The Case of the Deadly Scalpel
Chapter 17
Paul Drake walked into the insurance agency. Through his investigations, he found out Corbin Schulte did indeed have a life insurance policy. Chances of the insurance agent telling him how much and who the beneficiary was probably were not good. Nevertheless, he had to try.
Looking around, he didn't see anyone. The file cabinets were behind the secretary's desk. He could hear voices behind the closed door of the agent who handled the policy. He wondered if he had time to look up Schulte's file. Moving around the desk, Drake went directly to the cabinet that had an 'S'. He slowly opened it and read down the line of files until he came to Schulte. Drake pulled the file out of the cabinet. Leafing through the paperwork, he found what he needed. Using his phone, he took a picture of the signed document. He put the file back in the cabinet, walked back around the desk, and left the office. No need to see the agent now. He got what he needed.
Drake got back into his sports car. He dialed Ironside's office on his cellphone.
"Ironside."
"Chief, Paul here. I found out about the insurance policy. Corbin Schulte did have life insurance."
"Who's the beneficiary?"
Paul switched over to the gallery on his phone. With his fingers, he made the document bigger so he could read it easily. "The beneficiary is Sherry Schulte. The policy is in the amount of $500,000.00."
"That's a nice round number," Ironside said. "A motive for murder."
"Chief, that is not all. Although it was not yet been changed, there is a note stuck to the document that instructs the agent to change his beneficiary to a woman named Beverly Milner."
"That is even more of a motive. Sherry Schulte was in the hospital the day Corbin Schulte had his surgery. Paul, we have to know if there was any possible way she could have gotten the key to Ben's office. Tell Perry just as soon as you can. He needs to serve her. He will want her on the witness stand. We have to know more about her whereabouts after Schulte got out of surgery."
"Will do, Chief."
"If she could collect on the insurance and had been able to withdraw the $500,000 in the account at the bank, she would walk away with a million dollars. I would say that's a lot of motive."
"I agree. I'll get back to you."
2
"Mark!" Ironside shouted.
Sanger appeared in the main room of Ironside's office residence. "Chief, I don't know why you keep yelling. How many times have I told you that there is nothing wrong with my hearing?"
Ignoring Mark's comment, he asked, "Are you doing anything that you can't get away from?" Ironside was aware exams were coming up. He avoided asking Mark to take him anywhere all day. He didn't want to interfere with his studies. As a result, he was stuck in the office all day long while everyone else was out investigating.
"Chief, I have exams coming up. You want me to get a passing grade, don't you?"
"I take that as a yes."
The door to the office opened, Eve Whitfield walked in and came down the ramp. She joined her boss at the table. "I saw Sharon Duncan. Chief, she had a motive to murder Corbin Schulte. Apparently, when he couldn't provide underage girls, he would go to Duncan, and she would provide them. The problem was they were supposed to split the money …"
"But Schulte wasn't splitting it in half. He was taking more than his share," Ironside surmised.
Eve wasn't a bit surprised at her boss's deduction. He was always able to figure out what happened if you gave him only the least bit of information. "Yes, that is exactly what happened."
"And how much did Schulte cheat her out of?"
Eve walked over to the kitchenette and poured herself a cup of coffee. She poured a second one and brought both of them to the table. Setting one in front of the chief, she continued, "She didn't give me an exact figure, she simply said it was in the thousands."
Ironside chewed on his bottom lip. "It depends on how a jury would look at that. They might say that she had good reason not to kill him in order to collect the money he owed her."
"I already thought of that," Eve said while taking a sip of coffee. "But, what if she figured she would never see that money? Wouldn't she want revenge? Enough to kill him?"
"Think about it. She has a lucrative prostitution ring. She knows fully well that we have not been able to tie her to it. Would she risk all that, or just cut him off and not provide the girls anymore? Besides, how would we prove it? Do you honestly think that if Perry called her as a witness, she would admit that she's running a prostitution ring? Corbin Schulte cheated her out of thousands of dollars when she provided prostitutes for him. She could admit it to you, but it wouldn't be enough to prove it and she knows it. It would simply be your word against hers."
