The Case of the Failure to Look Beyond the Obvious
Chapter 21
Ironside wheeled out into the hall from the courtroom. Reporters followed him out. As he entered the hall, he was mobbed by more reporters. He spotted Mark coming down the hall. Ironside turned his wheel chair in his direction. Ignoring the questions of the reporters, he attempted to maneuver around them. His forward progress was halted. Frustrated, Ironside signaled Mark to hurry up.
"Come on chief," yelled a reporter. "How about commenting! Why have you and Perry Mason kept your relationship quiet all these years? How long have you known you were brothers?"
Mark reached the mob of reporters and pushed his way through them to rescue his boss. He immediately began pushing Ironside through the crowd. Running directly into them they began to part when they realized Mark was not going to stop the chief's wheel chair even if they did not move out of the way.
Ed Brown came out of nowhere, pushing his way through. "BACK UP AND LET THE CHIEF THROUGH. MOVE BACK. GIVE THE MAN ROOM," Ed yelled at the feeding frenzy that was going on. When he arrived in front of the boss, he informed him, "The van is right out front. I have the place surrounded by cops."
Carl approached Ironside from behind. "Alright, MOVE!" he yelled at the crowd. Let him through NOW!" The reporters were familiar with the hotheaded Italian lieutenant. They opened a path in front of the chief. Mark took advantage and sped up the pace of Ironside's wheel chair. The lift on the van had already been lowered. Mark turned Ironside around and he backed onto it. Mark pushed the button and Ironside was lifted into the air.
"Alright Mark! Get him out of here," shouted Carl as he slammed the passenger door. Mark started up the van and pulled away from the curb.
"Mark, get my Aunt Victoria on the phone, will you please?" Ironside said.
xxxxx
Perry returned to the courtroom. Reporters raced to the front but stayed behind the gate. They started shouting questions at him. Perry smiled at them but ignored their questions. In a rare display of public affection, Della reached over, took Perry's hand and squeezed. Perry smiled back at her in appreciation of her support.
Judge Thatcher re-entered the courtroom. The reporters immediately backed away and returned to their places in the back of the room. "Mr. Mason, call your next witness."
"The defense calls Abigail Falconer to the stand," Perry said.
Perry stood up and walked over to the newly sworn witness. "Miss Falconer, please tell the court where you reside."
Abigail crossed her legs and gave her address. "I am located a couple doors down from the apartment building where the murder was committed."
Mason placed both hands on the witness stand. "Please tell the court what you saw and heard that night."
Finding it hard to concentrate as she looked into Mason's deep blue eyes and mesmerized by the sound of his melodic voice, she could not help but think what a handsome man this lawyer was.
"Miss Falconer!" Mason said raising his voice.
"Oh, I am sorry. What was your question?" Perry repeated his question. "I had just arrived home and put my cat outside," she began. When I opened the door I heard what I thought sounded like a car backfiring."
"And what happened next?" Mason asked.
"I looked out but could not see any cars on the street. A man came from the direction of the apartment building. He seemed to be in a hurry."
John Richards stood up. "Your honor, the prosecution would like to know where Mr. Mason is going with this."
Judge Thatcher was in no mood to listen to Richards's objections. "Then I would suggest you listen and find out. Mr. Mason, you may continue."
"Miss Falconer, would you recognize the man if you saw him again?" Mason asked her.
"Oh yes, Mr. Mason. I would recognize him for sure," she said.
Mason turned to the judge. "Your honor, I would like to interrupt my examination of this witness to call a collaborating witness."
Richards stood back up. "Your honor, I object. I have not had a chance to cross-exam this witness.
Mason was ready for this. "Your honor, if the court will be patient with the manner in which I am presenting this case, Mr. Richards will have every opportunity to cross-exam both of these witnesses."
"Your honor…" Richard started to say.
"Your objection is noted, Mr. Richards. However, I am going to grant the defense this request. Please step down Miss Falconer. You will be recalled momentarily."
Perry turned toward a little boy sitting just behind the defense table. "The defense calls Justin Hartman." The crowd began whispering and talking excitedly when the ten year old boy came forward.
Justin was sworn in and sat down. Perry approached the youngster and said, "Justin do you understand the difference between telling the truth and telling a lie?"
"Of course, Mr. Mason. I get in lots of trouble when I tell a lie," he said. Several people around chuckled at the boy's answer.
Mason walked back to the defense table. Della handed him a picture. "I would like this entered as defense exhibit A."
John Richards got up and joined Mason at the bench. Mason handed him the photo. Richards turned pale. The shock on his face was obvious. Judge Thatcher saw his reaction and attempted to conceal the contempt he felt for the man. Richards turned and went back to the prosecutor's table. He was visibly shaken.
