards, explain his actions and quite possibly if still needed, he would drop to his knees figuratively speaking, to beg her for forgiveness and implore her to return to the office to work alongside him again.

'Laura is her own woman,' Perry started as he saw Della making to leave. The words halted her in her tracks.

'What?'

'We're individuals. I don't share her as you so bluntly put it, but I'm also well aware she's not monogamous to me.'

'Then why do you want to marry her?' Della almost whispered sadly.

'I don't want to.' Perry made the instant decision that the start of any healing process would be to ensure Della knew firmly he had no further romantic or physical interest in Laura.

Della blinked her eyes. 'You don't want to? Then…'

'I won't be entering into matrimony with her. That's a dead cert.' Perry stood up and leaned on his desk, palms spread to support his weight as he leaned forward letting his eyes bore into hers. 'Please trust me Della. I know you have questions. I know you most likely think I'm part of something devious that can't quite be explained just yet.'

'I'm sorry Mr Ma…Perry,' Della paused and frowned slightly before continuing. She surprised herself using his first name. 'I don't really trust anyone anymore in this business. I'm almost ashamed to think I used to believe you were an honest, upstanding lawyer. I also used to think you were a thoroughly decent man.' She ended by swallowing hard, biting back the inner turmoil that was threatening to bubble out into the open.

Perry closed his eyes. The fallout from this case and his own actions letting Laura run riot through his life were going to be far worse than even he had imagined. His chest tightened and his gut clenched with the horrible realisation he may have broken his relationship with Della beyond repair.

'Della please.' He reopened his eyes and moved around the desk towards her. Perry was in touching distance when he saw Della take a step backwards. 'I absolutely promise you, when the moment is right, I will explain my actions, why I didn't put up a fight when Laura dismissed you, everything. I'm just not in a position to at this moment in time. I know I have no right to ask, but I'm going to again anyway. Please just have a little trust in me for a little time longer.'

For several moments, Della looked at his face. It had appeared to have softened somewhat, his eyes clouding with an emotion she couldn't quite understand because she'd never seen it before. He was as handsome as the very devil she thought briefly before chastising herself for almost falling into the drowning pools of blue that were fixed intently on her at that moment.

'Trust.' It was as if Della was testing out the word for the first time ever as she rolled it about her tongue.' Trust.'

Perry nodded. 'Yes, trust.'

'Trust works both ways Mr Mason. I have no idea what is going on, but I now know something isn't right about the Sampson case. You have shown no trust in me to divulge what is happening right now, so why should I extend the same courtesy to you?' Della moved towards the door and paused for a moment with her hand on the handle as Perry replied.

'I do trust you Della. More than you know. And I will tell you everything when the moment is right.'

'Tell me now then. Perhaps I can help more.' She was giving him a chance, a lifeline and he knew it, but he also he needed to hold out on her a little longer.

Perry sighed audibly. 'I wish I could but…' Mid-sentence he heard the door click shut and he was alone in his office. To the closed door he finished his sentence. 'Baby I want to let you in on this and it be over so you're safe.' He sat back on the edge of his desk, the weight of this case enveloping his shoulders like a great burden as the private entrance opened.

'If you run down the corridor Paul, you might just catch her,' He threw over his shoulder.

'Right. You coming to dinner with us?'

Perry shook his head sadly. 'No, I'm sure I'm not welcome right now.' The crushing feeling in his heart he was experiencing was entirely unfamiliar to him and he didn't like it. No he didn't like it at all.

TBC