The Case of the Mystery Writer
Chapter 4
1
Through his investigations, Paul Drake discovered Leo Dobbs liked to play the ponies. It explained in part why he embezzled so much money from Nick Perino over the years. Drake found out that he continually lost money at the racetrack.
As he watched Manuel Sanchez work a racehorse on the track, Drake was determined to find out just how much Dobbs lost on the track every year. The detective discovered Dobbs bet on horses that were ridden by Sanchez. More often than not, when he did win, it was horses that Sanchez piloted on the track.
He waited patiently until the jockey completed the horse's workout. Drake met him as he came off the track with the horse. "Mr Sanchez, my name is Paul Drake. I'm a private investigator. I would like to ask you some questions about Leo Dobbs."
Sanchez didn't want to talk to the private investigator. Unfortunately, he knew if he didn't, Drake would only become suspicious. He didn't like it, but he decided it was in his best interest to answer Drake's questions. Maybe by doing so, he could pressure Dobbs into paying him the money he owed him.
"I have to take the horse back to the stable. If you want to talk, you'll have to follow me."
Paul Drake had no problem with that since he intended to follow him all the way back until he spoke to him anyway. "No problem. Can we speak along the way?"
"Yeah, what do you want?"
"Leo Dobbs. The man had a gambling problem. In my investigations, I noticed he bets on the horses that you ride quite often."
"I wouldn't know about that. I don't know Leo Dobbs. Never heard of him."
Drake reached into his pocket and pulled out a newspaper clipping. He handed it to Sanchez. The short article summarized how Dobbs bet on horses based on his favorite jockeys. It showed a picture of Leo Dobbs and Manuel Sanchez smiling and shaking hands. The article went on to say that Sanchez was honored that he chose him as one of his favorite jockeys.
Sanchez did not need to read the article. He remembered the occasion, and should have known better that a private detective would dig it up before approaching him. "Oh, I remember that now. However, I don't really know the man. The newspapers thought it was of human interest. They asked me to pose with that man, whose name I didn't even know."
"That is not what the other jockeys have indicated. According to them, you have been seen quite frequently with Leo Dobbs."
"I don't care what the other jockeys say. Most of them are just jealous because I ride more winning mounts than they do. I don't know this man other than that picture. Now if you will excuse me I need to cool this horse down and get him to the stable."
Drake didn't try to stop him. He knew he wouldn't get any information from him. Obviously, something was going on between Manuel Sanchez and Leo Dobbs. Drake wasn't sure what it was, but he suspected that Dobbs was placing bets for Sanchez. Several jockeys told him that the two men were seen arguing on several occasions. That led Drake to believe Dobbs wasn't paying off on those bets.
"Aren't you Paul Drake?"
The private detective turned around to face a man who obviously was a jockey as well. "I am."
"You will have to forgive me for eavesdropping. Sanchez is lying to you when he says he doesn't know Leo Dobbs. Everyone around the tracks knows Leo places bets for Manuel. The two of them have been seen arguing on several occasions. Apparently, Leo doesn't pay off on the winning bets. He owes Manuel quite a bit of money for those illegal bets."
"If that is the case, then why doesn't somebody turn him in for betting on the horses?"
"I can't answer for the other jockeys. I can only answer for myself. Manuel has a bookie, and the same one Leo owes a ton of money to. The bookie hires this great big bruiser to go after those who do not pay him. If I were to turn in Manuel, the bookie would send the man after me, since he would no longer be able to collect money from Leo. He would decide to collect from me for cutting off his means of collection."
"I suppose it's true of all the rest of the jockeys as well," Drake surmised.
"Exactly. Nobody's going to turn him in. Besides, there are other jockeys doing the same thing."
"Do you know the bookie's name?"
"His name is Roy Foster, but you didn't hear that from me."
"Hear what?" Drake said, letting the jockey know he would keep his confidence.
Figuring he gave Drake all the information he was willing to, the jockey turned and walked away.
Paul knew exactly who Roy Foster was. He was arrested several times, but the police could never make anything stick since no one would admit they were using him as a bookie. It didn't make any difference to the private eye. He intended to find out just how much money Leo Dobbs owed Roy Foster. Right now he was going to head back and see if Deanna Jarrett was working.
