VENTURES: Double Circumvention

JAKE'S HOT DOGS- TWO NIGHTS LATER!

We met at Jake's Hot Dogs, two nights later...We decided we were going to treat ourselves to his delicious gourmet Hot Dogs and meet with Martika Summers...

It was an offer we figured she couldn't refuse..

''We are a little early..You think she'll come?" asked Beverly.

''She'll be here..She wants to unburden herself...Especially after I told her that I knew about her being blackmailed and the embezzelment." I said,.

''Well while we wait..Let's enjoy these fabulous hot dogs....Beat you to saying that didn't I Nelson?" said Olivia, laughing.

"Yeah you did." said Nelson,laughing.

Olivia had been his supervisor when he started at the Public Defender's office..They grew to be good friends...and he even had a light weight crush on her at one time...He had always found her easy to be around, down to earth and great to work with...He loved Olivia and he loved being a part of her law firm and being married to her niece.

"I love Jake's Hot dogs...My Father used to bring me here, shortly before he died..When I returned to the city, after college." said Josie.

''An old boyfriend of mine first brought me here..He's gone...but the hot dogs are still good." said Bree.

We all exploded into laughter..As more Hot dogs came out..

"Ummmmmmm Jake's..Nothing like Jake's Fabulous Hot dogs." said Martika Summers..

"Martika ,I'm glad you decided to come...and talk with us... These are the Attorneys I work for...

"My wife, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander

"How Do you do?" said Olivia.

Her Niece, Attorney Beverly West-East

"Hi Martika." said Beverly.

Her Husband, Attorney Nelson East...

"How are you Martika?" said Nelson..

Attorney Josie Boyd-

"Hi Martika."said Josie.

and Attorney Bresha Williams." I said.

"Hi Martika." said Bresha.

"Do they still serve that Guavo Punch here?" asked Martika..

"Ouu yes...we forgot to order something to wash this down with..." said Beverly. She ordered seven drinks..

Martika began to tell her story as we waited for the drinks to arrive..

"I was married once...to a good guy...I messed it up... I had a torrid, torrid sexual affair with my boss.

Dexter Lee..

This was long before he became involved with Kitty....

Lucy Luckenbill had her spies in and around our company and she found out about our relationship...She threatened to tell my husband unless I began spiriting the latest designs of our panties, bras, lingerie and sleepwear ,not to her company ,but to small outlets...That's how it began...

I discovered her spies and I told Dex..

Dex fired every last one of them...and I was certain the Blackmailing was over, but it wasn't...She made sure my already estranged husband had photos of us..She had Dex's office and his favorite motel, wired for sound and video...She made sure my husband's lawyer got the footage of us making love..and well, my husband and I were divorced...I didn't get a cent.

I was desperate.. I moved some of our stock into my account ,so I could pay off my credit card debt and

loans...as soon as I was solvent, I slowly began putting a lot of the money back... Lucy was still watching me.. She informed me that the deal was back on...that if I didn't forward the designs over to where she said and give her $2000.00 a month, She was going to tell Dex and I was going to lose my job and I could possibly go to jail for embezzlement... I was desperate..." said Martika.

"Don't you worry...We are going to talk to Dex..We are going to tell him not to fire you and not to press charges against you...We are going to recoup the $10,000.00 you have already paid Lucy and use that for renumeration.."said Olivia.

"How Did Rod Tazzie fit into all this?" asked Nelson.

''We talked...

"Wellllllll, actually we had sex...

and during pillow talk you might say, he confided in me that Lucy was blackmailing him too! He had slept with Dex's fiance..and Lucy had photos of it...She had him doing the same thing...Sending designs to where she told him..and sending her $2000.00 a month...Only he had hired a good Private Investigator named Kevin Morris.

and this guy and his operatives had located the P.I. she hired ,found his office and cleaned all of their devices of any evidence of the trysts..I told him about my plight...He was furious.. He called Lucy up the next day and had it out with her...Said He was going to Dex and tell him everything...He no longer cared what happened to him, but he was going to make sure she was deep sixed....Two days after he made that call.. He was murdered.." said Martika.

