The Case of the Look-alike Detective
Chapter 14
Closing In
1
Perry and Della sat at the table with Robert Ironside. Della looked back and forth between the two men. Neither of them spoke. Perry took a swallow of beer and smiled at Della with an intimacy that would be easy for anyone to notice and it certainly wasn't hard for Ironside to notice. Finally he said, "Why do the two of you keep your relationship hidden? You are both single adults." He continued to watch both of them with the well-known Ironside piercing glare.
Both Della and Perry were embarrassed by Ironside's direct question about their private lives. They looked at one another searching each other's eyes for an answer to give Ironside. Finally, Perry spoke up, "It's complicated, Bob. Della is my secretary. We already have the gossip magazines following us around and printing gossip about us. We try to be discreet about our private lives but they're always speculating about us . . ."
"Then cut them off at the knees," Ironside interrupted gruffly. "You obviously love each other. Get married. Who gives a damn that Della is your secretary? Do you really think you'd be the first man to marry his secretary? There is no reason you couldn't still work together. You're compatible on the job now. Why would it be any different if you were married? By sneaking around you fuel their fire. Admit your feelings openly. Get married, live together, and work together. You're a perfect team. Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks." As Perry began to open his mouth to say something, Ironside cut him off, "And don't tell me it would affect your practice. That's an excuse not to face the relationship on both your parts. You are one hell of an attorney, Perry. People come to you because you're the best there is and they will still come to you if Della is Mrs. Perry Mason." He looked down, away from Perry and Della, and softened his usually boisterous voice. "Look, this is really none of my business but sometimes I just have to say what I think . . . especially when I think my friends are making mistakes with their lives."
Della smiled, "Chief . . ."
Ironside interrupted her and the boisterous tone returned. "Della, stop using my title. My friends use my first name," he grumbled.
"All right, Robert," Della said. "Since we're being so personal, suppose you tell us why you never remarried after you lost your wife and please don't use that chair as an excuse," Della said in a tone that didn't allow any avoidance of her question. As she watched Robert Ironside, it was obvious she hit a nerve.
"There has been a woman since my wife died. Her name was Barbara. She worked as a nurse's aide at St. Mary's Hospital where I was taken after I was shot. She was found badly beaten and taken to that very same hospital. Once she recovered, she started working there. She had lost her memory. We eventually became very close. She didn't care about this chair," Ironside said as he raised an eyebrow at Della. "Someone was trying to kill her and I had to find out who she was in order to find out why she was being targeted. In the process I found out she had a husband and two little girls. Even though she did not remember her husband, Vic, or the girls for that matter, she couldn't turn her back on those girls and I wouldn't have wanted her to. She went back to him. Later when one of the girls was kidnapped, I went to her to help get her little girl back. Against my advice she took the money to the kidnapper herself and fell from a cliff. The fall brought back her memory but erased all memory of me," Ironside said quietly.
"You still love her, don't you?" Della asked as she saw the pain in Ironside's blue eyes.
"Yes," was all Ironside said. He waited a moment and then continued, "My job is hectic and it takes up most of my time. My family is Ed, Eve, and Mark. I enjoy them and I enjoy the rest of my friends and my life. I have no complaints. Maybe someday . . ." he trailed off.
All three remained quiet for a while. Della could feel Ironside's pain. She placed a hand over his and said, "Well, you have two more friends."
Ironside looked at Della and smiled.
There was a knock on the door. Ironside raised his voice and called out, "Come in."
Councilman David Martin, Sr. opened the door and entered. He stopped suddenly when he saw Perry Mason. "You didn't say anything about Mason being here, Ironside."
Perry stood up and walked over to Martin. "We've known each other a long time. You should know I wouldn't have taken Whitmore's case if I didn't believe he was innocent. David and I were friends. I want his killer found as much as you do. You can help us do that."
Martin came forward, looked at Ironside and Mason. "What do you want from me?"
Ironside studied him closely. "The case against Whitmore has been virtually destroyed by Mr. Mason. What little is left of it he will take care of in the next couple of days."
"Naturally, Jim Whitmore doesn't care whether or not his son is a killer. He just wants to save his political career. So he hired the best and, yes, Perry, I concede you are the best but I still believe Whitmore killed David."
Perry pulled out a chair. "Please, Dave, sit down."
