Major thanks to for a great summary of this episode as well as the ending dialogue so that everyone will know exactly where my story line picks up. Thanks to writer Robert C. Dennis for creating such an entertaining episode from which I now borrow the characters for my own little story.

Della and Perry's dinner at a fancy French restaurant is interrupted by a phone call and an envelope containing $500.00 from a mysterious woman named Marian Fargo. She wants him to make an exchange for her: the money for some documents regarding her fugitive brother. Unbeknownst to Marion, her own husband is in on the blackmail scheme which is being masterminded by one Samuel Carlin. Marion's husband and Carlin both turn up dead but Marion, who has fled on a bus, has an eyewitness, Diana Maynard, who can provide her with an alibi for the murders. Unfortunately for all concerned, Ms. Maynard has only one good eye and may not be telling the truth about what she said.

The case ends with the following conversation. My story picks up where this conversation leaves off:

Perry: (fixing his tie and jacket - after they have solved the case) There. How's that?

Della: Very nice.

Perry: Am I presentable enough to take you to dinner?

Della: Definitely.

Perry: Where do you want to go?

Della: Ferrold's Cafe.

Perry: Why there?

Della: Well, there's something that still puzzles me in this case.

Perry: Mmhmm.

Della: What could they possibly put in a cup of coffee that makes it worth a dollar?

Perry: No more questions - please!

Nothing else was said as Perry and Della walked out the front of the law office. Perry turned to lock the door while Della walked ahead to the elevator and hit the down button. As the door opened, Perry walked up behind her, smiled, gently placed his hand on her elbow, and guided her in first. As always, she allowed herself to be walked the short distance into the elevator. The mere touch of his hand instantly relaxed her as they had both started to wind down from another long day. Perry turned to push the button to the main floor. When he looked back at Della, he found her leaning against the wall, head slightly tilted up, and eyes closed. It amazed him that she could look that beautiful after so many back to back 18 hour work days. He wondered what she would do if he leaned in and kissed her right now without any warning at all. The thought caused him to smile and let out a small laugh. Instead, he took a step towards her and gently brushed the fingers of his right hand across the side of her face. She smiled, but did not open her eyes.

"What was that little laugh for?" she asked.

"Oh nothing. I was just wondering if you were conscious, that's all" he said.

The comment made Della laugh aloud and open her eyes just as the elevator doors also opened. When her gaze met Perry's, she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her body. Perry again took her elbow and she walked a little closer to him than usual as they first exited the elevator and then the front doors of the Brent Building. Neither noticed the slight figure of a man lurking in the shadows around the corner.

The ride to Ferrold's Café and subsequent dinner were relatively quiet. Both Perry and Della were drained from the late hours, lack of sleep, and meals on the run. It was relaxing to just sit together and not feel compelled to keep up a conversation. Just as Perry was about to ask for the check, the maitre de walked over to their table.

"Excuse me, Mr. Mason?" he asked.

"Yes?" said Perry.

"You have a very important call."

"I do?" said Perry quite puzzled.

Della looked at Perry in disbelief.

"Déjà vu." she said with a laugh.

"Déjà vu is right. Did you tell anyone we were coming here or leave word with the service about where we could be reached?" he asked.

"No Perry…just like last time…I didn't even know we were eating dinner out tonight ,much less here, until you asked at the last minute." she said.

"May I bring the phone over Mr. Mason?" asked the maitre de.

Perry looked at Della, shrugged his shoulders, and laughed. Della smiled up at the maitre de and told him to go ahead and put the call through.

"Perry, I'm going to the powder room. I trust we will not be heading out on

another case by the time I get back?" Della quizzed amusedly.

Perry laughed again. "My dear Miss Street," he said, "you know I can't make any promises like that." In his gentlemanly fashion, he stood up as she stood up, then he sat back down, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What is it anyway about us trying to eat a meal out that causes so many clients

or emergencies to 'pop' up?"

Della smiled broadly. "I don't know, Chief" she said, "just coincidental, I guess. At least we finished dinner this time." With that, Della excused herself to the powder room.

