VENTURES: Confab

We were communicating with our client Sherry Lancaster through Portal..She was keeping a low profile as we had asked.

She was looking nd sounding much better ,having been sprung from jail and allowed to be home with her cousins...

"My husband was a beast...He talked down to everybody and I can imagine one person you can find, including business associates who liked him." said Sherry..

I agreed with that statement..He was verbally abusive and short with practically everybody he worked with..I interviewed nearly 40 people..Not one person liked him and not one person shied away from saying so..But he made them a lot of money and they had to work with them..

They all told me how cruel he was to his wife..How he talked to her like she was a child incapable of understanding the simplest instruction...

Several people even told me that if she DID IN FACT KILL HIM, they didn't blame her..

Judging by the donations sent to her defense fund...which now was over 100K..far more than we needed, I'd say that was the correct assumption and statement.

"You initiated Divorce proceedings against your husband and I take it , he didn't take it well...I happen to know his lawyer and he should be dropping by here today." said Olivia.

"We hear he didn't want to pay you anything...but that his lawyer convinced him that he had to pay something." said Beverly...

"Sounds like a real sweetheart, Was he physically abusive?" asked Nelson..

"No..Not really...He only struck me once...Ironically on our wedding night...Years ago..He had an explosive temper...It was his verbal abuse that was so soul killing..I swear I didn't kill him, but I don't feel sad that he's gone.." she said.

Our doorbell rang..

Alfreda got it..

It was our good friend and sometimes adversary Attorney Arthur Trout.. He had been the divorce attorney for the deceased..

''Alfreda, you get prettier everytime I see you baby...I see where Beverly gets her good looks from." he said.

"Oh stop it...You are such a bullshitter..I guess that's what makes you a good lawyer huh?" laughed Alfreda.

" The Best baby....but I aint bullshittin about how good you look... "Hey, Liv, Donnie Ray, Beverly, Nelson... Say Where is Josie today?" he asked.

''She went to court to file some paperwork for us...She and Sherry's Divorce Attorney, Zoey Easter- Anderson should be here shortly.." said Olivia.

''We are having a portal conference with Sherry Lancaster.."said Beverly..

"Ohhh you guys are repping her... I felt so sorry for that woman, but I was repping her husband...I hated that guy...The way he talked to me, I was getting ready to quit...This was the day before he was murdered...And Deck the guy."said Arthur Trout..

"Hmmmm and you weren't arrested by Lt. Tragg?" joked Nelson..

We all broke into laughter......

"You guys want coffee?" asked Alfreda.

Who made five cups of coffee...

The caterer arrived with a cold cut tray, Mayonaise ,Mustard and Hard Rolls for sandwiches...

Arthur Trout smiled..

"Liv...You guys know how to entertain..." he said.

"That's because we have a damn good Office Manager." said Olivia.

Alfreda smiled....

II-

At the courthouse, Josie had filed some briefs for us..

She was headed out when she ran into Zoey..

"Hey Zo." said Josie..

"Hey Josie...I'm on my way to your place..." said Zoey...

"So Josie, does your boss really think she has a shot of getting this woman off? This is a real loser of a case."said Lt. Tragg.

"I'll be sure to tell Liv and Bev how concerned you are about their careers and reputations."said Josie, smiling.

"Don't be a smart ass like your co-worker, Beverly..."said Lt. Tragg.

"And don't be something you are not..An Attorney...We are not going to try this case in the hallway of the courthouse." said Zoey.

"Youuuuuu! You knew this case was a loser to begin with, That's why YOU didn't take it..It was over your head..You figured you get Olivia and Beverly involved to make sure you had a shot at winning." snarled Lt. Tragg.

"Lieutenant!!! Good Lieutenant...I need you to go over that crime scene again and check those witness statements...and if you can, find me that murder weapon!" said ADA Nathan Jones..

"I'll....I'll get right on it.." he said and stomped his foot and stormed out of the courthouse...

"That fella needs a laxative.." remarked ADA Nathan Jones..He looked at Josie and Zoey and winked.

Both women smiled at him as they left the courthouse...

