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Chapter 13
Having thought it all over, and having talked some of it over with Julia, first of all his
own Channing issues, Mason came to the conclusion that if that was really Elena
behind all the happenings, it was Eden who was in immediate danger. He phoned
Pearl and appointed a meeting at ‘the Last Resort’. He hinted that Elena, naturally,
should not be around at the time.
“I’ve got us a client,” Pearl said cheerfully when Cruz arrived.
Cruz Castillo burst into the office, dashing and impetuous as ever. Mason Capwell
rose to greet him, elegant and sophisticated as ever. The irreproachable partisan of
the simple and brawn stared at the adherent of the Machiavellian policy and
multipath operations. Pearl only shook his head thinking that these two seemed
complete opposites; however, they seemed to get on quite well.
“A client?” turning to Pearl, Cruz raised his brows questioningly.
“Yes; I’m your new client, Cruz,” said Mason. “How do you do.”
“Hi Mason. How are you doing.”
Pearl sat on the side of the desk watching the two with affectionate curiosity.
“Absolutely fine,” Mason responded. “Now, as to what brings me here.”
Cruz sat down. “And also, why you need to come as a client, please.” His piercing
dark eyes bore holes in Mason.
“I want it confidential; and also I want you to give up everything you’re doing, so I
come as a paying client to have a right to demand this.”
“Sounds mysterious enough.”
“Confidential means confidential, no exceptions, least of all Eden.”
“And I am not sure I like it.”
Mason grinned. “This is why I come as a client; you don’t need to like it, you have
to do it.”
“But I am free to refuse,” Cruz said shrugging his shoulders.
Cruz and Mason respected each other but never lost an opportunity to banter a bit;
it was normal.
“I don’t think you should,” Mason said with a small rise of the tone at the end of his
sentence, feigning disinterestedness.
“Ok. Let us hear it.”
Mason sighed. The easy part was over. “I want you to give up everything you are
busy with,” he repeated, to gather momentum, “and protect one of my sisters from
another.”
“From THE other you mean, but I am not sure I understand.”
“Not quite. Kelly is not involved. I’ve got another sister, and so I want you to protect
Eden from her.”
Cruz protruded his lips trying to concentrate. “Now, what kind of game is this,
Mason?”
“The playing time is over, Cruz. Plain facts for you. There are few people who know
this yet; I’ve got a younger sister, born by CC and Pamela; that makes her Eden’s
half-sister, too. And from what I’ve learnt, she can mean to do some harm to Eden. I’
m planning to try and do something about it; meanwhile you have to take care of
Eden.”
“You know, now I’m inclined to see it your way,” Cruz said thoughtfully. “Tell me
about this – newest member of the family.”
“You know her under the name of Elena Nicholas, also known as Eleanor Norris.”
Cruz whistled. “Are you sure…?”
Mason looked at Pearl, Pearl nodded. He’d checked the information using his own
mysterious channels, too.
“But why would CC and Pamela’s daughter…” Cruz met Mason’s eye. “No. I know
Elena could have gotten it into her head that I was… But Mason…”
“I know, Cruz. It’s nothing you’ve done. It’s – a little bit more complicated. Still, it
does not cancel the danger. I do wish I was mistaken. Let us play safe; what would
you say?”
“Of course I am ready to protect Eden if you think she’s in danger,” said Cruz
perplexedly. “Any special threat you know of? I remember there was this hairdryer
that went wrong…?”
“Very possible. Cruz you’re better at it than I ever could be; just look out, will you?”
Cruz got to his feet to shake Mason’s hand. “Still, I don’t understand you Capwells,”
he said. “Paying clients and all – forget it, brother... What is it you’re going to do
concerning Elena?”
Mason looked at his palm briefly. “I’m not sure. What Pearl and I are sure about is
that Elena is my blood relative; we cannot yet be sure she’s behind all this, and of
course I cannot be too rash about it.”
“I’ll try to look into it,” Cruz suggested.
“I do appreciate your help and your experience, Cruz, but I think it’s more important
for you to be by Eden’s side now.”
Cruz gave it some thought, and he had to agree. “Pearl?”
Pearl jumped off the desk. “Doing what I can, Cruz.”
“My police friends can help?”
Mason nodded, and Pearl smiled. “With the small part of it that’s legal.”
“Right,” Cruz said. “You can’t shadow a person or bug her telephone or--”
“I know what you mean,” said Mason. “It’s probably the first time I am genuinely
sorry I am not the district attorney any longer.”
“Correction,” said Pearl. “THEY can’t shadow a person or bug her telephone or--,
and I can. And Cruz, if Mason insists on being a paying client we could hire more
people for – for our detective routine, Mason doesn’t have to know.”
“Ok. What I do insist on,” Mason said, “is that you keep it secret from your
employees. All of them. Elena’s a charming,” he made a pause, “beautiful, sexy
woman. And it’s only too easy for her…”
“I understand,” Cruz said. He rubbed his forehead. “If only she wasn’t so good at
these games, herself!”
