Chapter 18 - Love is not a Victory March

Mexico, Tuesday 18th October 1977

Perry Mason was sitting in his chair, motionless. The receiver dangled in his hand. The news he had just received gave him chills and he hated to realize once more that nothing in life was certain or predictable.

Outside the window on the other side of the luxurious hotel suite the sun had started to set. Another day was almost over, another day that ended, almost wasted.

Two weeks ago he had taken Della and Ruben to this place to make sure they received the physical and emotional rest both of them desperately. But so far away from California it was hard to ensure that Laura finally got what she deserved.

Five minutes ago Andy had told him over the phone that Laura was about to get away with everything she had done. The DA and the Interior Secretary had come to the conclusion that she was an too important witness to lock up. So they named her an accomplice witness who would not only testify about Norton and Hardcastle's dirty deeds, she would also testify against several members of Congress who were involved in illegal real estate schemes - some of them were transacted with the help of her own real estate company. The whole thing was a snake pit full of corruption, money laundry, and murder. It was like a jigsaw puzzle that was stained with innocent blood.

Mason forced himself to hang up and rubbed his face. He was tired. Two weeks in the sun and felt utterly useless. It was like losing another battle. Perhaps it was time to leave the hamster wheel to play golf.

"A penny for your thoughts, Counselor."

He looked up. Della stood in the doorway. She wore a summer dress and sunglasses. He smiled, but it felt forced. How should he tell her that Laura wouldn't have to face the consequences she deserved?

"They aren't worth that much, I'm afraid."

Della looked better than she had in weeks, he thought, but the biggest scars were always left on the inside. Martha's suicide right in front of Della had traumatised her. There wasn't a night when she didn't wake up, screaming, haunted by nightmares, she refused to talk about. It was the same procedure every night and every night she assured him that those dreams were going to get away, but he wasn't so sure.

"Ruben's still at the beach," Della said in a low, alluring voice and took off her sunglasses. "There's this girl he met yesterday and I think he's buying her some ice cream. Her parents already offered to look after him for some hours..."

He didn't miss the implication and raised his eyebrows. "In other words, we're on our own?" he asked, wondering if he wanted sex or rather get the lastest news about Laura off his chest.

First there was one shoe, then the other and as soon as he laid his eyes onto her naked left shoulder, he had made his decision.

########

After they had made love silence hung over their messed up bed like the smoke of Della's cigarette.

"What is it that you're not telling me?" Della asked curiously. "I can hear the wheels turning in your head."

He chuckled gruffly. "That's a lie, Miss Street, because my mind is blank." He grabbed for his cigarettes and his lighter, but she snatched them out of his hands.

"What did Andy tell you over the phone?" she asked and moved herself up and leaned against the head of the bed. A position that allowed him the perfect view at her wonderfully shaped legs.

"Promise me you won't jump up and leave the room." He said and traced the tip of his finger along her right leg.

"So, it's about Laura," Della concluded. "A wild guess, no one will press charges against her."

"How do you know?" Mason bent back his head and looked up to her.

"How many lives does a cat have?"

"Nine."

"Well, Laura has at least eighteen."

Perry ran his hand over her knee and tenderly moved it up her thigh.

"Don't tell me you're surprised she's going to get away with it."

"I'm not… and I am," he admitted. Lost in his thoughts he massaged her knee pit.

She smirked and rumpled up his hair. "Will she go into witness protection or whatever it is they call it?"

"I think so. Andy was rather tight-lipped about it. He isn't happy with the development."

"I can't blame him."

"Why are you not more upset?" he asked curiously.

"Well, let me see… During the last couple of weeks, my son was kidnapped, I was kidnapped, my husband was murdered, and my mother-in-law threatened to kill me, before she killed herself in front of my eyes and confessed to have killed once of oldest and best friends. I think Laura has become the least of my problems, unless…" her voice trailed off and suddenly the soft pressure of her fingers across his scalp was gone.

"Unless what?"

"Unless you refuse to divorce her and go into hiding with her."

