The Case of the Deadly Scalpel
Chapter 12
1
Carly Williams arrived at St Mary's Hospital. She found out that Dr Ben Stern had an office in the hospital. She thought it to be unusual, but then it was where he spent most of his time performing surgery.
She was still reeling from her confrontation with Ironside. If the damn detective thought she was going to back off, he would soon find out the meaning of the phrase freedom of the press.
She always felt that Perry Mason's reputation was overrated. Even if it wasn't, no one was going to convince her all of the defendants that he represented were innocent. Mason didn't care if he turned murderers loose on society. All he cared about was his reputation as the attorney that never loses. He was going to try to do it again — that is, get another murderer off and have him released to kill again. Well, not if she could stop it.
So far, she found out about the argument Ben Stern had with Corbin Schulte. The nurse was very cooperative, almost proud to tell her all about it. Obviously, Schulte was blackmailing Stern. If she could find out why, it would go a long way to see that Ben Stern went to prison for murder. Even though she wasn't an attorney, or a prosecuting attorney, she would have the satisfaction of knowing that she was the one who defeated the so-called great Perry Mason and his boorish brother!
Carly entered the hospital. She headed directly for the room Corbin Schulte was murdered in. When she arrived, she was surprised to see that there wasn't any yellow police tape across the door. Peeking inside, there was a woman in the only bed in the room. She didn't understand it. Police always taped off a murder scene with the yellow tape. Yet, this room was once again in use.
Stopping a nurse who was walking by, she asked, "I thought this was the room Corbin Schulte was murdered in. Am I wrong?"
"No, you are not incorrect. However, the room was cleaned and reassigned today."
"Isn't that unusual?" she asked the nurse.
The nurse just shrugged her shoulders and moved on. Carly wasn't happy. She was hoping she could get into the room and see if she could find out anything. Obviously, that wasn't going to happen. Her next stop was Dr Witt's office.
She took the elevator to his floor. She checked it out ahead of time, so she knew exactly where to go. The elevator doors opened, and she headed down the hall. Spotting an office with the name Dr Ben Stern, she looked in the window. As with most offices, there was an outer lobby with a secretarial desk. Unfortunately, no one was at the desk. She checked the doorknob. It would not turn; the door was locked. Well, that was too bad. She didn't understand why they locked this door, but allowed Schulte's room to be cleaned and reassigned.
Moving on as there wasn't anything she could do about getting into Stern's office, she located Dr Witt's instead. This time when she glanced into the window, there was a secretary sitting at a desk. She opened the door and went in. There were only two chairs set up for visitors. Obviously, this doctor didn't see patients. Then again, he was the chief physician in the hospital.
"Can I help you?" asked the secretary.
"Yes, I would like to see Dr Witt," she said.
Glancing down at the calendar in front of her, she said, "I am sorry, you don't have an appointment with the doctor."
"I am not here to see him on a professional level." Carly pulled out her journalism credentials and showed them to the secretary.
Dr Witt wasn't going to care for this, the secretary thought. As it was, he wasn't happy with the publicity regarding the murder in his hospital. Unfortunately, if she just told the reporter to go away, she was pretty sure the woman would cause them trouble.
"I will check with the doctor and see if he has time to see you." She got up and headed for Witt's office.
"Oh, he'll see me, or I will cause this hospital all sorts of trouble." Williams stood there with her hands on her hips.
What an arrogant little bitch, the secretary thought. She disappeared into the doctor's office.
Dr Peter Witt sat behind his desk with a mound of paperwork in front of him. "I said I didn't want to be disturbed."
"I know that, Doctor. However, there is a Carly Williams here to see you. She is . . ."
"I don't know anybody by that name, nor do I have the time to see anybody. I have to get these reports ready," he said, interrupting her.
"She's a reporter, and she is not going to go away quietly. She already threatened the hospital if you don't see her."
Damn Ben Stern for agreeing to do the spinal surgery on Corbin Schulte! It caused him nothing but headaches. Now, he had to deal with a nosy reporter. Witt was unaware the reporter was from Los Angeles.
