Chapter 11 - The Ghosts of the Past

Andy left Della's bungalow about two hours and one bottle of wine later. While Della bid him goodbye, Perry sank back in his chair and lit a new cigarette. He stared up at the night sky, wondering how to proceed. After dinner the trio had settled down on the terrace where they had discussed the case and the possible next moves. It hadn't been a very fruitful exchange, mostly because Perry was still tiptoeing around the one special issue: Laura.

He had spent the better part of the day trying to find out where she was, but she seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth. Her office didn't know where she was and she didn't pick up the phone in their house nor in his apartment. It wasn't like Laura to go into hiding. She was a notorious attention seeker and she would always make sure there was a trace for him left to discover. And now she was just gone. No message, no letter, no other hint, which led him to the conclusion that she wasn't just hiding. Something entirely else was going on, but he had no proof, only his gut told him something was wrong.

"Penny for your thoughts."

He looked up, finding Della standing at the table. The fading scent of her perfume reached his nose. The temptation to reach out to take her into his arms was overwhelming, but she had made it more than clear that she didn't want him to do any of that kind. He physically ached for her, but she wanted, needed distance.

"I wish they were worth more than that," he said and sighed. He shook his head when she offered to refill his glass and so she sat down next to him.

"What is it, Counselor?"

"I'm not sure you want to hear it."

"Try me." She shrugged and started nibbling on a potato chip.

He contemplated how to phrase his worry about his wife's whereabouts, but in the end he decided for the direct approach. "Laura's vanished. I tried to find her all day, but she seems to have disappeared into nowhere."

Della froaned and abandoned her potato chip. Apparently she didn't expect him to bring up Laura, but she recovered quickly. "Maybe she needs some personal time."

Perry pursed his lips. "She never needs anything of that kind. It must be something else."

Della bit her lower lip, leaned back, and then she finally asked in a shaking voice, "Why did you want to see her?"

"I wanted to know why she sent you to Carmel." He leaned forward and placed his hand on hers. "You see, no one knew where I was going. I never told anyone. Not my office and not her."

"Well, she never told me you went to Carmel," Della pulled her hand back and leaned back into her chair. "I figured it out myself. She just mentioned I should try some of our old hiding places, as she called them."

Perry accepted her withdrawal from him without further comment, but it bothered him. He was too exhausted to handle all the mixed signals she was sending out. She invited him for dinner and kept him at an arm's length, she wanted to be involved but was angry when he brought up the facts. "Exactly. I think she wanted you to find me, because she didn't know where to look for me. Then someone else followed you…"

"One of the men who kidnapped Ruben," Della filled in. "I recognized him. But how does Laura fit into all this? I doubt she belonged to their boy scout group in Korea."

"No, but that doesn't mean she doesn't know one of them."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. "Listen," he started. "You wanted me to tell you everything I know. I just did."

"I know that."

"So, you don't like hearing the truth. Since when?" He sounded more upset than he had intended too. Aware they were walking on very thin ice he added. "Look, I don't intend to reconcile with Laura, but when she is involved in any of this we have to find her."

"I know."

She avoided his eyes, glared at some point at the darkening horizon.

"So?" He was losing his patience. "Damn it, Della, what do you want from me?"

He tore up a new pack of cigarettes and pulled a long, deep drag.

"I don't know!" She shouted. "Maybe I'm upset because I hate to think that your wife is involved in my son's kidnapping while you just sit there and handle it as if it were just one of your routine cases!"

She rose and crossed the arms over the chest while she paced the terrace.

"I'm trying to stay objective," he answered, knowing he was just fueling her anger. But what else was there to say? If he lost his cool, he would lose his perspective and that could only lead to another disaster.

"Objective?" She mocked him. "What does it take for you to realize that your wife has never been anyone else than a misleading, calculating opportunist?" She turned away from him.

"I know what she's capable of and maybe she's just as involved as your husband in all of this - or more. Time will tell. But why do I have this feeling that this isn't just about Laura?"

"And what do you mean by that?" She asked, facing him again.

"I'm through with Laura, no matter what this case brings. But are you through with Carlisle?"

Her answer was another turn away from him.