As she left his sight, the maitre de returned. "Mr. Mason, here's your phone call" he said as he carefully pulled the extension line and phone to the table.

"Thank you." said Perry as he took the receiver. "This is Mason."

"Hello counselor…how's life been treating you?" asked the voice.

"Just fine, I suppose. Who is this?" questioned Perry.

"Oh…just a little piece of your past come back to haunt you."

"I see." stated Perry. "And just how did you know to come haunt me here?"

"I followed you. I've actually been watching and following you for some time." said the voice.

"Well now, that's very interesting. What are you watching me for?" asked Perry.

"Like I said…I'm a little piece of your past come back to haunt you." indicated the voice.

Agitated, Perry replied, "Look here…I don't like playing games so, if you don't have anything real to say, I'm hanging up."

"Oh, but I wouldn't do that if I were you. I know of something very 'real' that you happen to like a lot…or should I say 'someone' very real?"

Playing it cool, Perry said, "I like many people. You'll have to be more specific."

"Your secretary" replied the voice.

Perry felt his stomach and chest tighten at the same time. Again, he decided to play it cool. Very calmly and nonchalantly he said, "Well, I actually like all my employees. What's your point?"

Perry looked up to see Della already returning to the table.

"Now who's playing games Mason?" laughed the voice on the other line.

As Della sat down slowly, smoothing her skirt as she went along, Perry's gaze locked on her for a split second and he quickly turned in his chair away from her and spoke, "Get to the point, damn it …what do you want?"

"You'll find out soon enough. As for the beautiful Miss Street, you didn't even bother to introduce her the last time our paths crossed. I can't wait to meet her in person. Tell me counselor, is she as indispensable as she seems? I mean, could you get by without her should I decide I want her instead? She does seem quite… delicious from afar."

"Listen here you son of …!" but, one click, and the line went dead. Perry slammed the phone receiver down.

"Perry, what's wrong?" asked Della, concern etched all over her face.

"Nothing" replied Perry as he turned back to face her.

"That didn't sound like 'nothing' to me. Your face is flushed" she said. "Who was that on the phone?"

Perry just stared at her, absorbing every aspect of her perfect face, all the while grappling with the fact that Della, his Della…well… not 'his Della'…they weren't a couple after all, he told himself… now needed 24 hour protection from an

unknown, unseen threat. 'And I thought I was doing such a good job keeping my feelings hidden' he said to himself. Perry just couldn't believe it. It seemed someone had a score to settle with him and might be choosing Della to settle it! The tightening in his stomach and chest was slowly turning to rage.

"Perry…I asked you a question. Who was that on the phone?"

Perry cleared his throat, forced a faint smile, reached across the table, and gave Della's hand a squeeze.

"Don't worry, Della" he said. "It was just a little problem with something Paul's working on for me."

"Paul?" Della said in disbelief. "You were speaking like that to Paul? I've never heard you talk to him like that before and how did he know we were here? Do you want to tell me about it? Maybe I can help?"

"No, no, no. I'll straighten it out in the morning" replied Perry as he fidgeted with his coffee cup, tipping it side to side to make the small amount of liquid at the bottom shift back and forth.

Della quietly sat across from Perry, observing him as he lost himself in his thoughts again. After a few minutes, she spoke.

"Perry?"

"Hmm" he grumbled absentmindedly.

"Are you ready to leave? It's getting late." She said.

Perry stood, pulled out his wallet and tossed several twenties on the table. As Della stood up, he reached for her stole and placed it around her shoulders. This time, instead of taking her elbow, he put his arm around her and pulled her close to him as they exited the café. Once in the car, he pulled her close to him again and drove with one hand on the steering wheel and his right arm around her. While Della thought both actions were forward and thus quite out of character for him, she offered no resistance either time. Instead, she enjoyed the warmth provided by his body and the fading scent of the cologne he had worn that day. His tenseness and stone expression, though, were not what she expected to accompany this now obvious need to be close to her.

