Several cups of hot coffee were poured....
You guys look like you were out late last night." said Sam Mother as he poured six hot steaming cups of coffee..
"Sounds like you were in Eddie Lee's game.. Hope you guys didn't lose too much.."said Sam Mother..
"OHHHHHHHH, well everybody has to let off a little steam sometimes...We won't hold that against you.." said Sam Mother with a smile..
Josie and Bresha sat quietly and drank their coffee..
"Good Morning Guys.." she said..
They ordered two coffee's...
Nobody was eating right now.., Everybody was drinking coffee...It was that kind of morning..
"Welll good morning...We are all ready to go." said Olivia..
"Nice to see you in person again.."said Beverly smiling.
"Sleep well last night?" asked Nelson..
We hadn't known she had visited him at his hotel at all..or had any contact with him..
Benny blushed something terrible..
"Yes, it's true..We are together...It hasn't been long.." he said and put his arm around Janice..
"Well, the cat's out the bag now.." said Janice...
Lt. Tragg walked in just then...Naturally he headed right to where we all were enjoying our morning coffees..
''Wellllllll lookey here...The Murderer shows his face...Where have you been hiding?"he asked...
No one said a word !
"The Old Silent treatment eh?" he said.
''What are you doing in here Lieutenant?" came the voice of Special Prosecutor Bert Bennett... "You know if you spent half the time investigating this case and recanvassing the crime scene as you do harrassing the defense attorneys...I'd feel a lot more confident about this case...And let me tell you...I'm not pleased with your handling of this case at all.." he said.
''Well, let's get this show on the road." said Olivia to Benny.
I tossed Nelson the keys... It was a short drive to the courthouse..
"Let's Rock and Roll." said Nelson..
"I think we have enough.." said Josie..
"I certainly hope so.." said Bresha...
Special Prosecutor, Bert Bennett was a very good lawyer...A very good storyteller too! He weaved a tale of jealousy and heartbreak and obsession that would have made a good Lifetime movie.. It was very intriuging and then held his nose as he presented "evidence.." A failed lie detector test..Which he knew and The Judge knew was going to protested vigourously...
He did but he seemed to be throwing things at the wall and hoping they would stick... He showed the jury the death scene..or rather crime scene photos and the lipstick on the mirror with "BEN" scrawled on it, Seeingly a last ditch effort by the victim to name his killer..
Lieutenant Tragg glared at both of them with a brutal anger...He felt betrayed..
Bert Bennett did the best he could do on cross examination, but neither woman faltered from their story, nor did 15 members of the Medical Examiners Office or CSI personell at the scene of the crime..
Nelson argued that not a print or bit of DNA or Forensic evidence linked to our client was found on the gun and argued that our client...An Attorney would certainly know better than to kill somebody and then leave the murder weapon in a dumpster behind his Condo for the police to find..He argued it was just too contrived...
Finally, Beverly and Olivia produced a timeline for Benjamin's activities that night.. He called the Florist at 5:30 pm and ordered flowers for Bernice Johnson...and paid for them with a credit card..
Lt. Tragg was as red as a beet.. He stomped his foot and walked away....He headed toward the counter and ordered his breakfast..
"Gimme my usual Sam, Fried Eggs, some spuds, sausage and a hot coffee..." snarled Lt. Tragg.
"That Pompous stuffy son of a bitch...I can't stand him...I'll be glad when this case is over and he's outta here." grumbled Lt. Tragg...
Beverly and Janice , once fierce adversaries in the courtroom, now appeared to be friends...both laughed and snickered when they came up to pay their perspective bills..
"Yes..let's.." said Benny...
Lt. Tragg watched us as we all left the diner...
II-
We all arrived at the courtroom on time..
Judge Martika Anderson was presiding...
IT WAS! It had all five attorneys..Olivia, Beverly, Nelson, Josie and even Bresha on their feet protesting...
Judge Anderson agreed and stared at Beck Bennett as if he should have known better..
Olivia, Beverly and their new attorney, Bresha Williams were waiting for this...They called Deputy Coroner Dr. Hazel Baylor and Dr. Marcy Templeton to the stand..
Both showed gruesome photos of Bernice Johnson in death...Shot with a .40 caliber bullet in the back of the head...with the bullet exiting her right eye... and causing almost immediate death...and then shot a second time after death...
