VENTURES: Barbie And Chuck

THREE WEEKS LATER-

The Preliminary Hearing was a day away...We were glad to finally be getting the show on the road...

It's not like we hadn't been busy....We have been....

Kahlil and I had aided both

Dabnis and Ray St. Jacques in seperate cases...

Bee Bee had aided both Kayla and Jazzy in seperate cases...

Sofia had aided Jessica, Chip, Josie and Nelson in a case.....

And with Josie and Bree absent, Bee Bee and I filled in for them and helped Olivia, Beverly, Nelson and Donnie Ray on a case...

Sofia and Kahlil handled a small case of their own, together...

We had all been quite busy...

While Ms. Yvette and Jade prepared for Deke's hearing alone without us at the office..

We no longer had to work remotely

from Olivia and Beverly's office, which was across the street from where we all lived.

or Down at Penns Landing..

No one had seen or heard from Lt. Tragg since he got knocked out by Deke Richards in Sam Mother's Diner..He hadn't been at work and he wasn't at Sam Mother's Diner at all..

Which was great...Everybody ate there in peace ,all week with no fear of his bellowing ,pontificating presence...

He wasn't even in Curley's bar, which was even better.. No one had seen or heard from him...No one was complaining either..

Word was...He had taken "A Short leave of absence.."

Had gone out west to San-Francisco.....

Nobody missed him!!!

Which brings us to today!!

When we got to work there was doughnuts, bagels and coffee on the table..

''Welllll welcome back loves..I missed you..." said Ms. Yvette.

"We missed you too Ms. Yvette." said Sofia..

''Yeah and we missed working on this case...Our main case." I said.

"We heard that the courts were all booked solid..Glad we finally got a start date." said Bee Bee.

"Yeah and it's tommorow..We all just come off of cases." sighed Kahlil.

"Which means you're sharp....Battle ready.." said Ms. Yvette with a smile, though she did feel sorry for us...She remembered being a young attorney with a back load of cases to prepare for, having to ask for a continuance sometimes....Sometimes...it was just that way...

"The DNA in the semen in the loaded condom found in the trash can in the murder victim's bathroom is definitely not a match for Deke.."said Jade..

''Which means she had another visitor, soon after Deke left her in the morning.."said Kahlil..

"Right? It's not a match for either Gottlieb...Senior and his wife and Junior and his wife were both out of town and still are...So I can only think it's a match for Chuck Wilson, who I can't locate...I found some other interesting things about our murder victim, Barbara Tate...For instance...She was born in Norman ,Oklahoma as Barbara Look.....She married her first husband, a local businessman named Robert Watts...Took him for every penny had after three years and vanished...She wound up in San-Francisco, where she married a man named James Ubanowitz..another local businessman..did the same thing, took him for every penny he had after four years and skipped town...She next wound up in Denver, Colorado , where she married a man named Richard Bain...and she promptly fleeced him and vanished after three years...Winding up in Philadelphia ,Pa. where she married Richard Tate..They were married the longest...Not only was she siphoning money from his accounts into hers, but she was cheating on him with The Gottliebs and this Chuck Wilson charactor...but get this...She was already engaged to someone else.. A Charles Hallihan..." said Ms. Jade.

"Oh My God!!!! She's a Bigamist!" said Bee Bee.

''She was really spreading herself thin...Aye Mios Dios!"said Sofia.

"Which means, she wasn't married to any of these men, except Look back in Oklahoma." I said.

"That's right.. and all three of these men had private investigators looking for her..All this time.. When Jade started making inroads into her past...She ran into all three and compared notes..That's how the truth got out." said Yvette..

"I'm assuming none of her ex husbands knew she was in Philadelphia until after her death correct?" asked Bee Bee.

'They didn't, did they?" asked Sofia.

"They didn't and I had time to get DNA samples from all three men...No match to the semen in the loaded condom.

"So we have Charles Hallihan and Chuck Wilson...The fiance and the mysterious boyfriend..Do we even know what they look like?" asked Kahlil.

"We have a photo and an address for Mr. Hallihan..we need to talk to him today...ASAP!!!" said Yvette..

II-

Charles Hallihan looked like he was born angry... He sat in our office steaming...

"Mr. Hallihan...We thank you for coming down to our office....I am Jade Lee, an Investigator and these are the attorneys who I work for..

Mrs. Yvette Jones-Lockwood, lead Attorney and associate attorneys, Keith Jones, Beatrice Evans-Jones, Sofia Garcia-Ahmed and Kahlil Ahmed...We are representing Deke Richards , who is accused of killing Mrs. Tate." explained Jade.