A LITTLE WHILE LATER-

We were still having a portal confab with our client,

Sherry Lancaster...

We talked about the history of her stormy relationship and marriage to her late husband and subsequent divorce proceedings..

Arthur Trout, who had been her husband's divorce attorney discussed the assets she was entitled to...

Josie and Zoey joined in the discussion....

What we hadn't talked about was the day of the murder.. She had been seen in her former residence twice..With her cousin and an unidentified male , who was helping her move her things out..

Her husband and the man had had words, her husband and her cousin had had words and she and her husband had had a loud argument, witnessed by about 20 people..but there had been no violence..

She told him she was coming back tomorrow to get her things..

This was at 2:00 pm in the afternoon...

In between then and 4:00 pm, Someone visited her husband , yelling and screaming was heard and then two gunshots...a loud thump and then nothing... No one was seen by any witnesses leaving... We needed to find out who that was if it wasn't Sherry...

III-

ADA Nathan Jones sat in his office ..

He studied his case....It had more holes in it than Swiss Cheese...He hoped beyond hope that Lt. Tragg could fill some of these holes up...It was bad enough he had to go up against his friends, Olivia and Beverly..

Two Attorneys he knew for a fact were very capable and their very capable team..

Their husbands, Me for instance, an Ex-Homicide Detective, Now Investigator, who he knew would be all over this...

And Nelson, Beverly's husband, who seemed like a fine Attorney in his own right

And their cute new attorney, Jo-anne or Josie...Who if she studied under Liv, Like Bev and Nelson obviously did..She was a pretty good attorney in her own right...

No he didn't want to come before us with a weak case...

But he mostly thought about her....Zoey....She was the woman's divorce lawyer...Just as she had been Liv's divorce attorney years before..He hated that he was on the opposite side of all of the women he cared about....

He thought mostly about Zoey and the sweet love they made in the bed.....She had a way of really hooking a man once they slept with her...

He remembered a time the two of them went away for a weekend retreat down the shore..

They had Just met...He was a young attorney working at Bach and Roach and she was a young attorney working at Cowen ,Cowen and Rodman, a few blocks away...They had met at a litigation and had talked and been quite fond of each other..

They had seen each other in Aqua Bar a few times and she had finally let him talk her into spending the weekend with him down the shore.. They even had seperate rooms, just so it wouldn't seem untoward..

How she wound up in his room was a mystery...

Where kissing and lovemaking commenced..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu , NATHAN!!!...NATHAN JONES... ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."she moaned....

"Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God! Zoey! Oh My God....You're driving me crazy...."he yelled...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh NATHANNNNNNN!!! . Oh My God! Oh My God! Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss! Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" she moaned..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my god...We've got to stop...This can't go on...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." she moaned.

"Oh Stop saying that....ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm...oh my god..this has to go on, you are rocking my world...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." he moaned...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu babyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.."she cooed..

''Yesssssssssssss, now that's what I like...You calling me baby...Wouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"he moaned...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu NATHAN....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...I hardly know youuuuuuu...ouuuuuuuuweeeeeeeee...ouuuuuuuweeeeeee!!!" she cooed.

Nathan's bed made so much noise...She knew that his neighbors in the adjoining rooms could hear them....The bed squeaked and was very loud....The headboard slammed against the wall and Nathan was louder than any man she'd ever been with...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, oUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU..." he moaned...

"Nathan Honey!! Please...Everybody can hear us...It's not that good..." she said, embarrassed at the noise he was making...bad enough the bed was squeaking so loud and the headboard was about to fall off....

"Who you tellin ,it's not that good..??Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmph! OH LORD!!!!!" he cried out..

She giggled....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Elwoood....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." she cooed.

"I've never felt this good in MY LIFE!!! OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed.....

EIGHT TO NINE HOURS of sweet lovemaking passed by slowly...

Nathan came so hard, he thought he was going to go blind...

Zoey came and came hard....her body shaking, sweat and tears running down the side of her face......She fell asleep in Elwood's arms...still slightly stroking his penis...

That was the last thing Nathan remembered before he too fell asleep!
They took a nice long hot soapy shower together afterwords..

