The Case of the Teenage Delinquent

Chapter 11

1

Lieutenant Tragg arrived at the high school where Colton Parker attended. He parked his car in the parking lot and headed directly into the school. After asking where the administration office was, the lieutenant entered and looked around. A woman behind the counter smiled. "May I help you, sir?"

Tragg reached into his suit coat pocket, pulled out his detective's badge and said, "Lieutenant Tragg, Homicide. I would like to speak with a student of yours, Colton Parker."

The woman's attitude changed immediately. She straightened up and said, "One moment, Lieutenant." She walked back to the office that said Principal on the door. She knocked and disappeared inside. A moment later, a tall handsome man with slightly graying hair came out.

"Lieutenant Tragg, please join me in my office." He used his hand to gesture for the Tragg to follow him.

Once inside, the man closed the door. The principal put his hand out and said, "My name is Russell Henry. I am the principal at this school. What can I do for you?"

"I want to speak with one of your students, Colton Parker."

"Yes, my secretary told me so. I am having her check his schedule to see what class he is in at the moment. If you would like to have a seat, it will only be a few minutes. May I ask why you want to speak with Colton."

"I am investigating the murder of his father, Cliff Parker," Tragg answered.

"Surely, you don't think the boy had anything to do with it, do you?" Mister Henry asked.

"That is what I am trying to find out," the lieutenant told him. "Colton and Cliff Parker had a fight at this school yesterday. Did you check into that?" Tragg inquired.

"Of course. I have long suspected Cliff Parker to be abusive to the boy, but never had anything I could take to the police. Colton was always very tight-lipped about his home life."

"What kind of student is he?"

Russell Henry smiled. "He is extremely intelligent. Unfortunately, he is a dreamer. He wants to be an actor. As you know, compared to the people who try to go into acting to those that succeed, the chances are slim to none. It has caused a bit of a problem. He would skip school to hang out at the television and motion picture studios."

"Were his parents supportive of his choice of occupation?"

Henry shook his head. "Absolutely not, at least Cliff Parker was not. He made it very clear the boy was to be severely punished if he was caught skipping school to go to the studios."

"And his mother?"

Henry frowned. "Unfortunately, she never was the one to deal with the boy's problems. She left that to her husband. Again, I suspect he was abusive to her as well."

"How do you know that?" Tragg asked.

"I don't really. However, occasionally the boy would let something slip. I remember one time, his father was out of town and Colton got into a fight with another boy. I called his mother at the law office. She came to the school. She was supporting a black eye and a bruise on the side of her face."

"The boy was violent then?"

"No, but he never back down from a fight if someone started it."

"Were there witnesses to the fight Colton had with is father here at the school?" Tragg demanded to know.

"Yes. As you know, a fight will always draw a crowd."

"I would like to talk to some of those that witnessed the fight."

"I thought you would. I have asked one of our instructors to come to my office and speak with you. He was a ways away from where the fight took place. By the time he got there, the boy had run off and his father was rather belligerent with him."

A knock sounded on the door. Henry's secretary opened it and came in. Mister Henry, Colton Parker is supposed to be in History class right now."

"What do you mean is supposed to be?" Tragg questioned.

"He did not show up to school today, Lieutenant," she told him.

Another knock sounded on the door. The secretary opened it and a man walked in. He was at least six-feet-five inches tall and built like a linebacker. "You wanted to see me, Mister Henry?"

"Yes Joel, come in," Russell Henry said. "This is Lieutenant Tragg from the Police Department. He would like to talk to you about Colton Parker. Lieutenant, this is Joel Katofsky. He is our football coach."

Katofsky shook hands with Tragg and sat down. The veteran detective wasted no time getting to the point. "You witnessed the fight between Colton Parker and his father?"

"Yes, sir. I was a ways away from where it took place, but they were so loud, I could hear every word, Katofsky told him.

"What was the fight about?"

"Apparently, Colton had consulted a lawyer..."

Before he could say another word, Tragg interrupted him. "Which lawyer?"

