Case of the Hot Shot Laundromat

If then Columbo> Rockford Files> Perry Mason>Matlock

Ring, Ring, Ring- " Jim Rockford speaking".

Columbo: " Hey Jim, how are you doing. I'm calling for a favor. I just moved to a new city called Seaford, Delaware from Los Angeles, California. I didn't have enough time to set up all my computers, before I received my first case which is that of a 6 year old white male missing. His two older brothers told me he loved playing baseball and kickball".

Jim: " Okay, give me 15 minutes and I will call you back. However, that is the only thing I can do to help you as I'm swamped".

Columbo: "Okay"

Jim Rockford calls Columbo back in 15 minutes and gives him all the parks in Seaford, Delaware: "Are you ready"?

Columbo: "Yes"

Jim: "Williams Pond Park, just south of Norman Eskeridge Highway. Then there is Nutter Park which is just south of Norman Eskeridge Highway and North of Collins Avenue, in between and then there is Kiwanis Park, just south of West Stein Highway. So I can direct you to the first park I will the street you are living on, you will need to visit all three parks to see which one has baseball fields and if you need additional help, call Paul Drake at 555-4405".

Columbo: "Main Street"

Jim: Take Main Street south to Middleford Road, then go West to Rt 13, also called Sussex Highway, go North to Norman Eskeridge Highway and then go West and go over the little bridge that goes over William's Pond and then the Park will be on your south. Street name in the park is Little League Drive".

Columbo: " Thanks". What is your reason for instructing me to call Paul Drake if I need additional help, doesn't he live far away from Seaford, Delaware"?

Jim: " He could use a new atmosphere, who knows maybe he will enjoy Seaford, Delaware".

Jim of the Rockford Files fades away in the dream. The author wakes up and ponders: "Why am I dreaming about four mystery icons visiting my home town of Seaford, Delaware"? The author goes back to sleep and the dream continues:

Columbo talking to Anthony and Bill Smith, the two older brothers of Brandon Smith who had been kidnapped as well as their neighbor Luke. I found this Mickey Mouse watch dropped at home plate at one of the baseball fields at William's Pond Park.

Anthony: "That is Brandon's watch". Bill and I went in together to buy him that watch". " It is not like him to drop and leave that watch". I believe he is signaling he is in trouble". His Cub Scout Pack had a speaker at their last meeting, what to if one is kidnapped". I saw his paperwork earlier this week".

Columbo goes back to the police department and finds a bloodhound dog. He goes back to the Smith house and asks the teens to get a dirty, sweaty shirt of Brandon's and the dog smells both the watch and the shirt. The dog takes Columbo from the Smith house on Suxxex Avenue to a warehouse on the Western side of Seaford. He finds Brandon, tied up and gagged with a 9th grader watching him at a warehouse close to Dairy Lane. Derrick tells Columbo everything, that he, Doug and Dean Buck all kidnapped Brandon as a way to get into a gang. Columbo brings Brandon home and calls for the other teens. Mrs. Smith gets angry and sends all three boys to their rooms as she though they all did something wrong. Columbo tries to stop the boys and Mrs. Smith hastily interupts him and tells him: ""I'm in charge of discipline at my own house". Columbo meets in the living room with Mr and Mrs. Smith as well as the neighbor Luke.

Columbo: " Mrs. Smith, none of your boys were in trouble". "You should be proud of your older teens. When they learned that their younger brother was missing, they searched. When, they couldn't find him, they asked your neighbor Luke to help. When the second search didn't yield anything, they called the police and the police asked me to take the case, even though I just moved here".

Mrs. Smith calls the three boys downstairs and apologizes for her quick judgement and tells Brandon, glad he is okay and tells the two teens what Columbo told their parents. Columbo tells the parents since Brandon wasn't hurt and is found, his job is done and he gives Mr. Smith the address for the Bucks. Mr. Smith and the oldest son, walk over to talk with Mr. Buck who refuses to discipline his two sons stating: "Boys will be boys". This leads Mr. Smith to leave in anger.

About two hours later, Mr. Buck receives a call from the high school principal. " Coach Fry is very sick, can you coach the football team until he gets better"? Mr. Buck agrees and doesn't play Bill or Anthony Smith to get back at their father even though the practice is against league rules. After the game, the substitute coach is notified that someone is sick in the coaches, so the Press crowd and Mr. Buck all run to the coach's office and help Bill Smith who is sick, who is taken by ambulance to a local hospital with his older brother Anthony with him. After, the crowd clears, there are two gunshots heard after the door opens quickly. One gunshot misses, grazes the lower loft of the chair and goes into the lower wall. The other bullet goes into Mr. Buck's body grazing his right lung and going into his lower collarbone area. The middle son of Mr. Buck comes in and sees his father hurt, so he moves a gun near the body to the desk and gives first aid. Dean Buck is arrested for assault and battery plus attempted murder, so Mr. Buck calls Perry Mason to help his son Dean. After the arraignment hearing, case 31330 will be heard November 31st with Judge Soda presiding.

