Perry was now defending an actor whose joke cost someone their life. The gun was to be filled with blanks, but somehow, a real bullet was loaded. Della and Joy arrived at the hotel while Perry was in court. Paul arrived shortly after. "I didn't need all of this," he said upon seeing the suite.

"We're using our suite as an office. Your room will be ready soon."

"This case shouldn't take long. Anytime you turn on the television, you see the shooting."

Perry walked in and started talking to Paul about the case before sending him off to investigate. "Perry, we have to do something about Joy's schooling. I can't keep pulling her out of school every time I have to follow you for a case," Della said. "I don't have time to home school her."

"We can hire a tutor."

"She needs to be around people her own age. I really think we should consider that boarding school."

"We'll talk about it when the case is over." Perry didn't like the idea of sending his daughter away. However, Della was right. She needed to be in school and she needed to be around kids her own age.

The next day, Perry and Paul were out questioning everyone at the set where the shooting took place. Della and Joy stayed at the suite. "You're sending me away?"

Della turned and saw her daughter, "what?"

"I heard you and daddy talking last night."

"Come here," Della waited until her daughter took a seat at the table. "Sweetheart, it's very important for you to not only be in school but to be with kids your own age."

"Why don't you just quit?"

"It's not that easy."

Perry and Paul walked into the suite, "I think it is," Joy said angrily. She stood and came into view of her father and surrogate brother. "You're choosing your job over me. Isn't that what you've done your whole life? You chose your job over getting married and having children. Then, when you decided you didn't want to miss out, you had to adopt. Fine, send me away. See if I care. I'd rather be with strangers than a selfish mother anyway." Joy stormed out of view and into her room.

Perry and Paul walked up the steps and saw Della seated at the table. "What happened?" Perry asked.

Della looked up and the two men saw tears forming in her eyes. "She heard us last night." The woman wiped her eyes. "We don't have time to dwell on this. What have you both found?"

Paul and Perry went over every person with a motive. The list had grown significantly. Della did her best to focus, but her mind often drifted to Joy. After Paul left, Perry ordered dinner to be sent up to the room. While they waited, he went to his daughter's bedroom. Joy was lying on the bed and had been crying. Perry sat on the edge of the bed. "You weren't meant to hear that conversation last night. We were just trying to find a way to keep you in school. No decision has been made, but when it is, it will be made by both your mother and me."

"It's strange," Joy said softly, "since you came back into our lives, I feel less like her daughter. I feel like I'm in the way or I don't belong here."

"Come here," Perry said gently. Joy sat up and Perry put his arm around her as he pulled her closer to him. "You most certainly belong with us. You're our daughter and we love you no matter what. Now, why don't you come out and have dinner with us?"

"Okay," Joy said.

The two walked out of the bedroom. Perry held his daughter close to him. He could tell that she needed it. Joy didn't speak to her mother the rest of the night. She also went to bed without saying goodnight to her.

Perry and Della were in court the next day. During the lunch break, they briefly stopped by the suite to check on Joy. "Daddy, do I have a say in my schooling?"

Perry and Della looked at one another, "you can tell us what you'd prefer and why, but we can't guarantee that it will be the final choice."

"I think I should go away."

The couple was shocked, "you do?" Perry asked.

"Yeah," Joy said, "that way, I won't be in the way."

Perry walked over and sat by his daughter, "I've told you, you're never in the way."

"I just think it's best."

"Your mother and I will discuss it." He kissed his daughter's cheek and left with Della.

"Last night, when you went to talk to her, she told you that she was in the way?"

"In a matter of speaking. She said that she feels like she doesn't belong."

"That's ridiculous," Della said.

"We'd better get back to court," Perry said.

Perry and Della had gone to the studio to watch the film from a different angle. After, they returned to the suite. Della went to her daughter's room. "Can I come in?" she asked and didn't receive an answer. "I know that you're upset, but your father's right, you're not in the way. He didn't tell me what the two of you talked about, but he did mention that you feel as if you don't belong here." There was still no response, "I know you're angry with me, but," Della decided to stop. Without saying another word, she left the room. "She still won't look at me or talk to me," she said once she had joined her husband in the living room. Della sat with him on the couch.

"I phoned that school you'd found earlier. They have a spot for her and she can go right away."

"I know I brought it up, but I really hate the idea of sending her away."

"I know," Perry said as he held his wife tightly, "I hate it too."

Perry and Della hated the way the case turned out. A young woman switched the blanks for real bullets so her boyfriend could kill a man who had ruined her mother's life. Both Perry and Della were a bit down about the case. They were also upset that they would be dropping their daughter off at boarding school in a few days. Joy had not spoken to Della since their fight. When they dropped her off, Joy said goodbye to Perry, but not her mother. "I don't think she'll ever forgive me," Della said after she and Perry were back on the road.

Perry took her hand, "she may surprise you."