Inconvenient Murder

 FEDERAL COURTROOM-

The Judge called both attorneys to a side bar . He was furious...

"Alright...I have called two continuances...and you Attorney James have failed to come up with that piece of evidence.. You said you'd produce it and yet you haven't..." he said.

U.S. Attorney Lloyd Johnson was perplexed ...

"Your Honor. I-I-I can't believe that a key piece of evidence has vanished..But we have the testimony of two witnesses that it was indeed there and seen...

Attorney Jasmine Coley stated...

"Without that piece of so called evidence...This is hear say.." she said.

"I agree Mrs. Coley...And I have no choice but to dismiss all charges against your client....Attorney Johnson...I expected a better performance from you....You allowed yourself to lose two pieces of evidence..Tighten up your shop...Dismissed..."said the exasperated Judge..

Jazzy's client smiled..

"Good Job, Good Job...You got me off..Like I knew you would.." he laughed.

''We got lucky that's all." said Jazzy, who turned and walked out of court..

She thought she had a loser of a case...She managed to win..but she thought she was beyond lucky..Still it didn't matter..The case was done and she had a few days off...She was heading home...

Across town, Ms. Yvette, My wife ,Bee Bee, Myself, Sofia ,Kahlil and Jade and our client, Cecil Butts awaited another verdict....

We all held hands and silently prayed... It had been a long , hard fought trial... We had put in hours of research, looked at witness statements inside out...studied other cases and had Jade go over the crime scene and scan Street cams ,Business Cams, Traffic cams and the like as well as talk to a few other witnesses..

The ADA, Dr. Alice Bourdain had won 30 trials so far and had only lost once.. That one loss was to our friends, Olivia and Beverly and their team..

They told us how good she was and they allowed us to use their facilities

to prepare for our showdown with her...

Jazzy and Kayla even came over and played Assistant District Attorney , going at us hard, mercilessly at times to prepare us for her...

We thought we had put on a good performance in court...We were prepared and were seldom surprised..

even in Jury selection...We went 6-6 with her...

Now we waited for a verdict in the Cecil Butts Murder case..

Judge Michael King called the Bailiff..

"Bailiff, has the jury come to a decision?" he asked..

"Yes your Honor.." he said..

The Jury passed him the verdict... He read it...Then passed it to the Bailiff..

"Read it." he said.  His face was expressionless..

Lt. Tragg sat next to her.. He had behaved himself during this trial..No hands play, no rubbing her legs or trying to run his hands up her dress... She had slapped him silly in a restaurant, the last time we saw her..And he was still smarting from that embarrassing experience..He barely looked her way..

"IN THE MATTER OF STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA VS CECIL BUTTS...COUNT ONE, CONSPIRACY TO COMMITT MURDER, NOT GUILTY, COUNT TWO ,COMMISSION OF A CRIME WITH A WEAPON OF VIOLENCE, NOT GUILTY, AND THE MOST SERIOUS COUNTS, SECOND DEGREE MURDER, NOT GUILTY AND FIRST DEGREE MURDER, NOT GUILTY!"

I hugged Bee Bee.....

"WE DID IT!!!! WE WON!!!!" I said..

"YESSSS WE DID!!! WOW THAT WAS A ROUGH CASE!!!!| she said as I spun her around..

Yvette breathed a sigh of relief...

"Thank you sooo much." said Cecil Butts, a highly functioning Autistic man , falsely accused of murdering a court clerk...

"I'm so happy for you...I knew you were innocent."said Sofia, who had brought his case to our attention and who had co-ordinated with his church and Autism Speaks, the defense fund drive that raised more than enough money to pay our fees...

"It was close Cecil, but justice prevailed in the end." said Kahlil...

''Let's get him out of here.." said Jade."

Bee Bee and I, Kahlil, Sofia, Cecil and Ms. Jade all wandered out of the side exit and into the street..

We wanted to avoid Lt. Tragg, who I was certain was seething with anger at this point.

