It was early, an hour early.....Bee Bee and I were in the Judges Chambers kissing passionately...
"Ummmm Hot Stuff we'd better calm ourselves down before my clothes wind up coming off."whispered Bee Bee in between smouldering hot kisses...
"I realize we are in court...I wasn't going to take your clothes off..." I whispered..
"I wasn't talking about you...I might take my clothes off." she said and she looked at me and laughed..
We stopped kissing and she laid her head on my chest....We were both breathing heavy...She took out her hankercheif and removed her lipstick from my lapel and my face...She fixed her hair and her make up....
We caught our breath and we walked out...
Our colleagues, Sofia and Kahlil were enjoying a kiss for good luck in the hallway...
"Hey you guys ready?" asked Kahlil..
"Yeah, but I wish we had a complete overview of just what happened in there that night...We have no idea who did this."I said.
"Ms. Yvette said all we are going to do is prove that our client didn't do this..."said Bee Bee.
"Ms. Yvette said that the burden of proof is on the Prosecution and I've seen discovery....They got nothin."said Sofia...
''Here comes Ms. Yvette and Jade Now.."I said..
Ms. Yvette and Jade walked into the courtroom....
"Hi Babies...We take this case one day at a time... We know the type of juror we want....Women, Professional women, young women trying to move up....Maybe some clear thinking men, young men not yet jaded and who have an idea about office politics." she said..
Ms. Yvette was brilliant the way she could put a case together and make it click...
"I'm still investigating...and I have some ideas....Don't fret...We are going to pull this one out."said Jade..
II-
"ALL RISE FOR THE HONORABLE JUDGE PERCY REYNOLDS" said the Baillif...
Judge Reynolds walked in the courtroom and sat behind the bench...
ADA Ron Harper came in and took his seat...He smiled unevenly at the Judge...The Judge smiled back...
Lt. Tragg sat down beside him....
Judge Reynolds had been arrested twice by him in two separate murder cases and found Not Guilty both times with another man later being charged for both crimes....He had no love for Lt. Tragg..He stared icily at him....
Lt. Tragg squirmed in his seat...As far as he was concerned he was doing his duty...He went where the facts initially lead him and faced with the same circumstances...He reasoned he'd do the same..still, he didn't feel comfortable at all under this man's gaze...
And speaking of gaze...ADA Ron Harper was staring daggers as Ms. Yvette..
"Lawd have mercy she's fine.....I know she drives Gary Lockwood insane in the bed..Just like she'd drive me.."he mused.
He set his gaze on Sofia...
"Ummmph...the legs and the hips on her...Myyyyyy lawddd.." he reasoned....
and of course, Bee Bee..
"How did that girl get all of that body? And what I 'd do with it.." he thought..
He peered at Jade...
"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmph, Yvette has babes just surrounding her.... Know those two dudes are in hog heaven.." he thought..
Looking at me and Kahlil....
Our client sat with us...….
''Alright..with everyone present...we'll begin Jury selection... Katherine Florick , you are charged with the Capital Murder of Theodore Tyler, an Attorney at your law firm.." he said..
This was a serious charge, conviction could lead to a life sentence or even a death sentence... In her case it would more than likely be life, no parole..We weren't going to let that happen..
ADA Ron Harper had gotten a little better at the game of Bait and Switch, but we could tell he hadn't prepared as well as we had..He had no clue which type of juror he wanted..
Kahlil and I with our different courtroom styles tag teamed him when it came to asking questions of the jurors...Questions that Sofia and Bee Bee with a little help from our friend Jazzy had sat up drawing out for us..
all last week in the Law Library at her firm..
Where we put in late hours...Looking at Discovery, researching the law, looking for predicates , while Ms. Yvette structured her defense strategy..
with me and Kahlil..
Jade was there two nights...the rest of the time, she was still busy investigating just what happened...She was investigating the case just like a Homicide Detective would..A Good one..
This is not to say that ADA Ron Harper is not a skilled Attorney...He is...and he wins a lot more than he loses..To his credit..He made Lt. Tragg recanvas the crime scene..
which is how he discovered that Jade was retracing his steps....which made him furious...
But Jade was going in a direction he hadn't thought of.
Kahlil and I wound up with an Amazing 7 women jurors...4 white, 3, African-Americans, all twenty somethings, all career women..
Bee Bee, Ms. Yvette and Sofia all smiled and nodded.....
3 of the remaining five jurors were African-American males in their thirties...All college educated at least and two white males, retired...
"Great Job Guys..."said Ms. Yvette , hugging us both with her soft, good smelling body...
'' We got our jury and possibly the right judge....This trial is ours to lose."I said.
"Think Positive...It's ours to win."said Kahlil..
"Alright people...The jury has been picked..It's Thursday....Trial is at 9:00 am Monday Morning..Be ready for trial.." said Judge Reynolds..
Crystal Pffieffer, the other Attorney who Ted Tyler had had sex with was in court today...she had a black eye and a clearly bruised cheek.....
Jade stared at her and made a mental note..
III-
Shortly after court...Lt. Danny Ho of Robbery-Homicide allowed us to come up to his office.