"Did you see Lucy on the premises that day?" I asked.

"No, but that doesn't mean she wasn't...A lot goes on in a retail store in a day."said Martika.

"They have store cameras...perhaps we can look...."said Josie..

"That's a good idea and they do..And Dex is our client and we can look!" said Beverly..

'We drop this entire case in Lucy Luckenbill's lap." said Nelson.

''She appears to be the string puller, the blackmailer, the master manipulater..."said Olivia.

''The Prosecution still hasn't come up with a decent motive as to why Kitty would kill Rod Tazzie."said Bresha.

"You're right Bree!" I said.

A Pitcher and seven glasses was brought to our table as we continued enjoying the fabulous hot dogs.

II-

PANTY'S GALORE- A DAY LATER

"They really have some nice pieces in here Neicey Poo!" said Olivia.

"Ouu look at this set...I wouldn't be able to keep Nelson off of me, If he even thought I was wearing these..."laughed Beverly.

"You can barely keep his hands off of you now...What difference will it make?"laughed Olivia.

"You're right about that Auntay.."laughed Beverly...

"Welllllllllll look who is choosing to grace my establishment..Auntie and Niecey...Isn't that what the police and the Assistant District Attorneys call you two? " said Lucy Luckenbill... "I must admit..both of you are stunningly beautiful women...I see why both of your husbands are so slavishly devoted to you...I have some nice things I think will appeal to you both...

Oh and as for your subpeona..Lieutenant Tragg is asking the ADA to ask a Judge to circumvent it...Kind of like you did his...Which means I won't have to testify in your little murder trial next week.. I'm planning on taking a trip anyway...But I warn you...If I do testify by some chance...A lot is going to come out that won't make your client or her fiance feel too good..Do you get what I'm saying?" laughed Lucy.

Olivia smiled...

"Oh I get it...I get it all too well...I'll see you in court." said Olivia , smiling.

Beverly laughed..

"Lt. Tragg just can't help himself can he?" laughed Beverly as they left the store without making a purchase.

"No He can't " laughed Olivia..

And at Sam Mother's Diner..

Petey S. looked at the Subpeona for Lucy Luckenbill and frowned..

"It looks good to me..Legally sound..Only thing is...I wish we had gotten to her first." he said.

ADA Hayden King passed it back to Lt. Tragg..

"This is legally sound..No Judge is going to circumvent this..She's their witness...She's listed as a hostile witness and according to this, her testimony is central to their case." said Hayden..

"THAT'S IT? YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS TO A JUDGE???" snarled Lt. Tragg.

"NO!! A judge would laugh me out of court if I did..There is nothing wrong with this subpeona.."said Hayden.

"Is that you talking or your bed mate?" snarled Lt. Tragg...

"That's three years of Law School and a lifetime of common sense." said Hayden..

"I told her she wouldn't have to testify...She assured me she had nothing to do with this case..." said Lt. Tragg..

"Why would you do that?? That's not your call to make!" said Petey S.

''YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME....YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!!I WILL KNOCK YOU THE HELL OUT!!!" screamed Lt. Tragg...

"I'll call her and inform her she has to appear in court..Thank you for bringing this to me first..."Hayden sighed..."Come on Petey...let's go..Our order is up." said Hayden...

Petey S. paid for the "To Go "platters and picked them up.. He followed Hayden out the door.

"THAT'S RIGHT...FOLLOW YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIEND!!! YOU WHIPPED CREAM BOYYYY!" screamed Lt. Tragg.

Bresha was sitting a few seats down from them by herself at the counter..

She got on the phone..

Nelson and Josie were the only ones at the office..They got the news from Bree and laughed and laughed..

SILKY SMOOTH LINGERIE INC.

I was up in the monitor room at Silky Smooth Lingerie Inc. Looking at film footage from the day of the murder and talking to it's Founder and CEO, one of our two clients, Dex Lee.

