One month later:
Perry parked his convertible outside the rental beach house. He got out and checked his watch. It was exactly 8:35am.
As expected, the front door swung open and Della, wearing sunglasses, emerged. She warily glanced to the right and left, and was about to walk to the waiting car when she realized who was standing in front of her.
"Perry!" she cried out. "What are you doing here?"
With a laugh, Perry seized the hand which wore his diamond ring, and used it to pull his betrothed into his embrace.
"I've come to drive you to work," he said with a smile. He pressed a quick kiss upon her lips, and straightening up, became serious. "Della, it's all over. Maurice Watkins, the boss of the mob, finally signed a full confession this morning, and both Paul Drake's and the police's investigations have been satisfactorily concluded. All the mobsters have been caught and are in prison."
Della slowly removed her sunglasses and gave him a grateful, overjoyed look.
"Perry, that is the best news I have heard since you told me that I was not dying!" She stood on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. "Can I visit my old apartment, now?"
"Yes, but only for three days, to pack it up, my dear. Have you forgotten that you are getting married this Saturday?"
"Hardly," she answered, beaming at him.
As Perry escorted her to his Cadillac, Della sighed with relief. Despite many causes of joy, it had been a trying month. Although she had been discharged from the hospital with a clean bill of health, Hamilton Burger and Lieutenant Tragg had strongly cautioned her that until their investigation was completed, they could not guarantee that there were no other mobsters still lurking in Los Angeles. Indeed, for several weeks, the police kept finding and arresting more members of the mob who had not been at the Scorpion Nightclub when it was raided.
It was easy for Paul and Perry to protect her during the day, as she was constantly by their side in the Brent Building or Los Angeles Courthouse; however, Perry shuddered at the thought of her staying at her apartment alone during the nights, unguarded and vulnerable, particularly as her address was common knowledge among the criminals who had poisoned her milk deliveries. The attorney, therefore, had set up an elaborate scheme to keep her nightly whereabouts unknown. He had Paul Drake hire two excellent female operatives; those girls had rented a remote beach house in their names. It was to this refuge that Ms. Street was secretly brought after leaving the hospital, and had lived there with her two vigilant roommates. Courtesy of Lieutenant Tragg, a police cruiser would drive by the house every ten minutes to keep an eye on it and its occupants. As Della demanded to go back to work, every morning at precisely 8:35am, one of Paul's other operatives would drive up in a different rental car and collect her. She would work at the office or at the courthouse as usual, and then, whenever it was time to go, another rental car would take her from the secured garage of the Brent Building to the beach house. Naturally, the chauffeur driving it would take every precaution to avoid being followed. And in order to keep her location a secret, Perry had avoided visiting her at her new residence until that morning, lest someone trail him there.
Perry could scarcely take his eyes off his beloved as they got into the car, but he knew that he would soon have to do so in order to drive. He was beyond grateful that this stressful chapter in their lives was over. However, he knew that, in the back of his mind, he would always be conscious of the fact that some other vengeful crook might choose to prey upon Della. He could scarcely wait until she was his wife, and he would have a right to be by her side every minute, keeping an eye on her and her surroundings. At least, Hamilton Burger had made a very good example of what would happen to anyone who dared hurt Della: Janice Hoffman had already been convicted of attempted murder, and had been given seventy-years to life in prison, with only the slightest chance of parole.
"Why, this is quite the headline!" Della exclaimed, unfolding a copy of the morning newspaper which she found lying on the Cadillac's dashboard. "District Attorney and Perry Mason Work Together to Bust Major Crime Syndicate."
"The police have apprehended and convicted over two hundred criminals connected with that mob to date," Perry said. "Hamilton is getting praise from the right and left for helping clear Los Angeles of them. He might well be elected governor if he chooses to run. I'm happy for him; he deserves it. He's worked very hard to not miss a single lead afforded by this case."
"You opened the door, and he barged into it," Della said with a smile. "But your contribution has not gone unnoticed! A little bird named Paul tells me that you have just been chosen to be the keynote speaker at the Bar Association Dinner this year and are going to get a citation from the mayor for your role in the bust."
"Della, the only reward that means anything to me is the fact that you are sitting here beside me, alive and well," Perry said, pressing a tender kiss upon her brown locks. In the next moment, his fiancée saw a pensive look coming into his eyes.
"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked. She added with a laugh, "I know that a client would pay you much more for them, but unfortunately I can't afford that kind of fee!"
The lawyer chuckled.
"I think you will pay a larger fee than all my clients put together, by putting up with me for the rest of your life! As a result, you are allowed to probe into my thoughts whenever you like." He gently touched her cheek with his fingertips. "I was just thinking about how good can somehow come out of the worst evil. For instance, the mob wished to deprive me of you. And instead, you will be mine more fully than you ever were before. No longer will you merely be my secretary, but my wife!"
Della moved closer to him and rested her head on his coat lapel.
"You know, being poisoned was not a pleasant experience, but I don't believe I ever will regret it, considering the fact that its longest-lasting effect will be a marriage between the two of us!"
Perry kissed her soundly. Then, he turned on the car engine and began to drive, gripping the steering wheel with his left hand. His right was draped protectively over Della's shoulders.
And so, they began to move forward, together.
THE END
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And, as always, thank you for your support!
I am planning on posting two new Perry & Della stories in the next few days: a one-shot entitled "Enough is Enough" and the first chapter of a multiple-chapter story, so please check back!