"Well, I would think the word of a cop would be taken over that of a woman who runs a prostitution ring," Eve said indignantly.
"Eve, you are a detective, and a damn good one. You know fully well that is not proof."
Sinking in her seat, Eve felt dejected. "So, what are you saying, Chief? That we should just forget her as a suspect?"
"You know better than that. You're going to have to dig deeper. Find a way to tie her to the prostitution ring that she is running. Then we can get a subpoena for her records. In those records, I have no doubt we can find something to hold over her head. If Perry is to call her as a witness, we have to have proof that she is running a prostitution ring and that Corbin Schulte cheated her out of thousands of dollars. Then, we have another person with a motive to kill him. Perry could use that in court. However, he also would have to prove that she had the ability to get into Ben's office, find the key and remove that scalpel."
"It all seems so hopeless."
Ironside smiled. "It's not hopeless, it just takes time. You're exhausted. Go home and get some sleep. Start fresh in the morning."
Eve was shaking her head. She never took time off when there was a major case, and she didn't intend to do so now. "Chief, I can work until 11:00, like we always do when we have a case like this."
"No, you're exhausted. I prefer you investigate with a clear head. Go home and get some sleep. That's an order."He was the boss, and she had no choice but to obey his orders. "All right, but I'm doing it under protest," she said as she left his office.
On her way out, Perry Mason and Della Street came into the office and down the ramp. The lawyer also looked exhausted. He sat down at the table beside Ironside as Della sat beside him.
When Mason didn't say anything, Ironside decided to break the silence. "Did it go badly in court?"
Mason shook his head. "No, not exactly. The nurse, Beverly Kane provided the motive. She stated she heard an argument between Ben and Schulte. According to her, Schulte threatened to reveal that another surgeon said Ben botched the previous surgery that he did on Schulte."
"Blackmail," Ironside snorted.
"Exactly. She claimed to see his face, but I was able to prove that she couldn't as Ben would have been blocking her view."
"Nevertheless, she established the motive for the prosecution," Ironside said.
"Yes. That must have been the blackmail that the prosecution was so giddy about. So, how's the investigation going?"
"You haven't talked to Drake?" Ironside asked.
"No. Della and I came straight to your office when we left court," Mason answered.
Ironside told him what Drake found out about Sherry Schulte.
"Bob, we would still have to prove she was in the hospital at the time of the murder," Mason pointed out.
"That is not a problem. We can prove she was in the hospital. The problem is proving that she was able to get into Ben's office, and that she located the key to the display box and removed the scalpel."
"Is there any possible way she could have done that?" Della asked.
"Anything is possible, Della," Ironside said. "Proving it is altogether another thing. I put Paul on it."
"What about Beverly Milner?" Mason asked as he looked through the notes Ironside wrote when he spoke to Drake. "Who is she?" Mason checked his paperwork. "She is not mentioned anywhere."
"If I were to make an educated guess, it is probably a woman Schulte was having an affair with. Possibly, he was going to divorce Sherry Schulte and marry Milner."
Mason groaned. "That means another suspect. Bob, we have got to narrow down these suspects."
"It would be a lot easier if Schulte hadn't been such a despicable character," Della said.
"At any rate, Schulte has been served with a subpoena. We will need to find Milner and serve her," Mason said.
The door to the office opened. Officer Duffy walked in with a young lady. He brought her down the ramp and went directly to the table where Ironside and Mason were sitting.
"Chief, I got a tip. When I checked it out, I found this young lady. I believe you've been looking for her," Duffy said, with a look of triumph on his face.
"Miss Farnsworth, isn't it? Teresa Farmsworth," Ironside said.
"Yeah, that's who I am. This cop dragged me in here for no reason. I want to call my mother. She's on the city council. She'll have his job and yours for this!"
"I'm well aware of who your mother is, Miss Farnsworth. I don't think either of our jobs is in the least bit of danger. Your mother came to me and asked me to find you."
Farnsworth looked a bit surprised. "Why would she bother? I'm not worth it.."
"She cares a great deal about you. Enough to attempt to cover up what you have been doing for a living."
"Oh, here we go again with the lecture about prostitution. Haven't you ever heard that it's the world's oldest occupation? Sex sells. There is nothing wrong with what I do."
