The Case of the Mystery Writer

Chapter 6

1

Jimmy Phillips came up with nothing. After checking Deana Jarrett out thoroughly, he was unable to find any evidence Jarrett ever used the name of Alicia. As far as Jimmy was concerned, Alicia had to be a totally different person. He knew his boss felt there was a connection, but if there was, he sure couldn't find it. He worked for the Drake Detective Agency for a long time. Why did it have to be this particular job that he couldn't confirm what Drake wanted? Perry Mason was the Agency's top client.

Philipps looked out the window of his vehicle. On his way back to the office, he couldn't help but wonder if he covered all the bases with this assignment. He didn't want to let Paul down. Phillips kept going over everything in his mind, trying to think of something, anything he might have overlooked. Yet, no matter how many times he went over it, he just could not see anything he failed to check out.

The parking lot at the Brendt building was full as usual. Phillips pulled in front and handed the keys to his car to the valet. Usually, he preferred to park his car himself, but today he just wanted to get up to Drake's office and give him the bad news. He took the elevator up to the floor that housed not only the Drake Detective Agency, but also the attorney, Perry Mason. He headed down the hall, passing Mason's private entrance directly into his office. He arrived at Drake's office. As soon as he did, Drake's secretary addressed him.

"Mr Drake wants to see you right away."

Well, there it was. Paul was anxious to know what he found out. He wasn't going to like what he had to say. Knocking on Drake's office door, he heard his voice.

"Come in."

Jimmy opened the door and went in.

"So, what do you have for me?" Drake asked.

"Unfortunately, not much. Paul, I have checked everything I can think of. I talked to as many people that knew Jarrett from high school to when she was teaching there. Not one of them could confirm her ever using the name of Alicia. I went back to the dentist she worked for, and got the same result. No one ever heard her called that. I checked her birth records to see if her middle name is Alicia, it isn't. It's Rebecca. I also checked her family history to see if any female in the family had the name of Alicia, and once again, I struck out. I was able to speak with the principal she worked with when she got involved with Nick Perino. No luck there. She never used the name that he knew of. At this point, I don't know where else to look.

"Maybe there is nowhere else to look. Maybe, she never used the name at all," Drake said.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that just maybe Deana Jarrett and Alicia are two different women. I did some checking on my own and came up with the same results you did. I couldn't find any evidence that Alicia and Deana are the same person. So, if neither of us can corroborate them to be one and the same, there is a good chance they are two different people. So for now, we are going to go on that assumption. It's time we start looking for Alicia, and it sure would be a hell of a lot easier if we could come up with a last name."

"Do you have any ideas where to look?" Jimmy asked.

"I sure do. Leo Dobbs, that's where. I am betting he knows exactly who she is. We start by deepening our investigation of that scumbag."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Start shadowing Dobbs. I have a feeling he is going to lead us to Alicia, whoever she is."

"Consider it done." Jimmy got up and left Drake's office.

Drake didn't want to, but he had to give Mason the bad news. He got up and left his office. "I am going down to Perry's office. Call me if we get any important news." He left without waiting for his secretary to respond.

The silver-haired private eye made the long walk down the hall to Mason's office. He sounded his code knock on the lawyer's private office door. Within seconds, Della Street opened the door, greeted him with a smile, and invited him in.

"Hello, beautiful," he said, as he returned his greeting with a smile. "I need to talk to Perry."

"Come on in, Paul," Mason called out. "What have you got?"

Drake walked over and sat down in the chair in front of Mason's desk instead of the overstuffed chair he usually sat in. "Unfortunately, not much. I have had Jimmy trying to find some evidence Deana Jarret has used, or is using Alicia as an alias."

"And?"

"Nothing, Perry. We can't find a shred of evidence Jarrett has ever used any alias except for using the name of Sally Grant."

"Paul, have you taken into consideration that Alicia might be an actual person and not an alias?" Mason asked.

"Actually, I have. I got Jimmy shadowing …"

"Leo Dobbs," Mason interrupted.

Drake smiled. "Why do you bother to hire a private detective? You're as good as any private eye I know."

Della smiled. "As good as Paul Drake?"

With a big grin, Drake said, "I wouldn't go that far."

Mason chuckled. "I have a feeling Dobbs will lead us directly to Alicia."

"That's what I figured. So if she is associated with Dobbs, we'll find out who she is. By the way, did Perino actually hire Dobbs back?"

"Yes, he did," Mason replied.

"And fired Perry as well," Della said.