ADA Alice Bourdain was disgusted.. This was her second loss... And once again, Lt. Tragg had been the Detective involved in the arrest...

She hadn't had much to say to him since she had slapped him in Curley's Bar...She didn't look his way..She simply grabbed her purse and her briefs and walked away...

Lt. Tragg was seething...

Ms. Yvette didn't feel like contending with him...She started walking away from him, hoping he didn't see her.. Too Late..!!!

"YVETTE!!! A WORD!!!" he bellowed...

"Yvette??? Yvette Jones?? Oh My God!!!" came a louder , more booming voice..

"LLOYD??? LLOYD JOHNSON??? OH MY GODDD!" said a very surprised Yvette, who pivoted towards him, glad to be rescued from Lt. Tragg...

"BABY GIRL!!!! UMMMMMMMMMMMMM UMMMMMM UMMMMPH, LOOK AT YOUUUU!!

OH MY GOD!!! YOU LOOK FANTASTIC!!" he said..

"You've grown a beard....I likeeeee...It's sexy..." she laughed..

''Let's go upstairs , Have some coffee and you can tell me about it.." he said.

"Okayyyyy!" she said , and the two of them headed for the elevator..

Lt. Tragg stood in the hallway by himself, steaming.....

II-

Against our better judgement, we all went to Sam Mother's Diner..

We weren't hungry....Just thirsty...We ordered a pitcher of Ice Tea and five glasses.. We high fived each other....We had went up against a very good, need I say brilliant Assistant District Attorney and had won..

"YEAHHHH!" I yelled..

"WOWWWWWW!!! WE ARE GOING TO SLEEP GOOD TONIGHT!!!" said Bee Bee..

"SLEEP? WHO IS GOING TO SLEEP? " asked Sofia...winking...We all laughed..

Kahlil laughed sheepishly.....

We applauded Ms. Jade , who walked in and sat with us..

Jasmine Coley or "Jazzy" as we called her walked in...

"Heyyyyy guys , can I sit with you?  You guys look happy...I take it you won your case today.." she said..

"Sure did....Can't thank you and Kayla enough for your help last week at Olivia's place.." I said.

"I did the same thing for Olivia and Beverly and their team when they faced this same prosecutor...Looks like I'm two and oh!" she laughed.

"Heyyyy How about you? Did you win your case?" asked Bee Bee..

"I did...But something funny....I feel like I should have lost....They had a key piece...Two key pieces of evidence that would have convicted my client, but both pieces of evidence vanished.. We had two continuances...and after both, The U.S. Attorney failed to produce them...The Judge dismissed all charges..But between you and me...My client was guilty as hell...I knew it the minute I was hired...I don't know if he did anything behind the scenes...I wouldn't know and I don't wanna know..but bottom line is I won the case and I'm glad it's over...I wanted nothing to do with Lock 15..." said Jazzy..

"Take the win..Our client was accused of killing a court clerk involved with a Lock 15 deposition...We believed he was a patsy...Set up because he was young, Black and Autistic..A Highly functioning Autistic boy...It looked like a slam dunk...Our original ADA got removed, Our original Judge got reassigned and we still got an acquittal...something seemed fishy from the beginning.

"Lock 15 is this huge super secret Investment Conglomerate....They got a lot of money and a lot of pull.. They lobby a lot of powerful candidates and people....They needed that young autistic boy to take the rap for that murder.."said Kahlil..

"We still don't know who killed the clerk..but we knew it wasn't this boy."said Jade..

"My client was accused of breaking into their offices....He was surprised by a guard, who he clobbered... In the struggle, the guard took his wrist watch off of him...Or he said he did.. The Wrist watch vanished from evidence.. He tore a piece of his shirt...The piece from the shirt and the SHIRT both vanished...I had to argue for my client...and we won....But I just have a sick feeling in my stomach..but, It's a done deal now...For all of us.." said Jazzy, who lifted a glass and toasted with all of us..

