TCOT Loveless Lothario Chapter 5

After another half hour wait, the Emergency Room physician led them to the curtained room containing a sleeping Gertie while Paul, engrossed in another phone call from an operative, and Perry waited near the nurse's station. Within minutes, Della was following Gertie's gurney and a hospital attendant to the waiting elevator that would take Gertie to her room on the third floor. Perry watched her disappear down the corridor. Giving her a small wave, he pointed at his watch and mouthed, "Twenty minutes." Della looked at her watch briefly then nodded in affirmation.

"Seriously?"

Perry Mason's attention diverted from the disappearing figure of Della Street down the hospital corridor ...his deep, questioning blue eyes now fixed upon Paul Drake. When their eyes met, Perry gave the P.I. a, 'What gives?' which Paul returned with a nod... holding up his index figure to gesture, 'Wait a minute.'

Within half an hour, Della was satisfied to see Gertie sleeping safely and soundly in her hospital room and equally pleased to learn she would definitely be released later the following afternoon. After a quick kiss to her forehead and a whispered promise that she and Perry would personally take her home the next day, Della quietly left Gertie's room and tiredly navigated the almost vacant hospital corridor on her way back to Perry and Paul. She glanced at a large silver metallic clock that jutted from the hallway wall… 11: 45 P.M. She groaned and rubbed her she was thankful the hospital orderly and, then, the young nurse had been so generous with the time she was allowed to stay with Gertie, she knew she was way past the twenty minutes Perry had allotted her. Honestly, she was surprised he hadn't already come looking for her. Upon seeing a sign pointing the way to a ladies room down another hallway, Della decided to freshen up a bit.

'I'm already late. What's another ten minutes?' She asked herself. 'Afterall, the chances of a decent room this late are slim to nothing...maybe one of those highway motel drive ups with the bright neon light, questionable desk clerk, and seedy, fading wood doors with the unpolished bronze numbers almost falling off.' She pictured a scruffy, older man...balding... with a heavy 5 o'clock shadow...chewed down cigar hanging from his mouth…and "wife beater"undershirt with a coffee stain. She laughed aloud and thought about the undershirt again, 'Definitely not a Brando...more like a Fred Mertz.'

"Thank goodness Perry doesn't wear those," she chuckled aloud as she started to push open the ladies room door.

From behind her, a familiar, unwelcome voice pierced the quietness of the hospital corridor.

"Thank goodness Perry doesn't wear what?"

Della turned slowly to face the woman whom she knew was selfishly in love with the man Della was so very unselfishly in love with and took a deep breath. "Laura… what a surprise to see you...again."

"Is it?" Laura took a step closer to Della. The fading smell of Chanel mixed with the leather of Laura's designer handbag reached Della in an almost sickening combination. "I was so hoping you would still be here. Then, I overheard Paul's new lady friend, the nurse, tell him Gertie was getting a room on the third floor so I waited... I saw Paul go out to you and Perry in the parking lot," Laura took a step closer to Della, "so I waited... waited around for a chance to speak with you...woman to woman."

Della crossed her arms. "And why would we need to speak at all, Laura? Conversations with me, outside forced pleasantries, of course, have never really been one of your interests."

"I'm interested in Perry. By extension, I'm interested in you. Afterall, no matter where he and I cross paths since our break up, you always seem to be inconveniently there… steadfast...loyal...Miss Street…." Laura's voice trailed off as she reached out to tuck in a loose curl next to Della's face. Della knocked her hand away and stepped back.

"Don't touch me, Laura. And don't lie to me as you did to Perry and Paul. You don't really think I'm going to believe that your path just happened to cross with ours here in San Diego...that you just happened to be in the middle of a deal with some Grade B, penny novel book publisher...that it has nothing to do with his entanglement with one of our employees at the Law Office?"

Laura laughed and crossed her arms across her midsection as if the laugh had caused her a comical kind of pain. "Our Law Office, Della?" Laura laughed again, but, as she smiled, her eyes took a serious, almost dangerous expression. "That's a bit presumptuous of you...but, then again, you've always been a bit presumptuous… interviewed for a job as Perry's secretary but treated the interview like it was a done deal...like you already had the job...almost like you were interviewing him instead...like he'd be so lucky to get a woman like you in his employment."

Della stood motionless...her chest felt as if it were tightening.

Laura continued. "That's right. He told me all about it that very night at dinner. How impressed he was with you. I knew immediately you spelled trouble and I needed to get down to the office and see this, "Superwoman, " for myself. And there you were...day one on the job and already taking over the office...ordering around typists...changing how Gertie handled the switchboards...even changing how Perry's appointments were set...the layout of his private office… so...so presumptuous."She enunciated each syllable of the word like the sharp point of a knife cutting into its victim.

Della felt the shock slowly begin to wear off … the shock that Laura had actually spoken all these thoughts to her after years of making nice in front of Perry and others… Della cleared her throat, "I think you've said quite enough. Perry is waiting." Della turned to walk away, but Laura caught her by the arm.

"You're right," she hissed. Della shook away from her...rubbing the area of her arm where Laura's long, perfectly manicured nails had pierced her blouse to her skin. "I had an initial meeting, over drinks, with Buffalo months ago in Los Angeles. My client...this large publishing conglomerate... wasn't interested in him, so much as a couple of authors he had ironclad contracts on and who my client wanted for their own purposes. We negotiated a little. I told him he really should get a lawyer of his own. Cocky bastard laughed...said he could represent himself...he'd think it over and then be in touch. As I was leaving, imagine my surprise to hear an oh-so familiar voice at the hostess area asking for one Mr. Andrew Buffalo."