"Justin, I would like you to look at this picture and tell me if you have seen it before."
Justin took the picture. "I took that picture, Mr. Mason. You know that. Did you forget?" Laughter spread around the room. Judge Thatcher smiled.
"You take lots of pictures don't you?" Mason asked him.
"Of course, you know that. You saw a bunch of them." Justin said. Everyone was laughing again.
Perry walked back to the defense table at which time Della handed him a camera. "I would like this camera entered as defense exhibit B." John Richards did not attempt to examine the camera. Perry looked back at him. "Does the district attorney have any objection?"
"No objection." Richards said. The worry showed clearly on his face.
"Justin, have you seen this camera before?" Perry asked.
"I gave it to you. You must have a bad memory, Mr. Mason. That happens when you get old," Justin said with a toothy grin." The courtroom again broke out in laugher. Perry lost control. He placed both of his hands on his thighs and doubled over in a fit of laughter. When he stood up straight, he glanced back at Della with a big boyish grin and wiped a tear out of his eye.
Judge Thatcher again waited for the laughter to die down. Perry could not help himself. He chuckled again and everyone in the courtroom started laughing all over again.
Thatcher looked over at Mason and smiled. "Perhaps counselor I might be able to help you out here. "Justin," he said.
"Yes, your honor," the boy said seriously.
"Mr. Mason has to ask you these questions. They are very important. You have already answered them for him. Now he is asking you to answer them for the court. Therefore, when he asks you a question it is as if I am asking you that question. Do you understand?
"Yes sir. You are older than he is so your memory is worse than his."
Perry snickered and laughter prevailed one more time.
"Thank you, your honor. That was a big help," Perry said to more laughter. Thatcher grinned.
"Did you take this picture with this camera?" Mason asked when the courtroom quieted down.
"Yes, sir," he answered.
"At what time was it taken?" Perry handed the photo to Justin.
"Just turn it over, Mr. Mason. My camera puts a time and date on the picture." Justin said as he turned the picture over.
"Can you read numbers and time, Justin?" Perry asked.
"Of course I can," the boy replied.
"What time does it say?" Perry asked.
Justin looked down at the back of the photo. "It says 7:15pm."
Perry walked back to the table once more. Della handed him another photo. After entering the photo into evidence, he handed it to Justin. "And what time did you take this photo?
Justin looked. "It says 7:35pm."
Paul Drake entered the courtroom with a man. He nodded at Perry and brought the man forward, seating him behind the defense table.
"Your honor, the defense is prepared to call if necessary the gentleman who just came into the courtroom with my associate, Mr. Drake. Mario Jivers owns the Jivers Camera shop. He is prepared to testify that at my request he has checked out this camera. It records in its history any changes made to the camera's options. He will testify that no changes were made to the options. He will testify the camera's recorded date and time is correct. Therefore, your honor, he will testify that the time and date on the back of both photos is correct."
Perry's voice began booming across the courtroom. "Before doing so I would like the record to show that the photo with the 7:15pm time is a photo of Sgt. Damon Richards and District Attorney John Richards entering Jerome Webb's apartment building. The second photo is of the same men behind the same said building at 7:35pm. Both photos were taken on the night of the murder."
The courtroom exploded. The reporters were taking pictures of John and Damon Richards as well as Perry Mason.
"Your witness, Mr. Richards." Perry Mason walked back to the defense table triumphantly knowing he had just cleared Dennis Randall of murder. Randall looked at his attorney, smiled and mouthed thank you.
John Richards never looked up when he said," No questions." He sat and watched as Perry Mason destroyed his career and his dreams of higher political office.
Perry called Abigail Falconer back to the stand and finished questioning her regarding what she saw that night. Again, Richards declined to cross-examine.
Perry called Mario Jivers who testified as Perry had described. Again, Richards declined to question the witness.
"The defense calls John Richards to the stand," Perry said as he dropped a subpoena on Richard's table.
"Your honor, he can't do that." Richards was in complete panic.
"Mr. Richards, you are a material witness in this case and I believe Mr. Mason just served you with a subpoena. Take the stand, Mr. District Attorney. Mr. Sullivan, you will take over Mr. Richards's duties."
"Your honor, I would like permission to treat this man as a hostile witness." Perry turned and looked at Richards.
"Permission granted," Thatcher said.
xxxxx
Chief Ironside sat in the back of the van behind the courthouse with Carl and Ed. The van's mobile phone rang. Ironside grabbed the phone and barked, "Ironside."
