Perry was in the hospital after having knee surgery. A friend of Della's brother dropped by for a visit. He told them about his new wife. Unfortunately, that night, his wife was murdered and he was suspect number one. Perry and Della visited him after his arrest. Perry agreed to represent Tony and Paul joined them. Perry, Della, and Paul looked around Tony's house. After, they ate and then met with Tony again. The papers were referring to Tony's late wife as a 'sex queen' or madam. The man was furious. He was released on bail. Della stopped eating regularly again. Tony had been surprised by her appearance. "So, um, where's your daughter?" he asked.
"I don't know."
"You don't know? How old is she?"
"Fourteen," Della said. "We had a huge fight and she took off about ten months ago. Haven't seen or heard from her since."
"I'm sorry," Tony said. He could tell that the subject was painful for the woman, "is that why you've stopped taking care of yourself?"
"How would you know that? It's been quite a while since we last saw one another."
"Della, I can tell that you're constantly exhausted. You're frail, weak, and you've lost that sparkle you always had."
"I'm fine, but you are charged with murder. Now, let's take care of that."
He wasn't surprised that Della changed the subject. To be honest, he'd probably change it too.
Della was called to the stand as a character witness. When Perry was done questioning her about Tony's character, the prosecutor took over. "Weren't you acquainted with the defendant's uncle, Michael Domenico?"
"Yes, I was."
"And isn't it true he proposed marriage to you?"
"Yes, he did."
"And did you accept his proposal?"
"Objection," Perry said, "relevancy?"
"I'm simply trying to establish the bias of the witness."
"Overruled," the judge said.
"Michael did propose to me, and we were engaged briefly."
"No further questions."
Della saw the look of sadness on her husband's face. She stepped down from the stand and walked over to the defense table. Della placed her hand on Perry's shoulder, "it was a long time ago," she said gently before reclaiming her seat at the table.
That night, Perry was very quiet. "Please, just say something," Della begged, "I can't take the silence." Perry still didn't say anything, "I've already lost my daughter. I don't want to lose you too."
Perry stopped in his tracks and turned to face his wife. "I'm sorry," he said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"We were only engaged for two months before I moved to Los Angeles. He meant nothing to me and I didn't think it mattered. I only accepted because my family was pushing me to find a husband."
"Okay," Perry said.
"Okay?"
"Let's go to bed."
Tony was acquitted a few days later. Perry took his wife back to their hotel room. "Perry, I'm going to lie down for a little while."
"I'll join you." He wasn't tired, but he was worried about his wife.
"I never loved him."
"Who?"
"Michael," Della answerd. "I said yes out of pressure. You're the only man I've ever loved."
"I gathered that from what you told me yesterday."
"I know, but I felt the need to say it. Now, you'd better get off of your feet."
"You first," Perry said.
Della climbed into bed and sighed with relief. Perry joined her and took her into his arms. "I'm sorry that I keep worrying you."
"Go to sleep," Perry whispered.
"I need to let her go."
Perry looked at his wife, confused, "what?"
"If I don't let her go, I'll never get better. She doesn't want to be my daughter. By now, she's probably found her real mother."
"You are her real mother. DNA doesn't make you a mother."
"I just miss her so much."
"I know," he said as he rubbed her back, "I miss her too."
"What did I do to make her hate me so much?"
"She doesn't hate you."
"It was that conversation about her schooling. She's never forgiven me for suggesting boarding school."
"Della, we don't know why Joy ran away."
"She ran away because of me. It's all my fault."
"It's not your fault. Before she went to boarding school, Joy told me that she'd been feeling less like your daughter since I came back home."
"What?"
"She didn't know why, but that's probably why she decided to go away to school."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I knew you'd insist on talking to her and I also knew she was very fragile at the time."
Della started crying and Perry continued rubbing her back. She cried herself to sleep. Perry knew, that Della wouldn't get better until they found Joy.