The Case of the Defenseless Prosecutor
Chapter 19
19.1
Ironside wheeled directly to Rustoff. Lt. Anderson and Lt. Tragg stood on both sides of the wheelchair bound detective in a protective maneuver. The San Francisco cop glared into Marco Rustoff eyes with the famous stare that had made many a crook back down from him. He said nothing…..just stared directly at the man.
Rustoff looked away from Ironside. Eve Winters or rather Eve Whitfield stood behind the cripple. Why did he let her into his office? A damn female undercover cop. The cripple continued to stare at him. He could not believe this man put fear in the hearts of criminals. He did not look like much to him…..at least that is what he tried to tell himself. He was not about to speak first. Ironside had nothing on him. He had been careful. Regardless of what Whitfield had told him, they would never get past his security on his computer. The file would be destroyed if they tried to access it. Then they would have nothing. Ironside had no way of knowing that he and Moorey had Brown in the basement of the Johnson Tech building. Rustoff figured all he had to do was keep his cool.
"Lt. Anderson, give Mr. Rustoff a chair to sit in." Ironside said. Anderson fetched a chair and set it down in front of Chief Ironside. "Sit down Mr. Rustoff." When Rustoff did not move Ironside raised his voice to a near shout. "Sit down, now!"
Lt. Anderson and Lt. Tragg left Ironside's side and both men took flanking positions on each side of Rustoff. Each took a hold of Rustoff and forcibly led Rustoff in front of the chair. Placing a hand on each of his shoulders, the Los Angeles detectives shoved Rustoff into the chair.
Ironside continued to stare at him. Rustoff looked away from him. He glanced over at Perry Mason whose face was expressionless. Beside him stood his secretary. He kept glancing from Mason to Ironside. Mason was just a younger version of Ironside. The resemblance between the two men was remarkable. If Ironside was even half the interrogator that Mason was, Rustoff knew he was in trouble. Rustoff waited for Ironside to reveal why he was here in this room with Mason and the police.
"Go ahead, Lieutenant," Ironside directed.
"Marco Rustoff, you are under arrest for hacking into the Bar Association's computers and planting false information in the file of Hamilton Burger….for perjury…..and for kidnapping and attempted murder. 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 an attorney and to have that attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court will appoint one for you. Do you understand your rights as I have recited them to you?" Lt. Tragg finished as he presented him with a warrant for his arrest.
"What the hell are you talking about? I have done nothing," Rustoff shouted as he tried to hide the panic that was starting to build up inside him.
"Don't insult my intelligence, Mr. Rustoff." Ironside growled. "We obtained a search warrant for your computer, your apartment and your vehicle. We have iron-clad proof you hacked into the Bar Associations computer and planted phony information in Burger's records. You perjured yourself on the stand by lying about the security video which you altered."
"You're bluffing, Ironside. There is no way you could get anything off my computer. The records would be destroyed the minute you put in incorrect passwords or access id's."
"Do you really think you are the only one that can hack into a computer? We have several experts at headquarters. It took them less than fifteen minutes to get past your security. For the expert you claim to be, your security was less than expert. Mr. Griffith!" Ironside barked.
A young police officer in uniform stepped forward with a manila jacket in his hand. He handed it to Rustoff. Rustoff took the envelope but did not open it.
"Open it!" Roared Ironside.
Startled by Ironside's outburst, Rustoff jumped at the sound of his voice. He opened the file and began reading. Ironside waited impatiently for Rustoff.
Panic continued to rise with each word he read. Marco Rustoff knew they had him. There was enough information here to convict him. The color drained from his face. "I am not talking to you. I want a lawyer."
"Let him make a phone call to a lawyer," Ironside told Tragg. Lt. Tragg picked up the receiver from the phone sitting on the table. He handed it to Rustoff who took it and began to dialing.