Judge: "Mr. Chip, will you call your first witness".

Mr. Chip: " I call Officer Cook to the stand". He is sworn in.

Mr. Chip: " Do you know Dean Andrew Buck, the defendant"?

Officer Cook: " Yes, I arrested him about 2, maybe 3 weeks ago as he was over his father's body and the gun on Coach Fry's desk was covered with Dean's fingerprints." "Your cross, counsel".

Perry Mason: " Officer Cook, you stated the fingerprints of my client Dean were all over the gun. First, who does the gun belong to and were all the drawers especially the top right hand drawer fingerprinted"?.

Officer Cook: "Yes, too many fingerprints and the gun belonged to Coach Fry."

Perry Mason: "Officer cook, why does no one in the police department believe Dean's story, that he moved the gun from the floor to the desk so he could be closer to give first aid to his father".

Officer Cook: " He could have kicked the gun away".

Perry Mason: " Wouldn't he have left a shoeprint on the gun"

Mr. Chip: " I object, leading the witness to draw a conclusion"

Judge: " Sustained". "Watch your comments counsel".

Perry Mason: " Officer Cook, what part of the wall did the first bullet go into?

Officer Cook: " I don't understand your question"?

Perry Mason: "Was it lower wall, middle level/eye level or upper wall"?

Officer Cook: " Lower wall"

Perry Mason: " Judge Soda, I request permission for a little skit to show that my client Dean Buck, didn't shoot his father". " Mrs. Smith, how tall was your husband and how tall is your son Dean"?

Mr. Chip: " I object to this idea as it is a waste of the court time"

Judge: "Denied"

Perry Mason: " Is there anyone in this room that is 5'6? Officer of the court- Officer Wise would you mind standing in front of the judge's desk"?Dean will you please come up and stand across from Officer Wise". Mr. Chip will you please stop my client Dean from backing up when it is about the distance that the two shots were fired". Dean was stopped at 10ft.

Perry Mason: " Dean, please extend your arms and pretend you are shooting a gun". "Officer Cook, Dean being smaller wouldn't the first bullet hole be in the middle of the wall, if not in the upper wall?

Officer Cook: " Maybe he stood on the coach's desk".

Perry Mason: Was anything knocked over on the desk"?

Officer Cook: "No". However his handprints were all over the handgun on the desk"

Perry Mason: " That only proves he was at the scene of the crime which he admits as he was seen helping his father with first aid. " Officer Cook have you ever heard of a shooter stopping to give first aid to their victim"?

Officer Cook: "No, however there is always a first time. Maybe he was being bothered with personal guilt".

Perry Mason: " I ask that the last statement by the witness be erased. "Officer Cook is not trained in Psychology".

Judge:' The last statement from the witness will be erased"

Perry Mason: " I'm finished with this witness"

Judge: " Mr. Chip, please call your next witness".

Mr. Chip: " I call Doug Buck to the witness stand stand". He is sworn in. "Doug is it true, that you and your brother were both mad at your father for saying "No" to joining a local gang"?

Doug: " Yes, We both were, however I could tell my Dean's flushed cheeks that he was very angry at our father".

Perry Mason: "Have you ever seen a person get flushed red cheeks when not angry"?

All of a sudden the court doors swing open, Paul Drake and Conrad bring 4 suits down the aisle, give them all to Perry Mason with a paper note who looks at it and passes everything to Matlock.

Matlock: " Sorry Judge for the inconvenience". " We just received some new evidence which will clear my Client Dean of any wrong doing. We ask to end Anthony's cross examination"

Judge: "Permission Granted".

Matlock: "I ask Brandon Smith, Bill Smith and Anthony Smith to come and try on the suits we give them one at a time starting with Brandon". "Thank you", will Mr. Smith come forward". "Before he tries the suit on, there is a couple of stains, one is gunpowder and the other is a blood stain. The blood is AB+ which is Mr. Buck's blood type".

Mr. Smith: " Judge, I say there is a violation of my fourth amendment rights- No illegal search and seizure"

Matlock: " Your Honor, here is all the paperwork including the subpoena to get the four suits from "Hot Shot Laundromat". "The owner is here to verify everything I say which came by our private eyes passed on to us just a minute ago". " When a customer brings in a suit to be washed, the owner's last name is tagged on everything brought in, in this case 4 suits with special instructions for three of them, special instructions Tumble Dry Low. Mr. Smith- please put on this suit"

Mr. Smith puts it on: " How do I know this is my suit"?

Matlock: "It didn't rip."

Judge: " Everything is legal, congratulate your two private eyes for a job well done". Jury, will you go into your meeting room". Jury takes no more than twenty minutes.

Judge Soda: "Has the Jury come up with a verdict"

Jury Foreman: " We all find the defendant Dean Andrew Buck, not guilty of shooting his father and also not guilty of attempted murder."

The author hears his alarm going off to start a new day and tells himself:

" I had a really strange dream, four of my favorite TV show icons all meet for the same case in my hometown of Seaford, DE".