VENTURES: Murder And Running Water

Yes, it was a Wednesday Morning, Middle of the week, but I Attorney Keith Jones, had the day off, so did all of my buddies, Bee Bee, Sofia and Kahlil... It was about 8:30 am..I was just getting out of bed...I turned the morning news on..

I sat in my comfy chair and watched the news and commercials...

My girlfriend and Associate Attorney, Beatrice "Bee Bee" evans had spent the night...She walked up behind me and put her arms around me....

'What'cha watchin hot stuff?" she asked.

"The morning news..There was a suspected suicide last night in those condos near where we work." I said.

as the television showed them bringing the body out of the building..

Assistant District Attorney Regent Tepper, who Olivia and Beverly faced off against awhile ago was found hanging in his bedroom from the ceiling....He wrote a long rambling suicide note they said. I had heard he took losing to them pretty hard.."I said...

Bee Bee ran her soft fingers down into my boxers...

"And speaking of something pretty hard,.....wouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Do you wake up like this?" she asked, fondling me gently...and giggling..

"Yeah, I do , now that you asked....I'm always thinking about you, whether you're here or not." I said.

''Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu you are so smooth with the answers" she said as we kissed passionately...

She was wearing a sheer baby doll nightie that came to her hips and that left little to the imagination...

I lifted her up...dropped my boxers down and slid her panties down and entered her slowly...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..." I moaned..

"Hot Stuff....Even though we don't have to go to work today....I still would like to go back to my apartment and get dressed...perhaps get a little thing like breakfast? We screwed all last night...ummmmmmmmmmmmm, ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, oooh my godddd"Bee Bee said softly...as I continued to stroke her..

"I know...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...I won't be long..uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." I moaned..

"That's what you always say..." she giggled..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuweeeeeeeeeeeeeee.." she moaned...

Nothing like a morning quickie..

We showered together to save time...

She had started bringing an overnight bag when she spent the night with me..Even though she lived down the hall..She didn't like venturing out in the hallway in just a babydoll that was damn near see through..

''Uh Sweetie pie...Do you notice uh water trickling under your door?" she said.

"Yeah, come to think of it...What is this?" I asked.

Water was running from one apartment and streaming down the hall, Loud voices could be heard coming from the apartment..

"Baby please...this isn't my fault...The water bed popped...Were you wearing a wire bra?" came the male voice..

"I didn't have on a bra...you unhooked it and took it off remember? This isn't my fault...You bought a cheap water bed....Oh My god..My hair...I just got my hair done...now it's wet....Ohhh Why did I come down here with you?" came the voice of a female..

Sofia, who had been spending the night with Kahlil opened his door and peeped out..

"Oh My god!" she said, as the water ran down the hallway...

It was a sight to behold...

"It's coming from Bobby's apartment...That damn waterbed he bought...It must have sprung a leak."said Kahlil..

Kahlil and I

had helped him bring the waterbed

into his apartment last week..and had watched him hook a waterhose up to it and fill it.. I must admit..It did feel nice...It moved with every inch of your body...

He said he couldn't wait to

get the new girl who had just moved in to the apartment upstairs, Kelly "Sprinkle"Waters

into his new waterbed to make "crazy exotic love" to her...

Well, he had gotten her in the bed and this was the results..

water down the hallway, just gushing..

''Sprinkle Baby please..,This isn 't my fault...It's Tidewaters...He sold me a dry rot waterbed...How was I supposed to know?"pleaded Bobby , running after Sprinkle..

"That's not my problem...My hair is ruined...I wanted to wear a hair net last night, YOU INSISTED ON SEEING MY HAIR...NOW LOOK...Ohhhh just get away from me Bobby.."said Sprinkle as she ran down the hallway...

''Sprinkle? Is that you?" asked Sofia..

"Heyyy Sprinkle."said Bee Bee.

"Heyyy Sofia, Bee Bee.. You girls are lucky, you have sensible boyfriends who buy a regular bed and don't try to be fancy like someeeeeeeeee people I know....Newsflash Bobby...Waterbeds went out with the 70's and early 80's....Who do you think you are...Teddy Pendergrass?" snarled Sprinkle.

"Baby please...just let me explain...Baby please."said Bobby...running after her and splashing the water, which had stopped running now..

"Give it up Bobby, Give her a chance to cool off..She's too angry right now."said Kahlil..

"Yeah man...let's uh call the super and see about drying this hallway out...And when we get dressed, we'll visit Mr. Tidewater with you..You got a contract?" I asked.

"Yeah in my room, that chisler ripped me off ...The damn thing is dry rot...It just split open in the middle of the night while we were sleeping....We had such a nice night man, We went to Bottom of The C. for dinner, then we went dancing and had drinks at Aqua Bar....Then we came back here , had a great night...and drifted off to sleep and that damn bed split open...without warning..."complained a distraught Bobby..

Sofia looked at her lifelong friend, Bee Bee and cracked up....

Bee Bee was already laughing and slamming her hands on the wall...

It was a very revolting development!

II-

While we were contending with that on our first of three days off...

at our office in town.. Ms. Yvette was listening to a fellow Associate Attorney complain bitterly...