He blew out of breath. "All right, send her in. Make sure she understands I don't have any more than 5 minutes."
His secretary nodded, left his office, and then returned with Carly Williams.
Dr Witt stood up behind his desk. "I understand you are a reporter. I don't have much time. I'm extremely busy."
"Quite frankly, Doctor, I don't care how busy you are. If you don't take the time to answer my questions, I will make your life a living hell. Believe me, I can do exactly that." Carly looked him straight in the eye. She wasn't about to back down from the head physician in the hospital. He had something to hide, and she was going to find out what it was.
"Don't threaten me, young lady. I don't care what newspaper you work for. I don't take kindly to threats. Now, ask your questions and then get the hell out of my office."
Carly smirked. The doctor was trying to act tough, but he didn't throw her out of the office. He definitely had something to hide, or he would have done so immediately. She knew she was on the right track. She was going to find out exactly what the man knew.
"Were you aware Dr Stern was going to do spinal surgery on a man, knowing that it wouldn't do him any good?"
"It is my understanding that Mr Schulte demanded Dr Stern do the surgery regardless of the outcome."
"I see. So, what you are telling me is that the hospital does surgeries on people regardless whether it will do them any good or not."
Damn it! He allowed her to lead him right into that. "No, that is not a practice of this hospital."
"Yet, you allowed Stern to do the surgery when the outcome was more than bleak."
"Dr Stern is an outstanding surgeon and is known countrywide for his ability in spinal cord surgeries. I do not tell him what surgeries he can do and what he can't. He certainly knows more about spinal cord issues than I do."
"In other words, you allow Dr Stern to do unnecessary surgeries at will."
"Of course not. Don't put words into my mouth. Dr Stern is an outstanding surgeon. He can determine whether the surgeries are needed or not. I don't stand over my doctors. We have a very capable staff here at the hospital. If you want to know why Dr Stern did the surgery, then I suggest you ask him." Witt was becoming extremely agitated with the arrogant reporter.
"I would do exactly that, but he is in jail for murdering his patient."
"Allegedly murdering a patient. I don't believe for one second that Ben is guilty. He spent a lifetime helping people back on their feet. He wouldn't take a life in cold blood."
"Come now, Doctor, you certainly are aware that he had an argument with Corbin Schulte which was overheard by one of your nurses. It was blatantly obvious that Schulte was blackmailing Stern."
Dr Witt shook his head. "I am aware of no such thing. None of my nurses have come forward and told me about any argument between the two of them."
"Well, your nurse told me all about it. It is quite obvious that you do not have much control over the personnel or what goes on in this hospital."
The doctor stood up behind his desk. In a very angry tone, he said, "This interview is over. I would like you to leave my office at once."
"I'm not going anywhere. I would like the key to Dr Stern's office so I can take a look around myself."
Dr Witt snickered. "His office is considered part of the crime scene. There is no way I'm giving you a key to go into that office unless you have a court order. I have no doubt that you don't. So, get out of my office now, or I call security to throw you out."
"Then I suggest you call security, because I am not going anywhere."
Dr Witt pressed the intercom button. His secretary came on the line. "Have security sent up to my office immediately."
"Doctor, there is a Lieutenant Carl Reese here to see you."
"Cancel that order for hospital security. I am certain Lieutenant Reese will be able to handle it. Send him in."
The door opened and Carl Reese walked in. He glanced over at Carly Williams. "Your secretary didn't say you already had someone in your office. I apologize. I can wait until you're finished."
"We're finished here, Lieutenant. In fact, I could use your help. Miss Williams refuses to leave my office. She's insisting on obtaining the key to get into Dr Ben Stern's office."
"That's impossible. It is considered part of the crime scene."
Witt picked up a pencil and started tapping on the desk. "That's exactly what I told her. She still refuses to leave."
Reese looked at Williams. "If the doctor doesn't want you in his office, then you are trespassing. I would suggest that you leave immediately."
"I am a reporter and I am here to investigate the Corbin Schulte murder. I have a right to see the scene. I want that key."
"You have no right to access that room. Now, you have been told to leave this office. If you do not do so, I will put you under arrest for trespassing."