"Hacking into a computer will get you a few years in prison, probably shorten by good behavior but kidnapping and attempted murder will put you away until you are an old man. So go ahead and call your lawyer. All he will do is try to get you a deal with prosecutor. Go ahead because we have you on kidnapping and attempted murder….maybe even the murder of Conner Wolff," Ironside snarled. "Call your lawyer. A jury will not be lenient with a kidnapper that refused to cooperate with the police."
Rustoff slammed the phone down. "You got nothing on me. A kidnapping charge? Attempted murder? You're bluffing Ironside. I don't know what kind of dumb thugs you deal with in San Francisco but I can't be bluffed. You don't have anything on me. Not on kidnapping and attempted murder!"
Ironside nodded at Lt. Anderson. Andy walked over to the door in the back of the room and opened it. Sgt. Ed Brown walked into the room. "Hello Marco. I forgot to tell you the chief is relentless when it comes to protecting his people."
He knew he was beaten. Ed Brown would testify to kidnapping. "What kind of a deal will you give me Ironside?"
"I don't give deals, Mr. Rustoff. You have a choice. Perry is going to clear Hamilton Burger, you can count on that. With what we have on you, you are going away for a very long time. Now you can call your lawyer, but Perry here will tell you, you don't have a prayer in hell of beating this rap. I am sure Mr. Burger will be very happy to see to it that one of his best people prosecutes the case. Or… Mr. Rustoff, you can help us. You are going to do time but it will go better for you if you help us." Ironside said nothing further. He just stared at Rustoff and waited.
Rustoff looked around the room. Serving a prison term for computer hacking was one thing but kidnapping and attempted murder? He had no loyalty to Moorey or the man who started this whole mess. Why should he go to prison for the rest of his life for them? He had to push Ironside for some kind of deal. "If I help you, I want a deal."
"No deals!" Ironside said firmly and loudly. "You will be tried with a jury that will have the knowledge that you either helped the police or you refused to help the police. If you help us there is a chance you will get a lesser sentence. The choice is yours. Now I want an answer, Mr. Rustoff."
Marco Rustoff had never been so scared in his life. He had never been in this kind of trouble. Oh, he cursed the day he ever met Conner Wolff and Daniel Moorey. What choice did he have? They had him and he knew it. "Alright Ironside. What do you want?"
"First of all, it's Chief Ironside," Ed said.
Perry stepped forward. "We want Daniel Moorey. You are going to help us bring him in and you are going to go back on the stand and testify for the defense."
Totally defeated, Rustoff lowered his head, "Whatever you want."
19.2
Ironside wheeled into Mark Sanger's hospital room. Mark turned off the television looked in the chief's direction. His boss wheeled over to his bedside. "Well Mr. Sanger, how much longer are you going to draw salary at my expense while lying in that bed?"
Mark smiled. The chief always had a problem showing his feelings when it came to the people closest to him. That remark was Ironside's way of saying he had been worried about him. "I may just stay here for the rest of the month…at your expense."
Ironside grinned. "Where does it say that you get sick pay?"
Eve and Ed entered the room. "Some people will do anything to get out of working," Ed quipped.
"Ignore them both, Mark. They have been just as concern about you as I have," Eve said.
"What's going on with the case?" Mark asked.
"The chief and Perry are close to blowing the case wide open," Ed replied.
"Not yet, Ed. We know who the one man was who killed Conner Wolff. We also know two people were in that office that night. We have to find the other one," Ironside said.
"And we have yet to pick up Moorey," Eve said.
"We should be able to that tonight," Ed said.
"Speaking of tonight, Sergeant, what are you doing here?" Ironside asked his detective.
Ed knew that Ironside was saying get moving. "I just stopped by to see how Mark was doing."
"Well now you know." Ironside stared at Ed.
"I am on my way. Later Mark."
"Later," Mark replied.
The nurse came in. "Chief Ironside, Mr. Sanger is not allowed visitors for more than a few minutes. I am going to have to ask you to end your visit now."
