Olivia, Beverly and I ,our client , Susan Goode and Nelson and Josie stood in court for the first day of the Preliminary Hearing...
"Wow....I've never felt so unprepared before.."said Olivia..
"Yeah Auntay, but think...They're unprepared too!" said Beverly...
"Let's Hope So..." I said.
"He made this arrest on Hearsay...The word of someone who wasn't even there." said Susan.
"This shouldn't even have gotten this far...If we are lucky we can get this thing dropped today.."said Nelson..
"I wouldn't bet on that." said Josie..
ADA Nancy Wong was a few steps ahead of us as we would see...
She was advancing the theory that Our client was blackmailing Hugh Enright to keep her job , because it was in jeopardy....
We don't know where or how she got this theory....There was a little truth in this...That's why she broke into his office to get that incriminating letter...
She said that Hugh Enright surprised her and she bashed his head in...
She presented crime scene photos of the dead Hugh Enright Sr. like all of the other ADA's , she paraded a series of CSI and Forensic Personel….
Lt. Tragg sat back and smiled..
Olivia, Beverly and Nelson went hard on them...They argued that her prints and DNA should be in the office...That she worked there and was his personal assistant..
When asked if they found a murder weapon...They said no...
We questioned practically and even a few more people that Lt. Tragg and his men had questioned...Not one of them had seen our client commit the murder..and they all had to admit ...There was no physical evidence linking her to this crime..
Josie showed the Key card that she used to access the office...She worked there..She said that the key card kept the alarm off, So she asked the central question...
Who set the alarm off? If her keycard was working and let her out ?
We stayed away from why she was in the suite after hours...
Dabnis didn't say anything...He mostly took notes and passed them back and forth between
Lt. Tragg was surprised to see Dabnis Coley working with us..
"If they had to call him in , they must really be in trouble." he thought and smiled. THREE DAYS LATER-
"You both have made compelling arguments...However I see enough presented here for this person to be held over for trial.... Today is Thursday....Trial begins Monday Morning, 10:00 am...Be ready for trial. said The Judge.
"We need more...This case is just sooo thin." said Olivia.
"You're telling me...That ADA had more than I thought.."said Beverly..
"Yeah, but we did a good job of ducking and dodging.."said Nelson..
"She's good.. We are going to need to do a lot more.. A lot more than duck and dodge" said Josie..
She was right...This ADA was better than most we had faced and she seemed like she was holding back too, waiting for us to make a move so she could make a counter move.
"I'm gonna try and find you something.." I said..
"Their case is weak....Most of it is conjecture...I've got some questions for Lt. Tragg once we get started...I'll bust this thing wide open.."said Dabnis..
As we were leaving the courtroom ,Lt. Tragg walked up to Susan...
"Hi...I haven't seen you in a few weeks..Uh ruh, How are you doing?" he asked.
Awhile later we met at our Duplex and Home Office...It was the first time we had met here in three weeks..
We sat around the conference table
"Here's what I do know..I talked to the coroner and the Case Detective in the drowning death of Ashley Enright... They assured me that it was indeed an accident..She drank like a fish....Everyone said so that knew her...and on the evening she perished...She was drinking heavily...She had five or six times the legal limit of alcohol in her and she flipped over the side of the boat and drowned.. Her body was found three days later...Present was Hugh Senior, Suzette Enright and this guy Ted Deadwyler, the blackmailer who nobody can find.." I said.
"If she was murdered....He would know..." said Beverly..
"I saw her will...It's in Public Records...She apparently still had Hugh Sr. and Hugh Jr. in the will...She hadn't moved them out...I have heard that there is a revised will...Beverly, Josie and I are going to take a second look tomorrow at Public Records."said Olivia..
"I found something interesting...This guy Ted Deadwyler..He owned that boat that they took the fatal ride on..and guess what...He was a licensed Notary Republic...That's his stamp on the revision of the will we have."I said.
"Find Him and you 've solved the mystery..." said Dabnis...
"I have an address for him.." said Nelson..
"You do?" asked Olivia.
"Yes...He's in the directory...He rents that Yacht out for short cruises.."said Josie.
''See, you can't do this alone.. That's why I have such talented Attorneys and an Investigator without peer working for me." said Olivia, beaming with pride..and looking at
And Dabnis….
I made a call to Gary Lockwood, Investigator for the D.A.'s office and told him where to meet me..
Dabnis's wife, Jasmine walked in just then...
"Hi Guys.." she said.
"Hey babes...what are you doin here?" asked her husband, Dabnis.