"You're defending the murderer of my fiance and you present all of this evidence that she was nothing more than a grifting lying whore and you want me to help you?" said Charles Hallahan...

''Everything we've showed you...The depositions..The video testimony of the private investigators and of her other husbands is true...She was a Grifter and a Bigamist and the only reason she was with you is because she knows you are the heir of Hallahan Bakeries..You're worth a small fortune.. She left behind a Husband in Norman ,Oklahoma, A Husband in San Francisco, California and a Husband in Denver ,Colorado...She fleeced a large amount of money from all three men who were still looking for her..Her last husband got out before he got fleeced..because she was already cheating on him with YOU and we suspect, another man, who we have not found yet..." explained Yvette..

He shook with rage and then began to cry profusely.....

"SHE WAS A WHORE!!! A WHORE!!" he said..

"Here, have some coffee." said Bee Bee.

who poured him a cup and passed it to him..

He drank the coffee and bawled profusely...

Sofia gave him a tissue which he used to wipe his tears..He tossed it into the waste basket...

"When did you last see your uh fiance?"asked Kahlil..

"A week before she died." he said, still sobbing.

"You were not at her apartment on the morning she died?" I asked.

''I told you I wasn't, didn't I? Now I'm not going to help you save that raping murderous bastard who killed my girl...I don't care what she did in her past...She was different when she was with me..That is all." he said.

"I hate to do this to you...I would hope that you'd of co-operated with us willingly Mr. Hallihan..but this is a court summons, a subpoena...compelling you to testify in court...I'm sorry." said Ms. Yvette, handing it to him..

"I despise you people, you damn attorneys..." he said...He got up and stormed out...

Ms. Jade bagged the coffee cup and the tissue/...

"We got his DNA!" she said and smile.

III-

At his hotel near the airport...

Attorney Deke Richards thought of a day many years ago....

They were awaiting the jury's verdict....He had just finished working a murder case...

Yvette Jones, a young attorney, the same age as he had been his second chair...She was smart, well prepared and good looking too!

They had worked hard on this case...

The ADA, Cal McCafferty was certain he had won this case....Though he found the arresting officer..

Detective Phillip Marlowe somewhat dishonest and mis trustful...

He couldn't remember the judge's name...but she asked..

"Has the Jury come to a decision?"

"Yes we have your honor." said the Jury Forman....

"Baillif bring me the envelope.." she said..

She read the verdict then passed it to the Baillif...

"Read it." she said..

"THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA VS WILLIAM BAILLEY ON COUNT ONE, CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER, WE FIND HIM , NOT GUILTY!!!

"COUNT TWO, SECOND DEGREE MURDER, WE FIND HIM, NOT GUILTY...

COUNT THREE , FIRST DEGREE MIRDER, WE FIND HIM NOT GUILTY!!"

The jury was polled and every one to a man still said "NOT GUILTY"

The Verdict stood!

"OUUUUUUUUUUUU! WE WON!!!" said Yvette....She was so ecstatic... Deke wanted to hear her screaming that in the bedroom...

The sexual tension between them had been growing throughout the trial...

As everyone cleared out..

Deke stood by the door and snatched Yvette up, pulling her into the judges chambers..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...WOUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!"she squealed....

Giving her a slow sensuous kiss....She surprisingly returned his passion...and they stood in that room kissing for close to AN HOUR!

''Deke, what are we doing? Where did this come from?" asked Yvette, nearly out of breath..

"This has been building up all through the trial... This was inevitable.." said Deke..

"I'm glad YOU thought so.." laughed Yvette.. She had found him very attractive...She had told her two girlfriends about him and they had met him, during the trial when they had all gone out for drinks at Josie's

"He is handsome... But he has a wandering eye Vettie..He reminds me of my soon to be ex." laughed Olivia, Who was Olivia Barnes back then...

"He's definitely a Romeo Vettie, but a finnnnnne Romeo...Ummmmmmph!"said Divorce Lawyer, Zoey who would handle Olivia's divorce...

Yvette liked him as a person and in all honesty , she wouldn't mind sleeping with him...but she was the type of girl who got caught up, who fell in love too fast...and would wind up finding panties and bras that didn't belong to her under the seat of his car, under the seat of her car..like Olivia was doing with her present husband, Elwood..No, she couldn't give in to him...It would be best if they remained friends and yet here they were...in the Judges Chambers kissing like there was no tommorow...Deke squeezing and rubbing her legs...moaning and grunting...

Yvette and Deke were still kissing passionately in the Judges Chambers...

"Deke stoppppppppppppp...we are going to get caught.." she said in between slow smouldering kisses..

"By who? The Judge has already gone for the day....I saw her leave...It's just me and you...."said Deke in between smouldering kisses...

