VENTURES: The Tragedy Of Warren

We were once again in court with a client... Today was not a murder case... This was a Civil Suit..

A Case where our client, Warren Lloyd was physically attacked by a woman in a hotel because he was served first... The woman didn't realize that he had a Platinum Membership that allowed him to be served first...The woman was arrested and charged with assault , but the Hotel suspended his membership. He maintained that he had done no wrong..and he sued the Hotel for damages..

This is where we came in..

My wife, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander

and her niece, Attorney Beverly West-East,

her niece's husband, Attorney Nelson East.

Attorney Josie Boyd

Me, Investigator, Donnie Ray Alexander

and our newest attorney, Bresha Billips..

were representing him...

We were once again in Judge Julie Wong's courtroom...

Ann King, the opposing attorney representing the Hotel's interest stood awaiting the verdict. She thought she had reasonably brought a credible argument on the Hotel's behalf.

The Owner of the Hotel, Ari Mohammad from Dubai stood next to her...He looked nervous..

''Has the Jury come to a conclusion?" Judge Wong asked.

"We have your honor!" said the Jury Foreman.

"Bailiff, bring me their verdict ." she commanded...

She read the verdict and them passed it back to the Baillif.

"Read it."she said.

"IN THE MATTER OF VLADSTADT HOTELS VS, Mr. Warren Lloyd.. We rule on behalf of Mr. Warren Lloyd and award him 3.5 Million Dollars..."he said.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh I was certain we had won this!" said Attorney Ann King, who had represented the Hotel in three other lawsuits Three lawsuits she had won handily... This was the first time she had lost and she had lost big, to the tune of 3.5 million dollars.

"I do not believe this...We have lost...This is a great loss for us...and for you as well." he said icily.

"Olivia....Olivia...THANK YOUUUUUU!" said and exuberant Warren Lloyd.

"You're quite welcome...Ouuuuuu.." said Olivia as he spun her around

and kissed her in the lips...

"MISTER LLOYD!!!! CONTROL YOUR ENTHUSIASM!" said a shocked Olivia...

He grabbed Beverly and exuberantly lifted her up and spun her around..squeezing her tightly..

"Okay...Okay...Let me go..."said Beverly...

"I'm just so happy and SO RICH!!!: he exclaimed.."Sorry Donnie Ray, Nelson.." he said laughing sheepishly.

Nelson and I smiled weakly and just shook our heads..

Josie and Bresha stood behind us...They clearly didn't want to be kissed or hugged by our client..

Who they had caught looking at us leeringly the entire time we were involved with his case..

He had probably wanted to kiss Olivia all along..

"Great job guys... Let's get out of here and grab some lunch.." said Olivia..

Our new friend.. Attorney Brenda Jordan, who had asked us to represent Warren, an Attorney friend of hers was also there..

"Great job guys...Thank you sooooooo much...You are my friends for life.." she said.

''Glad to know..Thanks for throwing us a bone.." said Olivia.

"A Million Dollar Bone." said Beverly.

I laughed...

"A nice win for us..and for Mr. Lloyd." said Nelson.

Josie and Bresha laughed.

''So I imagine you guys are going somewhere to eat huh?" said Brenda...

"Yes, care to join us?" asked Olivia.

''Oh Thank You No.... Warren and I plan to celebrate in private." said Brenda looking adoringly at Warren, An Attorney , who was her new boyfriend..

"YESSSSSSS..but thank you guys for everything...you're the best and I intend to throw some work your way in the future. " He said.

He kissed her passionately right there while we watched..

We turned and began to walk out.

"That's her boyfriend? Wow, she'd better take care of him....He's horny as hell." Said Josie..

"Yessss..He was squeezing me very tightly when he was spinning me around and I could feel his erection." said Beverly..

"I've caught him staring at me all during the case." said Bresha.,

"Me too! he definitely likes him some Brown Sugar..They need to go and find a room...He needs it badly." laughed Olivia..

"Toss me the keys Nelson, I know a nice place to eat.." I said.

"Got'cha." said Nelson, passing me the keys..

We piled in the SUV and headed off to Breakfast...

Warren pulled Brenda into the Judges Chambers and slammed the door and locked it..

"Warren what are you doing? Can't you wait until we get to my place?" asked Brenda.

"No I can't... I need it now.." he said..

They kissed passionately...

"Mmmmmmmm you can never wait....You always need it, You always want it... I've never seen a man so Horny.." said Brenda..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BRENDDDDAAA!" he moaned..

As he hiked her skirt up...

and slipped her panties down...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WARRRENNN!!!" she cooed softly.. "YOU ARE A BADDD BOYYY!"

She moaned..

"Yes I am.." he said, dropping his trousers and lifting her up and slowly entering her....

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" he moaned..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she cooed.

She had only been dating him since mid -December...

She spent four out of seven nights with him..

He was insatiable..Always wanting it and never seeming to get enough... He had already caused her to miss at least two days of work....

And he didn't care where they had sex..

The ladies restroom at Blue Bar in Bayside was no excuse.. They were just minutes from being caught..

Warren was a horn dog supreme..