As Perry navigated the 20 minute drive to Della's apartment, his thoughts were spinning in his head. He kept replaying the phone call over and over again like a broken recording. True his attraction to Della had been instantaneous from the moment he first met her, but he thought he had done a very good job masking those feelings. What had this anonymous observer seen from Perry that made him believe Della was his best weapon for hurting Perry? He glanced down at Della and saw she had dozed off with her head nestled against him. Perry knew his next move. He had to get into Della's apartment to check it out without alerting any more suspicion from her. His sidestepping of her questions about the phone call had caused enough of that. Getting invited up would be a neat trick to pull off considering he never walked her to her actual apartment door, just to the door of the building. "What do I do?" he thought. As he turned onto her street and pulled up in front of the building, the answer came to him. He put the car in park. His right arm was still around Della. He rubbed her arm up and down to wake her.

"Hey sleepyhead" he said softly.

"Hmmm?" she mumbled.

"You're home" he replied.

Della sat up, rubbed her hands over her face, and reached into her purse for her keys. Perry turned off the engine and started to get out. She stopped him.

"Perry, its late and pretty chilly out. You don't have to walk me to the door. I'll be fine."

"Well, actually, I was wondering if I could come up for a few minutes?" he said.

"Oh…well…" she started to say something but Perry interrupted her.

"I thought about what you said at the café about not believing I was talking to Paul so harshly on the phone and you're right Della. I shouldn't have. I know he's at his Wednesday night Poker game and I'd like to catch him before he leaves. Is it okay to use your phone?"

Della hid her disappointment with a smile. After he kept such a tight hold on her in the café parking lot and on the ride home, she had hoped he had something else in mind.

"Of course, Perry" she replied.

Once in the apartment, Perry quickly surveyed the living room and dining area. Nothing seemed out of order. He took off his coat and suit jacket and laid them across the back of a chair.

"Do you want a drink?" called Della from the kitchen.

"No, I'm fine. You go ahead and get ready for bed. I'll give Paul a quick call and I'll be out of the way before you know it" he said.

"Okay…but take your time in making it right with Paul. When a case is really important, it's easy for tempers to flare if something's not going right, but you two are also very good friends, Perry. Walking the fine line between a personal and business relationship is very hard, but I don't think you should let anything jeopardize your friendship."

As she turned to walk down the hall to her bedroom, Perry thought to himself, 'Don't I know it. I've been trying to figure out how to balance that line with you for months, but the how to of it is simply out of my grasp.' Perry walked over to the phone. 'All I know is, I can't live without her professionally. The whole office would fall apart. Privately, she's the last person I think about at night and the first person I want to see in the morning. I can't let anything happen to her. She's the one. I just wish I could figure out the right way to let her know she's the one and what if she doesn't think she's the one…she might quit and then…what would I do without her?' That was the scariest question of all…especially now.

When he heard the shower turn on, Perry quickly dialed Paul's answering service.

"Drake Detective Agency" said a female voice.

"Yes, this is Perry Mason. I have an emergency and need to be patched through to Mr. Drake immediately. Is he still with his poker group?"

"Yes, he is Mr. Mason. Please hold."

Paul was enjoying a stiff brandy, a good cigar, and a nice little string of luck when he heard the phone ring. "Hello" he said.

"Mr. Drake, I have an emergency call from Mr. Perry Mason."

"OYE" Paul said as he looked at his watch. "Put him through…say Perry…don't you ever sleep? What's the trouble?"

"Paul…listen closely…I don't have a lot of time. I need several of your best operatives put on a round the clock watch starting immediately if possible. Make sure they have direct radio contact with your office and they are fully armed" said Perry.

Paul quickly put down his cigar and grabbed a small notepad out of the jacket he had draped on the back of his chair. "Okay Perry, I'll need to do some shuffling and pull some guys from other jobs then get replacements for them. I can have someone in place with this set up in about an hour if I hurry. Where am I sending him?" quizzed Paul.

"To Della's apartment…" said Perry quietly.

"DELLA?" Paul interrupted "but Perry why?" he asked.