"I shouldn't be back here with you.." she cooed...

"Sure you should...Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...."he moaned...

He slipped his hand up her skirt...He tried to slip her panties down..She moved his hands and pulled her skirt back down..

"No..Not in here..NO! " she said..

"Yvette please....I've been watching you throughout this trial, I just can't watch anymore..I need to have you..."said Deke..

He slipped his hand up her skirt again, softly caressing her thighs and hips...he tugged on the waistband of her panties..

.She was getting aroused.....He smelled great....

"Ummmmmmm, you are soooo bad Deke, but we are not going to do this in here....Stop it now!." she said firmly and gently removed his hands...

Deke smiled..

"Okay, Okay...I'll try and control myself.." he said softly...

"Yes..try hard.." she said..

They continued kissing....

Yvette eased out of his embrace...

"That's enough...WOW!!! I think you uh need a moment " she said looking at his trousers , which were sticking out like a circus tent...She smiled and put her hand over her mouth in awe...

"I'll see you later Deke.." she said as she slipped out...

Deke was there , sweating.. He didn't bother her again...They remained friends, They even went out for drinks..Neither of them ever mentioned that afternoon in the judges chambers again..

Now ironically enough...He was here in his hotel room with another attorney who had served as second chair with him on a case... and who he had seduced and slept with after a big trial ended.. That was last year and he and Maya Edwards had been sleeping together with no strings attached ever since..

There was a knock on his door..

''Hello Lover...I'm herrrreeee.." she said..

"YES YOU ARE!" he said..

She could see he had a massive erection..

"WOW!!! You must have known I was coming." she said..and smiled.

She had no idea that that erection was inspired by Yvette Jones, and not her this time...

She marveled at how fast he could get her out of her clothes..

And get her panties and bra off.....

She mounted him as they sat on the side of the bed , kissing passionately and she was moving slowly up and down on him...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYY GOD DEKE...OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!! "

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYAAAA..UMMMMMMMMMM!" he moaned...

He and Mya Andrews wound up in bed making love for the next EIGHT TO NINE HOURS!

IV-

Ms. Yvette was in her office looking at a work up on the prosecutor, Janice Hankins that Jade had put together..

She peered at us through the door...

Sofia, reading witness statements...Comparing notes..

Me, studying the Autopsy and Crime Scene reports...

Bee Bee looking up predicates and simular cases...

And Kahlil filing away old cases and studying the actual crime scene photos..

She thought the four of us were fabulous attorneys and the absolute right fit...She found our closeness and camraderie amazing...but was pleased she chose the four of us...

She looked at Janice's work up..She was equally impressive and could have very well been sitting in one of our spots today... I personally am glad she is not..Nothing personal against her.. But Bee Bee, Sofia and Kahlil are the only ones I could work with day to day and I'm sure they felt the same way about me and each other..

JANICE HANKINS...

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Graduated from Central High School, Philadelphia Pa.

B.A. from Temple University, PHILADELPHIA PA. in Trial Advocacy, Administration of Justice, Pre Law

J.D. -UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF LAW

Passed the bar in Pennsylvania, New York, Deleware, New Jersey

Public Defenders Office, Philadelphia PA. (56 acquittals, 6 losses)

Assistant District Attorney, Philadelphia PA. ( Perfect 99-0 record)

Ms. Yvette smiled.. She was impressed....Janice could have easily been sitting in one of our seats...She was pleased with us four...She didn't regret picking one of us..

Me, Bee Bee, Sofia and Kahlil..We all had chemistry...We weren't just employees..We were her friends, her family! And everybody can't jell like that!

Jade walked in...

"I'm glad you're all here.. Sit down, you've all gotta hear this.." she said. I got that DNA rushed...Guess what? It's a 99.9 percent match to the DNA taken from the semen in that condom....And the M.E. said that condom was fresh when they found it...Meaning she had had another visitor, Mr. Hallihan and they had had sex." said Jade.

"But it just means they had sex...doesn't mean he killed her." said Sofia.

''We still have to find this "Chuck" person." said Bee Bee..

''We have found him!!!...."Chuck Wilson" and Charles Hallihan are one in the same person!!...He was born Charles Wilson out of wedlock..when his mother married Mr. Hallihan...He was three years old..Hallihan adopted him and changed his name legally to Charles Hallihan.. but he goes by "Chuck Wilson" in social circles when he doesn't want to be bothered or doesn't want his true identity known.." said Jade.

"It all makes sense now."said Yvette..

"And not only that...He has a sheet...He has a conviction for simple assault that goes back 10 years ago...I don't know how this slipped past Lt. Tragg." asked Jade.