Della, shaking with fear and anger, stood alone in the bedroom. Perry had deliberately kept her in the dark. He knew she was in danger and told her nothing. Why would he do that? As quickly as the question popped into her mind, the answer followed: He was trying to protect her. He did not want to worry her. 'Well' she thought angrily to herself as she walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, 'I am a little bit beyond worried now.' She thought back to their dinner at Ferrold's Café. 'That phone call was not from Paul. It was from this man and he threatened me. That's the real reason Perry was so upset and angry when I returned to the table. What was it he said to me? "Don't worry Della… it's only a little problem with something Paul's working on for me." Good grief… I can't believe how easily he lied to me!" She rubbed her face with her hands and then looked down at the cobalt blue robe she'd worn the first night they'd made love. Her mind drifted to that first kiss on her couch and her leading Perry towards the bedroom. As soon as they entered, he had engulfed her in kisses and she felt as if her knees would fail her. He gently slid each strap of the gown from her shoulders allowing the gown to fall to the floor. He placed his hands upon her waist and pulled her closely into him. It was then she began to unbutton his shirt and pull it from his body because she could no longer control her need to have his skin upon hers.

Unable to sit still any longer, Della stood up and began to pace around the room. 'I have to get out of here' she thought to herself, 'or at least come up with some type of game plan for when he returns.' She felt sickened when she replayed his words over in her mind. There was no way she was letting anything come off her body without a fight.

Perry sat alone in his bedroom. He had been holding Della's blood stained blouse and skirt for hours. The ashtray on his nightstand was filled with cigarette butts and the smell of smoke hung heavily in the air. The morning sun, which was bright, pushed light throughout his apartment and accentuated the haze created by the spent cigarettes. He looked down at the routing number and account number left by the kidnapper. Perry knew he needed to focus on following the man's demands, but could not move past what he held in his hands. How hurt was Della? She had put up a struggle and it took two men to take her? Was this blood hers or theirs? Finally, his mind rested upon an even more disturbing facet of last night's phone call and his heart began to race with fear: The kidnapper had said he liked a woman with spirit…that Della put up a fight and all he wanted was a kiss. Perry dropped the blood stained clothing on his bed and went into the bathroom to splash himself with cold water. He then grabbed a blue towel off the towel bar and rubbed it across his face. He removed the towel from his face and froze for a split second while he looked at it. Then, he brought the towel to his face again and breathed in deeply…Della's hair…Della's body had been dried by this very towel. Yes…he was sure of it. He pictured her sitting at the table eating the breakfast he'd made her that second morning together. She had this towel wrapped around her hair. 'She looked so happy…so content' he thought to himself, 'and I could not quit staring at this beautiful woman. What miracle was it that she seemed to look at me the same way?' Perry neatly folded the blue towel and hung it back on the towel bar. He walked back into his bedroom and picked up the blood stained clothing. He carried them with him as he walked out of the room and down the hall to the living room. He found his jacket lying on the back of the couch and reached in to retrieve his pocketbook. He knew it was time. He flipped through what seemed like a hundred business cards until he found the one that read "First National Bank, President Harry Hooper." On the back, he found the man's home phone number, written very neatly, 'in case a problem should ever arise and you need personal service, Mr. Mason' he recalled the man tell him one morning when their paths crossed in the bank lobby.

'Well' Perry thought as he went to the phone, 'if ever a matter needed personal service, the transfer of all my private and business accounts certainly qualifies.'

Before he could pick up the receiver, the phone rang loudly. He jumped unexpectedly at the blaring sound and grabbed it quickly.

"Hello…this is Mason."

"Hey Perry, its Paul."

"Paul, I need you to get over here. I had another call last night from the kidnapper and…well you just gotta see it to believe it, I guess" Perry stated as he looked down at the blood stained clothing.

"No can do buddy…listen…we got a lead. I've got my men following up on it, but I need you to get over to my office right away." Paul said hurriedly

Perry's heart skipped a beat. "Is it solid?" he asked. He was already trying to dig his keys out of his jacket pocket.

"Yes, now go…I'll fill you in as soon as you get here." Paul said.

Perry hung up the phone, put on his jacket, grabbed the blood stained clothing, including the banking information… just in case the lead turned out to be a dead end… and sprinted out the door.