"Perry Mason. I remember his name because, well you know, everyone has heard of him."

"Mason," Tragg said. Why was it whenever a murder took place, Mason was right smack dab in the middle of it? "Go on," he told the football coach.

"Well, Parker, that is Cliff Parker was yelling at Colton for going to Perry Mason who called Child Protection Services on Cliff Parker. He insisted the boy call the Service and tell them it was all a mistake. Parker hit the boy and told him to stay away from Mason. Colton said he was sick of being a punching bag. He said Mason was going to help him and he would get him to help his mother too. Colton refused to go with him. He told his father he would have Mason press charges against him.

"At that point, Cliff Parker slugged Colton in the face. The boy fell to the ground but got right back up and slugged his father in the stomach. I think he knocked the wind out of him as he doubled over. Colton then told him if he ever touched him or his mother again, he would kill him. He then ran off. When Cliff Parker recovered, he left very angry. Colton didn't mean it though. He would not kill his father."

"It looks like he may have done just that," Tragg said. "Cliff Parker was murdered last night. I would like to talk to some of the students who witnessed the fight."

Russell Henry nodded and called his secretary back into his office. "Call in the students that witnessed the Parker fight."

Tragg didn't like not finding Colton Parker in school. Yet, at the same time, he was not surprised. After all, if Mason was involved, he probably whisked the boy off somewhere. It was doubtful he put him in a motel under his own name. Up until now, he could not force Mason to bring the boy out of hiding. He not only found the murder weapon in his home, but now he had the motive. Despite understanding why the boy would do it, Tragg knew he had to arrest him for the murder of Cliff Parker. He should have gone to the police instead of a lawyer. In a way this whole mess was Perry Mason's fault.

Tragg waited for the rest of Hamilton Burger's witnesses to arrive for questioning. This would finally be that open and shut case Burger had been waiting for. Mason would not beat this wrap. The only thing that remained to be seen was whether Burger would try the boy as an adult.

2

Della Street had worked for Perry Mason a long time. She knew him better than anyone. At the moment he was pacing back and forth in his office. She usually left him alone as she knew pacing helped him to think and figure out cases. Although, this had not yet turned into a murder case, both of them knew it would shortly. Everything Colton Parker had done up to now was going to get him charged with the murder of his father.

Neither of them believed the boy killed his father. Perry had long ago learned to read his clients quite well. Della, through her association with the lawyer had developed the skill to a certain extent. However, a gut feeling was not a defense, or anything Arthur Tragg was going to listen to. He would soon have the circumstantial evidence to charge Colton with murder.

Della watched as Perry continued to pace in his office. She remained silent, waiting for the lawyer to speak. He usually bounced his thoughts off her and allowed her to speak her mind. Many a time, Della Street had provided him with a thought that led to a clue, which led to the solution to a case. She was aware that right now, Perry was trying to figure out a way to keep the boy from going through a sensational murder trial. Any trial the famous lawyer was involved in always became a media circus. Mason had to find a way to protect the boy from that.

Della knew Perry was worried Burger would be giddy over this case, and probably would charge the boy as an adult in order to get the maximum sentence. Quite often these days, not just Burger, but other prosecutors were so blinded by the fact they wanted to be the first to defeat the great Perry Mason; they failed to look beyond the obvious in order to see what had actually happened. It was Perry's job to see that they were forced to look at all facts of the case, not just what fit their narrative. He could not allow the injustice of a boy of seventeen years to be convicted of a crime he did not commit.

Mason turned and looked at Della who he knew had been watching him closely. The one thing he loved about her was she knew when to leave him alone and wait until he was ready to discuss the case. He walked over to her where she was sitting on the edge of his desk. "This is going to be one of those cases where we are going to be forced to find the real killer. Reasonable doubt, although definitely possible is not going to be good enough. That boy cannot go through life with people wondering whether or not he killed his father. Della, this is going to be a case where the press is going to sensationalize every aspect of it. I have to find a way to shield that boy from it."