Eve kissed Mark's forehead as Ironside turned his chair and wheeled toward the door. He turned back to Mark and said, "We are picking up the man tonight who did this to you, Mark. You can count on it."
"You do that chief. Thanks for coming by…both of you," Mark said.
"Ba," Ironside mocked Mark's pronunciation of bye.
"Ba," Mark said with a grin.
19.3
Ironside picked Perry and Della up at Perry's apartment. "How's Mark?" Della asked.
"Much better. They would not let us stay very long," Eve answered.
Perry noticed that his brother was headed in the opposite direction of Johnson Tech. "Bob, where are you going?"
"To pick up cop who is getting out of the hospital," Ironside replied.
Della smiled. She knew exactly where the chief was going.
Ironside pulled the van into the parking lot of the Veterinary Clinic. Ironside lowered his chair to the ground while Perry helped Della out of the van. As Ironside wheeled toward the door, Perry stepped behind his brother and pushed his wheelchair into the clinic.
Dr. Sarah Fisher met them at the door. "Good evening Chief Ironside, Mr. Mason."
"Good evening," Perry said with a smile. "This is Della Street."
"Miss Street," Dr. Fisher said acknowledging the introduction."
"Hello," Della said.
"Otto is doing just fine. In fact, I cannot believe how well he is doing. We cannot keep him quiet. He has been pacing in his pen all day long. If you will wait here, Chief Ironside, I will bring Otto out." Sarah Fisher disappeared behind the door to kennel hospital.
Ironside reached in his suit coat and pulled out his checkbook. When Perry noticed what Ironside had done, he walked over to his brother. "Put your checkbook away, Bob. Otto's bill is already paid."
"He's my dog. I'll pay the bill," Ironside insisted.
"Robert, Otto has saved Perry's life twice now," Della said. "I doubt that you will win this argument."
"I owe him," Perry said. "So don't bother to argue.
Ironside hesitate only for a moment and then put his checkbook back into his suit coat. "Otto thanks you…and so do I."
Sarah Fisher opened the door. Otto bounded into the room. He began barking and whining as he headed straight for Ironside. He jumped up, his front quarters landing in Ironside's lap. He lapped Ironsides face.
Ironside grabbed him on both sides of his neck and ruffed his coat. Otto's jaw wrapped around his arm. "Good boy, best cop on the force. I bet you want to go home, don't you boy? What do you say we get out of here?" Otto's tail was wagging wildly. He continued barking and whining.
Della and Perry watched Ironside and Otto, smiling at the scene in front of them.
Finally Ironside got him quieted down. "Thank you Dr. Fisher. I appreciate everything you have done for Otto," Ironside said.
"You are welcome, Chief Ironside. He's a fine dog. Good luck with him." She handed Perry Mason a slip of paper and once again disappeared into the back room.
"Come on boy, let's go home," Ironside said to Otto. He wheeled toward the door. Otto followed him, his tail wagging while trying to grab Ironside's hand as it turned the wheel on his chair.
Perry got in the driver's seat, started the van's motor and eased away from the curb. Ironside reached in a cupboard above his head and pulled out two bullet proof vests he had requested be included. He handed one to Della and threw the other in the front passenger seat. "Put that on, Della. That goes for you Perry as soon as you stop this van. I don't want to hear any arguments from either of you."
"You will get no argument from us," Perry said. "What about Otto?"
"Della, above your head in the cupboard behind you is Otto's vest. Please pull it down," Ironside told her.
Della pulled the vest out of the cupboard. "Otto," she called the dog. With his tail wagging, the German Shepherd happily obeyed Della. She put the vest on the dog and fastened it.
"Both of you stay behind me," Ironside ordered. "Let Ed, Eve, Tragg and Anderson handle this. It is what all of them are trained to do. You two stick to the courtroom."