Martin looked at Perry Mason. His eyes burned into Perry's piercing blue stare. He walked over to the chair Mason offered and sat down. "All right. I'm listening."
Ironside pulled out a report. "I would like you to read this." Ironside's eyes never left David Martin's face as he read the report.
When Martin had completed reading the report, his eyes closed and remained that way for several minutes. Ironside and Mason waited patiently. Martin looked up. "You haven't reported any of this to Commissioner Randall, have you? We've been questioning him and he hasn't mentioned any of this to us," Martin said.
Ironside took the report from Martin. "Dennis is kept informed regarding all investigations in this office. I've asked him to keep this one completely confidential."
"If you know these two cops are involved then please explain why you haven't arrested them?" Martin stood up and started pacing.
"I can't prove they killed your son, yet," Ironside said. "Perry and I have a plan to draw them out into the open. We need your help in order to do that."
"Exactly what is it you think I can do?"
Perry watched Martin get up and pace back and forth. He addressed him. "We want you to hold a press conference. You must be convincing. You will inform the press you have learned that Chief Ironside knows who is involved in your son's killing and he's been keeping it from the press and from the city council. You will tell them about the containers of drugs and tell the press that Chief Ironside is closing in on where these containers and drugs are located. Tell them that every storage unit and building large enough to house those trucks is being checked and it's only a matter of time before we come up with the right one. They aren't going to leave a multi-million dollar drug business behind. They'll be forced to move the drugs and those trucks. The two cops will have to make a move."
Martin looked at Ironside and sat back down. "What if they just cut their losses and run?"
"They can't. We know who they are and they won't get out of this city," Ironside boomed. "They're not going to leave millions of dollars behind."
"And when do you want to do this?" Martin asked the two men.
"By the end of the week," Ironside said.
"All right, I'll help you," Martin said.
"Good." Mason offered his hand to Martin. "It's important that no one knows about this until we're ready. Understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
After Martinleft, Ironside and Mason sat quietly drinking their beer. "What do you think, Bob?" Perry asked him.
"I think we're about to drive our killer out of hiding," Ironside said.
"Let's just hope everything goes according to plan. Paul and Lt. Tragg better find that warehouse," Della said, "or this whole thing will go up in smoke."
"Bob, can I help you retire?" Perry asked his friend.
"Thanks, but I want to stay up and think for a while. Mark will be home shortly. Perry, remember I agreed to this because you promised me you'll back off if I say so. I will not let you put yourself in danger," Chief Ironside said.
"After you tore my plan apart not much of this resembles what I brought to you. This is more your plan than mine," Perry argued.
"It's our plan and we're in this together. Now, you two get out of here."
2
Back at the hotel, Perry and Della sat curled up on the couch together. Perry had his arm around Della. She had her head tucked under his chin. "Were you watching Robert when he was talking about Barbara? Do you know anything about the woman he was talking about?"
"I remember when she was originally hospitalized. It was in the papers. They ran articles trying to find her family. No one came forward at the time. I didn't know she'd been working at St. Mary's. She must have helped him through the trauma of the shooting and finding out he would never walk again," Perry said. "That must have contributed to his falling in love with her."
"Chief, you don't suppose when this is all over that we could invite him to Los Angeles? We know a lot of single women. We could introduce him to one of them."
Perry put his head back and laughed. "The incurable romantic! Quite frankly Della, I doubt Bob needs or wants anyone to find him a woman. He is quite capable of doing it himself and he will when he's ready if that's what he wants. I don't think we know him well enough to start meddling in his love life."
Della poked Perry in the ribs for his expressing amusement at her suggestion. It just made him laugh harder. "Watch it, counselor," she said in a low sultry voice. "Remember, he looks like you and sounds like you. I could hook up with him and never have to miss those blue eyes or jaw line dimples."
Perry couldn't control his laughter. Della sat back, watching him with amusement and a slight smile. When Perry finally got himself under control he said, "You would never leave me."
"Really, counselor? What makes you so sure?"
Perry cradled Della's chin with his hand and met her lips with his. After kissing her passionately, he broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. "That's why you will never leave me."
Della smiled, ran her finger down his long dimple and tapped his chin with her index finger.
