When Della left the office, she saw a woman standing there.
"May I help you?" Della asked the dark - haired woman.
"May I speak with Mr. Mason?" the woman asked.
"One minute. I'll see if he would like to see you," Della said as she left the office once more.
"Perry, a woman would like to see you," Della said.
"Who is it?" Perry asked.
"Let me ask."
"What is your name, ma'am?" Della asked the dark - haired woman.
Della saw the woman was in her 30s, and had hazel eyes. The dark - haired woman stood at 5 feet and 4 inches tall, Della noticed.
"Sorry I didn't introduce myself, Ms. Street. My name is June Taylor. I came to ask Mr. Mason a question or two," Ms. Taylor said.
"I'll see if he'd like to speak with you, Ms. Taylor," Della said and left again.
"She says her name is June Taylor, Perry. Would you like to see her? She says she has a question or two for you," Della said.
"I guess I could. I guess it wouldn't hurt to see someone for a couple minutes," Perry said.
"No, it won't. I'll send her in."
June Taylor saw Della come back to the desk she worked at.
"Mr. Mason will see you now, Ms. Taylor," Della said and headed for Perry's open office.
Della couldn't quite hear the chitchat between June and Perry because the door shut. She guessed June wanted it private so Della couldn't hear a single word what was said between Perry and June. She was curious what was going on, but went back to the desk and started organizing it.
Della was so into the organizing she didn't realize the time June Taylor had left the office.
"Thank you, Mr. Mason," June Taylor said to Perry.
"You're welcome, Ms. Taylor," he said as he opened the door for June.
Perry didn't notice that Della had been so busy organizing the desk.
He didn't want to bother his secretary, so he shut his office door after June Taylor and went back to the paperwork that had been sitting there, waiting to be signed.
The day went by quickly and he and Della were out of the office at five - thirty.
Della handed him a piece of paper since she was working on it besides organizing the desk. It was an advertisement for the newspaper.
He read it a couple times without answering her.
When he finished, he handed it back to her.
"It looks good, Della. You can put it in the newspaper first thing in the morning," he said.
"I will, Perry. I'm glad you like it," she said.
It was an advertisement for someone who would be interested in volunteering or have a paid job in the summer and holidays. Can either be full - or part - time. It didn't matter either way.
"Let's go out to dinner tonight, Della."
"Where would you like to go?"
"It doesn't matter. Somewhere we haven't been in a long time."
"How about Chinese?"
"Fine with me. Let's invite Paul if he's interested."
"What did June Taylor want?"
"Just asked if either you or Paul would mind having a friend of hers stay for a few days since hers wouldn't take her in because their house doesn't have much of a guest room."
"That doesn't have anything to do with the law."
"Of course not, Della. I was able to help her out."
"Who knows, maybe she'll be our next client sooner or later."
"You think so?" he asked as he made a call to Paul.
"Yes, I do."
Once he ended the call with Paul, Perry said, "He's going to meet us for Chinese."
"Great."
Perry did like Chinese food once in a while and tonight was one of them.
"I'll share this with Paul as well and see what he says about letting June stay for a few days because her friends don't have guest rooms."
"She should have asked other people."
"She did. I don't understand why she would come to me."
"I can take her in if Paul's not interested."
"I think she would prefer you instead of Paul."
Della had to agree with him.
"Did Paul say when he would meet us at the resturant?" Della asked.
"No, but he's on his way. Let's go meet him there."
Good thing Paul where to meet. Let's see what his reaction would be about June Taylor.
Paul was the first to arrive since Perry was driving tonight with Della.
He remembered Perry telling him there was something to ask him about.
What question was that? Paul asked himself, but would find out shortly.
He didn't bother getting inside and put his name in since he wanted to wait until Perry and Della showed up.
He saw them in the parking lot and parked beside his. Paul waved once Perry opened the passenger's side and helped Della out of the car. He did remember Perry had to be in the handicapped parking lot after the three of them heard he was disabled after a car accident a while back.
"Thank you, Perry. Looks like Paul is already here."
"I see him," Perry said, waving back to Paul they made it safely.
"Hi, Paul."
They walked inside and then a woman asked how many.
"Three, please," Paul said and they followed her to where the table would be.
Once she left the table with glasses of water and the names, Paul said, "Tell me what you mentioned over the phone, Perry. What is it this time?"
"I got a very interesting visitor this afternoon."
"You did? Anybody we know?"
"Of course not."
"Who is it?" Paul repeated.
"A woman named June Taylor."
"I don't recognize the name either, Perry. What did she have to say? Anything new for a case?"
"No cases yet, Paul. She came over to ask a question about letting her stay at one of our houses for a few days because none of her friends had a guest room for her to stay in a while out here. I said maybe you and Della wouldn't mind letting her stay."
"You can take her, Della."
"I will, then. She said she'll come back tomorrow morning, Perry," Della said, remembering what June told her on the way out.
"Thank you for saying something, Della. I think the newspaper is still open, but if they're not, then take the advertisement in the morning."
"What advertisement?" Paul asked.
"You know how busy we've been, Paul."
"Yes, I do," he said as their waitress showed up.
"May I take your orders?"
"Give us a few more minutes, and then we'll order," Perry told her.
"Take your time."
They all were going through the menu as they talked.
"Della and I talked about putting an advertisement for either full - or part - time whoever is interested for help."
"I'm sure somebody is out there, Perry. I have Cindy now," Paul reminded him.
"Yes, I remember Cindy. She would be a big help to all of us."
"That's why I asked her to join. Adam Smith retired, remember?"
"Yes," Perry answered.
"Cindy would be a big help when I have to be at one place you want me to and somewhere else at the same time. This is why I picked her," Paul said.
"That's a great idea, Paul. Maybe she might know other people to help us."
"Maybe. For now I'm still helping her with unpacking stuff from Adam Smith's office. It's taking a while."
"It always does. Has she said anything about your office or is it still too early?" Perry asked.
"Still too early. Glad you're able to drive again."
"Me too," he agreed.
"Perry, remember when people dropped by to give you flowers because your mother died?" Paul asked.
"Yes. Nobody had to do that since I'm still grieving."
"Things will be hard for a while longer, Perry, but will get better," Della kept telling him.
"I know. First it was his murder and now her not being here anymore," Perry said, thinking of Ada.
"Cindy said she'll drop by tomorrow and give them to you."
"Did you tell her she doesn't have to?" Perry asked.
"Yes, but she wants to do it anyway. She's just being nice, Perry."
"Yes, I can see that. You still have most of them at your place, Della?"
"I do. Do you want them back?"
"My house is too full and add more. These people were only showing their sympathy because of her."
"Do you remember your mother doing that with others when they passed away?" Della asked.
"I do. She was just being nice."