Drake looked surprised. "Then why are we continuing with this case? Perry, from here on out, the money is going to come out of your pocket."

"I have a feeling I won't be fired for long. Dobbs has something on Perino. We need to find out exactly what it is. Then I will be able to do something about the crook. Until then, you bill my office for your services."

Drake shook his head. "How many times have you done this?"

"Done what?"

"Continued the case after the client terminated your services."

"You mean after they fired me?" Mason grinned.

"Terminated your services sounds better," Drake said.

"One and the same. Anyway, I want to have the upper hand on Dobbs when Perino rehires me."

"You're that certain he will?" Drake asked with skepticism.

"Look, Dobbs is going to continue to embezzle money from Perino, and now that he gave into him …"

"He is going to steal even more," Paul finished.

"Exactly. Then Nick Perino will be back and willing to tell me just what Dobbs is holding over him."

2

Nick Perino paced back and forth in his office. He tried sitting down and continuing his latest novel, but he just couldn't concentrate. All he could think about was Leo Dobbs. The bastard was blackmailing him and he didn't know what to do about it. He had to do something or Dobbs would take every penny Nick ever earned. But what could he do? If he fired him again, it would all come out and he would be ruined. How did he ever find out? The more he thought about it, the more it was beginning to make perfect sense. There was only one way he could find out. That was through Alicia, herself. The two of them were in contact. There wasn't any other explanation, at least not one he could think of.

Perino made up his mind. He needed to see Alicia. She must be convinced to deny it. That way Leo would not be able to use it against him. If he came out with the information, she would deny it, that would end the problem right there. He made up his mind. He would talk to Alicia.

Leaving his office, he headed for his Corvette. Alicia didn't live in Los Angeles. She lived in Maywood. The town was only eight miles away from LA, but from where he was it would take him around thirty minutes to get there. Once in the vehicle, he turned the ignition and roared down the street. She would help him, he was sure of it. After all, Perino had been paying her money for years now to keep quiet. This was probably the only time he didn't mind blackmail, since Alicia helped him out big time. He owed her, and he didn't mind saying so.

Thirty minutes later, Perino was on her doorstep ringing the bell. It was taking her so long to answer the door, he began to wonder if she was home. Maybe he should have called first. Then the door opened and she was standing there.

"Hello, Nick. To what do I owe the pleasure. You have not bothered to visit me in nearly ten years. This must really be big for you to take time out of your busy schedule to visit someone who helped you. Without me, you never would have got started."

"I am well aware of that, Alicia, and I have paid you extremely well for over ten years. I paid for the house you are living in for God's sake!"

"So what. You owe me."

"I owe you nothing. I have paid dearly for what you did for me. How much longer do you expect me to keep it up?" Perino was beginning to lose his composure.

"You have no choice, but to continue to pay me. You are a millionaire. What little I take from you, you won't even miss," she said.

"Are you going to let me in so we can discuss this?" he asked.

"I don't see any sense in letting you in. There is nothing to discuss, Nick. You will continue to pay me, and that is final."

"Alicia, Leo is blackmailing me. I attempted to fire him and hired Perry Mason as my attorney. Somehow he found out about what you did for me. He is forcing me to keep him on as my agent. He has stolen several million dollars from me over the years. If I keep him on, he will keep it up. I need your help. I know you have something on him. You can use it to get him to back off. Please, I have paid you a lot of money over the years. I purchased a house and a car for you. I need you to make him back off."

She started laughing. "How the hell do you think he got the information in the first place, Nick? I told him you kept the information in your safety deposit box. He got it because I led him right to it."

A look of betrayal appeared on his face. "Why in hell would you do that?"

"You really are not too bright, are you? You have never figured out why I helped you in the first place, have you? Why don't you ask Deana Jarrett?"

"What are you talking about?"

A smirk appeared on Alicia's face. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is Leo and I want a lot more money from you and you are going to pay up whether you like it or not."

"Alicia, don't do this to me. I have paid you ten times over for what you did," Perino pleaded.

"And you will pay me a thousand times over, Nick. So suck it up and quit whining." She slammed the door in his face.

Perino stood there for a couple minutes before turning around and heading for his car. "What the hell am I going to do?" He got in his Corvette and drove away.

Alicia watched out the window as Perino's car drove down the street.

"That went well," Leo Dobbs said.

Alica turned around to see Leo come out of the kitchen where she sent him when she saw Nick Perino drive up. She smiled. "You really didn't expect it to go any other way, now did you?"

"No."

"Did he fire Perry Mason?" she asked.