"Yvette...I'd be so appreciative if you could spare me just one of your kids to help on this case...They are all so good and very professional from what I've observed...I could really use the help...Just one of em...because the guy I've got working with me is just not cutting the mustard.." said Associate Attorney Tom McGovern...

"I'd love to help you Tom, but my guys have really been spread thin the past few weeks...I gave em three days off.."said Ms. Yvette..

It was True..

Bee Bee and I got to work a case with Olivia Bennett-Alexander, Beverly West and Donnie Ray Alexander, Dabnis Coley and Jasmine Coley

It was a wrongful conviction case....

we put in many hours at the new highrise building by Penns Landing

with their huge law library...courtesy of Jazzy's law firm in the same building

And under the direction of ADA Karen Page

and using their huge conference room to successfully argue their case.

While that case was going on... Kahlil, Sofia, Josie and Nelson assisted our good friends Jessica and Chip on a big case , It was a joint Innocence Project, ACLU case in which they had to go to four appellate courts before they could get the conviction of their client overturned...and then successfully argued the case in court ,getting an acquittal....They were all really tired..Jade did a fantastic job of investigating.

and to top it off...

Ms. Yvette herself was involved in a big case..

Assisted by Olivia and Beverly's cousin, Kayla Bennett-St. John..

and Private Investigator, Kevin Morris..

They had gotten an acquitall and had just wrapped things up yesterday....

She explained this all to Attorney Tom McGovern..

''Wowww, your guys have been busy..Consulting on all of those cases for all of those other outside attorneys..They've been doing good work, landmark work, Innocence Project, ACLU, Wrongful Conviction Unit..Good stuff...Damn...And I'm stuck with this nit wit.."said Tom.

"Nit wit? Oh Tom that's harsh....Roger Bradley

graduated at the top of his class at Princeton...Has a J.D. from Princeton and was considered their top associate at the Law firm he came here from.." said Yvette..

"I read his resume Yvette...He sits in that office with that damn music blasting to high heaven and appears more interested in getting into the panties of the young para-legals and Administrative assistants around here than doing good work...He's not disciplined like your four..I know they're romantically involved with each other, but when they come to work..they come to work...I like that."said Tom.

"Well thank you for the compliment Tom...I'll talk to Roger..." said Yvette...

"I just got a text from him...He says he has some classified information...He wants me to meet him by the Straight up Motel...Says he can't talk here...Ohhhhhh...I'll talk you later." said Tom McGovern..

"That run down place off the interstate? Why would he want you to meet there?" asked Yvette..

Tom smiled shyly...

"You uh know about that place Vettie?" he said and arched an eyebrow..

"Only by reputation...I've never been in there." Yvette said and laughed. "Get out of here Tom." she said, still laughing...

III-

We drove our friend Bobby to the Tidewater's Waterbed Store.....

"This is it Bobby, Tidewater's place." I said.

''Yeah, this is that old jackleg that sold me that defective waterbed.."snarled our friend Bobby..

"Okay..we are going in...We have your receipt and your contract...Let us do the talking."said Kahlil.

Bobby heard the girls laughing....

"I know yall think this is hillarious...but imagine if it were you.."he said.

"I am imagining...And I'm glad it wasn't me."said Sofia, laughing out loud now...

"Stoppppppppppppppp...Stopppppppppppppppp!" said Bee Bee, howling with laughter.

Directly across the street from Tidewater's place was the old ''Straight Up Motel."A Cheap sleazy place if ever there were one...

Sofia whispered in Kahlil's ear..

"Remember this place Papi? We bought a bottle of Tequila and we drove out here on Graduation night years ago?" asked Sofia.

"Wasn't that long ago...How could I forget? Best sex of my life at the time...We killed that bottle." said Kahlil, remembering the night we all graduated from law school and he and Sofia decided to become a couple.

"And then we really tore into each other..." he remembered...

They were both drunk and very horny...

and they made love well into the night and the next morning...

They didn't check out until noon the next day...

While the five of us were in the waterbed store talking to Mr. Tidewater...we didn't notice that two cars drove up across the street at the Straight Up Motel..

One was a 2019 Lexus Coupe, belonging to one of our Associate Attorneys

and the other one was a 2019 Mustang Drop top, belonging to another one of our associate attorneys...It appeared to have already been there.

We heard the explosion....It was loud and it shook everything in Tidewater's shop...It felt like an earthquake...

"HOLY SMOKES...WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" I exclaimed..

"That car across the street..It blew up.."exclaimed Bee Bee..

"Geeez...It's a ball of flames.." said Bobby.

"Aye Mios Dios.."exclaimed Sofia..

"Mannnn that was a nice ride too...It looked expensive..."said Kahlil...

Several People ,who were in the motel ventured to the front door, Men and women, many who didn't want to be seen...This wasn't exactly a tourist spot...This was the type of place you rented for hours and would rather not have it known you were here..

An educated guess would say about 50 percent of the couples here were married to someone else..

ONE HOUR LATER-

"The Body is charred beyond recognition, but his registration was in a metal box in the glove compartment, or what is left of it..and we found the name, Thomas McGovern, Attorney at Law, McCluskey/Cozen/Connor and Pratt.." said Hazel, who had called us..