When he arrived at the office, an employee was just headed inside. Drake stopped her. "Excuse me, can you tell me if Sally is working today?"
"Oh, if I were you, I wouldn't mention her name around here. She left a note for the boss; up and quit without any notice whatsoever. We haven't seen her since."
Drake's previous visit obviously sent her on the run. There wasn't much doubt that Sally was actually Deanna Jarrett. Now, he would have to track her down. Mason would want to know where she was. There wasn't any reason to question any of the employees. She would have made sure that none of them knew very much about her. Drake had to find her, and he would, it was only a matter of time. In the meantime, he would continue to check into her background.
2
Deanna Jarrett pounded on the door of Leo Dobbs residence. It was taking him far too long to come to the door. Her patience was running out. She continued to pound harder and louder.
Finally, Leo Dobbs appeared at the door. "For cripes sake, what the hell is so urgent?" he
Jarrett pushed her way past him and entered his study. "Paul Drake is on to me."
"You already told me that. So what's the problem? What's got you banging on my door?"
"I can't very well go back to work. That means I have no money coming in."
Before she could say anything else, Leo interrupted her. "I hope you're not coming to me for money. I'm a dry hole. I just lost a bundle at the racetrack. Furthermore, Foster and Sanchez are leaning on me for money."
"So why don't you just pay them off. You can't tell me you don't have the money."
"They've made enough money off of me. I no longer have Perino's money. So if I can't get any more money, neither can they. I'm not paying them one more dime. Besides, I don't have a lot of money. In fact, I have very little."
Jarrett didn't like what she was hearing. She knew better. One didn't live the way Leo lived without money. "Don't give me that, Leo. I'm not naive and dumb like Nick. You've embezzled millions from him, I have no doubt. I helped you land him as a client. I'm the reason you made that money. Now, it is time for you to help me. You're going to have to help me until we score against Nick."
"You know, Deanna, it dawned on me that I don't need you in order to get the money from Nick. I have the same information you have. I can do it on my own and collect all the money. If I work with you, then I only get half of it. Since he cut me off, it is basically every man for himself. Or, in this case, a woman. You're just going to have to run your own scheme against him."
"You aren't cutting me out. I'll go right to him and tell him what you're up to. All of this isn't necessary, Leo. Right now, we need each other. I can make you lots of money in the future. I had an idea the other day. It involves both of us."
"I am not interested."
"You better be, because there's a way that you can hold on to Nick Perino as a client, at least his money."
As expected, she now had Leo's attention. If he could milk a few million more out of Perino, he would do whatever he had to to make it possible.
"Just exactly how could I do that? He hired Perry Mason. Mason is not going to allow me to be his agent any longer. In fact, I have been served, informing me that my services have been terminated."
"And they will continue to be terminated, at least on the surface. Look, we have Nick over a barrel. He is not going to want any of this information to come out, so he'll do what we tell him to do. We'll force him to write novels. Of course, he will not get the credit. My name will be placed on as the author. That way, I will get my just rewards, and you will serve as my agent with a huge piece of the pie. I will be quite frank with you, Leo. I thought about dumping you as soon as I could get a substantial amount out of either you or Nick. When you think about it, that doesn't make sense. If we work together, we can make millions. I'll get back at Nick for what he did to me, and you will get back at him for terminating your services. If it weren't for you and me, he would have been another unknown author not making enough money to live on. You don't have to answer me right now. Think about it. You and I can make a lot of money together." Deanna said no more. She gave him plenty to think about. She was quite certain he would come around to her way of thinking. He liked money, and the two of them together could make a lot of it.
Leo actually liked her idea with one exception. He didn't need her to execute that plan. He could force Nick to write the novels, and Leo could put any name on them he wanted. He wouldn't have to share any of the money with Deanna. It was an excellent scam. His mind was already made up.
"It's a very good idea. There's only one problem with it."
