Thanks to Molly for being my beta! She does a great job and she also asks the right questions at the right time ;-)

Chapter 10

The line between doing something still legal or already illegal was thin. For a private investigator it was more thin than for other people and Paul Drake knew that only too well. Usually he didn't take any risks to save one of Perry's clients from prison, but this was different. This was about Della and her family. And just like Perry, he would do anything to ensure nothing could happen to her and her loved ones. If this meant breaking into an office and risking his licence, so be it.

The picklock vanished smoothly in the lock of the door that lead into Ben Levin's business premises and after fewer than 30 seconds Paul could enter the room. His eyes were used to the darkness and so he found his way across the antechamber to the door with Levin's name on it. It wasn't locked. Easy game.

Paul closed the door and switched on his pocket lamp. He searched the desk and the drawer until he found a file with the initials "R.S."

"Here we go…" he whispered and opened it. To his dismay it contained nothing but the pictures of some houses including notes of whereabouts and prices. There was also a note with a telephone number that Paul copied. He put the file back where he had found it and noticed something he hadn't see before in the drawer. It was a photograph of Della. He pulled it out and took a closer look. The photo had to have been taken at least 15 or 20 years ago. Her hair was much longer and her smile was (if possible) even more vibrant than he had ever seen it. Feeling as if he had found out something he wasn't supposed to look at, he put it back into the drawer and closed it. Then he checked the desk calendar. In the last few weeks the letters "R.S." stood regularly in Levin's schedule. Paul took notes of the dates and put everything he had touched back in its place. He checked his watch. After midnight. It was time to go.

PD

The lights in the apartment were dimmed, rain was hitting the windows and the thunder was rumbling in the distance, but the couple on the bed was oblivious to the weather outside. Their clothes were spread on the floor; their bodies passionately intertwined; hands and mouths were busy, working to close the emotional distance of the past few weeks. Fewer words had been never spoken between them and never before they had admitted so much to each other. Her nails dug into his skin, leaving the physical marks, like the marks their painful arguments had left in their hearts and minds before….her body stretched against his, demanding more and giving more than ever before…

It had just been dinner like so many evenings after the winning of a case before and had ended with a tough discussion about "how far would you go for a friend". The tension had exploded in a fiery kiss in his car and had found its climax.

While they had kept their hands and mouths in check on the way to the apartment, their desire had exploded as soon as the door had fallen into its lock. No boundary and no codex could stop them from living out what their bodies demanded and their souls had been desiring for what seemed ages.

PD

Della said on the couch with her arms wrapped around her knees in her aunt's living room and stared at the cold fireplace. Mae had constantly ignored the cold temperatures in the house and hadn't used the fireplace since Ian had been arrested. Of course, her bed would have been the warmer place, but after turning and tossing for over two hours Della had climbed out of bed and had gone downstairs. She had heated some milk, but the taste had left her sick and so she had gone into the living room and had settled down on the couch. Feeling entirely frozen, she wrapped the robe tighter around her body and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Since Perry had left the house in the late afternoon she had tried to figure out what had gone so incredibly wrong in her life to find herself in such a mess. The only explanation making sense was nothing… it was an inevitable chain of unfortunate events that had brought her into this. But every downward spiral stopped sooner or later, didn't it? If only she knew when the end of hers would finally be reached. She would love to cry, but feared she couldn't stop once she had started.

She heard a car stopping in front of the house. Then the sound of a door. She raised her head… after midnight. Who would visit her? Hoping it was Perry, she abandoned the blanket and rushed to the door and pulled away the drape. To her surprise it was Ben who climbed up the steps. She opened the door before he could knock.

"Ben?" she smiled nervously at him.

"Hey!" he returned the smile and kissed her cheek as he passed her.

"Why are you here?" she asked, confused.

"I wanted to see you!" he answered and took off his jacket.

"But it's after midnight!" she said, as they walked to the couch.

"I saw the light…" he explained. "Who else should be up at this time?"

"You could have run into Aunt Mae…" she teased.

"Well…" he shrugged and appeared suddenly nervous. "How are you?" he asked seriously.

"Fine," she lied and pulled the blanket over her legs.

"I went to see Ian this afternoon… he's a mess. He thinks nobody believes him. Not even his lawyer… not even his sister."

Della knew he didn't want to accuse her, but she couldn't help herself. "We do believe him. It's just that he isn't doing much to help us."

"He's scared… who wouldn't be?" Ben asked and took her hand. "I would hate to see you and Ian torn apart over this. It's not worth it."

"I know." She nodded. His hand felt warm around hers and she relaxed. He slipped closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It's pretty cold in here. You must be freezing," he said worried. She didn't protest when he pulled her closer against him and placed her head on his shoulder. It felt wonderful to be held like this. If only… His thumb ran over her cheek and traced her lips. She looked up to him and their eyes met. This was dangerous terrain… like an undiscovered country and she had no idea if she could handle this.

"Please," she whispered and one second later his mouth met hers. Softly and with a tenderness she hadn't been accustomed to, his lips moved against hers, teasing them to open up for him.

"Della!" The voice of her Aunt tore the silence and the tenderness between them apart. "Della?! Are you down there?"

Della broke the embrace and turned her head so that she could see the staircase.

"Yes!"

"Are you alone?"

"Yes!" The lie came quicker and more believable than expected. "I'll go to bed soon… I'm just making tea!"

"Alright… don't forget to switch off the lights!"

Della didn't answer. Ben rose from the couch. "I should go now," he said.

"Okay."

She followed him to the door and gave him his jacket. "I'm sorry," she said, as he already turned the door handle. "Our family isn't easy to get along with these days."

He turned again and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand: "It doesn't matter to me… All I want is to see you happy again." He bent over and kissed her again. This time more passionately and demanding. When they parted he left another kiss on her forehead and then he tore himself away from her. "Just to show you that gentlemen haven't died out. Good night."

"Good night," she said and he left. Before he climbed into the car he waved and looked at her for a while. She waved back and closed the door. She held her breath until she heard his car leaving the house, then she sighed audibly - and went upstairs to her room.

PD

The roads were empty as Ben drove home. Almost empty. He checked his mirror when he noticed lights in his back. He didn't recognize the car, but he had a strange feeling crawling up his spine. He reached his house and stopped the car. He waited, almost sure the car behind his would stop as well, but he was disappointed. The vehicle overcame his. It was a grey Ford, he couldn't read the number plate, but he was sure a man sat behind the wheel. One minute later the car vanished around the corner. Relieved, he sighed and climbed out of the car and went into his house.

PD

Perry stubbed out his cigarette and closed the folder. He had read the police report about 20 times and had discovered nothing that let Ian appear innocent. His only chance was finding the murder weapon and hoping it would reveal something they didn't know by now, but he had to admit things looked bad for Della's baby brother. Although he thought things couldn't become much worse between them, he feared if Ian went to the gas chamber their relationship would be irrepealably damaged. The idea cut a deep wound into his heart.

Someone knocked at his door. He looked up, checked his watch and went to the door. It was Paul.

"Sorry, but I have news," the detective said and stepped in. "Something you won't believe."

PD

The next morning Ben drove to his office. It had started snowing again and the streets were slippery. He stopped dead when he saw a car standing in front of his office. A grey Ford. He inhaled deeply and went inside his office. His secretary announced the visitor whose identity aroused his curiosity and also a slight feeling of uneasiness. Visitors like him had this impact on others.

"You?" Ben asked, as he entered his office. "What a surprise."

~tbc~

The plot is thickening... isn't it?