Lt. Tragg walked in...Naturally, he walked over to our table, fuming about us getting Cecil Butts off..

None of us said a word to him...We drank our Ice tea and ignored him...While he fumed...

Sofia wanted to fire back, but she held her tongue..

Kahlil held her hand softly and rubbed her knuckles.

Even Jade said nothing..

He then trained his eyes on Jade..

"YOU!!!   I'm going to be drawing up papers tonight to charge you with Obstruction of Justice...You impeded my investigation.." he fumed..

''Leave them alone...Impede what investigation? I told you to go over that crime scene several times..I told you to recanvass, to find some more witnesses to corroborate our charges...As usual, you did nothing..They did their homework in every way... This is two trials you have cost me with your sloppy and shoddy police work...Hopefully, I won't have to work with you much longer...I'm leaving the D.A.'s office..I'm going to be teaching at University of PENN law school in the fall...I can't wait..."said ADA Alice Bourdain as she walked away..

Lt. Tragg was fuming..

We tossed a few dollars on the table and all got up quietly.....

''What are you guys doing tonight?" I asked.

"Your wife and I have to go shopping for a few hours.."said Sofia..

'Yeah, we might bring you something nice."said Bee Bee with a laugh.

"That's the kind of shopping I like.."said Kahlil

"I just want to go home and get out of these heels.."said Jazzy...

"GIRRRRRRL, I hear you." said Bee Bee.

"YESSSSSS!" agreed Sofia as we all left..

Lt. Tragg stood there fuming, Furious that the case was lost...and furious at the way Alice Bourdain had spoken to him...

"That Guy needs to get laid." said Kahlil as we walked out..

''For sure." I said.

III-

The smell of hot coffee wifted through the air.....

It was near the end of the day and U.S. Attorney Lloyd Johnson sat with Ms. Yvette at a small table in a corner..He couldn't take his eyes off of her..

"Yvette how long has it been , Three years, four years.." he said, ogling her breasts and generally checking her out...

"More like five years..." she said,.

"I saw you in court today with those young attorneys...You won your case..." he said.

"Yes, those four young attorneys and that investigator work for me..I'm their supervisor.." said Yvette..

"Ohhhhhhhhh, you still at McCluskey/Cozen/Connor and Pratt , you must be partner by now huh?" he asked.

"I'm Senior Associate Attorney..." she said.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh well that means you're on a fast track huh?" he said.

"That's the rumor.." said Yvette...

"You know I uh was on a fast track to you several years ago..." he said running his hands along her shapely legs and up to her hips...

He leaned in for a quick kiss..

Yvette backed up and moved his hands..

''WOAH!!!! Lloyd, a lot has changed in those four to five years....I'm married now!" she said..

and showed him her hands...

"Married? Wowwwwwww!  How Long?" he asked.

"A few months now... I moved too!  We are in a house now... My Husband's name is Gary Lockwood,

 He's an Investigator for the District Attorney's Office.." said Yvette ..

"I know who he is...He was uh Lieutenant over at Internal Affairs and before that , he was A sergeant and then a Lieutenant at Robbery -Homicide.. So he's made a lateral move huh, to the D.A.'s office huh and you?" laughed Lloyd Johnson..

"Yes..." said Yvette...

''Well as you know I left Tucker and Stevenson for a job in the U.S. Attorney's Office where I am now. I've been there since I last saw you in D.C. at the Black Lawyers Convention.." he said.

FIVE YEARS AGO!

The Black Lawyers Association in Washington D.C.

It was a great crowd from around the country....

It was a great weekend of parties and revelry....

Yvette was having a great time...Quite a few young eligible male attorneys had slipped her their number,  She was enjoying the attention.

Lloyd cornered her in a cloak room at the hotel...They had both been drinking and flirting with each other the entire weekend..

