CHAPTER FOURTEEN

As they headed to their cars Della put her hand on his arm. "Alright give."

Perry shook his head. "Let's wait and see what Paul finds out. Besides I want to impress my secretary."

"Oh, you do, do you?" She grinned at him.

"She is quite jaded you know. So, I have to work harder to make an impression on her. She likes to keep my nose to the grindstone."

"Is that so? Maybe you should hire me. I am a tireless worker, I give great backrubs, and I don't talk back," she told him.

Laughing he held the door open, "get in baggage. We'll go to your place first and take inventory."

Della sobered quickly. "I'm not looking forward to this Perry."

He looked at her sympathetically, "I know sweetheart, but we'll get through this together."

Several hours later they had made a list of all the clothes that had been destroyed. It was lengthy and as Della had examined each piece he could tell it was tearing her apart. He was hurt because she was hurt.

"Baby, it will be alright. Just think what fun you will have replacing these things. I'll even go with you for some things," he said suggestively.

Her voice was choking. "It's the memories Perry. There are so many memories." She held up a tattered green blouse with a brown suede skirt cut in strips. "This is the outfit I wore the first week-end we spent together. These things can't be replaced.

Perry took her in his arms and rubbed her back. "My love, we can make new memories. What is important is we are okay. If I had lost you, my life would have been over. These things can be replaced."

As her voice cracked she took a deep breath, "I am so lucky to have you, Perry Mason. I love you so much."

He pushed her hair back from her forehead and kissed her gently. "We are going to make it through this just fine. I promise you whoever did this will pay and pay dearly."

Laying her head against his wide chest she whispered, "I hope so, oh I hope so."

They went through the rest of the apartment noting any other damage. A new door was just being put up and the manager gave her the new keys. He wished them well as they headed for the lawyer's apartment.

As they looked at the devastation throughout his domicile he put his arm around her and commented, "It was time for redecorating anyway."

Her voice was shaky as she replied, "I don't know how you can be so calm about this. I want to throttle someone."

"If it would stop all this harassment I would want to do it also, but nothing will change this. We have insurance that will compensate us so let's get busy making an inventory." He squeezed her shoulder as they walked toward the bedroom. "I forgot to tell you Paul is having a photographer come over and take pictures for our insurance agent. If it is alright with you I am going to let you pick all my new furniture."

She put her fingers to his lips. "Sweetheart I appreciate it, but you have to live here."

He shook his head. "No, we need to live here. Baby, this is a perfect excuse for us to move in together. What if we pick out everything together? Then it can be our things, our house."

Della hesitated, and he put his arm around her waist pulling her in close. "Del, give me a good reason why we shouldn't live together. We would be in one place and not have to decide where we are spending the night."

"As I said before we're happy and content now. What if being together 24/7 doesn't work out and we break up. I would lose the job I love, but worst of all I would lose the man that means the world to me. We have seen friends it has happened to and they seemed so happy."

Perry opened his mouth to speak as Paul Drake came barreling thought the door. "I thought I would find you here, since you were going to Della's first. I have got news."

"Well speak up Mr. Detective, we need some good news." Mason told him.

Settling him in a dining room chair, Drake pulled out his notebook. "My man managed to scrap off some of the sticky stuff and rushed it to a lab for analysis. You never guess what it was."

"Spirit gum," the lawyer told him with a smug look on his face.

Paul had a look of consternation on his face as he inquired, "If you knew why have me check on it?"

"What does it mean Perry?" Della wanted to know.

Looking at her with a grin on his face he said, "Let's see what else Paul knows and then I'll explain."

"When I found out it was spirit gum it rang a bell with me." Drake explained. "I remembered that Rada was interested in the theater. I got in touch with a fellow who works in professional theaters. I hit pay dirt. He recognized her from that picture you had. She's older, but it turns out she is a genius at make-up. Her name? Rachel Preston is what she goes by.

Perry frowned and finally inquired, "Why Preston?"