"I felt bad about Martika's marriage falling apart...It was already on the rocks..but I didn't help , getting involved with her..Tell her all is forgiven and she doesn't have to repay the money...She obviously needs it to get her life together and I have no intention of firing her..Which means Lucy Luckenbill essentially has no leverage over her..We've Stopped the Bleeding." said Dex.

We watched the film footage until we got to one half hour before the murder..

"You see what I see Donnie Ray? Better yet...Do you see WHO I see?" said Dex..

"I sure do.....Copy that and print it.."I said..both of us smiling.

III-

Nelson is a great Attorney, Smart, Tenacious and a good reader of people..

He,Olivia and Beverly decided the type of juror they wanted and he the master of Voir dire played a game of bait and switch with Hayden King, who herself is a very smart and tenacious attorney

He pitched a shutout...Got all 12 of the jurors we wanted...That rarely happens....He was so good..Hayden didn't realize it.

Olivia did though..

"That's why I always wanted Nelson on our team.." she said.

"That's why I married him!" sighed Beverly dreamily...

Kitty sat at the table with Josie ,Bresha and the rest of us..

I sat with everyone as I had so many times, waiting for the ride to begin..

Hayden King, The Assistant District Attorney opened up with a new argument..She brought up the fact that designs had been flying out of the store and winding up slightly altered at other stores, lower competitors...being sold for half price.. The Undercutting was killing the business.. Rod Tazzie had been guilty of being an industrial spy before , five years ago...at Bridget Jones's establishment and she fired him..

She called Bridget Jones to testify... She looked at us very apologeticallly...but none of us was angry with her..

Petey S. had her tell her story about her dealings with Rod Tazzie..

Olivia and Beverly objected several times to the questions ,saying they were leading and attempts to draw a conclusion that had nothing to do with Kitty Wells.. They repeatedly asked for a motive for Kitty Wells to kill Rod Tazzie.

Hayden 's theory was that Kitty killed Rod Tazzie to save her fiance's business whens she discovered her was up to his old tricks as an industrial spy...

She then presented 21 people who worked at the store, who all knew Mr. Tazzie as an excellent graphic designer and a bit of a womanizer..

On cross ,Olivia, Beverly and Josie compared their original statements to the police, to their original statements to Donnie Ray and got them to admit that they rarely ever saw Rod Tazzie and Kitty Wells together...and that on the day of the murder...None of them could remember seeing her at all..

Petey S. Showed Crime Scene photos to the jury and produced the murder weapon which had Kitty Wells fingerprints and DNA on it..

Nelson brought up that the gun also had Dex Lee's fingerprints on it and the fingerprints of a policeman who handled the gun the wrong way, when removing it..

This brought embarrassment from

Hayden who glared at Lt. Tragg...

Embarrassment from Lt. Tragg, whose men should have known better...

and consternation from Petey S..who just thought Lt. Tragg was a boob.

Bresha showed the ownership certificate, stating that the gun was legally purchased and owned by Dex Lee and she showed the police report that showed the gun was stolen..

Josie and Beverly said that Dex had been teaching his fiance how to shoot at the range..They brought in range instructors who said they had seen the two at the range with that gun on several occassions..Thus explaining her fingerprints and Dex's on the gun.

Hayden brought up that Kitty's Fingerprints and DNA were in Tazzie's

SUV...

Olivia countered that their client had rode in the car several times...

Hayden came close to arguing for jury nullification... but at any rate...She closed her case.. Not feeling 100 percent...

"I think we got this one girls....She never established a motive.:said Nelson.

"Hell, she couldn't even place her at the scene." said Olivia.

"Our turn is next." said Beverly..

In the Judges Chambers..

"This is the weakest case I've seen yet...but I must admit..The Prosecution did well with what little they had..." siad Judge Julie wong, looking over the case file..

"I uh do well with what uh I have.."said Former Judge, Pinkney Bach...

"You don't have anything little...You are BIG...VERY, VERY BIG!" she whispered, unzippering his trousers and snaking her hands inside his boxers..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU" she said ,fondling his penis.