After a few phone calls to some rather unsavory business associates, he sat behind his desk and pondered how long he would leave Miss Street to her thoughts before returning to embark on what would certainly be a most pleasurable experience. As he leaned back in his chair, he thought back to all the weeks of watching Mason…of wondering exactly how to extract the most painful revenge upon him…only to discover Miss Street…beautiful Miss Street. Oh…he had noticed her beauty the two previous times he had seen her. He recalled going to see Mason at his office. She had been in there.

'I was so stupid. I wanted to talk to Mason alone and only after I said it did I look over and see this enchanting woman. Before I could protest and say something like "I don't care who hears what I have to say", Mason motioned her out. Then, when we ran into each other at the hospital, Mason didn't even bother to introduce us. Oh…what fun it was to watch Mason all these weeks knowing sooner or later he would slip up and reveal a weakness.

Then, I remember them leaving a Bar Association dinner. He slipped his arm around her while waiting for the valet to bring around the car. She smiled up at him and that's when I saw it… the look of a man and woman in love.

So…here we are…I get my revenge and a little happiness for myself too.'

He stood up and walked over to a brass scroll work mirror that hung on the wall. He ran his hand over his face and felt the stubble. 'Hmmm… I think I'll shower, shave, and chill some champagne. I want our first time together to be memorable.'

With that, he headed downstairs to grab some champagne and put it on ice. He hummed a happy little song as he thought of the upcoming rendezvous.

Perry rushed through the door of the Paul Drake Detective Agency. Paul was sitting on top of his desk… talking on the telephone when Perry entered and walked over to stand directly in front of him. Paul held up his finger as if to signal 'hold on a minute.' Perry looked him in the eye and then tossed the bloody clothing in his lap. Paul cradled the phone between his ear and neck and held up Della's blood stained blouse. His eyes grew wide as he then looked at the blood stained skirt.

"Yeah…okay…yeah…um…I'll have to get back to you on that" he said as he tried to focus on the phone call, clothing, and Perry's expression all at the same time. "Alright then, bye." Paul hung up the receiver and looked at Perry. "Where on earth did you get these?" he asked.

"Recognize them? They're Della's…that is what she wearing the night she was taken, Paul. It's the kidnapper's idea of a sick joke…aimed solely at torturing me as much as possible... knowing I'll give him anything to get her back." Perry paced around the room with his hands shoved in his jacket pockets as he spoke. "You know what he said to me when he called Paul?"

"Wait a minute…he contacted you again?" asked Paul.

"Yes…he called me again in the middle of the night. He told me all about the struggle Della put up when they attacked her and that it took two men to kidnap her. Then, he told me he likes a woman with spirit and that Della put up a fight against him when he tried to kiss her."

Perry's eyes met Paul's and Paul could see the anger burning behind them.

He thought of Della and wondered if she…if she had been…if this man had…his mind couldn't fathom it and would not allow for him to complete the sentence nor could he say anything like that to Perry. 'As if he hasn't already thought the same thing a hundred times' Paul said to himself.

"And these are her clothes." Paul stated flatly.

Again, Perry's eyes flashed with a dangerous look of anger Paul had never seen before. Perry walked over to him and took the clothes. "I don't know how he got them from her, but if this is her blood…if he…if he touched her or…did anything at all to her after these clothes were…" he looked away from Paul. Paul placed a reassuring hand upon his shoulder and gave him a squeeze.

"Hey, Perry. Don't think like that, okay?"

"I can't help it, Paul." He walked away and sank down in a chair across the room. "What's this lead you got?"

As soon as Perry spoke, the phone rang.

"Hold on a minute, Perry. This should be my man now." Perry took out a cigarette and lit it while Paul answered the phone.

"Hello? Yeah Faulkner…what'd you find out?" There was a pause while Paul listened to Faulkner. Perry felt like time had suddenly stood still.

Finally, Paul spoke again.

"You're kidding! No…no…don't call the cops. The sirens will give us away. You meet us there." Paul looked at Perry and made a motion for him to get up and come to him.

Perry quickly put out the cigarette, got up, and walked over to Paul.

"Thanks Faulkner. Give your man in the Coroner's Office a little extra something. He may have very well saved Della's life." When Perry heard those words, he circled his right hand in a motion that meant 'wrap it up/let's move along.'

"Okay," Paul continued, "we'll see you soon."

Paul hung up and looked at Perry. He took a deep breath, smiled, and said, "I think we found the bastard and you will never guess in a million years who we think it is…let's go and I'll tell you about it in the car." The two men hurried out of the office and sprinted to the parking garage.