Ironside could tell she didn't mean what she said. "Except for a little problem," Ironside said. "It's against the law, and you have broken that law."
"So what. It's a stupid law." She looked away from him. She knew it was wrong. Unfortunately, she got mixed up with Corbin Schulte.
"You answer to a pimp. Do you want to tell us his name?" Mason asked.
"I have no doubt you already know that. I'll save you the trouble. Corbin Schulte is a scumbag."
"You hated him?" Della attempted to establish.
She looked over Mason's secretary. "Says the woman with the perfect job, the perfect clothes, the perfect makeup, working for the perfect lawyer. I'll bet you make a hell of a lot more money than I do, and I am the one that gets in trouble." She regretted the remark as soon as she finished them. This woman didn't deserve her wrath.
"Sit down, Miss Farnsworth," Ironside ordered.
"I don't want to sit down. If you're finished with me, I have things to do." She turned to leave the office, but Officer Duffy stepped in front of her.
"You'll leave when Chief Ironside says you can, and not until then."
"Am I under arrest?" she snapped.
"No, not yet. If I were you, I wouldn't press my luck with Chief Ironside." Duffy stared down the young woman.
"Sit down!" Ironside said, the authority in his demand apparent.
Farnsworth didn't want to sit down with this cop. She heard way too much about him from her mother. Nevertheless, she decided if she was ever going to get out of this cop's office, she would have to sit down and answer his questions. Ironside pulled out a chair, and Farnsworth reluctantly sat down.
"When was the last time you saw Corbin Schulte?" Perry Mason asked.
"Just before his surgery. I went to the hospital to ask him to release me from any obligation to him."
"And did he release you?" Mason asked.
"No, he didn't. He threatened to reveal that I was a prostitute. I couldn't allow that. It would hurt my mother as a city council member." She dropped her eyes from the lawyer. Her entire demeanor changed. "I thought I hated my mother. I realized I didn't when she was threatened. I am not proud of what I have been doing, Mr Mason. That is why I wanted out from Corbin Schulte. He is … or should I say was a horrible person."
"That is a motive for murder," Ironside pointed out.
She looked at the big detective. "Yes, Chief Ironside, it is. In fact, I threatened to kill him to his face." She looked away from him. She couldn't bear the steely stare of his. "But I didn't kill him. I may be a whore, but I am not a killer. If he were still alive, I would have continued being a prostitute in order to protect my mother."
"Did anyone see you leave his room while he was alive?" Ironside demanded.
"There was a nurse nearby. I don't know if she saw me or not. You would have to check that out yourself. If she was close enough, she could have heard me threaten him. I just don't know." Tears appeared in her eyes. "How can I possibly face my mother? I can't tell her what I have been doing. I just don't know what I will tell her."
"Tell her the truth, Teresa," Mason said.
"She knows what you have been doing," Ironside said. "She came to see me. She asked me to find you."
"Oh God, oh God." She began hyperventilating
Mason put a hand on her shoulder. "Easy. Slow down your breathing."
"She must hate me," she cried, wiping the tears from her face.
"On the contrary, she loves you. She wants to help you," Ironside said, softening his voice.
Teresa sat there silent for a moment before finally saying, "I swear I did not kill him. I just hope to God my mother didn't either."
"She has an alibi. We are certain she did not," Ironside assured her.
"Thank God for that." She stood up. "Am I free to go now?"
Ironside put a hand on her wrist. "Not yet. Please sit down." The tone of his voice softened considerably.
Teresa sat back down. "Was there something else you wanted to know?"
"Of the girls whom Schulte had control of, which ones do you believe would be capable of killing Schulte?" Perry Mason asked.
She shook her head back and forth. She wasn't about to implicate any of them. They had been through just as much as she had been. They didn't deserve to be grilled by the police. "None of them. Don't get me wrong, everyone of them hated Corbin just as much as I did, they just would not have killed him. When he went into the hospital, they all decided they were done. They weren't going to allow him to control them any longer."
"Then why did you consider it necessary to confront him in the hospital?" Ironside asked, lowering his eyebrows.