'And you stay BIG don't youuuu?" she said, staring into his eyes..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he moaned.. He unzippered her dress and slipped it off...

She stepped out of her shoes...

He slipped her panties down..

"These are new...I bought these from PANTY'S GALORE yesterday!" she said..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" said Pinkney..

"You are sooo horny, you don't even care do you?" she laughed..

"I DO CARE AND I LIKE THEM!" he said.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH PINKNEYYYY, OUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she moaned.

as he slowly unhooked her bra..

within minutes they were on her couch, making sweet love..

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU YOU ARE SO DAMN BIG!" she cooed loudly...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW LAWWWWWWWWWWD!" he moaned..

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, UMMMMMMMMMMMMMPH, OUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she cooed sweetly,almost melodically..

Lt. Tragg wanted to talk to the judge himself about circumventing our subpeona..He tried the door, but it was locked.. He heard the couch squeaking.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LAWWWWWD!!!" said Pinkney..

"GIVE IT TO ME PINKNEY , GIVE ME ALLLLLL OF IT OR I WILL HOLD YOU IN CONTEMPT!" she said.

"WELL WE DON'T WANT THAT!!! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" he moaned..

"WOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUWEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she squealed with delight..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....MMMMMMMMMMMM.....OUUUUUUUU!" he moaned..

"I LOVE YOU PINKNEY!" she cooed..

"I LOVE YOU JULIE!!" he added.....

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she cooed.

The couch really began to squeak now.....

"What the hell is going on in there?" he asked.

"If I have to tell you Lieutenant, you need more than that FBI refresher course." I said.

Olivia cracked up laughing...laying her head on my shoulder..

"Sounds like Judge Wong and Pinkney are getting it on!" said Nelson..

"I'll say."laughed Beverly...

"UMMMMMMMMMMPH, Boy are they!" said Josie.

Bresha just smiled..She knew better than any of us how good it was, what the Judge was getting.

Olivia and I, Nelson and Beverly, Josie and Bresha walked by him...

He began following us..

"Cute little stunt you guys pulled...This case isn't over..You guys didn't prove anything..Not a thing!" he raged on..

We were too tired to argue with him...We got in our car and pulled off..Leaving him standing outside the court raging..

IV-

We opened up our defense..

Olivia and Beverly argued passionately that not only did Kitty Wells not kill Mr. Tazzie, but that she had no real reason to do so..They were friends....They said that she knew next to nothing about the industrial espionage that was going on at the company..

They called Martika Summer..

She told her story-

"I was married once...to a good guy...I messed it up... I had a torrid, torrid sexual affair with my boss.

Dexter Lee..

This was long before he became involved with Kitty....

I discovered her spies and I told Dex..

I was desperate.. I moved some of our stock into my account ,so I could pay off my credit card debt and

"So She got you to steal the designs and send them to competitors, but not her store right? "said Olivia.

"That's right.." said Martika.

"So Rod Tazzie was not stealing designs..It was just you.?" asked Nelson.

''Yes...Rod and I talked...

"Wellllllll, actually we had sex..." she said, which brought guffaws of laughter from the jury..

And during pillow talk you might say, he confided in me that Lucy was blackmailing him too! It was a personal matter that he didn't want getting out..She had him doing the same thing...Sending designs to where she told him..and sending her $2000.00 a month...Only he had hired a good Private Investigator

"Did you see Lucy on the premises that day?" asked Josie..

"No, but that doesn't mean she wasn't...A lot goes on in a retail store in a day."said Martika.

Lucy Luckenbill was called up...

"You were Blackmailing Martika Summers and the Late Rod Tazzie, your ex-husband were you not?" asked Olivia.

"I am going to exercise my fifth amendment right not to incriminate myself." she said.

"Most people like you have an account..a dummy account in the Caymen Islands...These are electronic transfer slips.." said Beverly as her husband Nelson and Josie rolled out 64 inch monitors that show transfers of $2000.00 from Martika Summers accounts to your private checking account and $2000.00 from Rod Tazzie's accounts to your account on these days and within days These companies put out new panties and bras...that match Silky Smooth's designs to a tee..with just little alterations.."said Beverly.

