You Must Be Love

 Malcolm Paltrow sipped his coffee and began to talk...

He seemed to want to unburden himself and he looked like he hadn't had any sleep over the night..

"After I left the restaurant...I drove to the train station...Here is my parking stub and the time I parked my car. I took the train to Atlantic City...My cousin lives there..I was going to get him to come here and lean on Ari Kattan for my money...but when I got there...He told me about the murder.. I immediately got back on the train and headed back to Philly...I thought about turning myself in...I called Marla..but there was no answer..Then I remembered seeing you and Mr. Donnie Ray in the restaurant and I decided I might need some legal representation." said Malcolm.

He passed me his train station parking lot ticket and his receipts from the train for his round trip ticket..

"This money you said that he had...How did he get it? I know you didn't loan him any money."said Olivia.

"No I lent that money to Marla...His wife....She wanted to get an attorney to begin divorce proceedings and put a down payment on an apartment..but he beat her and took the money off of her...When She told me...I was livid..."said Malcolm..

"You and his wife, Marla...I uh suppose you two had a thing...I mean you weren't just casual friends right?" asked Beverly..

"You lent her 50 large, oh no...you guys were more than casual friends?" said Nelson..

Josie whispered to Alfreda...

"Ms. J. Do you have any popcorn?" 

Alfreda smiled broadly and playfully swatted Josie's Shoulder...

"No....I was in love with her....I suppose you wonder how I came across that kind of money?" said Malcolm.

"That was going to be my next question." I said.

"I too am a chef...I graduated from the School of Culinary Arts right here in Philadelphia. To pay my tuition, I put together a crew and opened a Food Truck..

Right across the street from the Courthouse..

It does good business.." he said.

"That's Your Truck? I've eaten off of there..Yeah, they make great food..Oh man and I love your Cubans."said Nelson..

"Yeah...I love your Crepes...They are delish!" said Beverly...

"That truck always draws a crowd..."said Josie..

I have another truck outside of the new headquarters where Lt. Sissy Van Buren and her detectives of the Criminal Investigation Division are housed.. The FBI and ATF is in that building ,along with a lot of cops and administrative staff...We do good business there..

I have a truck across the street from the building that houses McCluskey/Cozen/Connor and Pratt and Associates Law firm..

and I have a new one down Penns Landing at that new building where the Wrongful Conviction Unit is housed..  I do alright." said Malcolm

''Sounds like you're an even better businessman than you are a chef.."said Olivia..

"My plan is to open up a major restaurant of my own one day....then I won't need the trucks, but for now they pay my bills....They use my recipes for everything...

I come around twice a week and do my collections...and make my run to the bank...That's how I met Marla..

She looked like she had stepped out of a dream.." he said.

"Yeah, they usually do." said Nelson..

II-

She was beautiful, but she looked so sad, so sad..like the weight of the world was on her shoulders..and she had a black eye...

I was making my collections...

I sat next to her on the courthouse steps and I introduced myself to her..I told her that I owned the food truck and that I was making my collections...We talked.  

I made small talk and got her to laugh....I have a feeling she hadn't laughed in a long time.. She walked me to the bank where I made my deposit..

I bought her lunch off of one of my trucks and it was a warm summer day,so we both sat and ate.."said Malcolm..

"One of those Cubans right?" asked Nelson..

Beverly sighed...'What can I say? I'm married and hopelessly in love with him." she shrugged..

Olivia and I, Josie and Alfreda all smiled and laughed a little.

''You like those eh?  I'll have some delivered here for all of you ,hopefully after this is all cleared up.."said Malcolm..

I saw her wedding band...I should have stopped there...but, I just had a feeling about her...I had never looked at anyone and felt what I felt for Marla..and I told her so...

She told me that her husband was World renowned chef Ari Kattan and that he was an adulterous , arrogant brute who didn't hesitate to slap her around when he displeased...

She told me she wanted to leave him, but she didn't know how to go about finding an attorney...She thought by coming to the courthouse, she might find an attorney...

I explained to her that the lawyers here handled mostly criminal cases..a few civil lawsuits, but not the kind of law she needed..

I told her ,I had another truck outside the building where other lawyers were...lawyers that might help her.