"Look, I'll tell you tomorrow. I want round the clock protection for her Paul. I want to know everywhere she goes, who she talks to, who may be watching her, or information on anyone who seems to be a little too interested in what she's doing…the whole works."

"Protection? I thought you wanted a 'watch.' Does she know about this?" asked Paul.

"I want both and, no, she does not know about this and you're not going to tell her. I'll keep an eye on her tonight" said Perry.

"And just how do you plan to do that?" asked Paul.

"I've got a plan. I'm calling from her apartment now. She thinks we had a fight and that I'm calling you to make it right" stated Perry.

"Well, where's she at right now" continued Paul.

"In the shower" responded Perry.

"Wow…now that's my kind of plan" said Paul.

"Paul" said Perry in a stern tone "it's not like that and you know it."

"Well, it could be if you would just…" but Perry interrupted Paul.

"I don't have time for this Paul. She could be out any minute. Just get the man here as soon as possible. I'll see you at 10 AM in your office, alright?" asked Perry. "And, oh yeah, don't forget Paul, we had a fight so don't let on any different if you see her before I see you."

"Now look Perry…" pleaded Paul.

"Sorry Paul…gotta go" and with that, Perry hung up.

Paul sat at the poker table for about 30 seconds with the lifeless receiver in his hand while he jotted down more notes. When he finally hung it up, he took a deep, almost exasperated breath, grabbed his coat and said, "Deal me out fellas."

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

Della stepped from the steamy shower and grabbed two towels. After wrapping one around her body and the other around her hair, she wiped the steam from the mirror and proceeded with her nightly routine. She hoped Perry had not left yet. After towel drying her hair as best she could, she picked through it and turned the ends under with her fingers before giving it one last fluff to pick back up the body at the crown. She then shed her towel and dressed in a cobalt blue, backless satin gown with matching robe. Before going to check for Perry, she picked up her perfume, dabbed a drop on her neck, and let the stopper slowly slide down across her chest and into her cleavage. She lightly rubbed the wet line of perfume in with her wrist while watching her reflection in the dresser mirror.

She noticed it was extremely quiet in the apartment as she walked down the hall. Her heart sank a little. 'He must have left after talking to Paul or else left to meet him,' she thought. Just then, she rounded the corner and found Perry had not left at all. He was sitting at the end of the couch with his head resting on his arm which, in turn, rested on the arm of the couch. He was sound asleep. Della smiled at the sight of this man whom she had loved at first sight and whom she grew to love more dearly on a daily basis. 'I would love to curl up next to him andgo to sleep too,' she thought. Instead, she went back to her room, grabbed a pillow and a quilt from the rack in the corner, and very quietly came back to the living room. She knelt in front of Perry and carefully slid off his loosened neck tie.

She proceeded to take off his shoes and place them under the coffee table. Next, she gently lifted his head from his arm and attempted to get the pillow under it with some difficulty. Thankfully, he remained asleep and even burrowed into the pillow as if he were exactly where he was supposed to be which made Della smile. She also guided his legs up to the couch so that he was lying on his side instead of sleeping slumped sideways. Finally, Della covered him with the quilt.

She remained kneeling next to him for a minute just watching him sleep and could not keep from stroking his hair back with her right hand. As she did so she brought her hand down his neck and back to his face where she cupped it and kissed his forehead, then his left cheek very softly. Without thinking, she brushed her lips across his and whispered, "Good night."

She attempted to stand, but Perry caught her by the wrist with his free hand and pulled her down to sit on the edge of the couch in front of him. Realizing the kiss must have awakened him, she blushed as their eyes met, but before she could speak, he sat up and kissed her so long and so deeply, it completely took her breath away. As he ran his lips down her neck, he slowly pulled the robe apart and let it fall around her waist as his lips continued to make their way to her exposed shoulder, then her collar bone, and finally her chest. When he slid his hand down her back and pulled her closer into him, he could feel the quickening of her heartbeat. Then, he caught himself. 'What am I doing?' he thought. 'I can't do this… not like this… not under false pretenses…'Now the plan of faking sleep so she would not want to wake him and have him try to drive home a long distance while exhausted seemed pointless. 'I should have pretended to sleep through the kiss. I'm supposed to be protecting her not seducing her.' And then it hit him like a thunderbolt. 'She kissed me' his mind exclaimed. That kiss answered so many unanswered questions he had about how to handle his feelings towards Della. A huge burden had been lifted from his mind. He rested his forehead against her chest and steadied his breathing before looking at her. She too was trying to steady her breathing.