Dobbs followed her into the living room. Alica sat down in the chair by the fireplace and crossed her legs. He opted to sit on the couch opposite her.

"He told me he did," Dobbs told her.

"You mean you haven't checked up on him?" she asked, sitting forward.

"I don't have to. He has no choice. Mason is out of the picture."

"You are a fool if you believe that. He has been known to continue a case even after a client fires him. You think he is just going to let this go? Nick makes millions off his books. Mason would lose a pile of money if he lost him as a client. You really don't think Mason got as successful as he is by losing rich clients, do you?"

Dobbs was getting really tired of Alicia telling him how to handle things. She was as bad as Jarrett. He had no intention of sharing any money with the sniveling women. They were just a means to an end. It was time he dumped Alicia as well. "It doesn't matter. He's a criminal attorney. That is where he makes the real money. Besides, you don't have any say about it anyway. In fact, your part in this is over."

Uncrossing her legs, she gave him a look that could kill. "What the hell are you talking about? All this was my idea. You're crazy if you think you are cutting me out of this deal!"

He laughed. "I am not crazy, just greedy. I am the one who has put up with Nick all these years. I am the one who has embezzled his money. I am the one who has taken all the risks. You have done nothing but sit back and collect from him with no risk. Your gravy train is over. I am going to make sure you don't receive one more penny from him."

In a rage, she stood up. "That's what you think! I'll tell the world what I did for Nick! Your blackmailing scheme will be over, and you will be in jail!"

Laughing again, he pointed his index finger at her. "I don't think you will do that."

"Oh no? Just watch me."

"There's nothing to watch, Alicia. You know that thing you pulled? If you say one word to anyone about what I have done or am doing, I'll tell the world." He grinned. "You didn't think I knew, did you? You aren't going to reveal anything. Blackmail is illegal. If you reveal that I am blackmailing Nick, then I reveal you are as well."

"You can't do that!

"Oh, but I can and will. You have got all you're going to get from Nick. That money is going to me. So, unless you saved most of the money, I suggest you find yourself a job."

"You bastard!" she shouted.

"Sticks and stones." He laughed and left her house.

3

Paul Drake finally located Deana Jarrett. She checked herself into a motel under her own name. If he hadn't known better, she could be Perry's client. It was one of his favorite tactics. After charming the female clerk on duty, he was able to get Jarrett's room number. Drake jogged up the stairs to the second floor. He could have taken the elevator, but felt he could use the exercise. The motel was not exactly what could be described as a first class motel. The private eye certainly wouldn't want to walk down the hall on the carpeting in bare feet. The carpet was dirty and disgusting. There were holes in it everywhere. He would have thought she would have picked a better place to stay. Then again, she was now out of a job. With no income, she would have to spend whatever savings she had. When he arrived at Room 226, He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Room service." Drake did his best to disguise his voice, as she heard it before.

The door opened. Jarrett's eyes widen at the sight of the private detective. When she tried to close the door, Drake used his body to force it to remain open. "Not this time, Deana. You and I are going to have a talk."

"I have nothing to say to you, Mr Drake, so get the hell out of my room or I will have the front desk call the police!"

"I don't think you will do that, Deana, since we both know you have been in cahoots with Leo Dobbs to blackmail Nick Perino."

"That's a lie! You're bluffing."

"Am I? Can you really afford to send me out of here and take that chance? You see, Perry Mason will go to the prosecutor with proof you have been doing so."

"So what. Hamilton Burger can't stand Perry Mason. He won't help him. So, get the hell out of here!"

Drake stood his ground. "I got news for you, lady. Despite being on opposite sides, Hamilton Burger and Perry Mason are friends. When they are against each other in court, and Mason can provide enough evidence to prove his client didn't commit the murder, Burger listens to him. They have dinner together quite often. In fact Mason defended Burger when he was accused of murder. They even took a ski trip together. I know, I went with them. So, don't try to tell me anything about them. I know both of them a lot better than you do."

She stood there for a minute and then stepped back to allow Drake entrance into her room. "Don't get comfortable. You won't be here long."

Despite telling him that, the first thing Drake did was to sit down and get comfortable. It had the effect on her he wanted to have. She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Get on with it," she snarled.

"You were fired from your teaching job for your involvement with Nick Perino when he was a student in high school."

"That's old news, Drake."

"Not if it's connected with what you're doing today."

"What are you talking about?"

Drake crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'm talking about working with Leo Dobbs to blackmail Nick Perino."