They showed where the body fell, several feet from the mirror...There was no way they say...Bernice Johnson could have crawled to the mirror and written anything as she was already dead..They said that this was impossible.
They said it was obvious that the killer was still there after she died.. Her hard drive was stolen from her laptop and her phone was taken out of her purse and smashed...
Whoever killed her wrote "Ben" with her lipstick to throw the police off, They ascertained.
THREE DAYS LATER-
We argued about the gun...The proven Murder Weapon , registered to Benjamin Akers the defendent, proven to be the murder weapon...
Lt. Tragg stared hateful daggers at Nelson...,For the first time working up an anger at the young Attorney.
Josie called to the stand the range official at the gun range where Benjamin Akers and one of his Boss/Clients, Teddy Cross went to shoot.. The range official testified that he saw Benjamin when he brought the gun there to shoot for the first time.. and that it was from his range that the gun was stolen, several months ago.. He testified that both he and Mr. Akers notified the police and gave a description of the gun to them... She produced the report that was filed and called the policemen who interviewed both Benjamin Akers and the range official...
At 6:00 pm, He had a meeting with some potential clients and dinner at Stouffers Restaurant from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm... They produced a waiter, a bartender and three clients ,plus a guest who testified to this..
At 8:00, still at Stouffers, he called Bernice to inquire as to whether the flowers he sent were delivered.. His final conversation with her....
8:30 pm, he was getting gas for his car ,paying for it with a debit card...They had the receipts..and at 9:00 pm he went home..is condo...
They produced a neighbor who saw him and chatted with him...He went inside around 9:45 pm and was not seen again until the next morning..
Bresha produced Telephone records that show Bernice was on the phone with someone who called her from an unidentified phone number from 9:05- 9:27 pm... and an autopsy report that shows she died around midnight...but no other activity on Benjamin's phone or any credit and debit cards.....
"Before I decide whether to hold Mr. Akers over for trial...Do you wish to offer a defense Olivia?" asked Judge Anderson..
"Yes your honor, but due to the lateness in the hour...I would like to have time to discuss things with my staff and our client.."said Olivia..
"You're absolutely right Mrs. Bennett-Alexander.. Alright, Court is adjourned...It's Thursday...I have a personal matter to attend to tomorrow...So be here bright and early, Monday Morning at 10:00 am.. Be ready for your opening arguments.." said the Judge..
''Good..we get tomorrow and the weekend off.." said Beverly...
''You're just prolonging the inevitable Olivia..Face it...You're running out of time and running out of a viable argument to save this guy's neck." said Lt. Tragg..
"YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BELIEVE THAT!" said Olivia....totally flabberghasted..
''Come on...We don't have time for this.." said Nelson..
I whispered some instructions to Josie and Bresha..
They both smiled and immediately left....
"That is priveleged Information Lieutenant!" I said.
"We'll see you in court Monday and I do mean Monday...Don't stop by our house...I mean that." said Olivia.
"You ready Sweetie?" asked Beverly..
"Ready as I'll ever be.." said Nelson...
''What's Going on? What did you say to them?" Lt. Tragg asked me..
Bresha and Josie went to the Millenium Building once again...
"I like the way you dream girlfriend..." laughed Josie..
A subpeona a piece for both of them......to appear in court on Monday!!!
Our friend and informant Connie Oakley let them in, but didn't act as if she knew them at all..
Both Hedge fund Homeboys, Bobby Tomilson and Teddy Cross , who made it no secret , they loved Black girls, despite the fact they didn't marry one were quite pleased to see both Josie and Bresha..
They were enthralled with their beauty....Until they saw what they brought..
A subpeona a piece for both of them......to appear in court on Monday!!!
Connie smiled and winked at Josie and Bresha as they left...
III-
Benjamin Akers and Janice Hankins
had just come back from a delicious Lobster dinner..
a meal they had at our getaway spot .
A nice Friday Night respite..Olivia and I, Beverly and Nelson, Josie and Paris and Bree and Tony were all there...
"That's always a plus..." she said.
"Mann this is sooo cool...and the best thing about it...No Lt. Tragg."said Nelson..
''We need to find more places like this to eat and drink at." said Josie, who was so relaxed...she took her heels off..
Paris smiled and rubbed her legs and her feet gently...