Kissing her..
"I worked a half day today..I should tell you...Lt. Tragg is in an unmarked car sitting across the street" whispered Jazzy.
"He is such a pain in the ass...What does he want?"asked Beverly..
"Well one thing he wants is a glance at Susan...And she's not here."said Olivia.
''Why would he think she would consider dating him.? He busted her for cryin out loud...She's on trial for her life because of him." said Josie.
"And if he can..He wants to know our strategy..."said Nelson...
"Well he's not by himself...I'd like to know it too!" sighed Josie..
''It's the tough ,seemingly unwinnable cases that make you a great lawyer Josie.."said Dabnis.
"Tell me about your case...Maybe I can help...Fresh eyes..."said Jazzy...
Rockland walked into our office..He made the shush sign...
He pointed to a listening device... We had found four last week..Apparently there was another one...One we missed.
Alfreda found it...She took it in the kitchen and began running water...
Across the street in his car...the static was driving him crazy...
"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? What a time for this thing to go on the fritz.." he said.
Dabnis took it and smashed it with his heel..
"That takes care of that." he said.
By that time , I had snuck out the back and as arranged...Had taken Jasmine's car..
III-
Lt. Tragg continued to sit across the street from us in an unmarked car, but he was no longer privy to our conversation...
Inside our duplex...
Olivia, Beverly, Nelson, Josie , Jazzy and Dabnis had their lunches delivered to them and they ate inside the office...Whatever they were talking about..He could no longer hear...And he knew that we had stashed Susan somewhere , but he didn't know where...
Unfortunately...He had also heard us talking about Ted Deadwyler..I was pretty sure that soon he'd be on my trail..Which was why I had snuck out.
.I had a court summons..
I found his apartment in West Oak Lane... Unfortunately..Ted Deadwyler was not going to be appearing in court.. Not any court on Earth...
He was dead!! He had been shot at close range, two times in the chest...
Judging from the smell...Decomp and Rigor had set in...He'd been dead for a few days...
Crime Scene Investigators and Forensic Specialists were all around the room pretty soon looking for prints, DNA and what have you...
Dr. Hazel Baylor said to me..
"He's been dead about a week..Whoever killed him left the air conditioner on to keep the smell from attracting attention and to slow down decomp, so as to throw off the actual time of death...Pretty slick, but I can still tell.."said Hazel.
I looked around and I found what I was looking for..A Bottle with the same typewritten note in it...That our client had...
"This is the original will …..I want you to hide this...Examine it yourself..Don't give it to Lt. Tragg." I said as Gary and a team of Police men entered the dwelling..
''Sorry I'm late man.."said Gary...
who observed the body...He like I was wearing Latex Gloves..
''This was your guy huh?" said Gary..
''Was my guy..but even in death...He may still be.." I said.
"Release the body Hazel...I'll make my report...Give me the Autopsy results and send a copy to Donnie Ray and Liv and company."said Gary... "See you guys around." he said..
"Wrap him up and get him out guys.."said Hazel..
They removed the body...
Hazel looked relieved..
"I am so glad I didn't have to deal with that asshole, Lt. Tragg.." she said...
I smiled..
I was actually surprised that he hadn't made it here yet...
IV-
THE NEXT DAY!
Olivia, Beverly, Myself, Nelson and Josie met with Suzette Enright and Hugh Enright Jr.
"Hii..You know, We didn't get a chance to talk to you two in all of this.."said Olivia.
"Yes..You were closest to Mr. Enright.."said Beverly..
"Yes..We discovered that his blackmailer...Ted Deadwyler is dead...You guys wouldn't know anything about that would you?" I asked.
"Just asking...We have to ask these questions."said Nelson..
"You do understand." said Josie..
"Well I didn't know the man...I met him only once...The night we were all on that boat with Aunt Ashley..."said Suzette..
"I remember you guys....You guys won a bogus sexual harassment suit against me.."said a still bitter Hugh Enright Jr. "You'll direct any questions for me to my Attorney..Ms. Brenda Jordan." he said..
"The Legendary Olivia Bennett-Alexander and Beverly West...It is a pleasure to meet you again.." she said..
Brenda Jordan had been Avril Younger's point person last year...We had indeed dealt with her before. I knew her sordid history..
Brenda Jordan, born and raised in Arlington ,Virginia..B.A. in Administration of Justice from Virginia Union, J.D. from Georgetown, passed the bar in Washington,D.C. , Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
She was censored in D.C. because she had sex with a prospective client in the Judges lounge... She's suspected of seducing a wealthy client and getting him to steer wealthy clients her way...She wasn't brought up on any charges for it..but she was asked to leave.