"My God! What was Tom doing in a god foresaken area like this?" asked our founding Partner , Mr. McCluskey, who was there with Ms. Yvette.

"He said he got a call from Roger Bradley, who was assisting him on the case they were working, saying that he had sensitive information regarding the case that he could only discuss with him here."said Ms. Yvette.

"Why Here? Why not in our office? " asked Mr. McCluskey..

''That's what I said." asked Ms. Yvette.

"His car was rigged with a bomb....It was radio controlled..Somebody was in wait here for him and triggered it as soon as he drove up." said a Crime Scene Investigator. to Hazel..

"Oh wow...This is a homicide." said Hazel..

Ms. Yvette noticed us hanging around...She was astounded..

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE? IT'S YOUR DAY OFF! PLEASE ,PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ME YOU WEREN'T AT THAT SLEAZY MOTEL....I PAY YOU BETTER THAN THAT!" said Ms. Yvette..

"No...No..Ms. Yvette..We were across the street at Tidewater's place...The Waterbed Place."said Kahlil..

"You guys buying waterbeds huh? Ouuuuuu kinky....Just be careful...Some of these waterbeds dry rot and they'll split on you in the middle of the night and water will be running everywhere....At least uh....THAT'S WHAT I HEARD!" she said...

''We aren't buying waterbeds Ms. Yvette."said Bee Bee, giving her the serious side eye and smiling wryly..

"Our neighbor, Bobby here, bought one from Mr. Tidewater and it dry rotted and split open and now our hallway is drenched..."said Sofia.

''We came down here with his receipt and his contract to get him a refund.."I said.

"Yeah, when he saw four Attorneys, he changed his tune...Gave me a full refund..and an apology."said a happy Bobby.. "I'll never buy another waterbed again." he said.

"You bought one from old Tidewater eh kid? He's a chisler...His waterbeds dry rot and they'll split on you in the middle of the night and water will be running everywhere....At least uh....THAT'S WHAT I HEARD!" said Lt. Tragg of Homicide.... "Uh One of my friends uh got ripped off by Tidewater.." he quickly explained..

"So uh what have we got here?" he asked ,quickly changing the subject..

"Homicide...Car bomb....It was radio controlled...Somebody lay in wait for him and blew him up as soon as he arrived..Body was charred beyond recognition, but we found his drivers license and registration and ID in what's left of the glove compartment...He's Thomas McGovern...He was an Attorney, worked at McClusky/Cozen/Connor and Pratt."said Hazel

as what was left of the body was carted off..

"Tom was one of my closest friends...We golfed together,played racquetball together..Our wives often shopped together...I-I can't beleive this." said Mr. McCluskey..

"I had just talked to him a few hours ago..He told me he got a text from his associate attorney, who he was working on a big case with, told him to meet him here...Neither he nor I knew why he wanted to meet in this far away place..He said he had some information important to whatever they were working on..."said Ms. Yvette.

"Who is this Associate Attorney? where can I find him?" asked Lt. Tragg..

''His name is Roger Bradley, a good kid...He just started working for us a few months ago..."said Mr. McCluskey..

"Witnesses told me that a Red 2019 or 2020 Mustang with a drop top drove up at the same time as your guy and as soon as the car exploded...He put his foot through the floor and pulled off."said Lt. Tragg.

"That's the kind of car, Roger drives...but he wouldn't do something like this...He's a good kid."said Yvette.

"Yeah, well I'll be the judge of that...I need to see him."said Lt. Tragg.

"Oh Boy" sighed Hazel.

IV-

We all met in Sam Mother's Diner for dinner that afternoon..

Ms. Yvette's boyfriend, Gary Lockwood, an investigator for the D.A.'s office was sitting with us..

"I heard you guys had quite a day to day...Down at the old Straight up Motel...One of your staff members was murdered,,,Hope he had his clothes on."joked Gary mildly...

"It wasn't like that...He was working on an extremely sensitive case...His associate told him to meet him there ,because he had information to share...Only he never got to share it...His car exploded the minute he showed up.."said Yvette..

"But why did Roger pull off after the explosion?" I asked.

"He was probably scared. Probably thought he might be the next to die."said Bee Bee..

"I saw Building management over at your building with the air blowers and the suction machines..What happened? A water pipe burst?" asked Ms. Jade.

"No...a water bed...One of our neighbors bought a water bed and it dry rotted...and split open in the middle of the night and water just gushed out...ran down the hallway, all up under our doors..."said Sofia.

"Yeah...so we took him to Tidewaters to get a refund..." said Kahlil..

"He got his Waterbed from old Tidewater huh? The Better Business Bureau ought to put that old rummy out of business."said Gary...

Ms. Yvette looked at him almost pleadingly...She wanted him to stop talking...

"His cheap ass waterbeds all dry rot and split open in the seams when you least expect it and the next thing you know...water is everywhere, running down the stairs...all in your damn living room." he said...Then he stopped himself...He looked at all of us..

"I mean at least this is uh ruh, what I've heard." he said....