We went a little crazy on the Fourth of July.

Free from the strict dress code of the police station, Dick has taken off his jacket and tie, and even unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.  Now he's ready to have Tess regale him with the tale of her brief encounter with Professor Noll (or Dr. Noll as Dick is now calling him, which I suppose is just about the same thing, sort of).  Unfortunately, Tess and the other neighborhood woman that made up the group (who also seems to be her dark-haired doppelganger) were a little tipsy when they paid their visit to the good doctor (or whoever they think was the good doctor.  That side view doesn't seem like the same guy mixing chemicals from the previous strip.  It also looks like he isn't answering the door at all and is in fact hanging a picture of two women in a snowstorm, but that could just be me.).  Taking advantage of her preoccupation with telling the story, Dick tries to sneak out of the strip, only to be noticed moments before he could disappear, forcing him to poke his head back in to let Tess know that he's still sort of paying attention.  (You almost made it, Dick.  You were so close.  Why did you turn back?  Why?)