Quietly, Della asked him, "Perry, is that even possible? Every paper is going to be covering it once it is discovered you are the defense attorney. Hamilton will be talking to the press and trying Colton in the papers as well as the public."

"Yes, I am aware of that. However, Colton is the victim here. He and his mother have been victimized for years at the hand of a sadistic monster. If I have to, I will play that up."

"Won't that just give the prosecution more of a motive?" Della questioned.

"That is a chance I am willing to take. The jury is going to be made up of moms and dads who will be envisioning their own children in such a situation. We have to make sure the jury has men and women who have children of their own. They will be more sympathetic towards Colton than I believe a single person would be. There is nothing stronger than the parent-child relationship."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I know of one relationship that is mighty strong," she said, smiling at the lawyer.

Perry closed the distance between them, took Della into his arms and kissed her. "Nothing is stronger than the bond between us," he whispered in her ear. Mason planted a kiss on her temple.

Della hugged him back, and the two of them remained there for a few moments. Perry appreciated everything about the woman he held in his arms, and could not imagine his working or private life without her.

When Mason let her go, Della looked up into his expressive blue eyes, which often revealed the feelings and emotions he was so adapt at masking. "So, where do we start?"

"We start with those that had a motive to kill Parker. The most common reasons for murder is money, jealousy and blackmail. We find out if he was blackmailing anyone, who his lovers were and if they had motives. Parker was involved in several deals where the legality was questionable. Somewhere there is evidence out there that will prove others had motive to kill him and without an alibi."

"Alright then. Let's get started," Della said. Perry took her elbow and led her out of his office. After telling Gertie they would be out for a while the couple left the office and headed for the elevator.

When they arrived at Mason's vehicle, he opened the door of the Cadillac and helped Della into the passenger seat. The lawyer started his vehicle and pulled it into traffic.

3

Sergeant Holcomb knocked on the door of Lieutenant Arthur Tragg. The veteran police detective was putting on his hat and suit coat jacket. He turned to look through the glass to see who his visitor was. When he saw Holcomb there, he waved him into the office. "What is it, Holcomb?"

The sergeant chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment before answering. "Lieutenant, I have been doing some checking and I found out Colton Parker had a safety deposit box at Wells Fargo Bank on Main Street. He brought a box into the bank, and whatever he went in with, he did not go out with it."

"How did you find this out?"

"The clerk that let him into the vault saw him putting money into the box, which of course is not legal. The IRS frowns on people hiding money in a safety deposit box. She talked to the manager and he decided to call the police."

"So by checking, you mean you answered the phone," Tragg said sarcastically.

Holcomb's face turned red, but he did not respond to Tragg's remark. "What do you want to do about it?"

"Get a subpoena. I'll pick up what is in the safety deposit box. Have Sergeant Brice locate Mason. Tell him Colton Parker is wanted for suspicion of murder. I want that kid's fingerprints. Mason has until the end of the day to bring the boy in. If he doesn't, tell Brice to tell him I will bring him in, throw him in jail for harboring a suspect in a murder case."

Holcomb hoped Mason did not comply. He would like nothing better than to see the shyster thrown in jail. They would have to find him first, and when Mason did not want to be found, it was not always easy to locate him. Brice would probably start with his office. From there it was a turkey shoot trying to find him.

4

Colton Parker turned off the television. He just could not concentrate on it anyway. He was worried about his mother. She was in bad shape from the beating she took at the hands of Cliff Parker. Colton didn't kill him, but one thing for sure, he was glad the bastard was dead. He would never again beat his mother or him for that matter.

Having to stay put had him climbing the walls. He wasn't used to being cooped up like this. Perry Mason had his back; he was sure of that. The lawyer just didn't understand how being forced to stay here was affecting him. He had considered just taking off and never returning to Los Angeles. The problem was Colton had no idea where he would go, or how he would take care of himself. Then he had his mother to consider. She had been traumatized by Cliff over the years. His mom had a long way to go before things would return to normal for her.