"So you knew that Gertie was seeing a married man and said nothing? After all the years you knew her while you and Perry were together...you didn't think enough of her to warn her?" Della put her hands on her hips and looked at Laura in disgust.

"Ohhh don't be so high and mighty, Della. Perry being practically engaged to me certainly didn't stop you from going after him now, did it?" Laura defiantly tossed her handbag on a lone, forgotten wheelchair near the wall and rubbed her neck with her hands.

"I didn't 'go after' Perry and you know it. You lost him all on your own, Laura. YOU...not me. He got sick of you trying to turn him into the someone you wanted HIM to be...someone who suited your needs...your agenda...he got tired of your selfishness...how conniving you were… how conniving you are…." Della corrected herself.

Laura rolled her eyes back and laughed, "How I wish Perry could hear his precious Della Street right now. Listen to you!" Laura's eyes were glistening. She loved this part...the fight...whether in the courtroom or a personal matter, she never felt more alive than when in battle. "Della … I did not know Buffalo was married until later so, no, at that particular moment, I couldn't have a long lost reunion with Gertie in the restaurant's waiting area then throw in some 'girl talk' about her new beau."

The sarcasm dripped off her words and hung in the stale, warm air of the hallway. Della was disgusted and wondered how much of the turmoil brewing inside of her was Laura's words or simply the hospital not having the AC turned down enough.

She wasn't sure whether it was Laura's words about her... or whether it was out of some allegiance to Gertie or... if it was simply Laura being there in itself, but Della had definitely had enough. "How did you know Gertie would be here tonight, Laura? How is it that you just happened to pull off that little feat?"

"How do you think?" Laura sneered back at her. "Don't be daft like that moronic peroxide blonde in there. Standard procedure...I hired a private investigator to check up on Buffalo...find out what kind of shyster I was really dealing with and had Gertie tailed, too. I knew something hit the fan when my detective learned Gertie had hired Paul's man to check up on Buffalo… a P.I. tailing a P.I. tailing a P.I. ...kind of funny when you really think about it."

Della stepped perilously close to Laura. "And?"

With a syrupy smile, Laura replied, "When Gertie left Perry's office today, my detective followed her to San Diego and gave me a call. I called Buffalo and asked to see him tonight...said it was time sensitive...that I had an offer that just had to be delivered in person."

"Did you shoot him?" Della asked almost inaudibly.

"What? Have you lost your mind?" Laura stepped backed uncomfortably.

Della moved closer and spoke more loudly. "Did you shoot him, Laura? Did you have anything at all to do with what happened to Gertie?" Della shoved her index finger into Laura's shoulder, not caring that she winced in pain.

"Of course I didn't," Laura replied in a softer voice that did nothing to hide her hatred for the woman in front of her. "I was going to stop Gertie from doing whatever it was she planned to do...bring her back to Los Angeles...call Perry and then have him meet us so we could figure out what to do together. And, no, I'm not going to lie and say it was because I wanted to help Gertie. I wanted to see Perry and I didn't want you anywhere around when I did… but I was too late. I was in a meeting and couldn't be disturbed. By the time I got the call about Gertie rushing out of Perry's office, she had too much of a head start. I doubt I arrived much sooner than you and Perry."

"You could have just called Perry when you found out Buffalo was married and deceiving Gertie. Wouldn't that have been easier?" Della asked, almost exasperated.

Laura smiled, "What would have been the fun in that?"

Della's eyes widened slightly. "You wanted to see how it would all play out."

Laura's smile faded. "I want Perry… and I needed a little more to work with than, 'Guess what? Gertie's dating a married man.' I needed more information...needed the drama to build to a climax...then I could swoop in at the right moment and help Perry save our, 'poor, dear, hapless Gertie.'"

"Unbelievable," was the only reply Della could find. "You said a P.I. following a P.I. following a P.I. What does that mean?"

"Someone else was also having Buffalo followed. He's such a cad. I can't believe even one woman would have him followed." Laura stood staring at Della.

"Did your P.I. tell you who else was having Buffalo tailed besides you and Gertie?" Della asked.

"He did," Laura practically purred.

Exasperated, Della said, "And? Who was it?"

With a raised eyebrow and another smile, Laura replied, "And what would be the fun in telling you that?"

Della groaned in displeasure and rubbed her eyes.

"I want Perry back, Della. I've been watching the headlines. I know what kind of grip you have on him...that it would take something extraordinary...some grand gesture on my part to get his attention." Laura waited for a reaction.

"He won't leave me for you, Laura. I think we're done here." Disgusted, Della turned to walk away. She had already wasted too much time with this woman. Perry would be worried and she was anxious to see if Paul had any new developments. Maybe she would tell Perry everything Laura just told her or maybe an abbreviated version of the story. She didn't trust Laura and knew Perry would likely want Paul to check out her story...to make sure she hadn't distorted the time tables on when she arrived, perhaps maybe having seen something after all.

"Are you sure about that, Miss Street?" Laura cooed as she reached over to pick up her handbag from the wheelchair.

"Oh my goodness!" Della exclaimed loudly, turning around to face Laura. "Yes." Then, Della started laughing...the kind of strange, inexplicable laughter that erupts when a person is under extreme duress and something happens to trigger a funny memory. "Yes...I am completely sure he will not leave me for you, Laura. I trust him that much. I know him that well. You only know the man you created in your mind." Della took a step towards her, "I know the real man… and I am NOT having this discussion with yet another woman who thinks she is better for Perry or who thinks she fits better into Perry's life or, at least, what she thinks constitutes Perry's life. You think you can get him to leave me?" Della stepped into Laura's personal space so closely that Laura was taken aback and took in a sharp, quick breath. "Take your best shot."

Della held Laura's gaze for a few seconds, stepped backwards away from her and then quickly walked down the corridor towards the elevators.