3
The door to Ironside's office opened and Mark Sanger came in. "Chief, I'm back." Mark looked around and didn't see his boss. That could only mean one thing. He walked over to the chief's favorite window and there sat his friend looking out over San Francisco. Mark sighed. It was going to be a long night. The chief was in one of those moods. "Chief?"
"Evening, Mark," Ironside said quietly.
Mark waited. His boss said nothing. He walked back to the kitchen pulled out two glasses and grabbed a bottle of bourbon. When he got back at the window he poured two glasses of bourbon and handed one to the wheelchair-bound detective.
Ironside accepted the glass and took a drink without looking back at his aide. His thoughts drifted back to memories he tried to keep buried, but Della had brought them painfully to the surface.
Mark said nothing as he knew all the Chief wanted or needed was his company.
4
Perry, Della, Paul, Hamilton, and Tragg sat in the dining room of the hotel. They were just finishing breakfast.
Tragg asked, "So did Martin go for Ironside's plan?"
"Yes, he did," Perry answered. "Now it is up to you guys to find that warehouse with those trucks. Hamilton and I will go back into court and start building the case that Whitmore was framed. But we can only keep this going for so long. You have to find that warehouse."
"We'll find it, Perry. Just stall in court as long as you can," Paul said.
Eve Whitfield walked into the room. "Morning, everyone."
Perry stood up, pulled another chair to the table and seated Eve between him and Paul. "Did you talk to Chief Ironside this morning, Eve?"
"Yes, I arrived early. He sent Ed out to Whitmore's place with a fingerprint crew. When he's done there, the Chief told him to join us," Eve told them.
"Paul stood up. Well then, why don't you and I get going? Ed can join Lt. Tragg when he is done at Whitmore's." Eve stood up and left with Paul.
Tragg shook his head. "Last night Ironside tried to poison me with that chili of his and today Drake gets to work with a pretty policewoman and I get Brown."
Della, Hamilton, and Perry began laughing. "Let's get going," Perry said.
5
Perry, Della, and Hamilton entered the courtroom taking their places at the defense counsel table. Scott Whitmore was brought in and seated. John Richards had already entered the courtroom and was seated at the prosecutor's table.
"All rise," the bailiff announced.
"Is the defense ready to call their next witness?" Judge Thatcher asked Mason.
"Yes, Your Honor. We would like to call Dr. Bud Glenn to the stand," Mason called out.
Dr. Glenn came forward, took the oath, and sat down at the witness stand.
Hamilton Burger stood and approached the doctor. "Dr. Glenn, please tell the jury your name, your occupation, and where you are currently employed."
Glenn turned toward the jury and did as he was asked.
"Dr. Glenn, did you have the occasion to treat the defendant?" Burger asked him.
"Yes, sir, I did. I was called in by a Detective Edward Brown to treat a head wound on the back of Mr. Whitmore's head."
"Could you tell the court the nature of the wound?" Burger continued.
"Yes. He had a very large bump on the back of his head with a gash a little less than half an inch across."
"Could you tell the court what kind of weapon would have made this injury?" Burger questioned.
Richards stood up, "Objection. Calls for a conclusion."
"Sustained," came the response from Thatcher.
Burger walked over to the evidence table and picked up the murder gun and walked back to the witness stand. "Dr. Glenn, please examine this gun and then tell the court if the injury to the back of Mr. Whitmore's head would coincide with the butt end of the handle on this gun?" Burger waited, expecting an objection from Richards but didn't get it. Richards was staring at the pad of paper in front of him.
Dr. Glenn accepted the gun, looked it over, and then said, "Yes, it's possible the wound could have been made by the handle of a gun such as this."
Burger took the gun back and said, "From the damage done to the defendant's skull, would you say the defendant would have been knocked unconscious by the blow?"
Richards called out, "Objection, calls for a conclusion."
Thatcher immediately responded, "I am going to allow the question."
"From the extent of the trauma to the back of Mr. Whitmore's head, I would say yes. He would have been rendered unconscious."
"Your witness," Burger said and sat down beside Perry.
Richards remained seated. "Dr. Glenn, isn't it also possible the wound on the defendant's head could have been made by falling?"
Glenn squinted and then said, "It is possible but not likely due to the position of the wound on the defendant's skull."
"But it is possible, is it not?" Richards asked.
"Yes, it is possible," Glenn replied.
"Could you determine when the wound was inflicted?
