Julia had to take a cab as it was Mason’s car they’d got there in. It was infuriating.

On her way home, Julia was cursing under her breath. How stupid of her. And it was not that she had not known the kind of person Mason Capwell was. He might have been different with Mary Duvall, but Julia was not Mary Duvall, was she? So how could she have counted he’d be decent with her? or at least human?

No, she would not run away. Let him run away now. She would stay in Santa Barbara and go on working in the same firm. Why, Julia was strong enough; had always been. This moment of weakness when she’d thought she actually needed someone – she felt ashamed for it. She was pretty self-sufficient and absolutely independent. Go to hell Mason Capwell.

Julia was angrier at herself than at Mason. She just needed to get safely home, disconnect the phone, and the weekend was hers: to cry and analyze and work out a way to behave with Mason – and with men – from this time on. After all, how silly must a woman be to always get into the same trap??

Containing herself with some difficulty, she paid the driver and, nearing her door, saw a dark figure sitting there on a bench beside it. Her heart sank. Mason? Couldn’t be. The cab had already gone, and what if this was a criminal—

“Hi - what are you, glued to your place, sweetheart?”

He got up. Julia jumped and flew to him. “Pearl!! Oh Pearl.”

She hung on his neck, and he kissed her heartily on one cheek, and then on the other. “I missed you too Julia.”

“You just don’t know how glad I am to see you right now,” Julia said. She fell down on the bench and burst out crying.

“Strange way to show your joy,” Pearl mumbled under his breath, scratching his head, and then kneeled beside her, watching Julia with his kind eyes. “What’s up, sweetheart?”

They could hear the telephone ringing in the house but they did not care.


*

When Julia had done her weeping, Pearl embraced her by the shoulders and walked her home. Julia came to the telephone and disconnected it.

“Sorry,” she said then, blowing her nose.

“It’s ok, I’m a bit overwhelmed myself. Never thought you felt as strong about me,” he teased.

“Pearl! I’ve just broken up with another jerk, and--”

“The one for whose sake you decided to stay in Santa Barbara?” Pearl prompted.

“Ah – yes.”

“Good riddance?”

Julia sniffed. “I – I --”

“It’s okay.”

“Pearl. I loved him.”

She looked so heartbroken Pearl’s own heart turned over with compassion.

“What did he do to you?”

“He’s in love with another woman. I heard him tell her that.”

Pearl shrugged his shoulders. “It happens, Julia. I’m sorry and all, but this is the very same thing that happened to me and Kelly. Cry your pretty eyes out and forget him afterwards.”

He considered it for some time. “Don’t know if that makes him a jerk, though,” he gently pointed out then.

Julia shook her head. “The fact is he was trying to go on sleeping with me.”

Pearl turned in mock indignation, “You were unfaithful to me and the syringe with my secreta?”

She laughed through her tears. “Pearl!!”

“Come,” he smiled and hugged her. “Come on, Julia. It’ll be okay.”

They sat for a while chatting. Pearl said he’d come back now: it was impossible for him to be himself in Boston. “Michael Stevenson Baldwin Bradford III, that’s me, can you imagine it,” he said shrugging his shoulders. “They’d say that Pearl did not live there if someone phoned. – Which brings me to – Julia, do you mind if I use your phone?”

“Of course – but – I’ve disconnected it.”

“I’ll fix it.”

Julia rose. “I think I’ll go take a shower. Make yourself comfortable. And if he phones, Pearl, I will not talk to him.”

“Shall I tell him that?” Pearl said innocently.

Julia looked up. Suddenly it seemed like a good idea – to try and show Mason his place.

“Yes,” she slowly said. “Answer the phone then and just tell him I do not want to talk to him.”

“Anything else?”

“No – I don’t think so.” She giggled suddenly. “Try your Northern accent.”

Pearl stared at her. “Why?”

“Just – just so that he’d not recognize your voice.”

“Ok. Whatever.”

Julia disappeared in the bathroom. The moment Pearl connected the phone, it rang violently. Pearl picked it up, “Hallo?”

Silence.

“Hallooo?” Pearl called.

There was one more short pause, and then, “Can I speak to Julia Wainwright, please?”

“I’m afraid not, sir. She made it quite clear she had no wish to speak to anyone. Maybe that was you she meant.”

“Most definitely,” Mason grumbled. “Who am I talking to, please? It’s--”

“No business of yours,” Pearl interrupted in a courteous voice.

“So she would not listen,” Mason concluded in a cold rage.

“No sir, I don’t think she would.”

“Would you tell her something from me, sir?”

“Depends.”

“Tell her that she’s wrong about the whole thing, and there’ll come a day when she’ll be very sorry she did that.”

“Threats, eh?” Pearl specified, frowning.

Mason laughed bitterly. “Nothing of the kind. Sheer facts: a relation, if you please.”

“With your permission, I will not tell her that. Good-bye, all the best.”

Pearl hung up, the frown still on his face. Who was it Julia had been involved with, this time? He did not like it what he perceived as a threat.


When she came back Pearl turned to her for an answer.

“He phoned,” he said briefly. “I told him to get lost. It seemed to me he was trying to threaten you. Who is it, Julia?”

Julia grimaced. “He would not be threatening; not him, Pearl. You misunderstood.”

“A man you've met through your profession?” Pearl insisted. “Any kind of criminal, that can be, don’t you remember David?”

She winced. “Oh come on, don’t start me on David. After all, it was not he who murdered Madelaine.”

“Don’t start ME on this,” Pearl warned.

They exchanged glances: for both the story was painful enough.

“Ok, Julia,” Pearl put up both palms in an attempt at compromise. “You just tell me who it is. To save the time only. The voice seemed vaguely familiar, you know, it’ll take me a little time to figure out who that was, but I can do it on my own. So come on, tell your ole loving friend the whole truth, and I’ll leave you alone.”

Julia looked uncomfortable. She paced the room, then said, “ok,” then waited a bit for a rescue. There was none; Pearl was waiting patiently as ever.

“Ok,” she said finally. “It’s – Mason.”

“Mason??” Pearl echoed in disbelief. He processed the info. “Anybody but him!”

/see the tiny vid fragment attached :) /

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