"Have you ever heard of freedom of the press?" she said arrogantly to Reese. "You're bluffing. You aren't going to arrest me."
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have heard of freedom of the press. You print what you want. No one is stopping you, except maybe your editor. What you can't do is interrupt the operation of this hospital or the doctors working here. Now I would suggest you leave or you will find out whether or not I am bluffing."
"I am filing a complaint with the Police Department," Williams said as she stormed out of the room." When she got outside the door, she stopped. They didn't close it. She would be able to hear what they were saying. The young reporter decided to stay and listen.
"Well, Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" Witt asked.
"I just came from the hospital room where the murder was committed. The police tape is gone and there is a woman in that room," Reese complained.
"Yes, of course there is. This is a hospital, Lieutenant. I do not have the luxury of closing off the use of rooms. You didn't tell me to hold the room."
Reese's Italian temper was beginning to surface. "I told the nurse in charge no one was to enter the room until further notice. Why did you think the police tape was there? Decoration?" His voice held sarcasm worthy of Robert Ironside.
"The nurse didn't tell me," Witt said in his defense. When I was asked about the room, I told them to prepare it for the next occupant. I had no idea there was police tape across the entry."
"You know better than that, Doctor. That room was to be closed off until further notice. Perry Mason filed a complaint with the Police Department. He was not allowed to examine the scene of the crime. Do you have any idea how that is going to go over in court?"
Irritated by Reese's tone of voice, Witt's own voice began to rise. "If you wanted that room closed off, you should have told me directly. Now, is there anything else you need?" It was clear he was not discussing the subject any longer with the lieutenant.
Reese reached into his suit coat pocket and pulled out a paper. He dropped it on Witt's desk. "That's a subpoena. The prosecution requests the pleasure of your testimony in court. You can explain to the judge and jury why your people removed the police tape and cleaned that room. Don't tell me that you don't know that you're not supposed to pass police tape. The crime scene was supposed to be preserved. You can explain why it wasn't. See you in court. By the way, Since you have been served by the prosecution, do not talk to Mason, or for that matter, Chief Ironside."
Carly Williams realized the conversation was over. She hurried around the corner in the opposite direction of the elevators in order to avoid running into Lieutenant Reese. She could tell from the tone of his voice, a conversation with him right now would not be pleasant. She peeked around the corner and watched as he headed down the hall.
Next stop, the San Francisco Chronicle. She always liked the city. Her editor in Los Angeles gave her nothing but fluff pieces to cover. If she fed her information to the Chronicle here in San Francisco, maybe she could land a job with the newspaper. She would head back to her motel room and start the first article. Once it was done, she would make a trip over to the Chronicle.
2
Della Street had to turn her face away from Robert to hide the smile. Perry loved ribbing his brother about the difference in their incomes. Robert's irritation was apparent in telling Perry to shut up.
"Did you learn anything useful whatsoever?" Ironside asked his brother.
"According to Dr Witt, the cleaning staff is not allowed in Dr Stern's office unless he is there. They do not have a key to his office."
"That's going to be a problem, Perry. If there is only one key other than the one Ben has, the prosecution is going to say he is the only one who could have been in that office. We have to be able to prove someone else could have entered."
"You didn't let me finish. I believe we can do that. Although the main key is locked in a box on the wall, there are two keys to that box. One of them is on Witt's keyring and kept locked in that box. The other one is in the desk drawer at the back. He claims no one else knows about that key."
"Now we're getting somewhere. Someone else obviously knew about that key."
"That is obvious to us, but it won't be obvious to the prosecution, and probably not the jury either. Dr Witt has a secretary. She is normally at her desk. They will claim no one could get into the office past her."
"Then we will just have to discredit that claim, won't we?" Ironside said.
Della smiled. "Robert! You are beginning to sound like Perry."
"Don't insult me, Della."
"Come on, Perry. Let's call on Dr. Witt," she said with a laugh.