At least his mother was a lawyer. She could fall back on that. With Cliff gone, Deborah Parker could practice honest law. She really had not been practicing it at all in the first place. Deborah would not do the illegal things Cliff wanted her to do. Colton was certain that was one of the reasons his father would beat her. She refused to be his partner in the criminal activities he was involved in.

Ethan Alexander came down the stairs. When he entered the living room, Colton was standing at the front window staring out. Ethan walked over to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. From the boy's startled reaction, it was clear he had not heard Ethan approach.

"You are pretty jumpy, son," Alexander observed.

"Wouldn't you be? The police are probably looking for me to arrest me for killing Cliff, and I did not do it."

Ethan smiled at the boy. "You could not be in better hands, Colton. Perry Mason is the best there is at what he does. He will protect you."

"Can he stop the police from arresting me?"

Ethan raised both eyebrows and looked down. "I am afraid not. You can count on the fact that he will do everything he can to get you cleared of murder. Besides, there still is a chance you will not be charged."

Colton looked at him with skepticism. "You really don't believe that, do you? Mister Mason is quite certain that I will be arrested."

"I don't know what to believe. The police have not shown up here yet."

"Only because they don't know where I am, and they would not associate me with you. Mister Mason probably knows that and it is the reason he is making me stay here. Maybe I should just run."

Alarmed the boy would even consider it, Ethan said sternly, "Don't you even think of it. You can't run for the rest of your life, and the police would eventually find you anyway. Flight is considered an admission of guilt. You would make things much harder for Perry Mason to prove your innocence. Promise me you won't do it, Colton."

"Aw...I was just blowing off steam," the boy said, not looking at Alexander.

"Promise me," Colton," he demanded.

"Alright, I promise you. I won't run." He turned and looked at Ethan. Dropping his eyes from him, he almost whispered, "I'm scared, Ethan. I am really scared."

Alexander put his hand behind the boy's neck and pulled him into an embrace. "I know you are. Just remember, I am going to be here for you. I have the money to pay Mason whatever it takes to clear you. He's good, Colton, I mean really good. Mason is going to get you off. He has never yet lost a case. Mason is known as the lawyer that never loses."

Colton pulled away from Ethan. "There is a first time for everything. I just don't want to be the first case he loses."

"And you won't be. Have faith. He will clear you."

"I hope so."

5

The phone in Perry's pocket began ringing. He reached in and removed it. "Mason."

"Perry, it's Paul. Listen, I have been nosing around and have found out Colton has a safety deposit box. He went into the Wells Fargo Bank with a box and put something in it. You might want to find out what it is before Tragg does."

"Thanks, Paul. I will do that. We will head over to talk to Colton now." Mason hung up the phone. Everything else would have to wait.

"What did Paul say?" Della asked. Mason repeated the conversation. "Then I take it, you are going to find out what he put in it?" The lawyer did not answer. He didn't need to. Della knew that was exactly what he was going to do.

When Perry pulled up in front of Alexander's house, he shut off the engine and went around to the passenger side to assist Della out of the vehicle. Taking her by the hand, he waited as she slid her legs out and stood up. Perry took her elbow and the couple headed up the sidewalk to the front door. Mason rang the doorbell and waited.

Ethan Alexander peered out the window and opened the door immediately when he saw the lawyer and his secretary standing there. "Mister Mason. We were not expecting you. Come in."

Perry and Della stepped inside. "I want to talk to Colton."

"He is in the living room. Follow me." Alexander led them to the boy who was sitting in a chair near the fireplace with a magazine in his hand. He dropped it on the stand beside the chair and stood up when he saw Mason.

"Mister Mason, are the police still looking for me?"

"Yes, they are. I need to talk to you, Colton. I don't think you have been telling me everything."

"I don't know what you mean. I told you everything I know about Cliff."

"You were seen at the Wells Fargo Bank. You took a box in there and put something in the safety deposit box. What was it?"