"Chief, Paul Drake here. As planned, Perry just blew the case against Commissioner Randall out of the water. He has John Richards on the stand. "You can enter the back of the courthouse. Judge Thatcher has given you permission to wait in his chambers. When Perry is done with the Richards brothers, Thatcher said he would like you to have the pleasure of personally arresting them both."
"Thanks, Paul." Ironside slammed the phone down and shouted, "Let's go gentlemen."
xxxxx
"Mr. Richards, what were you doing at Jermaine Webb's apartment building on at 7:15pm on the night of the murder?"
"I went there will my brother to stop Webb. I knew it was only a matter of time before Ironside tied him to the drug trafficking ring."
"Then you were a part of that drug ring?" Perry asked
"No, I was not. I found out my brother was involved up to his eyeballs."
"You were trying to cover for him?" Perry inquired.
"Not exactly. I wanted to run for political office. Damon was threatening my chances. I just wanted the problem to go away."
"Did you go there with the idea of killing Jermaine Webb?" Perry asked.
"No…..well maybe."
"Did you help your brother frame Dennis Randall for Webb's murder?" Perry asked.
Richards looked down. "Yes."
"Why, Mr. Richards?" Perry looked back at his client.
Rage began to rise in John Richards, "Because he lets Ironside do whatever he damn well pleases. He let him join with you on the Whitmore case. He is a cop. He should have been helping me put Whitmore behind bars. Instead he helped you."
"But Whitmore was proved innocent. David Martin Sr. confessed to that murder. Chief Ironside simply investigated to find the truth." Perry said. "If he had found Whitmore was guilty he would have provided that evidence to you. Do you object to Chief Ironside demanding the truth?"
"Ironside helped you destroy my case. Beating you would have gone a long way to a successful political career," Richards shouted. "Ironside is treated like some kind of god in this city. He is a cripple who bullies people. He even bullies Randall. I despise the man."
"Chief Ironside has served this city for nearly thirty years, Mr. Richards. He has put more criminals behind bars than any other detective in the history of this city. He is principled, honest and one of the finest law officers whoever carried a badge. May I remind you he lost the use of his legs in the service of this city? Being an officer of the court what of any of that do you find objectionable?"
"He stood in my way," Richards said.
"Did you have anything to do with any of the attempts on his life?" Perry asked.
"I knew about it." Richards said. "I am only sorry they missed."
"Did you have anything to do about the attempts on my life?" Perry asked.
"Again, I knew about it. I did not have anything to with the actual attempts." Richards said.
"Do you know who is ahead of the drug ring that was being run in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego?" Perry asked.
"No, I did not want to know."
"Did you have anything to do with the murders of any of these people?" Perry handed Richards a list of all of the people who had been murdered throughout the course of the investigation.
He took the list from Mason and looked it over. "I knew about all of them. I did not kill any of them."
"Who ordered their deaths?" Perry continued.
"I don't know. Damon informed me about them. I never talked to anyone other than him."
"One last question," Perry said, "Did you see Sgt. Damon Richards shoot and kill Jermaine Webb in cold blood?"
"Yes." Richards dropped his head in total defeat.
"No further questions," Perry said.
Deputy District attorney Gary Sullivan stood up. "Your honor, due to these developments the people would like to make a motion to dismiss….."
"Just a minute your honor," Perry interrupted. "The defense has two more witnesses to call."
Sullivan was flabbergasted. "But Mr. Mason I was about to…."
"I am aware of what you were about to do but the defense would like to call two more witnesses," Perry insisted.
"Go ahead, Mr. Mason," Judge Thatcher said.
"The defense calls Sgt. Damon Richards to the stand," Perry called out.
Sgt. Richards walked toward the gate to the witness stand. As he approached, Officer Eve Whitfield and Officer Fran Belding came up on him from both sides. Eve reached under his suit coat and removed his service revolver. He entered the gate, glanced at Perry Mason and continued on to the witness stand to be sworn in."
"Again your honor, I would like permission to question Sgt. Richards as hostile witness." Perry requested.
"Permission granted," Thatcher confirmed.
Perry approached the witness stand. "Sgt. Richards, did you shoot and kill Jermaine Webb?"
"I will not answer that question on the grounds that it might incriminate me." Richards said. "In fact I am not answering any of your questions, Mason."
Perry ignored him. "Sergeant, you went to Commissioner Randall's office and stole his service revolver. You then went to Jermaine Webb's apartment and shot him dead. However, before you did that you paid Webb to shoot a needle full of heroin into the arm of Stephanie Hillman, the niece of Commissioner Randall. You promised Webb $250,000.00 to taunt Dennis Randall into threatening to kill him. Isn't that right, Sgt. Richards?"