3
Ben Stern Jr's plane landed at San Francisco Airport. Sitting in a window seat, he looked out and watched the jumbo jet race down the runway, slowing as it went along. He spent the entire flight worried about his dad. How could he ever ignore his father for so long? He should have contacted him and straightened everything out. After all, he too was now a spinal cord surgeon. He understood the pressures the job put on a doctor.
They had a terrible fight over his father and mother's breakup when he was very young. As a kid, his behavior could be excused for not understanding why his father spent so much time helping people and not spending time with his family. Ben Jr grew up bitter about it. He blamed his dad for the breakup of his parent's marriage. In reality, he knew it took two to make a marriage work or to destroy it. His mother was just as much to blame. Ben had trouble in the beginning of his own marriage for similar reasons. His wife was a housewife. She wanted him to work a regular schedule and be home every night. A doctor's job was never nine to five.
There was a time he thought his marriage would fail. He thought about his mother and how she argued with his father over the very same thing he was experiencing. The difference in his marriage was he sat down with his wife and they compromised. They agreed to take at least one vacation a year. Ben would schedule his practice around Ben III's activities as much as he could, and he did. At times, it was impossible. Duty called and he had to answer. Fortunately, Beth understood. She didn't like it, but she couldn't argue that he kept to their agreement most of the time. Ben Jr was proud that he made time for his family while still giving his patients the best medical care he could provide them.
None of that excused the way he treated his father. Even if he didn't make the kind of time Ben Jr did for his family, he helped dozens of people over the years, many of them who would never have been able to walk again if it weren't for his Dad. That was going to change as of right now. His father needed him, and he intended to be there for him. If there was anything in the world Ben Jr was sure of it was that his father would never take a life. He dedicated his life to helping people.
Ben Jr lifted his luggage out of the overhead bin and followed his fellow passengers out of the plane. At the end of the runway, Charlene was standing there with a big smile on her face. He hadn't seen his sister for almost as long as he hadn't seen his father. He dropped his luggage and picked her up in a bear hug. Charlene laughed delightfully. She was just as happy to see her brother as he was to see her.
He set her down and smiled at her. "It is so good to see you. I am sorry I have been so distant."
Placing a hand on his chest, she attempted to soothe his guilt. "You haven't been distant. We talk on the phone every so often."
A man coming out of the plane gave them both a look that could kill. "You're blocking the exit!"
Ben Jr and Charlene moved over as he pushed his suitcase out of the way with his foot.
"Get a room!" the man shouted at them.
Charlene looked up at her big brother, and the two of them burst out laughing. That brought on another look from the grumpy man. When he passed them, Ben Jr returned his attention to his sister. "How's Dad?"
"I can tell he is scared, but he seems to be holding up."
"You didn't get a chance to tell me about his defense. What lawyer did he hire?" he asked. He picked up his suitcase and allowed her to lead the way to her vehicle.
"The very best there is!"
Ben Jr stopped and took her by the arm. "Chief Ironside called his brother?"
She grinned. "He sure did. Perry Mason is here in San Francisco. In fact, the arraignment was this morning." The grin turned to tears. "Ben, they are charging him with first degree murder. I can't believe it! Dad would never harm anyone."
He put his arm around his sister. "Don't you worry. Chief Ironside has been a friend of Dad's for . . . well, I don't even know how long, but it is a long time. He will find out who did it, and Perry Mason is, as you said, the best there is. Dad couldn't be in better hands. He has the dynamic duo on his side."
Wiping the tears from her face, she laughed. "I thought Batman and Robin were the dynamic duo."
"Well, they are, but it fits Ironside and Mason too."
"You think so? Who is going to tell one of them he is Robin to the other one's Batman."
A big grin spread across her brother's face. "Not me!"
She opened the trunk of her Dodge Charger, and Ben Jr put his suitcase inside. "Can you suggest a hotel? I haven't been here in a long time."
"Hotel? Are you kidding? You are staying with us. Kyle will be delighted to see his Uncle Ben. By the way, how's Beth and Ben III?"
"Great. I don't know how I got so lucky. Beth is understanding about the time I spend at the hospital, but she is constantly bugging me about moving back here to San Francisco. She misses her Mom."
"So why don't you? If you patch things up with Dad, we could be a family again."