"Do you want me to leave?" he whispered.

"No" she said. With that, she stood up allowing the robe to fall to the floor. Perry was awestruck. She leaned over, took Perry by the hand, and led him down the hallway to her bedroom.

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDP

The morning sun cascaded throughout the apartment casting a warm glow in Della's bedroom. Perry, lying on his right side, awoke to what he believed a glorious sight…Della, lying on her stomach, next to him, her head resting on her folded arms instead of a pillow. Although she wasn't facing him, Perry could tell by her breathing she was very much asleep. The sheets and bedspread covered her… stopping at her waist…leaving her back fully exposed. Perry could see the soft curve of her breast pressed against the mattress. Never during the times he'd allowed his mind to wander to such thoughts could he have imagined her body or last night. Both had been perfect. He reached across and slowly rubbed his hand down her back, under the covers, over her bottom, down the back of her leg and up again. After a few minutes of this, she sighed, "That's much better than waking up to my alarm clock" to which he replied, "This is much better than waking up to my alarm.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"8:10." said Perry.

She didn't stir, but with false concern replied, "Oh dear…I'm suppose to be at work in 20 minutes. How ever will I explain being late to my boss?"

Very seriously, Perry said, "Oh that's easy…I know him quite well. I'll put a good word in for you."

Della turned over with a big smile, which was returned by Perry, and wrapped her arms around him. As they embraced, Perry kissed the top of her head while breathing in the scent of her hair. Then, he tilted her chin up so he could look her in the eyes. "What's on our agenda today anyway?" he asked.

She pulled away and sat up, wrapping the covers around her. "Well…you know I try to keep it light the day after we wrap up a major trial."

"Hmm-Hmm" he answered affirmatively as he rose up and kissed her lips.

"So" she continued pulling back from the kiss and smiling, "you have an 11 AM call with Hamilton Burger, a 12:30PM lunch appointment with Judge Adams at Morey's regarding the speech you are giving at the Bar Association dinner next week…" Perry grimaced and made a face. "AND..we have a deposition from 3PM-5PM. I also have to manage to type about a dozen letters that didn't get done yesterday before the deposition and I need to turn in receipts and several bills to the accountant."

"You call that 'light'?" he said.

"Well…we aren't out chasing clues or witnesses all over the state. We aren't in court, and we don't have any "new client" appointments…so, yes, I call that light."

Della smiled.

"Pencil in Paul at 10AM…" he said, but she interrupted him.

"So you did reach him last night" Della said with raised eyebrows.

"Yes" said Perry trying to dodge her expression, "which means, as much as I hate to get out of this bed, we must get to work. I need to run home, shower, and change clothes. How long do you think it will take you to get ready so we can leave?" he asked.

"No, you don't have to go home. You can get showered and dressed here." Della said with a twinkle in her eye.

"How's that?" he asked her as he moved in to kiss her again.

She gently held him back with the palm of her hand. "My dear sir, I have told you before I am a very handy girl to have around" she teased.

"Yes, you are…now kiss me or answer the question" he demanded playfully.

"You don't exactly keep regular hours counselor and you do find clients and witnesses in the most unlikely of places. Since we keep extra clothes and toiletries for you at the office, I decided to keep a back up for you here too. Your clothes are in the hall closet and the toiletry bag is in the bathroom under the sink" she said motioning in the direction of each location.

"You really are amazing" he said earnestly as he took her hand in his. Della blushed slightly as he kissed her on the cheek and got up to head to the shower.

"And this?" Della asked, looking around at the messed up bed and clothing strewn allover the floor.

"This," he smiled warmly, "means there's now an us."

"That simple?" she said almost as a whisper.

"That simple, Della."