She told Leo not to mess with Perry Mason. Once he came on the scene, they should have dropped the whole thing. Instead, Mason had Drake investigating them. It wouldn't be long, and he would find out exactly what they'd been up to. Why the hell should she care? She was out of it. It was only Leo who was blackmailing Nick now.

"I don't have the faintest idea what you are talking about. I haven't seen Nick Perino since he was in high school. When the principal found out about us, he wouldn't have anything to do with me."

"A woman scorned?" Drake raised an eyebrow.

"Don't be ridiculous. Nick was cute and willing. It was nothing but a fling."

Drake shook his head. "You really don't expect me to believe that, do you?"

"Quite frankly, Drake, I don't give a damn what you believe. I told you, I haven't seen Nick Perino since he was in high school. Now, I would appreciate it if you got out."

"Why were you working at a dentist office under the name of Sally Grant if you have nothing to hide?" he asked her.

"You're not a very good detective, are you? If you had done your homework before you came over here to harass me, you would know that it was a huge scandal. I changed my name after I left high school. It was the only way I could get a job. Nobody has called me Deana Jarrett in years."

"Have you ever used the name Alicia?"

The look on her face changed immediately. Drake realized he hit a nerve.

"No I have not. I have been known as Sally Grant for years. Now, will you please leave."

He wasn't sure whether she was lying, or whether she knew who Alicia was. He decided to ask. "Do you know anyone by the name of Alicia?"

Looking away from him, she said, "No I don't. I keep to myself. Quite frankly, I find most human beings repulsive."

"Miss Jarrett …"

"Grant," she said, interrupting him.

Drake nodded. "All right, Miss Grant, I'm going to continue investigating this. That includes you. If you are lying to me, I will find out. You showed recognition of the name Alicia."

"Your imagination is running away with you. I told you, I have never used the name Alicia and I do not know anybody by that name. Now, if you don't get out, I'm going to call the police."

The private eye stood up and walked toward the door. "I intend to find out if you use that alias. If you didn't, I have no doubt you know who Alicia is. I would highly suggest that you drop your blackmailing scheme. Perry Mason does not take kindly to any of his clients being blackmailed. He will definitely have you arrested."

"And I told you, I am not blackmailing anybody. I haven't seen Nick in years. I have no desire to see him, I detest the man. All he ever did was take from me. I taught him everything he knows about writing, and what I got in return was the loss of my job and he snubbed me."

"Well then, I would highly suggest that you not get involved with underage students."

"Get out, Drake!"

Paul opened the door and looked back. "Remember, drop the blackmailing scheme, or you will end up in a prison cell just like Leo Dobbs is going to."

"I'm not blackmailing anybody, and I do not know anybody by the name of Leo Dobbs. Now, for the last time, get out!"

Drake smiled and left her hotel room. As he walked down the hall, he knew Deana Jarrett was lying. She was working with Leo Dobbs to blackmail Perino. More importantly, she either used the name of Alicia, or she knew who she was.

When Drake arrived back at his sports car, he opened the door and got in. He pulled out his cell phone and called his office.

"Drake Detective Agency," his secretary announced.

"Hi Betsy, I'm at the Blue Moon Hotel. I want an operative here to follow a woman who is in room 226. Her name is Deana Jarrett, also known as Sally Grant. I want her tailed wherever she goes, and have it reported back to me."

"I'll take care of it, Mr Drake."

The detective hung up the phone, started his car, and pulled into the street.

4

Back at Mason's apartment for the night, Della Street watched the lawyer pacing in the living room while she cooked dinner. She always admired the way Perry would go the extra mile to help a client. He didn't seem to understand what being fired meant. Despite the fact that Nick Perino terminated his services, he was now spending his own money to continue the investigation into Leo Dobbs and Deana Jarrett. She wondered just how much he was willing to spend. Nick Perino made his decision. As far as Della was concerned, he should have to live with it.

As she mixed up the salad, she continued to watch Mason pace. Turning back to the stove she removed the steaks from the frying pan and took the baked potatoes from the oven. The asparagus was her vegetable of choice. She gathered the dinner, placed it on plates and set them on the table. "Perry, dinner is ready."

Mason stopped pacing and strolled into the kitchen. His mind had been so engrossed in Perino's case, he just then noticed the aroma of the steaks. Pulling a bottle of red wine out of the cupboard, along with wine glasses, he poured wine for both of them.

Della always felt it was her job to speak up when she thought his focus was off kilter. "Perry, how much money do you intend to spend on this case? Perino has terminated your services. Paul is running up quite a bill, and it is all at your expense. If Perino doesn't want you as his lawyer, then why should you continue to help him?"