"I wasn't at the meeting when they decided. I only heard about it later. I was at the hospital when they made the decision."
Ironside turned his attention to his brother. "Perry, do you have any other questions?"
Mason shook his head. He was very good at reading people, and he didn't believe Teresa Farnsworth murdered Corbin Schulte. There was a vulnerability about her … so much so, he didn't believe she was faking. No, she just was not the one who killed Schulte.
Ironside took Teresa's hand. "Your mother is worried about you. Go home Teresa. Make things right with her. If you need help starting anew, I'll help you."
She smiled at him. "Mother always said you were not as tough as you make yourself out to be. She said you are just a big teddy bear who can roar loudly and scare the police who work under you."
Mason cleared his throat, which brought out a look from his brother.
"Don't you believe it," the chief said, his tone gruff. He then softened it. "Call me if you need help."
"I will." She responded with a kiss on his cheek. Looking up at Duffy, she asked, "Can I go now?"
Duffy smiled. "I believe you can."
Teresa Farnsworth headed for the door. As she walked up the ramp, she turned around and gave Ironside another smile. She left the office without saying a word."
When the door closed, Ironside said, "Well?"
"She didn't kill anyone," Mason said.
"I agree. So, that eliminates Teresa and Gladys."
We still have a lot of suspects to go through," Mason pointed out.
"And we will eliminate them one by one," Ironside said.
"Chief, if you don't need me any further. I should get back on patrol," Duffy said.
"Go ahead," Ironside told him. As Duffy headed up the ramp, the chief called out to him. "Duffy!" The officer turned around to face him. "Good job, Officer. You really ought to think about taking the detective exam."
Duffy smiled. "I have thought about, Chief. The problem is, I like being a beat cop. Someday, maybe, but not now. I want to stay where I am."
Ironside smiled. "Go back to work."
Duffy nodded and left the office.
3
Ed Brown arrived at the office of Dr Peter Witt. Something was just off. Ed believed, and he knew the chief did too, that someone got possession of the spare key to Ben Stern's office. It was the only explanation as to how they got hold of the display scalpel. There was no getting around it. It had to be taken by someone who knew there was a spare, and knew exactly where it was kept. Brown was sure his boss felt the same. He understood him looking into anyone outside the hospital with a motive to kill Corbin Schulte. There was certainly a long list. The problem was — how could they know there was a spare key in Witt's office? Furthermore, how did they know where to find the key to Ben's display case that held the scalpel? The only conclusion he could come up with was that someone in the hospital was the killer.
The door to Witt's office was closed. Sergeant Brown knocked on the door. No one answered. He tried again with the same results. He turned around to leave, then thought better of it. Reaching for the door knob, the detective sergeant turned it. The door wasn't locked! Didn't Dr Witt say the door was always locked when he was not in the office. Brown looked around the outer office. The secretary's desk was deserted. That meant Witt had to be in his office if what he said was true.
Brown walked over to the door and knocked. Once again, there wasn't any answer. So, Witt didn't lock his door after all. He pulled out his cell phone, walked back to the door to the office, stepped out, opened it, and took pictures of the empty secretary's desk. He then walked over to Witt's office door and did the same thing, taking pictures of the doctor's empty office. So, much for no one having access to the office and the keys.
Brown stepped back in the outer office and waited. He intended to confront Dr Witt. There wasn't any doubt someone could have entered the office and removed the key to Stern's office. He had a feeling the office door remained open whenever the doctor or his secretary left for whatever the reason.
He wanted nothing more than to go into the doctor's office and re-check the keys. He couldn't do it, of course, not without a search warrant. That wasn't something he had. Brown got up and walked over to the secretary's desk. Turning the calandar around, he looked at the appointments. There was a dentist appointment listed. It didn't determine whether it was for Witt or his secretary. He would have to find out where both of them were at this very moment. Whoever left last didn't lock the door as they claimed to do when they were out of the office.
"What are you doing?"
Brown turned around to see Dr Peter Witt standing in the doorway of the outer office. "I was waiting for either you or your secretary to return to the office."
"Behind her desk? You have no business being back there," he snapped.
"I was going to use the phone to call my boss. You know, Chief Robert Ironside? You stated this office was never left unattended. Apparently, that is not the case, is it?"