She nodded and watched him head into her bathroom.

PDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

Perry and Della made it to work shortly before 10 AM. The presence of two squad cars and an ambulance, which was pulling away from the building, hardly missed their attention. The doorman, who was being questioned by an officer, saw the couple's curious expressions as they approached and he ran over to greet them.

" 'Morning Mr. Mason. Miss Street" he said, "We had a little excitement here last night."

"So we see" replied Perry. "What's the story?"

"A break-in and an assault" said the doorman seriously.

"What?" exclaimed Della, "but where?"

"The Drake Detective Agency" whispered the doorman as he looked around to make sure no one else heard him. "A man and a woman got pretty banged up last night."

"Oh no…Paul" said Della grabbing Perry's arm. They looked at each other in astonishment and rushed to the elevator.

Alone, as they rode up, Perry sat his briefcase down and took Della's hands in his. "I'm taking you straight to the office and then I'll look for Paul and find out what happened." He looked at his watch and then Della. "Do not leave the office under any circumstances until I get back. Understand?"

"What?" she said incredulously, "I'm going with you."

"NO…you're not, Della" he said quite harshly causing her to pull back from him.

His tone shocked her and she did not break eye contact with him as the elevator doors opened.

"Della…no arguments…" he said sternly. She looked unconvinced. He then looked down at the floor, sighed and stepped towards her. "Please…just go to the office." Not caring whether anyone saw them, he kissed her very gently. He leaned over to pick up his brief case, but she made no movement to exit the open elevator.

"What's going on here, Perry?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know" he said honestly. "All I do know is I have an uneasy feeling about whatever happened at Paul's and I don't want you there."

"I've always come with you before. Is this because of last night?" she asked even more quietly.

"No, it isn't. I've kept you out of plenty of situations that I felt were too dangerous. Last night has nothing to do with it, but I am wondering if any of this is tied to what Paul and I spoke about last night."

"And what is it exactly that he's working on for you?" she asked.

"It's kind of complicated" he responded and looked at his watch again. "Look, I'm supposed to meet him at 10 AM. I'll know more when I get down there."

Della finally budged and walked out of the elevator. Perry could tell she was not happy at all with his request or his explanations. Perry followed her to the office door, but kept her from entering by placing his hand over hers as she tried to turn the knob. She did not look at him.

"Do you trust me?" he asked in a barely audible tone.

"With my life" she replied.

He released her hand and allowed her to open the door. Quickly, he rubbed his hand across his eyes before following her in. She had no way of knowing the impact of those words on him or how those words would reverberate in his mind in the future.

Gertie was frantic as Della, then Perry, entered the law office.

"Ms. Street! Mr. Mason! I'm so glad you're here! Did you hear what happened?"

"No, Gertie…not everything" said Perry. "What do you know?"

"Someone attacked the poor lady working the answering service for Mr. Drake around 2 AM! Just came up from behind and hit her in the back of the head and tied her up. Then, while he was ransacking the office, Mr. Drake arrived and got into a fight with him. Some shots were fired and, thank goodness, Mr. Drake was not hit, but then another man stormed the office and hit Mr. Drake from behind. One of the operatives found him unconscious this morning and phoned for help."

Gertie started to cry and Della went over to console her. Her eyes locked on Perry's as she tried to calm Gertie down. Perry mouthed silently, "Stay in this office, please" to which Della nodded 'yes.'

Perry ran through his office to the back door so he could shortcut it to Paul's.

Paul was coming around the corner and the two collided into one another. Paul was holding an ice pack to the back of his head.

"You look like hell! What's going on down there? Are you all right?" asked Perry as he turned Paul's head to survey the damage.

"I've felt better." Paul replied. "Come on."

The two walked slowly back towards Paul's office. As they did, Paul relayed to Perry pretty much the same story that he had just heard from Gertie.

"How good of a look did you get at him?" asked Perry.

"Not too good. It was dark, but I can tell you he was a big guy…not tall…but really thick" stated Paul.

"Did the answering service lady get a look at him?" asked Perry.