Jarrett didn't see any problem with it. Nick wouldn't be able to come forward. He would write the novels and allow her name to be put on them. "Would you like to enlighten me because I don't see any problem with this plan."
"The problem with the plan is I would have to share the money with you. Why would I do that? You see, I can implement the exact same plan and put anybody's name on the book. It can just be a made-up name. Why in the world would I involve you? You just admitted you intended to dump me when you got the money you wanted. Why should I trust you? How do I know you are not planning on doing the same thing? You could run that scheme without me, that is if what you're saying about Nick is true. I only have your word, and quite frankly I don't trust you. So, this is where we go our separate ways. I'm going to run your little scheme, Deanna. Only I have every intention of doing it without you. You, my dear, are on your own. Unfortunately for you, you can't run the scheme without me."
Jarrett knew he was right about that. She waited all this time to get back at Nick and now it was falling apart. She needed to find a way to force Leo to work with her. Right now, she just had to get out of there. "This isn't over, Leo. I have no intentions of letting you get away with this. There are ways to let Nick know what you have been doing without coming in contact with him."
"Go ahead." He pushed his face directly into hers. "That won't do you any good and you know it. He isn't going to want his dirty little secret to come out. You could tell him everything I have been doing, although I think he already knows, and I can still run the scheme."
"He'll be able to sue you."
"Oh, I don't think so. All I have to do is tell him if he does, then I will let everything be known. You know fully well that will stop him in his tracks. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go see Nick Perino. So, my dear, get the hell out of my house and don't ever come back. Our association is over with."
Knowing there was nothing she could do at the moment, Deanna stomped off and left his house. He was sadly mistaken if he thought he was going to get away with it. She had no intention of allowing it.
3
Paul Drake pulled his sports car into the parking lot at the Brent building. He shut off the ignition and headed for Perry Mason's office. Taking the elevator, he arrived there a few minutes later. Knocking is code knock on the door, it opened within a moment, and Della Street let him in. "Hi beautiful."
"Hello, Paul. Come in. Perry has been waiting for you."
Mason looked up from his desk. Smiling, he greeted his private detective. "What have you got for me?"
Drake sat down in the chair in front of Mason's desk, bypassing the overstuffed comfortable chair he normally sat in. "Well, first of all, Deanna Jarrett has taken a powder."
Mason sat forward in his executive chair. "How can that be? She has a job. You mean to tell me that she just got up and left it?"
"Yep, that is exactly what I'm telling you. After I spoke to her, she apparently wrote her resignation, left it on her desk, and walked out of that office for good."
"Paul, it is important that we find her."
"I put men on it. She not only left her job, but she left the apartment she was staying in as well. Since it was furnished, nothing in it was hers. She took her personal belongings and left."
"Does she have any relatives in town, a sister or brother, or maybe a parent?"
"I checked that out. She doesn't have anybody that I could find, at least not yet."
"Okay, what did you find out about Dobbs?"
"He's one slimy character."
"That, I already knew. You must have more on him than that," Mason said.
"I do. He's up to his eyeballs into a bookie. The bookie's name is Roy Foster. Also, he's been making bets for a jockey by the name of Manuel Sanchez. Apparently, there have been quite a few winning bets. However, Mr Dobbs has not been paying Sanchez his cut of the winnings. They were in a big argument just before I arrived. He tried to deny knowing Leo Dobbs, but admitted it when I showed him we had the evidence he did. Also, one of the jockeys told me that everyone knows they've been making these bets. No one will turn him in because of the amount of money owed to Roy Foster. They are afraid of what he might do to them."
"Is Roy Foster that powerful?" Mason asked.
"Absolutely," Drake responded. "He hires some rather big muscle man. If an individual doesn't pay on time, these guys go around breaking bones. Believe me, he's that powerful. Jockeys cannot afford to have broken bones. They make they're living on the racetrack. Foster would see to it that they were incapacitated for a period of time. No, they are not about to turn in Leo Dobbs because they would also have to implicate Roy Foster."
"Well, I won't have any problem implicating Roy Foster," Mason said.
"You may have to. A woman was seen at Leo Dobbs's house. She matched the description of Sally, AKA Deanna Jarrett."