"First thing first. Our concern right now is getting Dad cleared of this ridiculous charge. Then I can think about it. I must admit, I do miss California." He stared out the window.
Charlene noticed the look in his eyes. "You're nervous, aren't you?"
"Yeah, a bit, I guess. It has been some time since I saw him, and it wasn't pleasant."
"He loves you, Ben." She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it just slightly.
"I know. I wish I hadn't been so stubborn." Changing the subject, he asked, "How am I going to get in to see him?"
"That's easy. The entire Police Department is scared of Chief Ironside. He has made sure we can."
"Good. I want to talk to Mason as well."
"That will be easy," she said, "He and his secretary are staying in Chief Ironside's office?"
"What?"
Charlene realized it had been so long since he left San Francisco that Robert Ironside's office was in the other building. At that time he was Chief of Detectives. "His office is on the top floor of Police Headquarters. He also lives there with an aide who helps him with day to day living."
He cocked his head to the right. "Wow, things have changed. I just assumed he was still in the building that houses the courts."
"Not for several years. Now, do you want to stop at my house and drop off your suitcase, or go straight to Police Headquarters?"
"Police Headquarters. I want to see Dad."
She made a turn at the next corner and headed for the building Robert Ironside called home.
4
Officer Eve Whitfieled pulled her vehicle in front of the brick apartment building. Rather run down, it was three stories high. Before getting out of her car, she glanced around. Despite being a police detective, she didn't like coming into the area. It wasn't exactly the safest area in San Francisco. Nevertheless, it was her assignment. She was surprised the chief sent her here to the area instead of Ed. That was what he would normally do. The chief was particularly protective of her.
After shutting off the engine, she still didn't get out of her car. Eve looked down at her purse. She struggled with whether she should remove her gun from her purse. Maybe Ed was right. He continually told her that keeping her gun in her purse was not a good idea. If she needed it in a hurry, it would be too late. He reminded her of his feelings every time they went somewhere together when the assignment might be dangerous. At first she had to hold back her anger. She didn't like Ed telling her how to handle her gun. She went through the police academy and was hired by Chief Ironside the same as he was. Then after she thought about it, maybe he was right. What if she had to defend Ed? Would she be endangering his life because of the time it would take her to remove the gun from her purse?
She sat in her vehicle wondering if she should remove the gun from her purse before she got out of the car. On the other hand, she didn't want to scare the girls. They might not talk to her. She chuckled at the thought. The chance of them talking openly with her was about nil in the first place. A gun wasn't going to make any difference. She carried police identification as well as a shield in her purse. Eve made her decision. She pulled the shield out and put the chain it was on around her neck. She then removed the gun. She would conceal it behind her purse.
Stepping out of the car and locking it, she hoped she wouldn't return to it up on blocks with all four tires stolen. Unfortunately, it was definitely a possibility. Eve headed to the front entrance of the building.
"Hey, baby, are you lost? You certainly don't belong in this area with those fancy clothes."
Eve turned to see a man in ragged clothing, unshaven and looking like he hadn't seen a bar of soap in ages. Obviously, he was homeless. His size and the way he was looking at her made the hair on the back of her neck rise. She knew she better take control of the situation before it escalated. She didn't want to take the man on if he decided to attack her. Nor did she want to shoot an unarmed man.
Turning toward him, she made sure her badge was in full view of the homeless man. "Police. I am here on official police business. I suggest you move on."
"I can't believe they allow a sweet thing like you with a badge. You couldn't defend yourself from someone … like me, for instance."
"I wouldn't bet on it if I were you," Eve said. The grip on her gun tightened behind her purse.
"Oh, I think I would. You know I haven't had any for a long time. Why don't you and I go out behind the building and I'll show you a really good time."
"I am warning you. If you don't move on, I am going to arrest you for impeding a police investigation."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means if you don't move on, you are going to find yourself in jail."
"Well, pretty lady, at least I'll have a warm place to sleep and a free meal. Now, you and I are going to get it on." He started toward her.
Eve had no choice. She didn't want to go up against him one on one, so she pulled her gun from behind her purse. Pointing it straight at him, she said, "Last warning."