"No. He hit her from behind, tied her up, and turned out the lights. That was my first clue something was wrong when I got to the office. Man you should have seen my expression when I saw her tied up and lying on the floor. I barely had time to defend myself. He came at me out of no where."

"Is anything missing from your office?" said Perry.

"Yes. I think some files are missing. The filing cabinets for L and M were completely dumped out all over the floor" stated Paul.

"Did you happen to get a man in place at Della's?" asked Perry.

"Funny you should ask that and the answer's no" said Paul. "I did not because I had this little problem of getting attacked in my own office about 30 minutes after you and I got off the phone. I did , however, manage to get a man assigned to her starting this morning as soon as he sees her come to work. Is she in the office yet?"

"Yes…she's with Gertie. How's the lady from your answering service?" asked Perry.

"She's okay…a little banged up and very scared. Her husband is mad as hell though. Of course, you can't blame him. I don't think she's coming back to work for me…or, at least, that's what he said before they took her out to the ambulance." replied Paul.

"You just said she's okay" said Perry.

"They're gonna keep her overnight for observation" Paul said.

"What about that knock you took on the head?" asked Perry as they reached the door to Paul's office. The last officer was leaving and nodded at the two men as he passed by them.

"I am not going to the hospital. You know me and doctors, but WE" he emphasized, "are going to try to figure out who's causing all this trouble" said Paul. "In particular, I want to know who took a shot at me."

"WE?" exclaimed Perry.

"Yes…" responded Paul. With that, he opened the door to the office. His secretary was on her hands and knees crawling around after loose papers. Several pieces of furniture were overturned and a chair broken apart. "WE are going to figure this out because I think this is all tied to your late night request."

"How so?" asked Perry with great concern as he and Paul stepped over papers, file folders, and furniture on their way into Paul's private office.

"Because I found this little note pinned to me when I came to" said Paul and he handed the note to Perry.

Tell Mason it won't work. We must play out our game.

"Did you show this to the police?" asked Perry.

"No" said Paul "because I figured, if you wanted the police brought in, you would have called them…not me. Perry, what the hell does this note mean? Why do you need my men following Della? You had me really worried after we got off the phone. What sort of trouble is she in?"

"Not in any trouble of her own doing" said Perry.

He proceeded to tell Paul about he and Della's dinner at Ferrold's Café and the mysterious phone call. Paul just sat there silently. When Perry finished, Paul shook his head and took out a cigarette.

"So, someone's got a beef with you and thinks Della is the best way to get revenge. I don't like this at all Perry. Did anything happen at Della's after we got off the phone? Any phone calls, strange noises, cars driving by, anything you can remember at all?"

"No" said Perry.

"And you were there all night?" asked Paul.

"Yes" said Perry as he plunged his hands into his pockets and walked over to stare out the window of the office.

"Out of curiosity, how did you manage to stay all night at Della's?" Paul tried but could not contain his smile. "What was that 'plan' of yours?"

Perry half-smiled back at him. "I pretended to fall asleep."

Paul laughed and then had to press his hands to his aching head. "That's ridiculous."

Perry stared back out the window. "Maybe so…but it worked. I knew she wouldn't wake me up and have me drive home at the risk of an accident."

"I'll have to remember that one" said Paul. "So, how involved are you two now? There's no way you could have told her about the restaurant call without it leading to some kind of relationship discussion. If I know Della like I think I do, she probably overanalyzed this half the night."

Perry said nothing.

"Come on Perry. You told her everything after we got off the phone…right? She overanalyzed the meaning behind the threat, leading to a big relationship discussion, you admitted your feelings, she did the same, you pretended to fall asleep, and…well, you fill it in for me" stated Paul.

"She still doesn't know" Perry stated flatly as he continued staring out the window "and what makes you think we're going to get involved at all anyway?" he asked seriously. Thinking of his concerns from the prior evening, he went on, "What makes you think I would be interested?"

"Look…don't make me laugh Perry. My head's already splitting. You stopped dating completely after Della came to work for you and I notice she doesn't date anyone either. You seem to show no interest in any of the beautiful women we come in contact with on cases. And, if you go to the movies, out to dinner, or any Bar Association events, you always take Della."