"Where you goin?  Come here,,,,I've been trrying to get you alone all damn night." he whispered...Throwing Yvette against the wall..

His trousers were sticking out like a circus tent..

"Ouuuuuuu someone is pretty randy...."cooed Yvette in between kisses...

"OH MY GOD....VETTIE, YOU ARE SOOO HOT!" Lloyd moaned..

"Someone's got a boner...Someone's got a boner!" she said in a sing songy voice...

"Let's take this upstairs to my room." he moaned.

"OKAYYYYYY!" she said.

Soon they were kissing and kissing passionately...and this led to them going up to his hotel room..

and making sweet ,passionate love for EIGHT TO NINE HOURS.....

The bed was squeaking something crazy.....The headboard was slamming against the wall.

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMH, OHHHHHHH MY GODDDDDD YOU ARE SOOO HOT!" he moaned.

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she cooed...

It had been a great weekend....but once back in Philadelphia.. Yvette didn't hear from Lloyd..

Yvette called him several times and left texts...but he never returned her calls or answered her texts...

A Year later ,while out eating with Olivia and Zoey she found out why she didn't hear from Lloyd.

"Vettie, I ran into that cute guy you were telling us about that you met in D.C. , Lloyd Johnson...

He and his fiance were in one of the department stores looking at the Wedding Registery.." said Olivia.

"Fiance?? Wedding Registery?? He's engaged??" said Yvette surprisingly..

"I'm afraid so Vettie...They've been engaged for two years...He's finally going to tie the knot..."said Olivia.

"I know his fiance. She's an Attorney at my firm...Real high brow type...They've been together for about three years." said Zoey..

"Three years huh?  Wowwwwwww! He didn't mention that the entire weekend we were in D.C.  He's such a dog!!" said Yvette... "She was just a weekend thing to him." she thought to herself.

"Reminds me of my ex-husband...They leave things out until they get what they want..Things like being in a relationship or engaged or married." said Olivia.

"Aint that the truth?" said Zoey, a divorce lawyer who had seen it all too often.

 

TODAY-

"You got married yourself didn't you?" asked Yvette...

He looked embarrassed...He didn't know she knew! 

"Uh yes....I did.. We've been seperated for about uh a year now...She's in D.C. , Our divorce is uh pending.." he said.

"Did you plan to tell me? Just in case I was single I mean?" said Yvette smiling at him snarkily...

His phone rang....

"Yvette, I have to take this." he said.

"That's Okay Lloyd...I was leaving anyway....See ya!" she said as she walked off... She was glad she never got involved with him...He was a lying, cheating , player...The sexy ones usually were , she mused.

He watched her as she walked away....What he wouldn't have done to have another romp in the sack with her...He remembered the sex being mind blowing...but he was engaged at the time.. He didn't count on Yvette being married by the time he ran into her again...

He answered his phone.

"What do you want?  I did what you said.... Getting rid of those two pieces of evidence and throwing my own case was risky...risky as hell...I could get disbarred behind that...Ohhhhh and all the strings you pulled  to make sure that Autistic boy was the patsy failed.. He was acquitted today.....YEAH he was...So that murder, that inconvenient murder is still open....I want out...I can't do this... I didn't sign up for all of this.. I want 100 large...wired to my account and I'll be out of your hair..I swear...I'll submit my resignation as soon as I get the cash and I'll leave town...I won't say anything..I swear... Oh okay..

Where do you want to meet?  Tonight?  Okay!  This is it! I'm out." he said.

IV-

Gary smiled and looked at his wife lustfully when he arrived home that afternoon...

Yvette was sitting on the bed in her red lace baby doll...His new favorite...

"Oh My Godddd..."said Gary, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.....

He began undressing hurriedly and pulled Yvette to him and began kissing her passionately..Slipping her bra and panties off..

"OHHHHHHH VETTTIE....OHHHHHHHH ANYTIME YOU NEED ME JUST CALL!" GARY MOANED.

Yvette smiled..