Bresha lay her head in Tony's arms....
"So nice to have tomorrow off and the weekend..." she said.
"Don't brag." laughed Tony, who had to work.
"He's basically an asshole." said Benny.
Olivia and I, Nelson, Josie, Bresha and Janice Hankins busted out in laughter...Hard to believe just a few weeks ago we were going at each other furiously in the courtroom...
Our drinks arrived and we finished up the night enjoying our drinks, free of a certain Police Lieutenant with an overbearing personality brow beating us..
Now they were back in the Holiday Inn in Cherry Hill..
"This is my last night here...I'm checking out and going home tomorrow." said Benny...
He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately.....
They helped each other out of their clothes and continued kissing and fondling each other...
They helped each other out of their clothes and continued kissing and fondling each other...
"Ummmmmmmmmmmm Bennny...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu!" she moaned..
"AHHHHHH...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Girrrrrrrrrlllll!" he moaned..
"Ummmmmm I like your panty choices." said Benjamin...
'' Thank You!!" said Janice...
They stood in the middle of the floor nude...kissing passionately....
He lifted her up and entered her soft and wet insides...nearly losing his mind for the next TWO TO THREE HOURS...
"OUUUUUUU WOUUUUUUUU..OUUUUU HOOO HOOOO HOOOOOOO...OHHHHHHHHHH
BENNY YOU ARE ALL UP IN THIS!!!OH MY GODDDDD!" she moaned...
For the next TWO TO THREE HOURS...he had her on the floor ,doggy style, going to town on her..
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Jessicaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....UMMMMMMMMMMM!" he moaned..
She was convinced he was on something...He was insatiable...
"MEOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" she cooed....
"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU GIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRL" he moaned..
Special Prosecutor, Bert Bennett sat back and watched....and waited.. He couldn't stand to be near Lt. Tragg, who he was beginning to dislike more by the second.
"This is pure speculation.." argued Special Prosecutor, Bert Bennett.
''We plan to prove all of this your honor.." said Olivia. "We Call Theodore Cross to the stand.." said Olivia.
"Teddy....Can I call you Teddy? " asked Olivia who called him Teddy anyway... She smiled a naughty smile at him...
He was as red as a beet....
"You're under oath....Here are dresses, lingerie...Bras and panties...Some never even opened...purchased on your personal credit card...found in her apartment.." said Olivia., who placed the items on a table as defense exhibits.
"I have Airline tickets purchased on your company card for two to London, Paris, Ibiza, Las Vegas and Cancun for two on the following dates... And your wife's credit cards shows she was here in Philly, shopping .....We even uncovered some hotel photos of you and Ms. Johnson together.."said Beverly...
He was as red as a beet...
Bobby was furious...He was shaking...
She rode him like a surfer rides the waves on top of the bed... She prayed this wasn't just a fling while he was in trouble and then after the trial, he'd ghost her...She didn't think Benny was that kind of guy...She hoped and prayed he wasn't...
EIGHT TO NINE HOURS later...Benny finally came and came like a gusher...
"Ouuuuuu look at that!" she exclaimed and giggled..
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" he moaned...His body trembling..
"MEOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" she cooed softly..
He lie in between her legs...exhausted...She felt good...He had brought her to orgasm, several times tonight...Her legs were still trembling...
"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!" she cooed......
''What color panties are you wearing tomorrow?" he asked her, nearly out of breath..
"I'll surprise you." she laughed..
He dozed off to sleep...She smiled broadly....
IV-
MONDAY MORNING!
We were back in court..We were beginning our defense...
The feeling was mutual...Lt. Tragg despised him also...but he wanted him to get a guilty verdict so he could rub his nose in it.
Surprisingly, Beverly gave the opening argument... She said that our client was innocent of this crime..
"He had no motive..he was in love with this woman, this woman who spurned his advances..and the guilty party was another man , another man who was also in love or lust with her who was being blackmailed by her.." she said..
Bobby looked at him with surprise... He shrugged his shoulders...
"You were seeing Bernice "Bunny" Johnson on the side weren't you?" she asked..
"WHAT???? No...Noooooooooo That's preposterous..." he said.
"She was blackmailing you, wasn't she?" asked Nelson..