"I'm giving you guys access because you know who isn't here...He went to lunch..." he said.
"Thanks a lot Danny....I owe you one..."said Gary..."Look I've got to go...You guys need anything else..Yvette has my number."said Gary as he headed out...
"Thanks Gary.." said Jade..
"You guys can look at the footage from the Conference room cameras..I'll keep a look out for Lt. Tragg...If I see him...Use the Auxillary exit over there...The alarm has been turned off."said Danny Ho.
"Thank you sooo much Danny...Alright guys...let's look at the footage...Practically everyone has been accounted for and interviewed..we are looking for a variable, somebody we missed...Somebody that wasn't interviewed.." said Yvette.
Because Both Lt. Tragg and Ms. Jade interviewed everybody that was on the invite list and cleared them as well as the building maintenance staff, whether they worked that night or not." I said.
"They even interviewed the D.J. and the catering staff.." said Bee Bee.
"But we had to miss someone..." said Sofia..
"Why just one Jade?" asked Kahlil...
"I don't know if Lt. Tragg did this or not, but I took everybody I interviewed fingerprints and got a DNA sample.."said Jade.
Ms. Yvette and Sofia were with me..
We gave it to Dr. Goggins of Goggins DNA Laboratories.. See, when Kate's phone was found in the trash..
Her Prints and DNA were not on the phone...Now isn't that surprising...and after we eliminated Lt. Tragg's print and fingerprint...we found an unidentified print...a smudge and unidentified DNA... that did not match any of the other party guests, The D.J. , The Building maintenance staff....and we find a mysterious text that was made after Kate said her phone went missing...We checked her purse
and we found the same unidentified fingerprint and DNA....Meaning this unidentified person lifted her phone from her purse and called or rather texted Ted Tyler...He got a text, thinking it was Kate ,he rushed down to the alley and got his head bashed in for his troubles...The unidentified person is the Variable." said Jade.
"The phone and the purse are in evidence now correct?" I asked.
''Yes..It's going to be part of discovery...but all they're using it for is the text message..Nothing about the unidentified DNA or prints."said Bee Bee.
"Okay, so we know that this variable's prints and DNA are on Kate's purse and her phone which was found in the trash, but they could belong to anybody..."said Kahlil..
"Yes they could, but in that short period of time..That phone was handled, used and discarded...And not found until someone else called it and it was heard ringing in the trash can...No...Those prints and that DNA belong to our killer.."said Yvette..
We watched the screen, sifting through the entire party....
"Look there is all of us leaving.." said Bee Bee.
Jasmine walked over..
"Girl, We out...I made my appearence...You made yours...Let's get out of here and go get some coffee."said Jasmine..
"I know an all night shoppe..not far from here.."said Dabnis..
"Let me go gather up my chillen.."joked Yvette..
I won't say the night was a total bust, but Bee Bee, Sofia, Kahlil ,Jade and me were more than ready to go.
As the eight of us left....We saw the man of the hour.. Ted Tyler emerging from the ladies room, fixing his trousers and his hair...
...He smiled at all of us and headed back to the conference room...He was as red as a beet..
Kate Florick wandered out...She looked dazed and confused..Her hair was mussed...
"Kate? Are you alright?" asked Jasmine.. They weren't friends, but they were cordial to each other..
"Yeah...Yeah...I think I've had a little too much to drink...Uh I'll be fine..Thanks ..Thanks for asking.." she said.
"She didn't look alright to me.."said Gary...
"Me neither." said Jade.
At the party...more dancing was going on....
''Stop the film right there...Look! I said..right directly behind Kate...We missed that guy when we looked before." I said..
A man with mussed hair and glasses and a wrinkled suit was directly behind Kate.
"That's Crystal Pffeiffer's husband...He's a Lawyer, Chief Counsel for the Philadelphia Stock Exchange."said Jade.
"He looks like an old drunk!"said Bee Bee..
"Don't let that fool you...He's loaded."said Yvette..
"I interviewed him just as a precaution because he was the spouse of Crystal Pffeifer, who was there. He denied being at the party at all, said he didn't pick her up."said Jade.
"He didn't pick her up...She went home in an Uber.."said Kahlil..
"But he was clearly there..Why would he lie?" asked Sofia.
"That's want I want to know...and I need his print and his DNA to answer my burning question..."said Jade.
"He's a lawyer...He'll never give you that." I said.
"Who said anything about him giving me anything?" smiled Jade.. "Could you fellas copy and print this footage for me?" asked Jade...
A little while later..
"Got everything you need?" asked Danny Ho...
"More than enough...Thank you baby!" said Jade..
Giving him a soft sweet kiss...
We left, Lieutenant Tragg meanwhile was at Sam Mother's place having lunch....
"So Artie, you're going to be gone for awhile...A month on the Marine Patrol eh?" laughed Sam Mother , who was secretly relieved...He had made it a living hell for some of his paying customers who happened to be Attorneys...With him gone, they'd come back...and be able to relax while they ate.
"Yeah, I'm getting a bum deal....but if this case goes down and that broad is convicted...maybe I can convince them that I was right all along and be spared Marine Duty." he reasoned.. He spotted ADA Karen Page sitting alone...He smiled.
