Working for the Enemy 14

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Perry sat at his desk looking through the folder of reports Paul had managed to accumulate in a very short period. The detective himself, lazily smoked a cigarette curled into his favourite position in the clients chair. They both looked up when the door to the law library opened and Laura appeared.

'Perry, we need to chat darling,' Laura oozed sweetness. 'About the Sampson case. Paul be a dear and give us the office please.'

Paul uncurled himself slowly and stood, his eyes looking between the two attorneys. Laura had plastered her indulgent smile on, where Perry's granite features remained just that. Granite and unsmiling. Paul hated it when she pretended to like him.

'Perry unless you want me to stay…..'

Perry shook his head. 'It's alright Paul, I'll come down and see you shortly then we can finish this up.'

With a second look between the two, Paul shrugged and left by the private door. When the door clicked shut, Laura entered the office fully and took up the seat Paul had just vacated. Perry sat back in his chair and for the moment just watched her make herself comfortable. He neither offered a drink nor cigarette and just sat silently waiting for the first words to come from her. After several moments Laura began.

'Where were you last night?' Her tone was light and enquiring.

'Why?' His tone was flat and unemotional.

'I heard about poor Mr Sampson and tried to reach you all day.'

'Why? You weren't going to appeal any sentence he would have received today.'

'I was shocked and more than a little upset, I'd just lost a client in the worst possible circumstances. I at least wanted to talk to you, but you were nowhere to be found.' Laura's tone turned to soft and Perry braced himself for what was going to either be the calm before the storm or her seduction mode. The thought of both made him a little nauseous.

'I know things have been strained between us lately, I called to your apartment last night, but the doorman said you hadn't been home all day and evening.' It was the seduction she turned on. 'I wanted to talk and maybe get us back on track.' Laura had evidently also decided to utilise her playful coquette persona as she cocked her head from side to side batting her doe eyes at him.

'What track would that be Laura?' Perry remained stone faced, his eyes never leaving hers.

'Why us, as in two people engaged to be married.' The fake surprised tone.

'We're not going to be married Laura, you know it and I know it.' Perry employed his no nonsense manner.

Laura shot forward in the chair, a wild look of surprise then hurt on her face. She's a great actress, Perry mused silently, I'll give her that much.

'I went to see you because I wanted us to talk and console each other about Mr Sampson's untimely death. He was the son of some friends of mine after all. Where were you, you haven't said.'

'No I didn't say. I was out.'

'On which case?'

'You know which one, stop playing games.'

'You were with your Miss Street weren't you?' The doe eyes suddenly hardened.

'I was out. I needed a night away from here.'

'With her?'

Perry remained silent again. He rose from his chair and went to stand and look out of the windows at the city whilst getting his emotions under control, pushing the weary anger back down as far as he could. Laura shifted in the chair then stood up.

'Answer me Perry, were you with her?' This time the mood hardened and became demanding.

'Laura,' Perry began steadily, his voice betraying no emotion. 'Let's get one thing straight at least between us. At the start of all this, I folded to many suggestions I wouldn't normally have done because I asked that the one person who was to be kept out of it was Della Street. Whilst ever she was not in the cross hairs so to speak, I would have played ball with you, Leopold and the others, up to a certain point. I would never cross into doing anything illegal and as an officer of the court, I am duty bound to report any and all criminality and fraud. This one time to protect Della, even I would have bent just a little.' Perry whirled to face Laura who now stood with her arms defiantly crossed. 'But,' he dropped his voice ominously, 'You couldn't help but let your jealousy of her get the better of you. When it became clear I was pushing too hard and not stooping to your whims and conspiracies as much as you wanted, you had to use her against me.'

'I was doing what I needed to.' Laura interjected. Perry held up his hand to stop her from speaking further.

'No!' He shook his head to underline his next point. 'The two biggest mistakes I've made in all this is not hiding how I feel about Della from you better than I did. I thought I was doing a good job of keeping my professional persona when it came to her, but clearly not. The second mistake I made was not involving her and Paul in what has been happening when it became apparent her reputation was on the line.'

'Your biggest mistake was falling for the common little mouse in the first place!' Laura spat out. 'Her being brought into this was nothing more than leverage at first but she just couldn't keep her nose out. Now she's put herself in more danger than even you could have envisaged.'

Perry crossed the office in two long strides and grabbed Laura by the arm pulling her so close their noses were almost touching.

'What the hell do you mean by that?' he growled. Laura pushed against his chest with her free hand and tried to wrangle her other arm free of his vice like grip but it remained firm.

'Let's just say I hope you two enjoyed each other last night, because if it was your first time together, it's highly likely it's also your last!'

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At the same time Perry was engaged in conversation with Laura, several blocks away, Della had arrived for work very early and had searched the ADA's office for all the papers he had removed from her about the Sampson case previously. Whilst she was rummaging around in the open desk drawers, she looked for anything further that could be used against anyone else who may have been involved in the whole mess of this case. Glancing at her watch, Della returned to her desk after carefully tucking away the papers she had discovered into an envelope marked for delivery to Paul's home address, and then depositing it in the mailman's cart that sat a little further down the corridor.