Josie, Bresha and Olivia showed the articles of underwear to the jury...and showed the slight alterations,plus the original designs..

"Ms. Luckenbill, why were you in Silky Smooth's near closing that night.?" asked Nelson.

"I wasn't?" she said.

"Perjury is a serious crime Ms. Luckenbill..Here is film footage of you in a red wig..In the store approaching Mr. Tazzie..and there are the two of you leaving ...You taking the wheel of his SUV and driving out the gate..."said Josie.

"I have this woman here..Remember her? She asked you for a light for her cigarette..She'll testify to that." said Bresha.

"Oh Hell , I HAD ALREADY KILLED HIM AND GOTTEN OUT OIF THE CAR BY THE TIME I RAN INTO HER..SHE DIDN'T SEE A THING!" she said..

The Jury groaned..

She realized she had just confessed on the stand and she began laughing maniacally....

"DID I SAY THAT?" she said, laughing..

"Baillif , take that woman into custody.."said Judge Julie Wong..

"In Lieu if this new evidence...We the people move to drop all charges against Kitty Wells.."said ADA Hayden King..

''So Moved.. Ms. Wells, you are free to go , as is the jury..."said Judge Wong..

''You guys are the best...I want to keep you guys on retainer..You'll be getting a check every month."said Dex..

"Thank you guys so much...Especially for keeping that stuff about me and Mr. Tazzie out of the trial." whispered Kitty to Olivia.

"I did my best in tailoring Martika's testimony...There was no need for it to get out.."said Olivia.

"The only person who knew about it..couldn't admit she knew it..She'd of had to explain how she knew it ,which would have put her in for Blackmail.."said Beverly..

''We had her no matter what she said..Murder or Extortion...We had her."I said, glad that we'd actually solved the murder.

"I never expected her to confess."said Nelson..

"Guess she was too smart for her own panties." said Josie...tongue in cheek..

"UGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" said Bresha, laughing..

"OHHHH NOOOO JOSIE!!! YOU'VE BEEN AROUND MY HUSBAND TOO LONG!" said Olivia.

"That was worse than any Donnie Ray joke.!" said Beverly...

"For real." said Nelson.

"That's Okay Josie..I thought it was kinda funny." I said, hugging Josie.

Josie smiled as we all laughed...

ADA Hayden King wasn't laughing, she was livid..

"YOUUUUUUUUUU....YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU IDIOT!!! AND YOU TOLD HER SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO TESTIFY!!! SHE WAS THE MURDERER!! YOU NEVER LOOKED AT HER AT ALL!!!" she yelled..

"Once again, you arrested the wrong person.." said Petey S.

"I'LL KNOCK YOU THE HELL OUT!! WATCH IT!! JUST WATCH IT!" yelled and angry Lt. Tragg..

"How Bout I take everyone to lunch...?" said Dex...

"Ouu that would be nice..You come along too Martika." said Kitty..

"Thank You.."

"Olivia, Donnie Ray, Beverly, Nelson, Josie, Bresha..That invitation is open to you guys too!" said Dex.

"That sounds great!" said Olivia.

"Works For Me!" I said.

"Works for me too!" said Beverly..

"I'm there." said Nelson..

"Me too! " said Josie.

"Best Internship ever." said Bresha.

EPILOUGE-

Lucy Luckenbill was sentenced to 15 years - Life for the murder of Rod Tazzie..

After Dex Lee and Kitty Wells got married,

they bought Panty's Galore...

and made Martika Summers , the manager..

Back home at our place..

Olivia was putting panties and bras away in her drawer....

"Hmmmm anything new in there?" I asked, staring at her drawer leeringly..

''Nooooooo... I haven't worn my new things yet...I'm just coming back from the laundromat...This case and all these trips to lingerie stores and all this talk about panties and bras has kind of got you all hot and bothered hasn't it?" asked Olivia..