''Wellll, another country heard from." he wagered..
He failed to notice that in addition to her Pasta Salad , there was another one at her table and an additional Ice Tea.
"Well Hello Gorgeous...I haven't seen you around in a month of Sundays..." he said.
"Hello Arthur....I've been busy..I had a break today and I decided to come uptown and eat at Sam's she said.
He eyed the additional Pasta salad and Ice Tea..
"I never imagined B.L. to be the salad type.." he said.
"He's not...He's a Steak and Potatoes guy like you...That's Jazzy's." she said.
Jasmine walked in just then...
"Heyyy Thanks for ordering ahead for me Karen.....I just got out of court.." said Jasmine.. "Hi Artie." she said.
"Hi Jasmine, where is that Husband of yours?" asked Lt. Tragg sarcastically.
''Why? You don't really care where he is...."said Jasmine as she sat down with Karen...
Both women began talking ,ignoring him completely....
He contritely left the diner and headed back to work.
IV-
THE NEXT MORNING-
We sat across the street from a very nice condo
in Ms. Jade's new ride..a 2020 Nissan Rogue..
"This is sweet Ms. Jade." I said.
"It is...Sooo roomy." said Bee Bee.
"And the sound system is bangin.."said Sofia..
"So tell me..why are we here?" asked Kahlil..
"I saw something in court yesterday that didn't sit too well with me...So I checked it out...Turns out there have been a number of domestic dispute calls made to the police from this residence..So I'm playing an angle...Here comes our subject now...Check it out...Recognize her?" asked Jade.
Attorney Crystal Pffeifer walked out...
followed by her husband, Lloyd Pffeifer, Chief counsel for the Philadelphia Stock Exchange..
Neither looked happy...
"Oh My God!!!! That's Crystal Pffeifer, the one Ted was having sex with in the locked coatroom and I definitely remember seeing this guy....Is that her husband?...He's the guy on the video footage."said Ms. Yvette.
"I did too...but it was late..."said Bee Bee..
"He was not on the Guest list...and when I interviewed him...He denied being there."said Jade..
"Yeah I saw that guy...When we were leaving...He was directly behind Kate Florick in the hallway,when she stumbled out of the ladies room..."I said.
"I saw him even before that...He was kind of blending into the crowd. I remember when Jazzy was trying to get in the coatroom and it was locked...He was standing around.."said Kahlil..
''That's our guy."said Jade.
They both got in a 2020 Mercedes Coupe and drove off...
I looked at Bee Bee..
"That's going to be me and you when we get married." I said.
"I hear ya."laughed Bee Bee, holding my arm and leaning her head on my shoulder...
"You better marry my girl and stop playing games with her."laughed Ms. Yvette as we pulled off.
"Who's playin?" I laughed..
Bee Bee held me tighter and laid her head on my chest..
We followed them...
to a beautiful rooftop restaurant I had never heard of..
"Ouuuu Hot stuff, you gotta bring me here."said Bee Bee..
''From your lips to my wallet."I laughed..
"I want to come here too." said Sofia.
"Of course.." said Kahlil...
"You girls have such good boyfriends..."laughed Ms. Yvette..
We all went in and got a table..
We ordered coffees and orange juice..
"Brendan Please!" said
"Brendan My Ass....I want a divorce....My Attorney will be meeting us here shortly....You've cheated on me for five long years...FIVE LONG YEARS....Like you didn't think I'd know it...What did he promise you Crystal? Huh? A PARTNERSHIP?? MONEY?? HE GOT HIMSELF MADE PARTNER..YOU REALLY THINK HE WAS GONNA MAKE YOU PARTNER?? IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.. You stupid, stupid girl...That woman, that Kate Florick, who's on trial for his murder....Did you know he was sleeping with her too? Probably told her the same thing..I'll make you partner...He did her in the ladies restroom just minutes before he was humping you in the coatroom...People like him always promise young girls..I'll make you partner if you sleep with me..and they do and they keep on and the years pile up and they never get made partner... That bastard....One thing is good...He's dead!!! Your boyfriend is dead....THAT'S FOR GOTDAMN SURE!" he yelled out...
"That Ted Tyler tried to feel me up and he offered me a job and a partnership if I'd sleep with him...Nasty dog...Her husband is right about that."said Yvette..
"But what's more...He puts himself at the scene...He knew about Kate and Ted in the restroom and his wife and Ted in the coatroom...He's the one uninvited guest.."said Jade..
"We all saw him there...We just didn't know where to find him..."said Bee Bee..
They had got up and left by then...I walked over and got the coffee cup he had been drinking out of ...
Sofia opened her purse...She had a zip lock bag....I dropped it into the bag...
"What are you guys doing?" asked Kahlil..
"Getting Evidence."said Bee Bee , who passed the cup to Jade.
"This can make our case...."said Jade.
"They didn't find Kate's DNA or Prints on her phone."said Yvette.
"No but they did find unidentified DNA and a fingerprint smudge...also unidentified...Let's see if we can get a match....His DNA and prints have no business on Kate Florick's phone."said Jade.
We all sat quietly and enjoyed the early morning Breeze....
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