"I OBJECT!! RELEVANCE!" screamed Bert Bennett... "HE IS NOT ON TRIAL!" he said.
"I'll allow it...Proceed." said Judge Martika Anderson..
"You have a Gambling problem...You were two million dollars in debt to both Philadelphia and Atlantic City Gamblers...I have people, gamblers from Philadelphia's Chinatown and Atlantic City, who are in court today and will testify that you were into them for a lot..You took Ms. Johnson with you to Atlantic City on one of these Gambling Junkets... I have a man here from Las Vegas who is set to testify that you and Ms. Johnson had a loud argument in Vegas, because she wouldn't allow you to gamble and you had already lost 10 G's on the crap table... Isn't that so Mr. Cross?" asked Nelson..
"We found these.... Apparently Bunny made copies....You embezzled one million dollars to pay off your gambling debts to the Philadelphia Gamblers and then embezzled another one million dollars to pay off the Atlantic City Gamblers...Then you sold off stock to make up that two million dollars and move it back to cover up what you did.. I'll never know how Bunny found this out, but she knew...And she wanted to break things off with you, but you wouldn't take no for an answer, so she was Blackmailing you to the tune of $10,000.00 a month as these transfers from your bank account to hers shows..to make you go away and to keep her from telling her benefactor, Mr. Tomilson, who owns the condo she was living in and secretly was leasing the car she was driving as well as YOUR WIFE about all of the things you two used to do and all the things you bought and did for her..." said Josie..
Both of their wives burst into tears...
"ORDER!! ORDER...ORDER IN THE COURT!! NO MORE OUTBURSTS!" said Judge Martika Anderson.
Teddy was stunned that we knew all of this...He stared daggers at me..
''What if we told you we had another hard drive..a back up hard drive that had all of the same information on it.?" said Olivia.
At the sight of that Special Prosecutor Bert Bennett leaped to his feet...
"ONLY AN IDIOT WOULD BELIEVE SHE SCRAWLED YOUR NAME AFTER THE WASY SHE'D BEEN SHOT AND FELL" said Special Prosecutor, Bert Bennett, shaking his head and echoing Teddy's statement... "Even the killer and the Coroner and the cops on the scene could see that, But Noooooooooo, not you...You ..You... Oh just get out of my sight!" said Bert Bennett to Lt. Tragg..
"BABBBYYYYYYY!" said Janice..
"DARLINGGGG!!!!" moaned Benny....
"I'm afraid you're wrong Lieutenant.."I said.
"I purchased this from Computer Connection last week...There's nothing on it."said Olivia.
''We never said where we got it...We just said we had a back up hard drive..He thought he left one behind in her apartment and by thinking that...He further gave himself away.Only the killer would have known a hard drive was stolen and another might be behind..That was never made public."said Beverly, smiling sweetly.
''So it uh looks like , Case closed." said Nelson..
Lt. Tragg was livid!!! As red as a beet....He was so angry, he was shaking...
Olivia and Beverly looked at each other and smiled...but did not laugh.
''Anybody for Breakfast?" asked Nelson..
"I'm all for that.." said Josie.
''Yeah , me too!" said Bresha.
I whispered to Olivia that Beverly and I discovered a new place...
She nodded and tossed the keys to Beverly...
Beverly smiled and signaled Benny and Janice to follow us..
And quietly followed us out of the courthouse.
Teddy Cross was convicted of First Degree Murder and sentenced to Life. His wife divorced him.
Bobby Tomilson didn't go to jail for anything, but his wife divorced him too and took him for quite a bundle.....
"Blind Lemon Jelly told me about this place...He had a take out order and I tried it..Softest fluffiest pancakes I ever tasted...So I told Bev, after this trial was over..We eat here...We avoid Sam Mother's place altogether...You Know Lt. Tragg is probably frosty as hell anyway." I said..
"I knew you wouldn't have one..."laughed Beverly...
"Let's order....I'm famished." said Olivia.
"Yessss." said Josie..
"We have news guys..."said Benny, with lipstick all over his face..
"THAT IS EXCELLENT NEWS!." said Olivia.
He knew I was the investigator..
Bresha walked up...She put the murder weapon on the table..She smiled at Teddy....
"Between your gambling debts and paying Bunny blackmail money, something had to give...