"I said I would give you the time you need to decide and I will," he said and stubbed out his cigarette. "But this works both ways. We can only be together, if we both leave our spouses. Anything else would be a lie and you know that! That's the real deal here, isn't it?"

He got to his feet and stepped behind her. Gently he placed his hands on her shoulders. She shivered by the contact, but didn't try to escape his touch.

"I don't know how to do this," she finally admitted and it sounded as heart tearing as it could get.

"We'll find a way," he whispered.

"Easier said than done." She turned around to face him. "Are you sure you don't love Laura anymore?"

"Yes." He held her questioning gaze. "I love you. I never stopped loving you."

"So, why did I lose you in the first place?" She asked. "Did I bore you? Wasn't I enough?"

He shook his head. "For Heaven's sake no. I lost my way…"

"That's one way to describe it."

"I made a mistake that night… she was there and knew how to please my ego..." he broke off, attempting to find the right words. "I was a fool. Nothing more, nothing less."

He gently graced the contours of her face with his thumb and leaned in to kiss her. Her initial reluctance vanished as soon as his lips touched her mouth. She returned his kiss with growing passion and he pulled her against him. He wanted her to feel how much he loved and wanted her. If was neither the right time nor the right place, but the warmth of her body against his made him forget his good, honorable intentions.

It was the sound of approaching high heels accompanied by the sudden illumination of the dark living room that caused Perry to break free from Della. Martha was standing in the open door and glared at them with a mixture of dismissive anger and exhaustion.

"I hope I'm interrupting," she said. "Richard will be released tomorrow. I thought you might want to know."

Without waiting for a reply, she went away, leaving Della and Perry exposed to the bright lights.

"I think I should go now," Perry said.

"Yes, you should go." Della nodded and avoided his eyes.

"I'll find my way out. Good night."

Fighting the desire to take her with him to his hotel room, he left the house.

Della stayed behind, embarrassed and unsure whether to cry, to smoke or smash the French window.

######

22nd August 1977

The next morning Irene Drake appeared for breakfast almost half an hour early. Paul Drake's widow had changed since Della had seen her last. Irene had cut her blond hair short and she seemed more agitated than the woman Della remembered from the very few times she had met her in the past. She looked like someone who had survived a natural disaster and was making the best of it and while she listened to Irene's story Della's respect for her increased.

"The last couple of months have been rough on us, but Junior's getting better," she reported over her untouched French Toast. For a change Della had managed not to ruin the breakfast with her cooking skills, but she wasn't hungry and stuck to her coffee. "He's had problems with other kids, was looking for fights, you know."

"It must be tough for a boy his age to lose his father," Della said, thinking of Ruben who was only one year younger than Paul Jr. What would it do to him, if he lost his father?

"Yeah, every boy needs a father, but… there are things no one can predict." Irene put her coffee mug down and cleared her throat.

"I guess you're not here, because you need my advice on parenting or anything else," Della said, hoping to make it easier for Irene to get to the point of her visit. "What can I do for you?"

Irene sighed. "You see, there's something I want to give you. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but…" She chuckled nervously.

"Yes?" Della encouraged her. Irene reached inside her handbag. "I have a file here. I found it in a hiding place of Paul's. It was in a safe in the basement. I only cleared it out last weekend. I never thought there could be anything useful in there, but…." she shrugged.

Della took the file and saw Paul's characteristic handwriting on it. It was only one word written across the dirty cover, 'Laura'.

"Shouldn't you give that to Perry?" Della asked, almost afraid to open it.

"Perhaps," Irene admitted. "I read the file, because I wanted to know why Paul was hiding it so far away from his other documents. I think you should read it and tell Perry what's in it. The last entry was made only a few days before his death. I think it could be be crucial for Perry's investigation."

Della swallowed and eyed the file without opening it. Pandora's box, she thought with rising excitement. Another ghost from the past. "Is it that bad?"

Irene nodded. "I think, your world will never be the same after you've read it."

#####

Three hours later Della was standing in the hospital next to Richard's bed and listened to her husband's argument with his treating physician.

"We had an agreement," Richard huffed. "You said, you would let me out of here as soon as the tests are done. Well, they are done!"

"I'm aware of that," the doctor replied patiently. "I still don't think it's a good idea for you to leave." He gave Della a nervous side glance. "You need rest."