"The two of them know each other then?" Della said.
"I believe so. In fact, I believe she is the one who is writing under the name of Danielle Murphy. I haven't been able to prove it yet. There doesn't seem to be any Danielle Murphy. But since she has been seen at Dobbs's home, it is a pretty good assumption that she is indeed Deanna Jarrett."
"She shouldn't be difficult to tie down as Jarrett," Della said.
"As near as I can tell, Danielle Murphy has no address. She doesn't drive an automobile since there is no one registered under that name with a driver's license. Nor was I able to find a birth certificate under that name in which the individual would be the correct age."
"Paul, many writers write under a name other than their own," Della pointed out.
"I know that, Della," Paul said. "This time, I don't think that is the case. Just the fact she was seen at Leo Dobb's house is suspicious. I know I don't have any concrete proof that Danielle Murphy and Deanna Jarrett are one and the same. My gut feeling is they are the same person."
"Paul, if they are the same person, we need to find out what Jarrett and Dobbs are up to."
The intercom on Mason's desk buzzed. Della walked over and picked up the receiver. "Yes, "Gertie."
"Miss Street, Mr Perino is here to see Mr Mason if he is available."
"Just a moment, Gertie." Della put her hand over the receiver. "Perry . . ."
Before she could say anything else, Perry spoke up. "Show him in, Gertie." Turning to Paul, he said, "Keep on this, Paul. Find out what the connection between Dobbs and Jarrett is."
Drake got up and headed for the door. "I'll let you know as soon as I find out what it is, but don't be surprised if Danielle Murphy and Deanna Jarrett are the same person." Drake left Mason's office.
Della headed for the other door when a knock sounded. She opened it. Gertie was standing there with Nick Perino. "Come in, Mr Perino. Thank you, Gertie." The receptionist returned to her desk.
Mason stood up. "Come in, Mr Perino. Please have a seat."
Perino walked over and sat down. In his hands, he held a large manila envelope. "After an extensive search of my office, I located the handwritten agreement."
Reaching into the envelope, he removed the agreement and placed it in front of Mason on his desk.
"This is the agreement the two of you signed," Mason stated.
"Yes. Mr Mason, what does it mean? How much leeway did I give the crook?"
"Unfortunately, quite a bit. According to this, you gave him authorization to spend whatever money he deemed necessary."
"That couldn't possibly mean he had the right to steal from me," Perino said.
"No, it doesn't. That is not the problem. There is another clause that states he is allowed to receive bonuses on a regular basis."
"That was the clause that bothered me. What would be considered bonuses? A house, a car?"
"That will depend entirely on how a judge in court interprets that clause. However, I find it hard to believe that a judge would think he could buy a house or a car with your money. I want your permission to sue him."
"You've got it! Do whatever you feel is necessary, Mr Mason."
"We'll get the suit started right away. In the meantime, I want you to avoid him completely. Don't approach him, and if he approaches you, walk away. Is that understood?"
"Completely."
"All right then, let me handle it from here." Mason stood up, indicating the conversation was over.
Della Street led him to the door. She opened it, wished him a good day, and closed the door after he left. She walked back to the desk where Mason was sitting, drumming his fingers, and thinking. "Will he get away with it?"
Mason, drawn out of his thoughts, turned and looked at Della. "That will depend on the judge. Bonuses can mean a lot of things. That is the part that bothers me. How will a judge look at that? I don't like the idea of allowing Dobb's to get away with it. I will file a discovery. I am betting he has an offshore account. If he lies about it and we find it, he'll be in trouble with the courts."
"Do you think he will do that?" Della asked.
"He is arrogant enough. He will probably think we won't be able to find one. If that is the case, there is no doubt he will lie about it." Mason went back to drumming his fingers on the desk.
Della knew the man better than anyone else. Something was bothering him. "What is it, Perry? Why are you so pre-occupied?"
He once again turned his attention to her. "It is just what Paul discovered. Why was Deanna Jarrett at Leo Dobbs's house? Is she the one who has been writing under the name of Danielle Murphy? And if so, why were they meeting? I have a feeling they have something planned."