She was threatening to end your marriage and possibly your employment and a lifelong friendship and she was costing you money on top of that.....Money you could be gambling with...She was now a major liability.. She had to go...
You knew Benny Akers was crazy about her and you knew he didn't stand a chance...She had even told you about him...Laughed about how he didn't stand a chance..You and Benny went to the range together...You saw his pretty new .silver plated .40 caliber pistol..He was sooo proud of it... You stayed behind and stole it from his locker at the range, you knew exactly what you were going to do with it and who you were going to frame.."said Bresha.
Beverly produced a hard drive..
"Looks like you missed one!" she said and smiled sweetly, innocently...
At the sight of that Special Prosecutor Bert Bennett leaped to his feet...
"I OBJECT!!! THIS WAS NOT A PART OF DISCOVERY!!!" he screamed..
But it was too late...
"I KILLED HER!!! I DID IT!! I'M SORRY BENNY...I FIGURED ONLY AN IDIOT WOULD BELIEVE SHE SCRAWLED YOUR NAME, AFTER THE WAY SHE HAD BEEN SHOT...I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE SUSPICION OFF ME!!! I LOVED HER...I TOOK HER PLACES, BOUGHT HER THINGS AND NOT ONLY WAS SHE CUTTING ME OFF...SHE WAS BLACKMAILING ME...THREATENING TO DESTROY EVERYTHING!!! EVERYTHING!!!!I HAD TO DO SOMETHING!! I HAD TO KILL HER!!!SHE WAS NO GOOD...NOT FOR YOU, NOT FOR ME...NOT FOR ANYBODYY!!ARRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" he moaned..crying profusely..
And just like that...It was over..
"Bailiffs, take this man into custody!!!..." said Judge Anderson.... "This Hearing is dismissed, Mr. Akers, you are free to go." she said..
Two Bailiffs handcuffed Teddy Cross and a policeman read him his rights and walked him off to jail...
Lt. Tragg was embarrassed and furious at the same time..
Benny and Janice kissed passionately in the courtroom...
Lt. Tragg walked over to me...
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to arrest you Donnie Ray...You took that hard drive off my crime scene and you should have turned it in for discovery.." said Lt. Tragg.
Lt. Tragg looked at Nelson with a hatred reserved for Dabnis Coley or Deke Richards.
''Excellent lawyering...Excellent lawyering outside of that little stunt you pulled at the end to force him to confess..Here is my card...Do you have one? I'd be interested in hiring you guys in the near future. Oh and say hello to my former student, Bresha Williams.. I'm sure she'll be an asset to your firm." said Special Prosecutor, Bert Bennett.
Bresha smiled broadly...
"Hello Professor Bennett." she said.
"Well of all of the.....I'll be damned.." snarled Lt. Tragg..
"As for you... I hope to never have to work with you again in life...Their investigator did his job...He looked into everybody involved...Which I asked you to do, just in case you had the wrong man, which as it turns out you did..The information was right there all the time...You are the absolute worst detective I have ever met..You'd do better directing traffic!" he said and walked away...
"Pompous, stuffy bastard...WHAT DOES HE KNOW??" he snarled.
Nelson, Josie nor Bresha wanted to laugh, so they acted as if they hadn't heard it...
They had finally stopped kissing..
EPILOUGE-
BAYSIDE, PA-
We all drove to nearby Bayside...And a new Breakfast spot called the "Pancake Pantry..."
"No argument here." said Nelson.
"Hey you two,come up for air."laughed Bresha..
Benny and Janice hadn't stopped kissing since the trial ended...
Beverly and Josie both took wet wipes and wiped his face off..
They looked up and smiled sheepishly and
continued kissing....
"I'm resigning from the District Attorney's Office... Effective Next week! Benny has offered me a job as an Associate Attorney at his firm.." said Janice.
"AND I HAVE AGREED TO BE MR. AKERS WIFE!!"she said, showing us an engagement ring..." she said..
"CONGRATULATIONS! " I said..
Bresha cracked up laughing...
We ordered an assortment of Pancakes....Blueberry, Strawberry and just regular Pancakes..They were the softest ,fluffiest pancakes I had ever tasted....
We also ordered Hash Browns, Bacon, Sausage, Orange Juice and Coffee and enjoyed a nice stress free breakfast.....
Nice Way to end another case..Chowing down!
FOR DANYL
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