"I started to, but I didn't want you to be too excited when you got here.." she said.

The bedsprings were soon squeaking very loudly.....The headboard of their bed was rattling and the sounds of lovemaking could be heard...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuu.." moaned Yvette...


"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." moaned Gary.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Garyyyyy, ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.." she moaned...

"Vettie, I love you , I just love you soooo much.." moaned Gary, beside himself with lust...

He had gone from lifting her up and long stroking her..

"Ouuuuuu Gary, I love you too...I love you so much! You don't even understand how much I love youuuu." she cooed.

to throwing her on the bed and laughing gleefully as he stroked her.....Her arms around his neck...her head turning from side to side....both of her legs just shaking furiously....

To finally mounting her in bed, making sweet, slow love to her....

Yvette had had three to four intense orgasms in the EIGHT TO NINE HOURS of lovemaking...

She was embarrassed at the noise her bed was making...She hoped her neighbors couldn't hear it...

Her headboard sounded like it might split in half.....

She was equally embarrassed at the noise she was making....Gary was driving her out of her mind...

She was driving him out of his mind too!

Gary didn't seem like he wanted to stop....but soon he couldn't help it...He came and he came hard like a flowing gusher..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" he moaned....

They continued kissing....

"Did you like that daddy?" asked Yvette...

"Ouuuuu I loved it baby.." moaned Gary

Gary lay in between her legs with his head resting on her breasts.. Both of them were drenched in sweat....

"I heard you guys won your case today...That Autistic Boy???" he asked.

Yvette looked over at her clock...

"We did! This was a nice way to celebrate huh?."whispered Yvette...

"Yes indeed!!!WOWWWW!!" he whispered...

"Yes....I'm glad you enjoyed yourself..I enjoyed myself too! " she said as she got up and walked to the kitchen to get a bottle of water...

"I thought about you all day...So much I could hardly concentrate on my work" he said.

"I love that about you....You are totally into me."she giggled..

"Yes I am! "laughed Gary.

"You wanna do it some more? asked  Yvette..

Gary pulled her to him and kissed her gently and ran his hands into her panties...

"You have to ask?" he whispered and laughed raffishly...

"No you horn dog!!!..I already know."Yvette laughed...

"OUUUUUUUUUU! OH MY GOODNESS, YOU ARE SOOOOO HARD! GARY!!! You don't make any sense.." laughed Yvette..

"Neither do you!" said Gary, laughing raffishly...

They wound up back on the bed...Making sweet love for Another THREE HOURS or so...

"Ummmmmmmmmm you never.....you never get enough do you?" she asked..

"No, I don't...you've got me spoiled...All this good lovin.." he said..

"I knowwwwwwww!" Yvette giggled....as her bed continued to squeak out of control.

"OHHHHHHHHHHH VVETTTTIE!" he moaned..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUU, UMMMMMMMMMMMMM GARRRRRRRRRY!!!!MYYYYY GOOODNESSS...OUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!" she cooed.

Half way across town, 

Crime Scene Investigators and Personell from the Medical Examiner's Office were looking at the body of a well dressed Black Male..

"Two slugs to the chest and one to the forehead. Death was instantaneous."said one man...

"I recognize him.....That's U.S. Attorney Lloyd Johnson..." said Hazel.. "He prosecuted a couple of C.I.D. cases and a few FBI/ATF cases.." said Hazel....

"We've got three spent .38 caliber shells.....Nobody heard anything...So we think the shooter used a silencer..." said another man..

"He's a U.S. Attorney eh?   I'm not letting the FEDS box me out this time.. This is my investigation.. Any information they want goes through me....Does everyone understand that?" said Lt. Tragg to everyone in the room.

Hazel sighed.....She hated working with Lt. Tragg.

The Body of Lloyd Johnson was put in a body bagg, strapped to a gurney and rolled out....

Another murder in the city...An all too familliar  scene.

(TO BE CONTINUED)