"So…that doesn't mean I'm in love with her. That means I enjoy her company as a friend" stated Perry. "What else?"

"Okay…you asked for it, pal." Paul walked over, ice pack still pressed to the back of his head, and stood in front of Perry. "It's also in your expressions and mannerisms. If other men look at her, you keep a closer hold on her especially when dancing. You use a softer tone when speaking to her even softer than with other women, including the others who work for you. Outside the courtroom, your facial expressions are softer when you're with her. You smile more…you laugh more…you're more relaxed as if you haven't a care in the world. And, when she's gone for any extended period of time, you are impossible to be around…quite a grouchy pain in the butt…if you ask me."

"I'm wishing I hadn't" smiled Perry. "You see all of that?"

"Yes" said Paul.

"But you know me better than anyone else so naturally you'd see a difference. The real question is 'Could a stranger see all of that?'" stated Perry.

"Hmm?…Okay. I see what you're getting at Perry. If someone were looking for a way to get even with you then they would want to hit you where you are most vulnerable. So, yeah…if a stranger looked close enough at you with that in mind…I think he'd find Della" said Paul. "I think your feelings are that obvious."

With that, he took out another cigarette and lit it…waiting for Perry's reaction. Perry walked away from him and sat down on the couch. He took out the note and looked at it again. The anger from the night before flooded him. He crumbled the note and threw it on the floor. Then, he leaned over and buried his face in his hands. Paul could see the internal struggle going on in Perry's mind and said nothing else. Instead, he finished his cigarette, picked up the phone, and arranged for when the second shift was to begin watching Della.

The rest of the day was a blur to Perry. After leaving Paul's office, he fielded what felt like a million questions from Della and Gertie about how Paul was doing, the damage to the office, and whether the police had any leads on the identity of the assailant. Nothing he said seemed to satisfy Della. His conference call with Hamilton Burger was pointless, as he knew it would be, because Burger was intent on going to trial and not excepting a lesser plea to manslaughter.

Perry was almost robotic through his lunch with Judge Adams and he could not wait for the deposition to end at 5PM.

The fresh cool air hit his face as he and Della exited the downtown courthouse. For the first time since getting to work that morning, Perry felt he could breathe deeply and relax. Paul's men were now in place providing extra protection for Della and Paul was focused on trying to find the person responsible for the break-in and threats. As they approached the car, Perry unlocked the door and asked, "Do we need to get back to the office or do you think we're done for the night?"

"Well, I guess that's really up to you. There's nothing I have to do that can't get done tomorrow… if that's what you're asking" Della replied without expression.

Perry opened the door and she got in. After looking over his surroundings, he got in and started the engine. Then, he turned towards her.

"Are you angry with me?"

"Not angry…frustrated perhaps" Della said as she fidgeted with her handbag.

Perry took a deep breath and stared out the windshield. "Too frustrated to let me fix you dinner tonight?"

Della couldn't help but smile. "Dinner at your place sounds very nice. Can we build a fire in the fireplace too?"

"Hmm-Hmm" he answered. "But you know…I don't want you to stay just for dinner" he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"I know" she said as she continued to fidget with the handbag.

Perry moved closer to her, turned her face towards his, put his right arm around her, and pulled her into a long kiss. As he did so, he placed his left hand on her knee and then slowly slid his hand just under her skirt to rest inside her thigh causing her to shift her entire body towards his. As she did so, she tossed her purse aside. He released his hand from her inner thigh and wrapped his arms tightly around her never releasing her, though, from the kiss. After several minutes, he pulled away. "Let's stop by your place and pick up what you need for tomorrow. I don't want to wake up without you."

"I don't want to wake up without you either" she replied.

As they drove off towards Della's apartment, there were two sets of eyes watching…one a trusted employee of the Paul Drake Detective Agency, who pulled out in his car shortly after Perry and the other…a very large man, dressed in a stolen policeman's uniform, who was pretending to check parking meters up and down the street.