The man put his hands up. "Easy, pretty lady, all you had to do was say you weren't interested. He backed away from her, turned around and headed down the street.
Eve stood there for a minute, waiting for the adrenaline to subside. She didn't like having to pull her gun on the man, although she felt she was justified. She turned to see a familiar car sitting in front of the apartment building. There was no mistaking the dark colored Ford. She watched as Ed Brown got out of the car and walked toward her.
"You could have helped me out, Ed," she said, a bit put out.
"You did just fine," he said with a smile.
"What are you doing here anyway?"
"The chief told me to join you when I was done."
"So, he didn't trust me to handle it on my own, then."
"Actually, he did. He told me not to interfere unless you needed backup. You didn't."
She stood there staring at him. How could she fault him? She did handle it after all.
"Are we just going to stand here, or are we going to go in and interview those girls?" Ed said.
Eve put her gun back in her purse. "We're going in." This was just an interview. Still, she left her purse open so that the gun was easily accessible.
She and Ed entered the building, and walked down the hall to the stairs. They couldn't help but notice the wall paper that was torn and hanging in pieces all down the hallway. The carpet was dirty and worn. Holes could be seen everywhere. The color was so faded, it was next to impossible to tell what the original color was.
On the second floor, they headed for 214. Eve was able to determine where the girls were living through her investigations. When they arrived, Ed knocked on the door.
"Police," he called out.
There was a peephole in the center of the door. A female voice responded from the other side. "Let's see your badge."
Ed reached into his suit coat pocket and pulled it out. Holding it out in front of the peephole, they waited.
The dead bolt was drawn back and the door opened slightly. A young girl peered out. "If you are cops, then why are you not wearing uniforms?"
"We are police detectives. We don't wear uniforms," Ed responded.
The chain was removed, and the door opened. The girl who opened it could not have been more than 18 or 19, if that.
"What do you want with us?" the blond said. "We didn't do anything."
"We aren't accusing you of anything," Eve said. We need your help."
Ed looked around the living room. The couch was broken down. The only chair in the room contained no cushion. The carpeting was just as worn and filled with holes as the carpeting in the hallway. The kitchen was off to the side, but not a separate room. There were two closed doors he assumed were the bedroom and bathroom.
"Help with what?" she asked.
"We are investigating the murder of Corbin Schulte," Eve said.
The girl's expression changed. "I don't know anything."
"You were working for him, were you not?" Ed said.
"No. I don't know what you are talking about. I think you should leave."
"Lisa, we are only trying to help," Eve soothed.
"We don't need your help." Then she realized the policewoman called her by name. "How do you know my name?"
"We know you were working for Schulte," Ed said.
There was no use denying it. They knew. "Alright, I worked for him. I am glad he's dead, but I didn't kill him. Neither did any of the other girls. When he was in the hospital, we all decided we were done with him. We would have gone to the police if he didn't leave us alone."
"Can you tell us where you were when he was murdered?" Eve asked.
"Right here. All of us. All the girls were hiding out here after he went into the hospital. We wanted to make sure we weren't available for that mob guy who was looking for us."
"How many girls?" Ed inquired.
"Five," she said. "No wait, there were only four of us. Teresa came here but didn't spend the night."
"Teresa Farnsworth?" Eve said.
"Yes."
"Is she here now?"
Lisa rolled her eyes. "Do you see her?"
Ed looked across the room. "No, but I do see two closed doors."
Lisa walked over to the doors and opened both of them. "You are welcome to look. There is no one here but me."
"Where did the other girls go?" Eve asked.
"I have no idea. I don't keep track of them. They only stayed here one night to avoid Joey Mancino. He is the guy who is in charge of finding girls for the mob."
"Didn't any of them tell you where they were going?" Ed walked over and looked into the bathroom and the bedroom. As far as he could tell, there wasn't anyone in either room.
Lisa watched him, rolling her eyes. "I told you they stayed here one night, that's it. I have no idea where they are."
"Do you have any idea who would have the motive to kill Corbin Schulte?" Ed asked.