"All this man knew is she said she was divorced and he assumed it was her married name or she went back to her maiden name. Surprise, surprise, Rachel wasn't very forthcoming with information. Now he does scheduling for this theater and so he knows that she works at a number of theaters up and down the west coast, and has even done a couple Broadway plays,"

Della went over and hugged him. "Paul this is good news. Does it mean we can trace her?"

Patting her shoulder Drake told her, "It will take some time to check out all these places she has worked, but we will have narrowed down what has been going on with her all these years."

As he was finishing up his list of damaged items the lawyer told his friend, "See if you can find any pictures of her in different disguises. She has a big ego, and people like that want to preserve their triumphs. We may just understand how she has been able to slip away from your operatives."

"That's a good idea Perry. I might be out of contact for a while, but I will call in every so often." He winked at Della as he said, "That should keep your boss from getting too antsy."

She grinned at him and said, "thanks Paul, I appreciate any help I can get keeping Mr. Mason in line."

Paul headed for the door with a smirk on his face, "I'm out of here. I'm not getting in between any trouble brewing here."

Mason slammed the door after the detective and turned to face his secretary. "You need help keeping me in line?"

Della backed away and couldn't help but laughing, "you can be a handful, you know."

"I'll show you what I can do with my hands Miss Street. Now, come and sit on my lap." He requested with a grin on his face.

"Sorry sir, but I have to get to work and call my insurance company and take a list of my damages to the police. I'm sure my boss is not happy I am so late today."

Sliding an arm around her waist he pulled her toward him, "Let him wait we have more important business right now."

"Oh?" she asked, "and what do you have in mind in this mess?" As he looked at the dining room table she shook her head. "You can forget that Mister. Besides, I thought we had some shopping to do."

Perry leaned down and kissed her lips, his slipped a hand under her hair and massaged her neck as he deepened their embrace. Della wrapped her arms around his waist pressing her body against his. Moving his hands down her back he caressed her curves, so she could feel his intense desire for her. "I need you," he moaned.

As his lips moved to her neck she began to unbutton his shirt and ran her hands across his broad chest. "Perry, I need you too."

He began to slide a hand up her skirt as there as pounding on the door. "Damn that detective his timing is abominable."

Knuckles hit the door again and Lt. Tragg's voice said, "Open up Mason, I know you are in there."

The lawyer groaned. "Even worse, the police." Straightening up his clothes as Della hurried to the bathroom he shouted, "just a moment, it's a mess in here."

Breathing heavy Mason threw open the door. "What can I do for you, Tragg?"

Looking around the room Tragg asked, "where is the estimable Miss Street?"

Perry replied, "She is inventorying the bathroom to see what damage was done there. I was moving some of this furniture. Why are you here? Is someone dead?"

Tragg took off his hat as he surveyed the damage. "Someone sure doesn't like you counselor."

"So, it would seem, but as I asked before what can I do for you?"

The police detective grinned, "I heard a funny rumor this morning. Someone trashed the apartments of Perry Mason and his secretary. I just had to see for myself. It did seem odd that someone would hurt Della, but you have made some enemies."

"I wish I could offer you a drink Lieutenant, but someone destroyed all my liquor and I know you are on duty. So, what can I do for you?"

Della came back into the room as he was saying, "actually Perry I wondered if you two needed any help. You know personally I like you and if I can find out what happened I would like to help. How are you doing Della?"

As she moved to Perry's side she responded, "This is no fun being a target you know. I wish you could help."

"Isn't that the truth," Tragg said. "Have you had a chance to inventory what is missing or damaged? I can take it to the burglary division for you."

"We were just finishing up so we could drop it off at police headquarters and then go to see the insurance agent." Della informed him.

Tragg took the lists and remarked, "I'll take these to the station. If there is anymore I can do let me know. I am really sorry this happened to both of you. Well I'll leave you and let you get back to what you were doing before I interrupted."

As he walked out the door Perry looked at Della. She shook her head, "We really need to get to the insurance office and looking for some new furniture for you, as well a new bed."

Laughing Perry took her arm and commented, "you said the magic word, "Bed". Let's go young lady."

"One track mind," she muttered under her breath as they left the apartment.