Working for the Enemy 10

Della's eyes widened at the information she was staring at in the file that was now spread across her desk. How had she not noticed this before?

'You look a little startled this morning Miss Street.' The smooth voice of Tom Leopold appeared as if from nowhere. Della jumped a little. She hadn't even heard him enter the office. He had a strange habit of doing that recently, sneaking up on her. 'What has you so preoccupied?'

'Nothing Mr Leopold.' She tried to cover up her file with the small pile of letters that she had prepared for the ADA that morning.

'Let me guess. The Sampson case again.' He reached forward and plucked the folder from under the mail before Della could stop him. 'Hmmmn. Now tell me Miss Street. What on earth has you so interested in the sentencing of a man who was involved in a bar room fight?' The green eyes zeroed in on Della's hazel orbs like fine lazers, a sardonic smile twisted about his lips.

'With sentencing tomorrow, I just thought I'd make sure all the paperwork was in order, just in case there was an appeal.' Della felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

'I told you yesterday, there will be no appeal. May I remind you, you wanted to make sure the paperwork was in order, before you left last evening. Are you second guessing yourself Miss Street? That's not your reputation.' Leopold was now offering her a direct challenge.

Della looked demurely at the papers across her desk.

'No Sir.'

'Give me the file Miss Street.' Leopold held out a large hand.

'I'll file it away ready for tomorrows business.' Della stalled.

'Give. Me. The. File.' Each word was punctuated by a usually friendly voice that had suddenly turned icy cold. As cold, Della saw, as the stare. Even the sardonic smile had vanished. An involuntary shiver went down her spine. Collecting all the documents together, Della replaced them into the board folder. Leopolds fingers grazed hers as he took the contents from her and tucked them under his arm. His fierce gaze never left her face. 'Now Miss Street, thank you, that wasn't so hard was it?'

'No Sir.'

'You know I'm not a fan of people who work for me having an opinion on cases.'

'I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a bit of a curious cat sometimes.' Leopold nodded and snorted a little before turning towards his office door. Turning back to Della, the mocking smile had returned.

'I'd be careful Miss Street,' Leopold warned. 'We know what curiosity did to the cat don't we?' Then he was gone into his office and the door closed behind him. Della reached for the telephone.

PDPPDDPDPDPDP

Della halted in her tracks on entering the office of Hamilton Burger.

'I'm sorry,' she apologised on seeing the DA had a visitor. 'I'll come back.'

'Wait, Miss Street,' Burger invited. 'Please come in and take a seat.' Della hesitated and looked between the two men.

'It really doesn't matter, I can return when you're not so busy.'

'Della.' The low, steady voice of Perry Mason reached her ears at the same time as he pulled the chair back for her and indicated she should sit. 'Please.'

Della gripped the single piece of paper in her hand that she had managed to conceal from Tom Leopold when he took the Sampson file from her. Now she made to stuff it between the pages of her notebook. A move not unnoticed by Perry.

'You've started to work it out.' Perry stated flatly.

'I'm quite sure I don't…..'

'Della.' Perry shook his head in a warning for her not to continue her protestations of ignorance. Even now, they could still communicate silently, knowing what they needed.

'Sampson,' Burger continued. Della slid into the chair weakly. How did they know? She had only told the DA she needed to speak with him, not what it was actually about. 'What has happened Della?'

Della swallowed hard before answering. Still unsure if she should spill her ideas in front of Perry.

'It's alright Della,' Burger soothed. 'Perry isn't the enemy in this one.'

'Despite what you think or I've possibly led you to believe,' Perry added. Della turned her eyes onto him.

'I gave you the opportunity to tell me what was going on yesterday. You wouldn't. Why now?' Perry shifted uncomfortably under her steady gaze.

'I wanted to, but things have moved a little quickly this last week. I told Hamilton here what you heard in the office. Laura came to see me at my apartment last night.' Della's eyes raised partly in question, partly in surprise. Perry read her expression. 'It wasn't for a romantic interlude if that's what you were wondering. I told you, Laura and I are through. Have been for a number of weeks actually.' He didn't know why he added the last part but he clearly thought it important she knew it wasn't a recent separation.

'The janitor saw you leave the office after Leopold and Laura. They went back a couple of hours later and questioned him who he had seen entering and leaving offices and the times.' Burger clarified. 'In short, they knew you most likely heard what they were talking about and as a consequence, the agenda has accelerated somewhat.'

Della sat back in her chair stunned. 'What agenda?' she was almost afraid to ask.

'Theirs and ours,' Perry said.

'Yours?' she looked blinkingly between the two. 'Mr Burger you know what's going on as well?' Burger flushed and merely nodded. He felt a little embarrassed at his confession. 'Well is someone going to enlighten me or do I need to continue my own investigations?' Della crossed her arms in defiance. Anger creeping into demeanour.

'Della,' Perry sighed and dropped into the chair next to her. 'The paper you found stuffed away in the law library.'

'Yes? I started a little research and you told me a week later it was nothing.'

'I know. It wasn't exactly nothing. I carried on looking into it because even the small amount of information you uncovered made me think there was a lot more to it.' By now Della was listening intently. Perry knowing the look of concentration continued. ' I found out some things that led me all the way to the Mayors office and the situation really started to go downhill from there on in. The people we believe are involved gather in a certain place and know people we know…'

'The Country Club Laura and Mr Leopold attend,' Della interjected. Perry nodded.

'Yes. Leopold's family are heavily into politics and have a huge stake in the next Mayoral elections. It's about power not just money.'

'I noticed the man killed by Sampson, William Keel was a government auditor. It took me a while to notice but it was his name I remembered seeing on that auditors document that was in the office.' Burger and Perry looked at each other and then both back at Della who was now staring at the floor deep in thought a thousand questions turning over in her mind. Then she added quietly. 'I think Tom Leopold threatened me just now.'

'What!' Perry shot up from his seat and loomed over her. 'What the hell did he say?'

Della shrugged. 'He caught me looking at the Sampson file again. It was this morning I made the connection but he interrupted me. He took the file from me and when I tried to cover up what I'd been doing by saying I was just a curious cat, he said we know what curiosity did to the cat. Then he went into my office, but it was the way he said it. I didn't know then what he knew about me hearing him and Laura. That's why I wanted to come and see you Mr Burger.'

'That Son of a b….'

'Perry!' Burger's harsh voice cut through the red mist that had started to descend thought the big lawyers mind. 'Now's not the time. Della, I need you to go back to the office, gather your coat and purse and whatever else you brought with you this morning and come straight back here. If the ADA asks where you're going, tell him I need you in court with me today. Let's just call it an unexpected hearing against Mr Perry Mason.'

Della nodded but was confused. 'Why, where are we going?'

'We're getting you out of here, somewhere safe until it's over.' Perry was all business now. 'Paul has some men on standby for when I call him.'

'But why I'm no threat to Mr Leopold.'

'Della, right now you are the closest thing to a threat they have. The little information you can testify to, can at least put enough evidence to a grand jury for consideration. Where that may not directly derail their plans, it will certainly cause some issues. I'm not taking a chance when we've come so far with this. Yesterday I asked you twice to trust me. Now I'm begging you to.' Perry took one of her hands and sandwiched it between his own large paws. 'Now go get you things and let's get out of here.'

'But…'

'No buts. Please just do as we ask. Hamilton, Paul and I want you safe and sound.'

'I'm confused. Why all of a sudden is this happening?'

'Because Sampson was found dead in his cell this morning.'

TBC