Witt walked over to his office door, turned the knob, and opened the door. Looking back at the sergeant, he said, "You can leave anytime, Sergeant Brown.
"Good, you know who I am. Then you should know I am here for Chief Ironside. I am not going anywhere. Shall I call the chief and tell him I found not just the outer office door open, but the one to your private office as well?"
Witt turned red with anger. "You had no business entering my office!"
"I didn't enter your office, Dr Witt. I simply checked to see if it was locked. It isn't, by the way."
"So what."
"So what? Didn't you tell the police the doors are always locked when you and your secretary are out of the office? Perhaps you forgot to lock the door when you left for your dentist appointment."
"What? I didn't have a dentist appointment. I was in a meeting."
"Oh, then your secretary had a dentist appointment." Brown picked up the calendar and turned it around for the doctor to see.
Witt glanced at the calendar in Brown's hand. "She must have forgotten to lock the doors."
"Then it is possible the doors weren't locked the day Corbin Schulte was murdered."
"Well … maybe … no! They are always locked," Witt insisted.
"Then why weren't they locked when I came in?"
"I don't know. My secretary should have locked the door. She always does."
"Apparently, not always. Dr Witt, I would like to see the key that opens that box." Brown pointed to the metal box on the wall.
"The police have already looked at that key. There is no need to do so again."
"Okay, well then, I'll be back with a search warrant, and a subpoena. I have no doubt Perry Mason will want to ask you about that unlocked door." Brown turned to leave, knowing fully well Witt would not leave it at that.
"Just a minute, Sergeant. I don't have time to testify in court." He walked over to the desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out the key to the box. He put out his hand. "Here."
Sergeant Brown accepted the key. As he walked over to the box, he unlocked it with the key. Searching the keys, he removed the one that indicated it was the key to Stern's office. Something bothered him. The key felt funny. He studied it for a minute. It felt griddy. Brown looked closely at the grooves in the key. There seemed to be a substance trapped in the grooves. With his fingernail, he scratched out some of it and rolled it around with his thumb and index finger. He instantly knew what the problem with the key was.
"Someone made a copy of this key," he said, looking up at Dr Witt.
"That's ridiculous! No one has access to the key to that box."
"Someone did." He walked over to the doctor. "Do you see the substance in the grooves on this side of the key?" Turning it over, he continued, "and on this side, the substance was also present.
Witt studied the key grooves. Brown was correct. There was definitely something in the grooves. "What is it?"
"I would say someone had a key made. Unless I am wrong, the substance is the mold a key is pressed into to create a copy of that key."
"I don't see how anyone could get into this office, find the key to the box, open it, and remove the key in order to make a copy. They would have to take the key out of this office. The man who cleans the offices is the only other person with access to the key. I just don't see how that is possible," Witt said again.
"It is possible because someone could have gotten into the office when the door was left open," Ed said.
"And I told you the office door is not left unlocked when both of us are not in the office."
"Doctor, I remind you no one was in this office when I arrived, and the doors were not locked."
Witt's face turned red with anger. "That is a one time thing."
There wasn't any sense arguing with him. Brown decided to move on. "I want this key. I am going to have the police lab identify the substance that is in the grooves."
The doctor stepped forward and put out his hand. "That is not going to happen, Sergeant Brown. That key is not leaving this office."
"I am afraid it is." Pulling his cellphone out of his pocket, Brown called his boss."
"Chief Ironside's office," Eve Whitfield said.
"Eve, let me talk to the chief," Brown said.
Officer Whitfield pressed the speaker button. "Chief, it's Ed."
"Go ahead, Ed," Ironside said.
"Chief, someone made a copy of the key to Ben Stern's office. They made a mold of the key."
"Ed, locksmiths don't make copies of keys that way anymore. They cut them in a machine."
"I am aware of that, Chief, but I am telling you someone made a mold of that key. There is a substance in the grooves of the key. I believe they made a copy that way."
Ironside remained silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "Are you still at the hospital?"
"Yes. I am in Dr Witt's office. He will not allow me to take the key out of the office."