Having thought it all over, and having talked some of it over with Julia, first of all his
own Channing issues, Mason came to the conclusion that if that was really Elena
behind all the happenings, it was Eden who was in immediate danger. He phoned
Pearl and appointed a meeting at ‘the Last Resort’. He hinted that Elena, naturally,
should not be around at the time.
“I’ve got us a client,” Pearl said cheerfully when Cruz arrived.
Cruz Castillo burst into the office, dashing and impetuous as ever. Mason Capwell
rose to greet him, elegant and sophisticated as ever. The irreproachable partisan of
the simple and brawn stared at the adherent of the Machiavellian policy and
multipath operations. Pearl only shook his head thinking that these two seemed
complete opposites; however, they seemed to get on quite well.
“A client?” turning to Pearl, Cruz raised his brows questioningly.
“Yes; I’m your new client, Cruz,” said Mason. “How do you do.”
“Hi Mason. How are you doing.”
Pearl sat on the side of the desk watching the two with affectionate curiosity.
“Absolutely fine,” Mason responded. “Now, as to what brings me here.”
Cruz sat down. “And also, why you need to come as a client, please.” His piercing
dark eyes bore holes in Mason.
“I want it confidential; and also I want you to give up everything you’re doing, so I
come as a paying client to have a right to demand this.”
“Sounds mysterious enough.”
“Confidential means confidential, no exceptions, least of all Eden.”
“And I am not sure I like it.”
Mason grinned. “This is why I come as a client; you don’t need to like it, you have
to do it.”
“But I am free to refuse,” Cruz said shrugging his shoulders.
Cruz and Mason respected each other but never lost an opportunity to banter a bit;
it was normal.
“I don’t think you should,” Mason said with a small rise of the tone at the end of his
sentence, feigning disinterestedness.
“Ok. Let us hear it.”
Mason sighed. The easy part was over. “I want you to give up everything you are
busy with,” he repeated, to gather momentum, “and protect one of my sisters from
another.”
“From THE other you mean, but I am not sure I understand.”
“Not quite. Kelly is not involved. I’ve got another sister, and so I want you to protect
Eden from her.”
Cruz protruded his lips trying to concentrate. “Now, what kind of game is this,
Mason?”
“The playing time is over, Cruz. Plain facts for you. There are few people who know
this yet; I’ve got a younger sister, born by CC and Pamela; that makes her Eden’s
half-sister, too. And from what I’ve learnt, she can mean to do some harm to Eden. I’
m planning to try and do something about it; meanwhile you have to take care of
Eden.”
“You know, now I’m inclined to see it your way,” Cruz said thoughtfully. “Tell me
about this – newest member of the family.”
“You know her under the name of Elena Nicholas, also known as Eleanor Norris.”
Cruz whistled. “Are you sure…?”
Mason looked at Pearl, Pearl nodded. He’d checked the information using his own
mysterious channels, too.
“But why would CC and Pamela’s daughter…” Cruz met Mason’s eye. “No. I know
Elena could have gotten it into her head that I was… But Mason…”
“I know, Cruz. It’s nothing you’ve done. It’s – a little bit more complicated. Still, it
does not cancel the danger. I do wish I was mistaken. Let us play safe; what would
you say?”
“Of course I am ready to protect Eden if you think she’s in danger,” said Cruz
perplexedly. “Any special threat you know of? I remember there was this hairdryer
that went wrong…?”
“Very possible. Cruz you’re better at it than I ever could be; just look out, will you?”
Cruz got to his feet to shake Mason’s hand. “Still, I don’t understand you Capwells,”
he said. “Paying clients and all – forget it, brother... What is it you’re going to do
concerning Elena?”
Mason looked at his palm briefly. “I’m not sure. What Pearl and I are sure about is
that Elena is my blood relative; we cannot yet be sure she’s behind all this, and of
course I cannot be too rash about it.”
“I’ll try to look into it,” Cruz suggested.
“I do appreciate your help and your experience, Cruz, but I think it’s more important
for you to be by Eden’s side now.”
Cruz gave it some thought, and he had to agree. “Pearl?”
Pearl jumped off the desk. “Doing what I can, Cruz.”
“My police friends can help?”
Mason nodded, and Pearl smiled. “With the small part of it that’s legal.”
“Right,” Cruz said. “You can’t shadow a person or bug her telephone or--”
“I know what you mean,” said Mason. “It’s probably the first time I am genuinely
sorry I am not the district attorney any longer.”
“Correction,” said Pearl. “THEY can’t shadow a person or bug her telephone or--,
and I can. And Cruz, if Mason insists on being a paying client we could hire more
people for – for our detective routine, Mason doesn’t have to know.”
“Ok. What I do insist on,” Mason said, “is that you keep it secret from your
employees. All of them. Elena’s a charming,” he made a pause, “beautiful, sexy
woman. And it’s only too easy for her…”
“I understand,” Cruz said. He rubbed his forehead. “If only she wasn’t so good at
these games, herself!”
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