They slept a little while..They got up, showered and dressed...Zoey had on a beautiful sundress, which Nathan loved...He could see through it...See that beautiful, sexy body of hers....He ran his hands up her dress and rested them on her behind...just squeezing her butt and moaning...

She giggled and softly removed his hands...

''MISTER JONESSSSS, control yourself..." she said softly...

"I don't know that I can.." he said..

She laughed...

"Try..." she said...

They stood in his living room kissing for the next half hour!

"This isn't helping ." he said...

"I know...It isn't helping me either." she said as they continued to kiss softly....

He unfastened her bra and slipped her panties down and lifted her up and entered her again..

And lifted her up...entering her slowly....

"Ummmmmmmmmmm this is sooooooo damn goood.." he moaned..

"It is......OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she said as they made love in the corner, up against the wall for the next HOUR AND A HALF!!!

And on the couch for another TWO to THREE HOURS!

Followed by another warm and soapy shower.

They walked along the beach, held hands, did a little shopping had a quiet candle light dinner...

It was all very romantic.

Nathan wouldn't let her pay for anything..

He kissed her...

"Zoey....Oh My God....Your lips are so soft....I'm losing my mind...." he moaned..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu , Nathan. ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." was all she could say....

"Zoey...I-I think I'm falling in love with you..." he said.

"Nathan, stop!!!!....Just stop!!!You're in lust right now.. Not love..." said Zoey...

"No baby....I've never felt like this before...NEVER...I have to see you every day...I never get tired of seeing you of smelling you, touching you, of kissing you of making sweet love to you....I'll sell my loft when we get back...We'll move in together..."he said.

"Whoaaaaaaaaa! Just Chill...Chill Nathan...I don't even know you....We barely know each other..And you're talking about us moving in together...Why don't you be my boyfriend first and see how that goes...?" she said.

"So.. So you're at least thinking about us being together?" he said.

She sighed....

"Yessssssss... I'm open to giving it a try....I mean after we've done all this...I-I-I might as well.." she said..

She still had serious reservations about this...But he had been so sweet lately...Sending her fresh roses every morning...Paying for all of her meals in advance...As well as drinks.....She had to admit.. She liked the pampering and the attention....Not to mention the mind blowing sex...It had been a long time since a man had treated her so well.. both in and out of bed!

He kissed her passionately....

"I'm crazy about you Zoey...I swear..." he said.

"You're crazy alright..." she said.. Still wondering if he was serious or this was all a ploy to get her back in bed...

"What do you want to do?" he asked her as they quaffed down drinks at a local Cantina..

She smiled..

"I don't know...Let's hold hands and walk along the beach." she said.

"I'd like that." he said and they held hands and walked along the beach...

That's how they began...Within six months, they were engaged to be married.. He never imagined she'd be married to anyone else but him..

But now unfortunately...She was... And he needed to study this case.. The Preliminaries were coming up in a day or two....He couldn't live in the past..

IV-

We were finishing up our confab for the day...

"Liv you always have something cooking..If you guys aren't involved in some big trial, you have a parade of other attorneys marching through here.."laughed our good friend and Zoey's husband of three years Lem.

"We allow our many friends to use our facilities free of charge..." said Olivia..

Thinking about our friends, recent neighbors who just recently moved around here, all who happen to be attorneys and all who drop by , use our law library and our monitors and other high tech equipment while working on cases ,both with and without us.. Olivia and Beverly had made our office , a safe haven for Attorneys..

And since they were all considered family...She didn't charge them one red cent..It was a gift of love.

"We are one big happy family...Who knows...Maybe we'll form a super law firm one day and all this good will will lead to them all being part of one firm..." I said...

"I can't knock Donnie Ray for dreaming big..but I like our little boutique firm just the way it is...It's less complex." said Beverly...

"I'm with you Beverly...More people means more problems....You five guys work well together just like you are." said Zoey.

"And speaking of which... We had a very productive day today...Got a lot of things worked out...Now you guys just have to get that poor woman acquitted..She's been through a lot with that husband of hers and I say that and he was my client." said Arthur Trout.