"I'll have Perry get a court order to remove it. In the meantime, you are not to leave there or let anyone else handle that key. Is that clear?"
"It's clear."
Ironside hung up the phone and turned to his brother. Before he could say anything, Mason stood up, and said, "I'm on it. Let's go, Della."
4
Mason pulled his rental car in front of the Hall of Justice. Releasing his seatbelt, he opened the door, went around to the passenger side, and opened the door for Della. She got out and joined him as they headed into the building.
Mason took the elevator directly to the floor where the courts were located. He and Della arrived at Herman Thatcher's chambers. Mason knocked on the door in hopes that Thatcher would still be there. Otherwise, he would have to contact him at home. That was something he didn't like to do. Judges never appreciated it, despite the fact that they knew it was often necessary.
"Come in," The voice behind the door said.
Mason turned the knob and pushed the door open. Judge Herman Thatcher looked up. Removing his glasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Fifteen more minutes and he would have been out of the building. "Mr Mason, you have been the defense attorney in enough trials in San Francisco to know that I don't allow conversations to take place without the district attorney. So, would you mind telling me what you are doing here?"
Mason walked over to his desk, smiled, and sat down. Della Street sat down beside him. That drew a sigh from the judge. Chief Ironside ordered Sergeant Brown to go back to the hospital and examine the key to Ben Stern's office that is held in Dr Witt's office. In doing so, the sergeant observed a substance in the grooves of the key."
Thatcher set forward. "Let me see if I know where you are going with this. Chief Ironside believes that it is possible that the substance is a compound for copying keys. Is that about right?"
"Yes, Your Honor, that is exactly right."
"So, what is the problem? Just have Sergeant Brown pick up the key."
"Sergeant Brown is in Witt's office as we speak," Mason informed him.
"Let me guess, he refuses to allow Robert's Sergeant to remove the key. And furthermore, your brother wants me to sign off on forcing Dr Witt to turn that key over to Sergeant Brown."
Della couldn't help but smile. Robert told her many times that Thatcher was an extremely intelligent judge with deductive abilities beyond what most judges possessed. She had a feeling Perry was definitely going to get his way.
"Is Brown certain that the substance could be a compound to copy keys?"
Mason nodded. "He is. Your Honor, we do not believe that Ben Stern had anything to do with the death of Corbin Schulte. If that substance is a compound that allows someone to duplicate a key, it goes a long way to proving that someone got into his office."
Thatcher tapped his fingers on his desk. How could he refuse? "All right, I will give you the proper legal paperwork to pick up that key." The judge pressed the intercom on his phone. After a short conversation with one of his clerks, he turned back to Mason and Street. "You can pick it up from my clerk in the other room. Now, if the two of you will excuse me, I want to finish up here and go home."
Mason and Street stood up and left the judge's chambers. Neither of them said anything until they were back in Mason's rented vehicle.
Della could tell that Perry was excited. She didn't want to rain on his parade, but she needed to point out the obvious to him. After all, that is what he would expect her to do. "Perry, don't get your hopes up until that key has been examined by Robert's police lab. It might be nothing."
"I'm aware of that, Della, however, this case hasn't been going well so far. If that is actually a substance that would allow someone to copy that key, we at least have a claim on reasonable doubt. Believe me, I'm aware that I could be grasping at straws. So far, straws is about all we have. We've got to come up with something soon. I have to put on a case, and we really don't have much."
"Robert's staff has not come up with Schulte's wife as a suspect. I think she makes a very good one. Furthermore, you know she was in the hospital at the time of his death."
"I know that. The problem is we would have to show how she got hold of the key to get into Stern's office. That is not going to be easy."
"Perry, so far, you have been looking at one person as the culprit. Wouldn't it be possible for his wife to be involved, but with an accomplice?"
"I've thought of that. Yes, of course it's possible. I have Paul looking into that possibility. So far, he has been unable to connect her with anybody in the hospital. Without that connection, there is absolutely no way we can connect her to his murder. It's that damn scalpel. It was in a locked glass display case. It makes it look like Ben Stern was the only one that could get into it. We have to come up with a reasonable explanation as to how someone else could have gotten into it. That is why the key that Ed Brown is picking up is so important.