She and her estranged husband moved to Philadelphia , where she was a very successful Assistant District Attorney. It was rumored that she was sleeping with the past District Attorney...Not Gil Garcetti, but the one before him..
She went to work for former ADA Avril Young for 2 years and then quit and returned to the D.C. area. She and her husband are now divorced and she is back in the area.. She is Counsel for several area businesses...She's in Private Practice..
"Why am I not surprised you're mixed up in all of this?" said Olivia.
''Girrrrl, I'm like you...I follow the money.." laughed Brenda Jordan...
"Can I aske your client a question?" asked Beverly..."Why did you say my client murdered your father when you weren't even here?" asked Beverly..
''He was here..His Access card shows he did enter the complex that night. "said Brenda.
"Wait a minute...You said you weren't here...She said you weren't here and my client said you weren't here..But your access card record clearly shows you were here...So you lied.."said Nelson..
"I-I-I was mistaken about the time...My dad called me here because he said Mr. Deadwyler was trying to blackmail him...Said he brought a bottle here with Aunt Ashley's will in it...That's what Susan stole and my dad must have walked up on her and she panicked and killed him , then tried to run." said Hugh Enright Jr.
"Hugh don't say anything else..Anything else will have to be discussed in court." said Brenda., she realized that he was possibly compromising and trapping himself.
"Good...because here is a court summons...We'll see you in court."said Olivia, who passed it to him.
He stomped his foot angrily...
We All walked out..
Sometime Later that night...We all had Banana Splits..
at Food Corner, a few blocks from us..
"My husband, God Bless Him had never had a Banana Split before he met me.."said Olivia..
"It's true...Now I love em to death, just like I love her to death.."said Donnie Ray...
"Awwwwwww."said Beverly..
"Don't tell me they don't make Banana Splits in New Orleans.."laughed Jazzy...
"You've been there before Jazzy, you ever have one?" I asked..
"Hmmm you may have a point."said Jasmine..
"You said you had a break through today? "asked Dabnis..
"Yes, I know who killed Hugh Enright sr. and possibly two other people. But I don't want to talk about it here..Jazzy we may have to use your facility again.."I said.
"Sure..."said Jasmine..
"It had something to do with something somebody said that they shouldn't have."said Nelson, who had figured it out too.
"Heads up guys...We got company." said Josie.
Lt. Tragg walked into the restaurant we were sitting in..
"Ohhhhh having a Banana Split tonight eh?" he said..
"Yes, they're very good." said Olivia diplomatically..
"They are indeed...Never heard of one of these things until I met her.."I said.. I know he was fishing for something...The small talk was boring him and me..
Beverly said nothing...She spoon fed her husband , Ice Cream
Nelson in turn spoon fed her..
Josie and Jazzy talked quietly...
"Seems you had yourself quite a day today Donnie Ray....I understand you and a certain investigator from the D.A.'s office came upon the body of one Ted Deadwyler...Why was I not informed.?" asked Lt. Tragg..
"I didn't know it was my job to keep you abreast of Homicides..I just called it in.."I said.
"Cut the crap..You purposely called Gary Lockwood, The Investigator for the D.A.'s office, To purposely keep me off the case.." said Lt. Tragg...
"Okay I did...but look, you were busy listening to the goings on ,on an illegal wiretap in our office from your car across the street...You didn't have time to be investigating another murder.."I said innocently..
Beverly and Dabnis spit their Ice Cream out of their mouths and cracked up laughing...
Nelson and Josie smiled...
Lt. Tragg was incensed...and surprised that he had been made.. They knew he was there all the time.
Olivia used her card to pay for our bill...
"Where is Susan?" asked Lt. Tragg..
"You'll see her Monday at trial."said Olivia..
Dabnis was laughing the loudest and the hardest...
"I'm two seconds from knocking you the hell out." said Lt. Tragg….
"I'm two seconds from calling your Captain and telling him you're still bugging an attorney's office illegally." said Dabnis..
Lt. Tragg stopped dead in his tracks...How he hated Dabnis Coley...A call like that could get him sent back on the boat for sure..He turned and stormed out..
"It's a beautiful night...Let's all go home."said Olivia.
She took me by the arm and we walked out..
Nelson and Beverly held hands and walked behind us..
Josie , Dabnis and Jazzy walked not too far behind us..
It was a nice summer night...A Harbinger of the trial that was coming..
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