"I don't know what you are talking about, Mason."
"Don't you?" Perry Mason turned and looked to back of the courtroom. The door opened and Paul Drake re-entered, followed by two police officers on both sides of Gerard Bronson. Paul led him to the front of the courtroom and directed him to take a seat directly behind the defense table. Paul sat down beside him. The door opened again. Two uniformed officers led Jerome Carrens into the courtroom. They directed him to sit down directly behind the prosecution's table.
Perry walked back the defense table. "Sergeant, you planned and executed the murders of Sgt. Randy Kemp, Mary Galloway and Jermaine Webb, did you not?
"People actually pay you to make up this stuff, Mason?" Richards snickered.
"Come now, Sergeant. We have your fingerprints on Commissioner Randall's desk and we have you on video coming out of the hall where his office is located. There is clearly a gun in your pocket, which is not your service revolver. Your own brother has confessed to helping you frame the commissioner for Webb's murder. We have pictures of you entering and leaving Webb's apartment before and after the murder took place. Yet you still deny all of these facts?" Mason thundered as he moved in closer to Richards.
"When Sgt. Randy Kemp discovered you were dealing drugs out of local warehouse you shot and murdered him in front of Gerard Bronson, did you not? Mason's voice boomed across the courtroom. He stared into Damon Richard's face.
Richards looked away from Mason. Those eyes….those steely blue eyes. He had seen them before. They were unnerving. Richards could not look at Mason. The voice was carved in his memory. They were the eyes and voice of a man he hated. A man who kept his career from advancing. He hated this man. Oh how he hated Chief Robert T. Ironside. However, this was not Ironside. But he sounded like Ironside. Those eyes belonged to Ironside. God, how he despised the man…
"Answer my question, Mr. Richards." Perry began using his brother's mannerisms. Did you not kill Mary Galloway?"
"What? What are you talking about?" Richards was confused.
"You hired her to pose as a replacement secretary for Commissioner Randall, didn't you?" Perry raised his eyebrows and nodded at Richards just as he had seen Bob do to others so many times. Perry's voice echoed throughout the room.
Richards shook his head. No, this was not Ironside. "No, I did no such thing," he mumbled.
Perry slammed his fist down on the witness stand as he has seen Bob do in his office several times. You murdered her in fear that I would find her…in fear that Chief Ironside would find her! Perry continued to thunder away in a deeper voice that closer matched the pitch of his brother's than his own. "Why in the flaming hell don't you tell the truth?" Perry continued to pound away at Richards.
Judge Thatcher glanced over at Deputy District Attorney Gary Sullivan. Sullivan made no move to object to Mason's harsh examination of Richards. In fact, Sullivan was obviously awed by Mason's performance.
Richard jerked at the sound of the expression he heard Ironside use many times. His hands were shaking. "Leave me alone. It's your fault. You would not let me advance. My bills were piling up. I needed money."
"You killed her? Did you not? You shot her and then you dumped her body in the bay."
Della walked forward and handed Perry three bullets,two of which that had been fired from Richard's service revolver. She also handed him the ballistic report. Perry set them on the witness stand. He reverted the pitch of his voice back to his own "Two of three of these bullets were fired from your gun, Mr. Richards." He shoved the report at Richards. "Sgt. William Edwards is sitting right over there. He is ready to testify the ballistic report confirms it." Perry picked up one bullet. "This one killed Jermaine Webb." He raised his voice. "This one killed Sgt. Randy Kempt." Perry raised his voice for the third time. "And this one killed Mary Galloway."
He then changed the pitch of his voice back to Ironside's. "As a police officer are you not charged with the protection of the citizens of the city of San Francisco?" Perry thundered sounding more like Ironside then Perry Mason. When Richards said nothing Perry bellowed a common Ironside question, "Are you going to answer my question or do I have to guess?"
Richards jerked again. He looked into Mason's eyes, he saw Ironside's. He heard Ironside's voice.
"You betrayed the trust of the people of San Francisco did you not?" Perry continued to thunder away.
Richards was confused. He heard Ironside. He hated that man. "Leave me alone, Ironside." He was always shouting at him.
"Well, when in the blazes are you going to answer me?" Perry boomed.
Richards shot out of his chair. "Stop it, stop it. Alright I killed them! I killed them all. I had to. They would have talked. I could not let them talk to Ironside. They would have tied me to the drug ring. Ironside would have found out."
Perry immediately changed his demeanor. "Damon, why did you frame Commissioner Randall?" he said in the normal tone of his own voice.
