Working for the Enemy 20

Apologies for the update delay. Serious computer issues.

Thank you for reading. I may do a follow up or just an epilogue but haven't decided yet. Take care and stay safe

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'It wasn't half as satisfying as it should have been,' Perry grumped after he retold the events at the ADA's office whilst rubbing his sore knuckles.

Della stirred her tea listening and thinking.

'So he gets away with everything.' she said. It was more a statement than question. 'My life has been in turmoil for the better part of three months, I lost a job I loved, I've been threatened, beaten and kidnapped and he goes to jail, for how long? Laura walks away scott free and into what is no doubt a lucrative job. Some poor man is dead for doing his job, another is dead in jail for being desperate for money and….'

'Sssssh. Please stop.' Perry looked at Paul pleading for him to leave them alone. He caught on quickly to the silent request.

'Listen kids, you need a few minutes to iron out the details so I'm off back to my office to get updates on my staff and some of the other jobs. Catch you for dinner hopefully.' With a weak smile and a wink, he was gone.

Silence descended for a few moments. Perry combed his fingers through his thick hair and rubbed the back of his neck. He was just about to comment when the intercom buzzed.

'Yes Gertie,' Della sounded more composed than she actually felt.

'Miss Simmons is here to see Mr Mason.' Della was stunned. The woman had the audacity to come to the office. How dare she.

'Do you want to see her Perry?'

'Not really but I guess we need closure on this. But I want you in the room,' he pleaded.

'I'm not sure I should be,' Della's voice dropped to a whisper. Perry flicked the intercom.

'Gertie.'

'Yes Sir?'

'Ask her to wait a few moments please.'

'Yes Sir.'

Perry reached for Della and took hold of her by the shoulders. 'Please stay.' He pulled her in for a light kiss. 'If I could roll back time to three months ago, I'd do things differently. I see that now, but I can't undo anything more. My number one priority was and is to keep you safe. From now on in it's me and you baby. We don't need anyone else.' Perry dropped to one knee whilst holding Della's hands in his own. 'Miss Street, I would formally like to ask you to come back and be my confidential secretary again.' He gave her his best pleading puppy dog look. Della let out an exasperated giggle.

'Mr Mason,' she replied equally as formal, 'I accept.'

'Good.' Perry started to his feet again.

'But,' Della began again. 'No more games, no more keeping things from me, no lies or half truths and…..'

'No more women?' He raised a questioning eyebrow.

'Not if you want to work on a relationship outside the office. I'm not that kind of girl. But seriously. No more Perry.'

Perry nodded his head. 'Seriously Della, just you and me baby. I can't control the heaving bosoms and crocodile tears of my female clients but they mean nothing to me, I promise.' He was just pressing another kiss to her lips when they heard the door handle turn.

'Well, well, well,' the clipped accent drifted across the office. Laura stood just inside the office doorway dripping in furs and sarcasm. 'You don't even have the decency to wait until I've left before you're slobbering all over each other.'

Perry's jaw tightened. 'And you,' he delivered with a harsh tone, 'Don't even have the decency to stay away from us after all you've done.'

'All I did,' Laura began striding across the office haughtily, 'was help you save this girl.' She touched fingers to her cheek and winced. Laura appeared to have made her make up heavier than usual around her left cheek. For her part, Della's eyebrows shot so high on her forehead they were in danger of launching into space.

'Save,' Della began stammering,' Save! Did you just really say you help….'

'Della!' Perry cut her off quickly as he became aware of the rigid tension suddenly in her body and saw the usually mild mannered Miss Street begin morphing into a seething mass with clenching tiny fists, and he immediately feared for Laura's perfect nose. Della in her turn, looked at Perry with disdain at his tone with her. 'I'm sorry I was sharp just then,' he offered gently in an attempt to assuage her anger. 'You lose it with her and she wins.' They stood looking at each other for a few moments before Della swept his hands away from her shoulders.

'I'll be in my office.' Perry sighed heavily in partial defeat as the door closed behind his secretary.

'What the hell do you want here Laura?' He swirled towards his unwelcome visitor and planted his feet in his fighting stance.

'I've come to let you know I'm leaving L.A' Laura ignored his aggressive manner with her and dropped herself into the clients chair.

'I know you are.' Perry went to his own chair.

'I've been banished to the frozen plains of Colorado.' Laura waited for a response and when none was forthcoming continued. 'I hate the cold weather Perry. That's why I left London in the first place. I don't want to go.'

'You don't have a choice.'

'At the moment no. I spoke with the Senator and he outlined everything that was to happen. If all goes to plan, this matter will all blow over in the next few weeks.'

'And?'

'And when it does I want to come back here.'

'Not a chance!'

'You have your Miss Street back I presume, so what's to say we can't all be adults about this and in six months we have all moved on and I get to come back here.'

'You've got some God damned nerve Laura.' Perry snatched up a cigarette and lit up. 'No dice. It irritates the hell out of me that you'll suffer no other penalty than having to buy a warmer fur coat, but that's exactly what you'll have to do. Della deserves more than you flaunting your freedom in her face. If you came back here, you'd be parading yourself in front of every available guy to get what you want just like you always have and Della would read that in the gossip columns. I don't want her living with any kind of doubt about you or what we had in the past. Our relationship is to stay exactly where it is now. In the past.'