Perry glanced back at Della who flashed him a knowing smile. Ironside was protecting them. If he had spent time with them while on some of Perry's cases, he would have to concede Perry knew how to take care of himself. That of course did not mean that he would approve of the lengths Perry would go to protect a client. But Della knew Perry would not challenge Robert's authority. Unless of course Robert was in imminent danger. Then Robert's authority be damned! Perry would act to protect his brother. Della just hoped it did not come to that. Too many of them had been put in danger since this case started. She did not want either of these men harmed. She patted the top of Otto's head as Perry pulled the van in the parking lot. As Ironside had requested the huge door where the company trucks were kept, was open. Perry drove the van though the door. It closed behind them.
19.4
Marco Rustoff entered the room. Sgt Ed Brown was tied and bounded and lying on his side on the floor in the same room in the basement which Ironside had found him earlier in the day. Except this time the ropes that bound his hands had been tied so that Ed could break out of them easily. A thirty eight service revolver was in his back right pocket.
"Shouldn't Moorey have called you by now?" Ed asked.
Rustoff was nervous. If Moorey suspected he was helping the cops, he would not hesitate to kill him. He wondered if Brown could get loose quick enough to use that thirty eight in his pocket. As far as he was concerned the other cops were useless. They were too far away. They did not know Moorey like he did. "He'll call. I told him Ironside is going to pay to get you released. He'll call."
"Tell me, how did you get mixed up in this mess to begin with?" Ed asked.
"I have been hacking computers for Conner Wolff for a long time. He has been blackmailing me for years so I could not quit," Rustoff said.
"Why didn't he hack his own computers?"
"He represented himself as an expert in computers but he was nothing of the kind. The jerk could barely turn one on. He had me doing all his dirty work."
"Then you had a pretty strong motive to kill him," Brown pointed out.
"So what? Are you going to try and hang that on me too?"
"Not if you didn't do it," Ed replied. "But I am sure Perry Mason will bring it up. It will show someone beside Hamilton Burger had a motive and the means to do it. It's called reasonable doubt."
"Can't you talk Ironside into giving me some kind of deal? I am doing what he asked me to do."
Ed shook his head. "Crooks call him 'No Deal Ironside'. The chief feels if you did the crime, you do the time. He doesn't give deals. But you will do yourself some good with the judge by helping us. I am guessing he will give you a lighter sentence because of it. He might even take into consideration that you were being blackmailed. Of course it depends on what Wolff was blackmailing you about."
Rustoff said nothing further on the subject. "So it the blonde yours or Ironside's?" He said changing the subject.
"What?" Ed asked and then said, "Neither. She's a member of the team. We work together."
"She should have been an actress. She would probably be rich by now," he said bitterly. She sure had me fooled.
"She supposed to fool you," Ed said. "She would not be much good for undercover work if she could not."
"So then you don't know if she is any good?" Rustoff asked.
"Any good at what?" Ed snarled.
"Nothing, I was just passing the time," he said deciding it was not a good idea to pursue Eve Whitfied any further. Brown was obviously sensitive where she was concerned. Maybe she was Ironside's and Brown was jealous. After all, he could not move in on her if she belonged to the boss. Who in their right mind would want to tangle with Ironside? He could not help but think what he would not give to have that little number for just one night.
The phone rang. Rustoff pressed the speaker button. "Yea," he said.
"So what is so important?" Moorey asked.
"I called the police station just like you said."
"You weren't suppose to do that until tomorrow night," Moorey yelled.
"Well I did it tonight. I want Brown out of here. We're taking a big chance keeping him here. What if someone discovers him?"
"You would have a lot of explaining to do," Moorey chuckled. "So what did the cops say."
"You were right. Ironside is going to pay for his number one boy."
"See, what did I tell you? I knew Ironside would do anything to get Brown back. He must have got the money from his rich lawyer brother unless he's on the take."