"Sometime earlier in the evening. The wound was fairly fresh."
"Is it not possible that it could have happened in a struggle between Lt. David Martin and the defendant?"
Perry stayed seated but called out, "Objection, the witness wasn't there. He would have no way of knowing if the two men even struggled."
"Sustained."
"No further questions, Your Honor," Richards said.
"Any re-direct, Mr. Mason?" Thatcher asked.
"No, Your Honor," Mason said.
Thatcher turned to the witness and said, "You are excused."
The bailiff walked over to Judge Thatcher and whispered something in his ear.
Thatcher addressed the court, "Gentlemen, I have been informed that I have an emergency at home. This court is adjourned until 9:00 tomorrow morning."
Perry turned to Hamilton. "That's a break for us. That will give us a chance to get the results from Ed Brown's fingerprint crew. Let's head back to Ironside's office and see if we can help out there."
6
Sgt. Ed Brown and Lt. Arthur Tragg, with search warrant in hand, approached the offices of the Jordan Trucking Company. "I don't know what this is all about," Wayne Jordan said. "We have nothing to hide Sgt. Brown. You're welcome to search all of the warehouses."
"Let's split up. You take that side, I'll take this side," Ed Brown told Lt. Tragg.
"Why is Ironside having us search this warehouse? Where is the connection to Whitmore's warehouse?" Tragg wondered.
"There isn't but there is a connection to the man the chief believes is behind this. He just doesn't know he has a connection to it. Let's get started," Brown said.
Lt. Tragg and Sgt. Brown headed for opposite sides of the warehouse.
7
Perry and Della entered Ironside's office. Hamilton had gone to see Scott Whitmore at Perry's request.
"What are you people doing here? You're supposed to be in court," Ironside bellowed out.
"The judge had an emergency at home. He adjourned court until tomorrow," Della told him.
"Well then, sit down. Carl Reese is on his way up here. We've had a development in the case." Ironside wheeled his chair into the kitchen and picked up the empty coffee pot.
Mark entered the room and moved immediately to his boss. "I'll get that, Chief." He took the coffee pot from Ironside who then wheeled his chair back to his guests.
Perry sat down beside Robert Ironside and inquired, "What development, Bob?"
At that moment Carl Reese entered the office/residence of Chief Ironside. "They'll bring him up in a minute, Chief."
"Bring who up?" Perry asked.
"Officer Martinez," Carl Reese said. "I think you will all find this very interesting."
Perry and Della looked at each other and then back to Ironside. "What's going on, Bob?" Perry asked.
Ironside put his hand up. "Let's wait for them to bring in Martinez."
Mark brought over a freshly brewed pot full of coffee and went back for the mugs. As he finished pouring coffee for everyone Officer Martinez walked into Chief Ironside's office.
Martinez looked around the room at the people before him and then addressed Robert Ironside. "I was told you wanted to see me, Chief." Martinez eyed Ironside with worry.
"Sit down, Officer Martinez." Carl Reese walked up behind the officer and quickly removed his service revolver from his holster.
"What the hell is the meaning of this?" Martinez shouted.
Ironside watched him with a steely stoned face in disgust. He picked up a short report and threw it toward Martinez without saying a word. He continued to stare Martinez straight in the eyes. Martinez was unable to withstand Ironside's glare and averted his eyes from San Francisco's most feared detective.
When Martinez didn't pick up the report, Ironside did and pitched it toward Martinez's face. "Read it, Officer," he roared.
Martinez picked up the report and began reading. His face drained of all color. It was all the reaction Ironside required. "Book him, Carl."
As Reese started to reach for him, Martinez smashed his fist in Carl's face. He pulled a knife that he had concealed and went straight for Ironside. Perry, moving as quickly as his large frame would allow, maneuvered in front of Robert Ironside to deflect the attack. Mark raced in and grabbed Martinez's arm. As soon as Perry was sure Martinez presented no further threat to Ironside he moved in to assist Mark. Ironside grabbed Della's hand and pushed her behind his wheelchair. "Stay there, Della" he barked.
Perry and Mark continued to struggle with the enraged officer. Suddenly all three men crashed to the floor. Carl had recovered and rushed over to them.
Ironside wheeled over to them as Della screamed, "Perry!"
"Carl, call an ambulance," Ironside roared as he held Della back.