"Don't be ridiculous!" he scolded her. "You've seen the files. In less than two weeks Laura and I will be divorced."

"I believe it when the ink is dry… Although I'm getting used to the idea of staying your mistress for all eternity."

Now she was pulling his leg, but he couldn't laugh about it. He groaned and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said after a minute of silence. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's not you," he assured her. "It's me. I'm still chewing on all my failings."

"It's time to eat them up and chew them out, Perry."

"Easier said than done."

He heard her moving next to him and then her naked feet on the floor. Wrapped in her dressing gown she opened the mini bar and closed it again, when she found its contents to be insufficient.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "I could eat a horse." Before he could answer she had already picked up the phone, ordered two steaks, fries, salad, and a bottle of champagne.

He remained on the bed, smoked, and listened to the sound of the running water of the shower. Della was right when she said, he needed to move on, but he didn't know how. It seemed much easier to stay in this hotel forever.

The waiter bringing the food and the champagne destroyed his pity party and when Della returned to the bedroom, she smelled of oranges and the sun. The scent was hauntingly beautiful and for a moment he wondered if her presence alone was enough to heal him.

"I was thinking about something," she said after they had settled down at the table.

"Shoot!"

"Actually, it's two things…," she admitted. "I don't think I can live in Sacramento anymore."

Mason shrugged. "Well, I can't say I'm unhappy to hear that."

"But I don't want to live in Los Angeles either."

"I see." He felt how his chest became tight. Did that mean she didn't plan to live with him after all? "So, what do you want?"

"I don't know… the world's a big place. America is a big country. Denver, New York, Miami…. Name it and I'll be there, but I won't go back to L.A. where I once lost it all."

Feeling a little relieved, he exhaled. "Fair enough." He put down his fork. "What else?"

"I think I need a psychiatrist."

"You need what?"

"These nightmares. I need to get rid of them. It scares me to think they will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life. They scare me, they scare Ruben, and I know they scare you."

He nodded and said nothing. They did scare him and Ruben didn't say anything, but he was watching his mother like a hawk every morning at breakfast.

He poured them two glasses of champagne. "It seems there are one or two things I can still learn from you."

"What do you mean?"

"About moving on… My only plan for the next couple of weeks was to finalize my divorce. Moving into a new place and restoring your mental health sounds much more positive than just ending something."

She smiled, "Does that mean you will move away with me?"

"Only if you marry me."

Della smirked mysteriously and toyed with the glass in her hand. "Perhaps I will marry you one day, but I promised Ruben that we would take it slowly."

"Ruben likes me. He will get used to it."

"I know, but at this point he thinks his grandmother died accidentally when she tried to clean her revolver. He doesn't know she killed herself and one day I will have to tell him why she did. He doesn't know the half of the mess we've created over the years. I don't want him to be overwhelmed with it."

"I know."

She straightened her back and looked into his eyes. "Do we have a deal, Counselor?"

He made a toast, chinked glasses with her. "We have a deal, Miss Street. As for our future location… Why don't we ask Ruben to pick a place?"

Della smirked, "Knowing him he will pick Barbados."

"You can't deny him good taste."

"Very funny."

For a while they ate in complete silence and then Della said. "You know, this won't be easy."

"Are you getting cold feet?"

"No, I'm just saying this won't be a victory march."

"It never was, but we can make it." He didn't where exactly his assurance rooted from, but he was willing to follow it.

"We thought so once… Believe me, I really want to get past Laura, but will we?"

"I'm determined to do so," he answered. "I love you and I want us to be together - finally."

She reached out to take his offered hand. "Me too. I think we deserve it."

"We do, Miss Street, we do."

"Another toast," she raised her glass. "To love... and Paul Drake. I will never not miss him."

Perry gave her a smile. There was nothing left to add.

####The End####

So, this is the end. I hope you enjoyed this ride wlike I did. If so, please, leave me a note, because life's so dull and complicated at the same time these days. Thanks for sticking with me!