"Ironside? You've got to be kidding. Anyway, they are putting the money in your Swiss bank account. We are supposed to be able to call to check to see if the funds are there," Rustoff looked at his watch, "in about forty minutes."
"Ok, I am on my way over," Moorey said and hung up the phone."
The door opened and Lt. Tragg walked in. He walked quickly over to Ed Brown. Reaching behind him he checked to be sure Ed would get out of his bondage quickly. He pulled duc tape out of his suit pocket and tore off a strip. "We are ready outside Ed." He put the duc tape over Ed's mouth and turned to leave the room. Looking directly at Rustoff, Lt. Tragg said, "Don't double cross us, Rustoff. If you do, I will make sure you are the sorriest man on this planet. You will never get out of prison. Understand?"
"I am already the sorriest man on this planet but I have no intentions of double-crossing you," Rustoff said.
Lt. Tragg left the room. All that was left to do was wait.
19.5
Hamilton Burger was sulking in Perry Mason's office. He wanted to be at the Johnson Tech Corporation but Ironside made it clear he did not want him anywhere near the building. He appreciated Robert Ironside and his staff dropping everything they were doing, coming here to Los Angeles to help clear him of this ridiculous murder charge. He just did not understand Ironside's insistence that he stay out of the investigation. Didn't the grumpy detective understand this was his life? Ironside could not begin to understand the helpless feeling Hamilton had been carrying ever since Tragg found him standing in Conner Wolff's office with that bloody knife in his hand.
Hamilton knew the looks people on the street were giving him. He could read the condemnation in their eyes. No matter how many times he heard the whispering from people who saw him, he would never get use to the idea that they believed the lies. Even after Bob and Perry had torn down much of the evidence against him, Hamilton still heard the whispers and noticed the staring. How could they think he could do such a thing? He had served this county faithfully. His record of convictions was higher than any other district attorney in history in Los Angeles. He had only lost three cases in all the years he had been district attorney….not counting the ones that he lost to Perry Mason. Unfortunately for him, Perry Mason chose to practice law in Los Angeles. Still, he, along with Arthur Tragg had helped Perry clear the occasional client when he had been able to convince them the client wasn't guilty. They even had worked with him to trap the real killer. Yet, it was obvious some people believed he was guilty of killing Conner Wolff. He just didn't understand how they could believe that of him.
Hamilton wondered if his career as the district attorney could survive this. Everyone seemed to love a scandal…..especially when someone prominent was at the center of it. He began pacing back and forth. He just could not stay here in Perry's office and do nothing. He had to be part of the investigation. Why could he not be satisfied that he had the best detective in the country investigating and the best lawyer in the country defending him? What was driving him to be part of it? Maybe he wanted to prove to himself that he was just as good as Mason or Ironside. Or maybe, he wanted to help them out of sheer gratitude for what they were doing.
Hamilton only knew that it was his life and career on the line and he just could not sit by and do nothing. Now what could he do that would not anger Ironside? He knew Ironside was not bluffing when he said he would make him sit in a jail cell for the duration of the trial and investigation. He would do it and right now he outranked every cop in the city. There would be no one to stop him from throwing him in a cell. Well if he could not be part of the action then he had to be part of the trial. They knew there were two killers. Ironside believed Daniel Moorey was one of them. Who was the other? They had not been able to determine that yet. Yes, maybe that is where he could help.
Mark had gone through all the flash drives and could not find anything that could help. But Mark was not a trained police officer. Hamilton had no doubt that he had learned plenty living with and working for Ironside these past years but he still was not a cop.
Hamilton headed for Perry's law library. The copies of those flash drives had been placed in there. He flipped up the screen of the laptop which was sitting on the table and booted the computer up. Walking over to the shelves of dozens of law books, he grabbed the manila envelope that contained the flash drives. He returned to the table and sat down. Placing the first flash drive in the USB port, he began going through the extensive information contained there. He was determined to help Bob and Perry whether they wanted it or not.