She laughed. "Anyone who ever knew the scumbag."
Both Ed and Eve came to the conclusion that they weren't going to get anything else out of Lisa Reeves. They thanked her and left.
As they walked to their cars, Eve asked, "How did things go at the hospital?"
"It's like pulling teeth. Nobody wanted to talk to me. I was unable to talk to the woman who overheard the argument between Stern and Schulte. She wasn't working today. When I went to her home, she wasn't there. As far as the other employees, none of them seemed to know anything.
"The chief is going to blow a gasket when he finds out they cleaned the murder room before it was released by the police."
"That means Perry will not have been able to examine the room," Eve said.
Ed nodded in agreement. "Let's see if we can find out anything from the other girls. Lisa Reeves is obviously of age. I am betting some of the others are not."
5
Paul Drake arrived back at Chief Ironside's office after a long day of running down members of the mob. He pressed the code for the elevator. When it opened, he entered and then pressed the button for the top floor. The elevator opened and Drake got out. Turning to his left he headed for the office. He opened the door and went in.
Mason and Ironside were already sitting at the table. Both turned their attention when the door opened. Drake walked over and sat down at the table.
"Well, Paul, what do you have for me?" Mason asked.
"Joey Mancino was in charge of finding girls for the meeting of the mobsters who were in town. He was unable to get any of them because when Schulte went into the hospital, the girls disappeared. It seems Schulte's hold on them disappeared as well when he wasn't there to force them. Apparently, Mancino tried to get adult prostitutes. I have not been able to find out the name of the madam he called from the hospital."
"That would be Sharon Duncan," Ironside said. "We know she is operating a brothel, but so far we haven't been able to get the evidence to prove it. We will eventually, and when we do, we will shut her down." Ironside wrote her name down on a paper as well as an address where Paul could reach her. He handed it to him. "This is where she operates. It's a women's clothing store. However, in the back is where she assigns the girls to the men seeking their services."
"Thanks, Chief, I'll check it out in the morning. You wouldn't by any chance have a list of the mobsters that were meeting here in San Francisco, do you?"
Reaching for another piece of paper sitting on the table, Ironside handed it to Drake. "These are the known heads of the different mobs in cities near San Francisco. If you check it out, I have no doubt that most of them probably were at that meeting. Probably arguing over territories. I don't know if any of them would have had anything to do with Corbin Schulte's death. Concentrate on the locals on that list. They are more likely to be involved than the ones from out of town. Find out if there's a connection between Schulte and the mob besides providing prostitutes."
"All right, Chief." Paul got up and headed out of the office.
No sooner than Drake left, Brown and Whitfield came into the office.
Mason noticed that his brother was taking complete charge. He had his own list of questions. He would talk to Paul later. Right now he wanted to know what Ed and Eve found out. "Did you have any luck with the girls?"
"We were able to locate Lisa Reeves," Eve told him.
Ed sat down beside the chief. "All of the girls except Theresa Farnsworth stayed at her apartment in order to avoid Schulte and Mancino. According to her, they left in the morning and didn't return. She claimed to have no idea where any of them were, including Teresa Farnsworth."
"What about the others?" Mason reached for the bottle of bourbon that was sitting on the table. He refilled his glass, and then did the same for his brother.
"We spent the entire day trying to find them. It's like they fell off the face of the Earth. Nobody seems to know where they went or where they're staying."
"Bob, I have no doubt that any one of those girls had a reason to kill Corbin Schulte. The problem is, how could they know where the extra key was to Ben's office, and how could they remove it and return it afterwards without anyone knowing or seeing them? I think we should concentrate on hospital personnel. It stands to reason that they could have known the key was there, and certainly would have had more access than any of those girls."
"Perry, I agree. However, I'm not ignoring anybody that had a motive to kill him. Besides, I promised Gladys I would find Teresa. She may be able to shed some light on who else had the motive and was capable of killing him. Maybe she knew somebody at the hospital. We can't count out the possibility that more than one person was involved. It could have been a hospital employee and someone on the outside."
Mason knew his brother was right. As he had said before, the only thing worse than not having a suspect was having too many.