"You mean against Nick Perino?" Della asked.
"That is exactly what I mean."
Della walked around the desk and sat on the edge of it beside Mason. "What could they possibly be planning? Do you think one of them has something on him?"
Mason stopped drumming his fingers. He stood up and walked over to the sliding glass doors that looked over the city. "I don't know, but one thing is for sure, we better find out. I don't want to be blindsided in court if they do. I think we have a very good case against Dobbs. I find it hard to believe a judge would think bonuses means an agent could siphon a few million dollars from a client and claim it is under the title of bonuses."
"A minute ago you said it would depend on how a judge interprets it," Della pointed out.
"It will. If a judge paints that with a broad brush, it could be a problem. He just might get away with it. It would depend on what judge gets the case."
"I know what you are thinking. You are worried it could be Judge Jack Riley?"
"He's very liberal, to the point of being radical. If we get him, it could be a problem."
"Perry, right now . . ."
"There is a very good chance of it, with two other judges on medical leave. I know." Mason continued to stand at the sliding glass doors looking out over the terrace.
4
Nick Perino looked up into the sky. It was overcast and the air was damp. They seemed to be getting a lot of rain lately. It was no surprise since it was that time of the year when eighty percent of the yearly rainfall occurred. Heading into the restaurant, he chose a table that was secluded away from other patrons. He was quite often recognized and he simply was not in the mood to be bothered for autographs. Nick didn't understand why people approached him in public in that manner. Why didn't they show up at his book signings if they wanted autographs? That was the proper time to approach him, not when he was sitting down to eat a meal. How many times did he have to eat a cold meal because fans didn't respect his privacy.
It wasn't that he didn't appreciate them, it was just that there was a proper time and an improper time to approach a famous person, whether they be an actor, writer, or any other profession that made a person well known. He wondered if he would be bothered by fans this time and have to eat a cold meal.
Perino was happy he sought out the services of Perry Mason. There wasn't a better attorney anywhere than Mason. He was considered by most in his profession to be the best in the business. Still, Nick was worried. That damn handwritten contract! Why did he ever sign anything that listed bonuses without detailing exactly what that meant? He was afraid Dobb's just might get away with stealing millions from him. He should not have been so trusting. If he had checked up on Leo on a regular basis, he would have found out he was stealing from him. What was worse was he worried what he might know. Since he had given him the freedom of his house and office, there was no telling what he could have discovered about him. Did he know the secret he was hiding? If he did, it could present a major problem not only for him, but for Perry Mason. He couldn't tell him; he could never tell him. That would make looking out for his interest extremely hard for Mason. Would Leo Dobbs use the information, if he had it, against him? There wasn't any doubt Leo had no scruples, so what would make him think Leo would not use the information if he knew? Who was he kidding? Leo would use it. The question was, did he know?
"Mr Perino, would you sign our books?"
Nick turned to see two teenage girls standing next to his table. He had been so lost in thought, he didn't hear them approach. Forcing a smile, he stood up. "Of course. Taking a book out of the hands of the one girl, he reached into his shirt pocket and removed a pen. Opening the cover, he asked the girl her name. After signing her book, he repeated the process with the second girl. They giggled as they left the table, looking back at the writer.
As Nick turned to sit down, he was approached again. "Hello, Nick. I thought we would have a nice little chat. I tried going to your house, but you changed the locks and put in a security system. After all the years I have served you, I can't believe you had that private detective serve me with papers terminating my services."
"You have been stealing from me, Leo. Millions of dollars you had no right to. Did you really expect me just to overlook it when I found out?"
"Stealing? I haven't stolen anything from you. Maybe you should have read that written contract you signed. Those were the bonuses you authorized me to take. I have an attorney too. He says I had the right to take what I did, and that it would hold up in court. Not even the great Perry Mason will be able to win in court on that point." Dobbs started to laugh.
"We're done here, Dobbs. You have been fired. Mason has gotten me a new agent. I have authorized him to sue you in court. With the amount of money you have stolen from me, you have a bank account somewhere. Mason and Drake will find it."