'Miss Street, you're back.' A short time later Tom Leopold stopped in his tracks on entering the outer office where his secretary sat and attempted to keep the surprise from the statement.

'I do work here do I not Mr Leopold?' Della looked up from where she was typing notes and regarded the ADA with a passive look about her face.

'Yes of course. I thought Mr Burger had kidnapped you yesterday when you didn't return to the office.'

Della continued shuffling the papers on her desk. She lifted a small pile and held it out to the ADA. 'Your mail for today Sir.' Nothing in her outward demeanour gave away the fact she was trembling inside. Leopold stepped towards her and grasped the mail she was still holding out for him. His hand took hold of the paper but before Della could with draw her own hand, one of his large, soft fingers brushed against hers and rest there a moment longer than was necessary. His touch sent a dark shudder down her spine but she maintained her cheery countenance through sheer willpower.

'Thank you Miss Street. Professional as ever.' The way Leopold spoke and looked at her gave Della no illusions that he was toying with her and found it amusing. 'Where exactly did you go yesterday?'

'Court. Mr Burg…'

'Please stop Miss Street.' Leopold's voice was soft and coaxing, the smile sardonic and forced. 'There was no court appearance against Perry Mason yesterday. Before you openly lie, I checked with the listings clerk. I also have a hotline straight into his office as you are now more than aware.' He came around the desk and perched himself on the edge leaning down to where Della sat. She could smell his expensive cologne and it was making her feel ill. He took up one of her hands and held it admiringly. Della fought hard not to flinch at his touch. She wanted nothing more than to pull it away and scream at him to leave her alone. Instead, she sat a calmly as she could and allowed him to gently trace the route of her fingers from the knuckle to the nail. 'Now,' he started again. 'Where did you meet and then go with Mr Burger and I presume Mr Mason?' Leopold lifted his head and glared at her with predatory eyes.

'I…I….had an early brunch with Mr Burger and then he allowed me to go home for the rest of the day.'

'Tut, tut, tut Miss Street. Try again.' The grip on her hand tightened imperceptibly. 'And before you do, please think very carefully about what you say to me.'

'My answer remains the same. I told Mr Burger over brunch that you had a meeting with Mr Mason's law partner and thought the D.A's office might have to start preparing for any appeal that might be coming. I like my boss to get ahead of these things so we don't get caught on the hop so to speak.' Della's voice was strong and confident, and she hoped convincing.

'Ever the professional.' Leopold chuckled but it had none of the warmth she would expect from someone finding something amusing. 'I'm not surprised Mason can't keep his hands off you. Professional, beautiful and smart.' Della attempted to gracefully remove her hand but Leopold held fast.

'Mr Leopold, Mr Mason has always kept his hands to himself where I am concerned. That's clearly where you two differ.' She jerked her hand away and Leopold laughed out loud.

'Your face says you two were professional to the outside world, but your eyes when I mention him say differently.'

'I'm not certain this conversation is appropriate.'

'So I'm right about you two?'

Della began shaking her head vigorously in denial as the memories of she and Perry necking wildly on the living room couch of the vacation home came flooding back. The very real feelings of both sets of hands wandering and conquering previously uncharted territory before stopping, almost straining not to cross the unseen line of no return.

'No,' Della responded. 'You are so far from the truth Mr Leopold, you may as well be in New York.'

Leopold pushed himself from the desk shaking his head.

'It's a real pity we couldn't become friends Miss Street. I would have enjoyed working with you immensely.'

Della stiffened in her chair. 'What do you mean would have? Are you firing me?'

'Not quite.' There was that cold chuckle from Leopold again. 'Well,' he corrected himself, 'I am firing you, but not in the traditional sense.' The door opened and two men appeared in the doorway. The suits were expensive Della noticed, they were well groomed and not overly outstanding in appearance. They could have walked down any hallway, in any business building in the city and gone unnoticed. 'Miss Street may I introduce you to a couple of associates of mine. They're going to take very, very good care of you today.'

'I have work to complete,' Della protested. Leopold grabbed her upper arm and easily lifted her from the chair. To any outsider looking in, he could have been mistaken for the actions of a gentleman assisting a lady from a chair.

'Of that really doesn't matter. I need you to go with my friends here and be quiet about it.'

'Why would I do that?'

'Because, 'Leopold leaned in so closely his lips brushed her cheek and he spoke, 'Right now Miss Street I am not above doing what I have to do to achieve my goal. Hmmm, you smell great.' Della lifted a hand to strike him on the cheek but it was easily caught in large, strong hands. 'Now, now, temper, temper. That's very unladylike.'

'Perry won't allow anything to happen to me,' Della's voice took on a firm edge. 'He'll come for me.'

'That Miss Street, is exactly what I'm hoping for.'

tbc