We met everyday after that...I bought her lunch off my truck and I drove her around to see my other trucks.. I told her that I had graduated from the School of Culinary Arts and that I was saving up to

buy a space and open my own establishment...

We grew closer and closer...This went on for about a month...Us innocently meeting for lunch...Talking, walking...

One day....We didn't have lunch, we went to a motel..Ari was out of town ,she told me , so we could spend the entire day together.. 

"OHHHHHHHHH MALCOLM...OUUUUUUUU!" she moaned.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this moment." I moaned..

We made sweet  love all afternoon.. EIGHT TO NINE HOURS of unbridled, unrestrained passion.and into the next morning...

I drove her to the corner of her block and let her off... I was in love...I knew I wanted to protect her from anyone and anything that would hurt her... I knew I was wrong for sleeping with another man's wife..but I couldn't help it..

I didn't see her for a month after that...I had her number and I called her and texted her...Nothing..Then one day, she shows up...She's crying and she says she desperately needs my help...She says she needs money and she doesn't know when or how she can pay me back..She needs $50,000.00 dollars...

I was going to write her a check..She said she needed cash..So I drove to the bank and I took out the cash and gave it to her..I told her that I loved her and that I'd do anything for her..

Last week, she shows up with a black eye and says that Ari beat her up and took the money off of her to pay off his gambling debt...I was furious...

I gave her $25,000.00 to tide her over and told her to hide it somewhere.. That's when I confronted Ari in the restaurant...

After he beat me up, I decided to get my cousin from Atlantic City...He's a gambler...a tough guy..He would handle Ari for me..but by the time I got to A.C. I heard that Ari had been murdered....I swear, I didn't kill him!  I'm not sorry he's dead..but I didn't kill him."said Malcolm.

III-

"I want you to stop by your house...Park your car...Nelson will go with you...Get enough clothes to last you for a week, register into a hotel using your own name and stay there until we can figure out something." said Olivia.

''We'll give you a Portal and a Phone so we can keep in contact with you..Call us at this number.."said Beverly..

''Scrap that Liv, We have company.."I said.

"You should have parked around the corner...He saw your car.."said Nelson..

"I sure wish he didn't know where this office was."snarled Josie..

Two Police cars facing each other in the opposite direction were outside..

"Take the arrest Malcolm, you have the right to remain silent...You don't have to say a thing...We will be down to get you arraigned..

''Alright...Thank you for hearing me out."said Malcolm.

''Let him in Mommy."said Beverly...

''Do I have to?" asked Alfreda jokingly as she opened the door to Lt. Tragg.

''Wellllllllll good morning Ms. Johnson.. I would like a word with your employers..." said Lt. Tragg as he and four uniformed officers entered , walked past her and into our conference room..

"Good Morning Liv, Donnie Ray, everyone...You of course know why I'm here?" asked Lt. Tragg.

"You of course have a warrant ,I am presuming" asked Olivia.

Lt. Tragg smiled..

"But of course.. Here is a lesson for you Junior partners...Always ask for a warrant when a police officer is arresting your client." he laughed snarkily...

Beverly, Nelson and Josie found no humor in his remarks...They stood by stoically as a policeman handcuffed Malcolm..

Malcolm held his head down...

"Malcolm Paltrow, you are under arrest for the murder of Arri Kattan, you have the right to remain silent..Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law...You have a right to an attorney, if you can not afford one, one will be obtained for you...You obviously understand because as I can see you already have obtained legal counsel...

"You know...I saw Yvette and her snot nosed youngins eating off of one of your trucks and I originally thought she was representing you...but when I didn't see your car around..I knew there was only one other place you might be....I was right..Come along Malcolm..Liv, staff, I expect to see you guys in a few hours." he laughed.

They walked out and put Malcolm in the car and pulled off..

"Well, that went rather well."said Alfreda sarcastically.

IV-

While Olivia, Beverly, Nelson and Josie

made arrangements to go and see Malcolm, 

who I was certain was sitting in an interrogation room

saying nothing...

Being Grilled by Lt. Tragg..

I went to Ari and Marla Kattan's condo.. It was dark and empty..

