exeunt

Ezra Honcutt shifted his eyes to Della Street, promptly lowered to the floor. "Good night, ma'am," he said.
"Good night," Della Street said, "and I'm very pleased I met you and thanks a lot for your help."
She moved impulsively toward him and extended her hand.
Honcutt's Adam's apple raced up and down his throat twice before he could say, "Thank you, ma'am, very much."
For a moment he touched her hand, then pulled his own hand back.

(Ezra Honcutt and Della Street, from Erle Stanley Gardner "Perry Mason solves the case of the Bigamous Spouse)

in statu nascendi

Perry Mason said seriously. "Do you suppose there is any chance on earth that this case is one-tenth as interesting as you're making it sound?"
"Somehow," Della Street said, "I have an idea it's even more interesting, although I admit I did try to doll it up a bit."
"Let's take a look at her," Mason said.
Della Street nodded and glided quietly through the door to the outer office.

(Della Street and Perry Mason, from Erle Stanley Gardner "Perry Mason solves the case of the Bigamous Spouse)

modus vivendi

"I finished up my work at about nine o'clock. The eleventh was my day off. I had been told that I didn't need to stay all night on the tenth, so I left the house just prior to nine in the evening - just view minutes before. I had planned to return early on the morning of the twelfth. However, the police located me and interfered with my plans."

(Mrs. Minnie Crowder, from Erle Stanley Gardner "Perry Mason solves the case of the Bigamous Spouse)