Leo started laughing. "Done? Oh, I don't think so. You have a problem. You have a dirty little secret, and I know exactly what it is. How do you think your adoring readers will react when I tell the tabloids what that secret is? Don't you think people will sue the hell out of you. You have been able to keep it quiet until now. You see, I protected you. I had to pay off certain people to keep it from being published, and now I'm being fired? Well, it doesn't give me much incentive to keep quiet, now does it?"
Nick turned pale. He thought that was all in the past. No one knew about it. How could Leo possibly know? How would he find out? It didn't make sense. Only he and one other person knew about it, and that person could never reveal it. That is, if it was what Leo actually knew. He needed to find out exactly what he did know. Nick wasn't about to allow the sleaze to destroy him. He worked hard for what he had, and he wasn't going to lose it all. He made a mistake, a big one, but he paid for it. At least in a way, he did. It haunted him all his life.
"I don't know what the hell you are talking about," Nick insisted, despite fearing he did. "I suggest you get away from my table now!"
"Really? I don't think you really want me to do that. After all, if I do, I am going straight to that tabloid, you know, the one you used to work for. The one in which you smeared everyone you wrote about."
Oh God, he knew about that! He was right about one thing, if all those people knew it was he who wrote those articles, he would face one suit after another. He destroyed a lot of lives. Now that he was successful with millions of dollars in the bank, they wouldn't hesitate to come after him. It was bad enough he found and wrote about the skeletons in their closets, but when he couldn't find anything, he made it up. Innuendos, and outright falsehoods were written about a lot of people. Nick had no choice. The paper was sleaze, he knew that, but at the time, it was the only thing he could find. He needed time to start his career in writing novels, and the only thing he knew was writing. In hindsight, it would have been better if he played pro football for a couple years until he could get established as a writer.
"You little weasel! You have been living off me for years, and now you have the nerve to attempt blackmail. You're right , I don't want this to come out, but if it does, I will deal with it."
"You deal with it? That's a joke, it would ruin you and you know it. All those people would not only sue you, but they would sue your publisher." Leo grinned at him.
"They can't sue the publisher. They knew nothing about it."
"Maybe not, but do you think they will want to keep you on with all the bad publicity it would cause you and them?"
"As long as I am making them money, they will keep me on, and you know it. It's all about money, isn't it, Leo?" Nick was feeling like the upper hand was turning back to him.
"You are not as confident as you try to sound. I know you. Besides, that is not all I know. Does the name Alicia mean anything to you?" Leo stood in front of him displaying a wide smirk. He hit a nerve, a big one. He could tell from the look on his face. "You really think you could send money to the same place every year and I would find out. I had full access to your office."
Nick tried to maintain his composure, but failed. "You slimy little bastard. You try to blackmail me with that, and I'll kill you!" He didn't realize just how loud his voice had become. Patrons at several tables looked over at the two men to see what all the commotion was about.
"Now, you listen to me," Leo said. "You are going to fire Perry Mason. Tell him you have had a change of heart, that you are going to retain me as your agent. Then we will go on as before. As long as you behave yourself, I'll protect you. If you don't, well, I am sure you know what will happen."
The writer lost it completely, he stood up, doubled his fist, and slugged Leo Dobbs, knocking him down. "I'll kill you first, you son-of-a-bitch."
Leo got up as the owner of the restaurant hurried over.
"Gentlemen, that is enough. Either conduct yourselves properly or get out!"
"I'm leaving," Leo said. He stood up. Looking at Nick Perino, he warned him. "Do as I say, or I will ruin you." He turned and left the restaurant.
Nick realized everyone at a table within earshot was looking at him. He threw some money on the table and left, knowing all eyes were watching his departure.
Getting into his Corvette, he turned over the ignition, and burned rubber as he squealed the tires, slamming his foot down on the accelerator. What was he going to do? If he did what Dobb's wanted, he would continue to steal him blind, and there wouldn't be a thing he could do about it. He didn't want to fire Mason. Then again, he couldn't tell him why he had to. He just couldn't allow it to get out. He had to protect himself. The truth was, Nick had no idea what he was going to do.