'I always get what I want in the end Perry.' Laura took on a look of smug satisfaction.

'Not this time. You didn't get me, you didn't get control of my practice and you certainly didn't triumph over Della Street. You never will because I am going to spend the rest of my life making things up to her. God willing she'll eventually forgive me my folly in this matter and we can move on to conquer new heights both personally and professionally. For that to happen, I don't want you within two states of her or me. If you even think about trying to come back to settle here in the next twenty years, I'll start something new with your benefactor Senator Tabor and he won't be too impressed.'

'You're keeping the evidence?'

'I am. And if anything happens to me, there are a couple of people who have instructions and know what to do with it. You've got a second chance and some real ambition Laura, I suggest you thank your lucky stars and take what's been offered.'

Laura stood up in a huff and gathered her fur coat. 'Well I guess I'll be on my way then.'

'I guess you will.'

Paul took that inopportune moment to give his perfunctory code knock and just enter without waiting for an invite. He stopped in his tracks and glared through narrowed eyes.

'What in Hades are you doing here?' Paul barked. He looked at Perry. 'Where's Beautiful?' Laura winced at the detectives use of Della's nickname. Perry's best friend had never shown her any courtesy, let alone warm familiarity and for a split second she felt a twinge of the jealousy that she had always harboured towards the secretary.

Perry jerked his head towards the outer door. 'In her office.'

'Does she know she's here?'

'Yes.'

'Well why is she here and Della not in here?' Paul's ire was slowly starting to burn brighter.

'Laura is just leaving….for good.' Perry waved his hand towards the exit in encouragement for the lawyer to leave. 'Goodbye Laura, I must insist we never meet again. You'll forgive me if I don't wish you luck. Somehow I'm positive your nine lives are still unbelievably intact.'

Paul took an ominous step towards Laura who suddenly realised she had worn out her welcome. This was not the outcome she had come for. Before stepping into the office, despite everything that had happened, she was still supremely confident she could overcome any obstacle and wrap any man around her finger long enough for him to do her bidding. It was now she understood the power that Della Street held over these two men before her and began to withdraw to lick her wounds and contemplate her future, even if that future was frozen in ice in Denver.

'This isn't over Perry, not by a long shot.' Laura couldn't resist one more barb. 'Your friends and clients won't accept you marrying a secretary. They'll see her for the scheming little gold digger she really is.'

Perry himself took a large stride forward causing Laura to shrink back, his face set in cold stone. 'The only people I call friends all accept Della for the true lady she is and don't judge her. As for my clients, if they really need help and want the best, they won't care. If they do comment my answer is simple. They accept me and Della as a package deal. They will accept Paul will do my investigating too or they take a hike and get on with facing their troubles without our help. Now get out of here before I really lose my cool.'

Laura opened her mouth to make a retort but being stared down by two imposing and currently angry men, she thought better of it and with a toss of her head in one last show of defiance, left the office slamming the door behind her.

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'Here's to us.' Paul held up the champagne glass in a toast. 'A team.' After Laura's departure, it had taken both Perry and Paul almost an hour to convince Della that not only had the woman left, she was out of their lives for good. Then it had taken a considerable amount of charm on both their parts to cajole her into having dinner with them. Reluctantly, Della now raised her glass half heartedly, still unsure about everything that had happened.

'To us I guess,' she returned the toast.

'To my two best and closest friends in the world,' Perry countered.

'A celebration?' Hamilton Burger's voice drifted in from behind them.

'I think we deserve one. Won't you join us?' Perry invited.

'Thank you but no,' Burger declined graciously. 'I have other plans this evening but perhaps next time?'

'Of course, you deserve this as much as we do.'

'I thought you might like to know Leopold is on his way up state. He's agreed a plea deal and will be sentenced next month. His parents are kicking up a fuss but so far the Senator is keeping a lid on things with them. Minton also took a plea but he's a persistent offender. He'll rack up a lot of years and be an old man before he gets to play hoodlum again.'

'And the Mayor?' Perry's eyes showed a keen interest in the conversation.

'Tomorrows paper will carry news of his withdrawal from the election. He's admitted misconduct in a public office and will most likely get some sort of probation if he makes restitution. He will, the Senator can't afford him not to.'

'And Jack?' Della asked. 'He helped us so much, will he be alright? I mean no-one will come after him or anything?'

'Jack earned himself a promotion,' Burger assured. 'Snapped up by the FBI. They were really impressed with his undercover work so he's off with them on a new project.'

'Good,' Della nodded in satisfaction.

'Kid deserves it,' chimed in Paul.

'If you're interested Perry,' Burger hesitated and Perry tensed knowing what was coming next. 'Laura is booked onto the last flight to Denver that leaves in a couple of hours. She wasn't due to leave until next week but apparently she's decided to get a head start on her plans for Denver.'

'Thanks for the update Hamilton but I'm no longer interested in that woman.' He relaxed and reached a hand across the table to lay on Della's. The move was not lost on either Paul or Burger.

'Well Counsellor, have a wonderful evening and I have no doubt I will face off across the courtroom with you very soon.' Burger grinned. 'As it should be.'

Perry smirked, 'As it should be Hamilton, as it should be.'