Everyone said she had packed her things and moved out this morning... The door was open...Their condo was completely empty...No sign of her at all...

I called her cell phone...The number had been disconnected...! This was very strange...

Apparently she didn't love our client as madly as he loved her..She had pocketed 25 large of his money and had simply vanished into thin air..

I hated to be the one to break it to him...

TWELVE HOURS BEFORE-

"Look, regardless of what you think...I'm not a loan shark and I don't have juice on the street....Chef Kattan owed me money, but he paid me in full, 50 large, two nights ago..Check my books..We were all square."said Eddie Lee. "Now I've been here for seven hours , either charge me or let me go." he said.

SOME TIME LATER-

''We checked your books and your people..He did pay you in full..So what were you two talking about as he was gettin popped?" asked Lt. Tragg.

Just as Eddie Lee was getting ready to speak..

"Interview is over Lieutenant..Either charge him or let him go."said Yvette Jones-Lockwood..

"You're out of here Eddie."said Keith Jones.

''We got here as fast as we could."said Bee Bee, his wife.

"Looks like you're no worse for the wear." said Sofia..

"Hahahahahahaha."laughed Kahlil..

Ms. Jade said nothing...She just smiled.

Yvette was there with her four young associate attorneys and her investigator, Jade Lee, who Lt. Tragg despised..

Lt. Tragg was exasperated, but he didn't have a  case....He shrugged.

"He's Free to go.."He said as they all left..

"Thanks Guys....Your Lunch is on the house..."he said..

Restauranter, Gambler, Eddie Lee smiled snarkily at Lt. Tragg as he left with Yvette and crew.

NOW!

"I've got video tape of the altercation you two had in that restaurant earlier and your threat to him as you left....I know you were having an affair with his wife...and that you lent her 50K....That must have been a hell of a piece of ass....She sold you a bill of goods..Told you she needed it to get a lawyer to divorce him...Well she didn't.. and he didn't beat her up either..She paid that money to Eddie Lee, ever hear of him?  He has a fancy Chinese restaurant in Chinatown...pretty good grub there too..I've eaten there before.. Upstairs...a high priced card game goes on...Russian and Chinese gangsters mostly buy in..but anybody with the dough can buy in...Chef Kattan bought in and lost his shirt.. His wife paid his debt off with your money...She screwed you and she used you...Oldest story in the books."said Lt. Tragg..

"YOU SHUT UP WITH YOUR FILTHY LIES.....SHE DID NOT!!! SHE LOVES ME!" screamed

Malcolm..

''Boy are you a loon."laughed Lt. Tragg, who tossed the gun on the table.

Lt. Tragg tossed a gun on the table..

''Recognize it?" he said.

"I've never seen that in my life."said Malcolm..

"I'm bettin that you have...I know you took a train out of town to A.C... The New Jersey Stateys found this gun lying in the grass ,along the train route.. Naturally there is no DNA or prints on it..but it was tested...THIS IS THE MURDER WEAPON!! THIS IS YOUR GUN PAL!!!I GOT YOU COLD!!" said Lt. Tragg, pleased with himself..

"Sure of that Lt. Tragg?" asked Olivia..

''Malcolm ,We figured you might not have eaten ,so we brought you these..Off your truck." said Beverly..

Breakfast Crepes

and coffee...

"Thank you so much guys!" said Malcolm , who began to chow down on the crepes and drink the coffee.

"Heyyy man, we take care of our clients." laughed Nelson..

Josie smiled and sat next to him..

"Liv, you definitely have a loser here...Your client is guilty as sin."said Lt. Tragg as he picked up the gun, put it back in a plastic bag and left the room..

"You don't have to say anything more Malcolm, you have told us all you need to tell us..We are going to have you arraigned before a judge in a few hours."said Olivia completely ignoring Lt. Tragg.

''Did you get in contact with Marla?"asked Malcolm.

"Donnie Ray is out talking to her right now...That's why he didn't come with us."said Josie.

But I hadn't found any sign of Marla...Her phone was disconected...She had moved out of her condo, the one she shared with her husband..and she had 25 K of our client's money...I was more and more beginning to think that this love story was basically one sided.

(TO BE CONTINUED)