Colton turned away from the lawyer. How did he find out? He had not told him because he was afraid of how it would look. He was sure no one would find out about it. If Mason knew what was in it, he might have to turn it over to the police. Colton had been checking the laws of evidence on the internet to see what would happen if his lawyer knew he took the money and list from his father's safe. He had not liked what he had found out. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Mason walked over to the boy, placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Colton, if I am to defend you, you must tell me everything no matter how bad it might be. I cannot be blindsided in court. Now, I want to know what you put in that safety deposit box." Mason's voice was demanding and stern.

Colton looked away from him. "I can't tell you. If you knew what was in there, you would have to turn it over to the police. If it stays in the box, it can't hurt me."

"Listen to me, Colton. If my private detective could find out about the safety deposit box, and that you put something in it, the police will find out as well. Now, you have to trust me. I have to know what you put in that box."

Colton looked down. He just could not tell him. He knew Mason would have to turn it over to the police. No, he would not tell him. The boy said nothing. He just remained silent.

Della watched Colton. He was scared. He was only seventeen; just a boy. Placing her hand on Perry's arm, she looked into his blue eyes. Perry and Della read each other rather well. He could tell she wanted him to let her try. The lawyer nodded at her and backed off.

"Colton, Mister Mason is trying to help you. No matter how bad you think what you put in that box is, he has to know. He is right about the police; they will find out about the box. Mister Mason needs to know what is in there so he can figure out a way to minimize whatever damage it is going to cause. We know you are scared. We are here to help you. You must trust Mister Mason."

"But he will have to turn it over to the police!" Colton protested.

"Would you rather the police discover it, and Mister Mason never gets a chance to look at it until they use it against you in court?" Della asked.

The look on the boy's face was complete panic and confusion. He sat down in the chair and put his head in his hands. Della could tell he was fighting tears.

"Tell them, Colton," Ethan said softly.

The boy looked at his lawyer. "I found money in his safe when I was in his office... a lot of money. I stopped counting it when I got to $300,000. I think there was another $100,000 more."

"And you took the money?" Mason asked.

"Yes, I thought I could force my father to leave my mother and me alone by threatening not to give it back to him."

"And that is what you put in the safety deposit box?" Mason questioned.

"Yes."

"Did you put anything else in it?"

"A list of women. I think Cliff was blackmailing them. There was a dollar figure next to their names. When I added it up, it came to $400,000."

"This is not good," Ethan said.

"No, it isn't," Mason agreed. "Colton, I want you to give me the key to that box and sign a statement giving me the authority to remove the contents of the box."

"You want the money?" Colton asked.

"I am more interested in the list of women. Any one of them could be the one that killed Cliff Parker."

Colton reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. He handed it to Mason. "That's the key to the box."

Mason addressed Ethan. "Do you have a computer with a word processing application?"

"Of course," Alexander said.

"Della, type up a document authorizing me to take possession of the contents of that safety deposit box."

"This way, Miss Street," Ethan said, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Mister Mason, you are going to have to turn it over to the police, aren't you?"

"Right now, I am going to pick it up. I want to get a look at that list. Then I will turn it over to the police. Colton, when I get back, we are going to call the police and you will turn yourself into them."

The boy's eyes widen in terror. "You are going to turn me in? But you are my lawyer!"

"Listen to me. There is an APB out on you. The police are looking for you. As soon as they contact me, I have no choice but to have you turn yourself in. I am an officer of the court and I cannot ignore an APB. I will be there with you. Now, I told you this would happen. You have to trust me to protect you."

Tears appeared in the boy's eyes. "I am so scared, Mister Mason."

Perry felt for the young man. He was just a kid. "I know you are. I am going to do everything I can to help you."

Della returned with the letter of authorization and handed it to Perry. He pulled a pen out of his pocket and gave it to Colton. Once his signature was on the paper, Mason told them they would be back. He and Della left the house for the Wells Fargo Bank.

Sergeant Brice picked up his cellphone and called Tragg. When he got him on the phone, he said, "Lieutenant, your hunch was right. I have located Mason. He just came out of a house belonging to Ethan Alexander. He and his secretary are getting into his car now. Do you want me to follow them?"

"No," Tragg said, "I know where he is going. Once they are gone, pick up Colton Parker."