"The best way to hurt Ironside is through his people. He shows no emotion when you go after him. Randall is his closest friend. I knew it would hurt Ironside. I wanted to hurt him. He kept me from advancing. He humiliated my brother in court by helping you instead of the district attorney's office."
"Was there any other reason for framing the Commissioner?" Perry asked.
"Yes. Steven wanted it done. He thought the city council would appoint Thomas McGillis acting commissioner. He is controlled by Steven. He would have kept Ironside from investigating the drug ring. The boss wanted Randall out of the way. He knew Randall would give Ironside a free hand. He did not know the city council had changed the chain of command. We had no idea Ironside would automatically become acting commissioner with Randall removed."
"When you say Steven, do you mean Steven Ogden Smith?" Perry continued questioning him in a soft voice.
"Yes. Steven was our contact to the boss," Richards revealed.
"Who is the boss, Damon?" Perry asked
"I don't know. The direct contact to the boss is Paul Bridges. He was the only one allowed to talk to the him. I honestly don't know who he is." Richards put his head in his hands.
"Your witness, Mr. Sullivan," Perry said
Gary Sullivan stared at Perry Mason. He could not believe what he had just witnessed. "No questions. The prosecution considers this case finished."
"Mr. Richards, you may step down but stay right there," the judge said. Richards did as he was told. "Mr. District Attorney, come forward," Judge Thatcher said. While Richards walked to the front of the room, Thatcher turned to the bailiff. "Please knock on my chambers door."
The bailiff did at he was told. The door opened and Chief Robert T. Ironside wheeled himself into the courtroom. Sgt. Ed Brown and Lt. Carl Reese followed him.
The courtroom was completely silent as Ironside wheeled directly over to John and Damon Richards. "Sgt. Richards, give me your badge," Ironside ordered, his voice dripping with contempt. Richard hesitated, then reached into his suit coat and handed his badge to Chief Ironside. "Sgt. Damon Richards and District Attorney John Richards you are under arrest for drug trafficking and for the murders of Stephanie Hillman, Todd Morrow, Officer Eugene Hartman, Officer Frank Dodson, Thomas Gibson, Detective Lt. John Means, and Sgt. Randy Kemp. For the attempted murder of Perry Mason, Sgt. Edward Brown and Chief Robert Ironside…..and that is just for starters. Ed, Carl….book them."
Ed and Carl handcuffed the Richards brothers as Ed cited, "You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak with an attorney and to have him present during questioning. If you cannot afford one the court will appoint one for you. Do you understand your rights as I have cited them to you?" Ed and Carl led the Richards brothers out of the courtroom.
Perry addressed Judge Thatcher. "The defense calls the Governor of the State of California, Dillon Delman to the stand."
Ironside interrupted. "Your honor it will not be necessary to call Governor Delmont to the stand. Though a joint effort with Senator James Whimore we have obtained enough evidence to charge the Governor with drug trafficking and the murder of sixty seven people as of right now. He was arrested and taken into custody an hour ago by my staff."
"In that case, Mr. Deputy District Attorney, I assume you would like to entertain a motion?"
"Yes your honor. The people of the State of California moved to dismiss all charges against Commissioner Dennis Randall," Sullivan said.
"Case dismissed. Commissioner Randall, you are free to go," Thatcher said and banged the gavel. "Court is adjourned." He got up and left the courtroom.
Commission Randall turned around and hugged his wife. Perry immediately searched for eye contact with Della. She smiled at him and he returned the smile.
Randall let go of his wife and turned to his attorney. "Perry, there are no words" He offered his hand to Mason who shook it and said, "Sure there is. The check is in the mail, will due." Both men laughed and headed in the direction of Robert Ironside.
"Bob…" Randall began.
"Forget it Dennis. I was just doing my job." Ironside smiled. "Dinner at my place. Let's celebrate."
"I know…..the menu consists of chili and bourbon," Dennis said. Mason and Ironside laughed. "Pat and I will be there." Randall turned and left.
Della came up behind Perry to join the two men. Camera were clicking all over the room. Some reporters followed Randall and his wife out the door. Most stayed, shouting questions at Ironside and Mason. In a attempt to get a story, they were pushing, shoving, and trying to inch their way to the two men. The police held them at bay. They had to be content with snapping pictures of the famous brothers.
"We make a good team, Bob," Perry said at last.
"Yes we do. But if you don't stop trying to imitate me I am going to arrest you for impersonating a police officer," Ironside deadpanned. Della and Perry laughed at the wheel chair bound detective.
"You should have seen him, Robert. He was amazing," Della said.
"Of course he was. After all, he IS my brother," Ironside said with a smile.
xxxxx
Epilog to follow….