"I need to get out of here," Richard insisted. "So give me something to sign. I'll release myself - on my own risk."

"As you wish," the doctor gave up, nodded at Della and left the room.

"What tests did they conduct?" Della asked, when they were alone.

"Nothing important. Just some more x-rays and some blood tests. They exaggerate," he scoffed dismissive. "It's time I get out of here. Norton and his last fellow men need a kick where it hurts."

"And you think you can accomplish that?" Della asked doubtfully. She tried to focus on her husband and his health, but her mind was still occupied with the contents of the file Irene had given her. She didn't know how to tell Perry and Richard what Paul had found out about Laura. Perry would have trouble believing it and Richard wouldn't be happy about what she had found out either, because it was the proof for his involvement with Congressman Norton. For Della it was just the piece of information that confirmed her worst suspicions about Laura and her manipulative nature.

Richard gave Della a strange look. "Are you all right? You seem distracted."

"I just wonder why you hurry to get out of here when the doctors advise you against it. It's obvious there's something you're not telling me."

"Well, that makes two of us," Richard snapped back. "What is it that you're not telling me?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm talking about Mason. Are you sure you only want me in here, so you can spend time with him?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" The heat was rising in her cheeks. She remembered their kiss from last night, her wish for Perry to stay… to make love to her.

"I'm just stating a fact, Della. Without me, your life would be a whole lot easier. I'm a burden to you and you want to find a way to end our relationship without causing too much noise. And don't deny it, I know you too well!"

Hurt by his accusation, Della grabbed the handbag from his bed. "Maybe I'm not the perfect, devoted wife you used to have, but that doesn't mean I want you to rot in here," she said. "And in case you want to make a case for yourself, you're doing a very poor job with it. I see you at home or wherever you want to be when you're out of here!"

The door fell shut behind Della and Richard closed his eyes. Tears welled up in his eyes. He was hurt - physically and emotionally he was being pushed to his limits. His wife had stopped loving him and he was afraid to die. Once she was gone, he could allow himself to let go. The pain in his back was almost killing him and his hand blindly searched for the pill killers hidden in the drawer next to his bed.

#####

The afternoon sun burned mercilessly down on her, when Della crossed the parking lot about one hour later. After her argument with Richard she had visited Ruben who felt a lot better and could leave the hospital the next day. As much as she looked forward to taking her son home, she didn't know how to continue with their family life once Richard would move home as well.

Should she move out and take Ruben with her once this was over? There was no way she could ask Richard to leave the house. It was designed for him and his needs and it felt wrong to think about it.

Irene's visit came back to her mind. She hadn't talked to Perry since last night, but he needed to know everything she had learned from Irene. The file was safely locked in their safe in Richard's study, because she didn't dare to carry it around.

She didn't know how he would react to the news she had to tell him, but Irene had not been exaggerating when she said it was life altering.

She reached her car and unlocked the door. The sound of a gun cocking behind her made her freeze. Someone was pressing the barrel of a gun against her spine.

"Don't move." She didn't recognize the hissy voice of the man behind her and did as told. "We will make a small trip. You won't scream and you won't try to get anyone's attention. Your life and the lives of your family as well as Perry Mason's depend on it. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Get in the backseat of the car next to yours."

Della turned slowly, hoping she didn't look as scared as she was. She looked at the man who was aiming at her and tried to figure out if she knew him, but she didn't. He was a bit younger than her, strong, and about her size. A soldier through and through. She made a bet he was one of the men of Hardcastle old regiment. The missing one of the killing quartet around Norton.

"Get in!" He pointed at the open car door. It was a black limousine with tinted windows, but Della hesitated, when she saw who was sitting inside.

"Move!" The man pushed her forward and she almost fell into the car. With shaking limbs Della climbed in. Opposite her sat James Norton. He was holding a gun, but he was pointing it at the person next to him. Laura.

The last time Della had seen Laura she had been dressed to the nines. Today she was more messed up than Della had ever seen her before. Her clothes were untidy, stained. Her blouse was ripped, her skirt astray. She had a black eye and her lower lip was swollen and bleeding, her makeup was smeared all over her face. People never looked pretty when they hit the bottom.

"I'm so glad you could join us, Della," Norton said smugly. "I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time."

###tbc###