Mason looked up from the steak on his plate. "Because whether he knows it or not, he needs my help. He is being blackmailed. The least I can do is put a stop to it. Then if he doesn't want me to handle his legal work, I will still have accomplished what I set out to do. And, he fired me, not terminated my services. Let's not sugar coat it like Paul did."

"All the more reason for you to let this go. We have more than enough work in the office. You don't need to be working on a case that not only are you not being paid for, but you are spending your own money to do it. Paul's services are not cheap."

Mason continued to eat his dinner. "Look, Della. I am simply going to put a stop to the blackmail. Then I will drop it. Let's finish our dinner. I am not in the mood to argue."

"I am not arguing with you. I am simply pointing out the obvious."

"All right. I heard you. Now can we drop the subject?"

She was quiet for the rest of their dinner. Her point was made. He was obviously determined to continue. There was nothing more to be said. One thing was for sure, Perry Mason needed to relax. A good night's sleep would help clear his mind. Maybe he would see things differently in the morning. She didn't want to argue either. They got so little time to themselves, she certainly didn't want to argue when they did.

When dinner was over, she began clearing the table. Mason stood up and helped her place the dishes in the sink. She put the plug in the drain and pulled out the dishwashing detergent. Mason reached over her and took it out of her hand. "The maid comes in the morning. She can take care of the dishes. Let's go to bed. It's getting late." He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

Mason sat down on the bed, removed his shoes and socks and watched as she began undressing. He felt guilty for snapping at her at dinner. Della wasn't arguing, and he knew it. It was just his way of putting a stop to a conversation he knew she was right. He was spending his own money on a very wealthy client who didn't want his services any longer. He supposed she had a point. There was plenty of work to do in the office without working on a case when the client not only refused to listen to him, but fired him in the process!

"Della, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bite your head off. You are right. I should drop the case. Perino doesn't want my help. So, when we get to the office in the morning, I will go down to the courthouse and drop the suit I just filed. You send Nick Perino a final bill, and we'll move on to the next case. I'll tell Paul to drop what he is doing."

Della smiled at him. "I don't mean to tell you how to do your job. You are the best there is at what you do. If you really feel like you need to continue until you have stopped the blackmail, I understand. I just don't want you to get so involved in a case that you no longer have any control over. That's all."

"You are always looking out for me," he said with a smile.

She came over to him, sat down beside him, and put her arm around his waist. "That's my job. Now, get out of those clothes and let's get some sleep."

A twinkle appeared in his eyes. "Are you really all that tired?"

"Why? What did you have in mind?" she asked with a smile, knowing fully well what he was suggesting.

"This," he said as his lips met hers.

5

Being a mystery writer was all Nick Perino wanted to do for as long as he could remember. He had written so many books, all of which were best sellers. He was well on his way to becoming one of the best selling authors of the day. Yet, he wasn't happy, and he knew exactly why. His work wasn't his. Because of something he let Alicia do, he had been paying for it ever since. Now, not only was Leo Dobbs blackmailing him, so was Alicia. Both of them milked him for years, since the day of his first published novel. After all that time, Perino still didn't have any solution for how to get out of a mess of his own doing. He thought he found a way when he hired Perry Mason, and he knew how that turned out.

Was he wrong in terminating Mason's services? He was the one man who was actually trying to help him, and he threw him out of his home office. Now, he was on his own. What would Mason think of him? Perino followed his instructions right up to when Leo decided to blackmail him. Should he have told Mason everything? The problem with that was, Perino followed a lot of Mason's cases. He said the only way to handle a blackmailer was to refuse to pay them. The secret you were keeping would come out eventually anyway. Well, he was able to keep it a secret for over ten years. Why would he allow it to get out now? If he did what Mason wanted him to do, how would it affect him? Could he survive it? The thought of not being a writer any longer sickened him. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't let the whole world know what he did to get where he was today. His readers would never forgive him.

Then again, where would it all end? Was he doomed to give away his money to Leo Dobbs? The man didn't write one word of his novels, not one. He took millions from him, bought a house, furnished it, and dressed and ate at Perino's expense. He did damn little for the money Perino actually paid him for. He just couldn't see any way out of the mess he was in. Despite all that, he simply had to find a way out. He couldn't let Leo do nothing and steal millions from him. He made up his mind. He was going to have it out with Leo. He would rid himself of that cancer once and for all.

Nick Perino got into his Corvette and headed for Leo's house. This was coming to an end one way or the other.