He brought her to orgasm several times..Which was why she continued to see him...But she was growing tired of just meeting for sex..She wanted to go out to dinner, the movies, even a Hockey Game or a Football game.. She didn't want to just wind up in her bedroom every time she saw him..

We wound up at Pancake Pantry..

Where we had all types of Pancakes, Waffles, Hash Browns, Sausage, Orange Juice and Coffee..

"This is sooo nice, we won our case and we are having a nice relaxing Brunch...."said Olivia.

''Yes and even though he had nothing to do with this case..We don't have to get indigestion dealing with that lunkhead Lt. Tragg." said Beverly...

''That's why I picked this place.. Not even in the city...A little bit of a drive, But not in the city." I said.

''Great idea Donnie Ray." said Nelson as he chowed down.

"Yes....I can finally take my heels off and relax." said Josie, sipping her coffee...

"Yess and me as well..That was an interesting case.." said Bresha.

It was...but like the girls and Nelson...I was glad it was over, glad we had won..Only it wasn't really over as we would later find out!

II-

Nightfall

in the city....

Attorney Ann King sat on the bed in her hotel suite, fresh from losing a 3.5 million dollar judgement to us..looking at dossiers on us

and eating Chinese Take out..

Olivia Marissa Bennett-Alexander

Graduated , Philadelphia High School for Girls

B.A. Administration of Justice, Pre-Law, Trial Advocacy -Temple University..

J.D.-University of Pennsylvania Law School

Passed the Bar, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Deleware, Texas, California

Speaks French and Spanish Fluently...

Worked as a Public Defender,

Worked for Bach and Roach LLC, as Associate Attorney

Founding partner-Alexander & West ,Attorneys at law..

Divorced- Elwood Barnes..,Corporate Attorney

No Children, two miscarriages..

Married-Donnie Ray Alexander

Beverly Cheryl West-East

Graduated , Philadelphia High School for Girls

B.A. Administration of Justice, Pre-Law-Trial Advocay, Temple University..

J.D.-University of Pennsylvania Law School

Passed the Bar, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Deleware, Texas, California

Speaks French and Spanish Fluently...

Worked as a Public Defender,

Founding Partner-Alexander & West Attorney's at Law.

Daughter of Olivia's Older Half Brother, James West... Olivia's Niece

Married to Nelson East.

Nelson Sean East

Graduated, West Catholic High School-Philadelphia PA.

B.A. Administration of Justice, Pre-Law- St. Johns University, New York City
Psychology Minor...

J.D. -St. Johns Univeristy Law School, New York City..

Passed The Bar , New York, Pennsylvania, Deleware, New Jersey, Texas, California

Speaks Spanish , French and Russian Fluently...

Worked as Public Defender,

Associate Attorney at Robert Foxworth and Associates.

Associate Attorney at Alexander and West , Attorneys at law.

Married to Beverly West

Donnie Ray Alexander

Born and Raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Educated in New Orleans Public Schools..

Associates Degree- New Orleans Community College-Administration of Justice, Pre Law

Homicide Detective, New Orleans Police Department, Retired.

Principal Investigator, Alexander and West Attorneys at law-Philadelphia PA.

Married to Olivia Bennett

Also a semi-professional musician

Josephine Boyd

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Raised in Red Hook Section of New York City

Bachelors of Science, Architecture from Fisk University

Master in Business Administration- University of Pennsylvania.

Para -Legal -Alexander & West Attorneys at law.

JD- Drexel University Law School..

Passed the Bar in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Deleware, New York, Texas, California

Associate Attorney-Alexander & West, Attorneys at Law, Philadelphia.

Married to Paris Boyd

Bresha Billips

Graduated from Philadelphia High School For Girls

B.A. Administration of Justice, Pre Law- Lasalle University, Philadelphia PA.

J.D.- Middleton Law School, Bayside ,Pennsylvania.

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

Speaks Spanish and French Fluently...

Associate Attorney at Alexander and West , Attorneys at law...

Married to Attorney Tony Billips

"Hmm, very astute! I graduated from Penn Law , just a year after Olivia..We probably had classes together. Probably passed each other in the halls...Small world. She's got a little boutique law firm with her niece, her niece's husband, Her husband as investigator and two other attorneys.. I under estimated them..Didn't think they could beat me, but they out prepared me and showed no fear or awe...Yes, I under estimated them." said Attorney Ann King. "Oh well, too late now.." she said. Her doorbell rang..

"Who could this be?" she asked.

It was fellow Attorney ,Warren Lloyd, who with his attorneys, us had won a 3.5 million dollar judgement against her VLADSTADT HOTELS..

"Hello Darlin...How are you?" said Warren.

"Come by here to gloat?" asked Ann.

"Nooooooo, Annie baby, We're attorneys, we don't take these things personally..Didn't we learn that in law school? Appeal and or move on to the case. My winning that money won't put a dent in that hotel's earnings...They write litigation like this off ever so often don't they?" laughed Warren Lloyd.

''As a matter of fact they don't... I've won three major lawsuits filed against this hotel.. They're new...They have one other Hotel in Dubai..That's the main one... This is the first judgement they've lost." said Anne.

"Well, nobody wins all the time...Nice gig you got...I imagine you spend half the year in Dubai and the other half here in the States huh?" asked Warren Lloyd ,who had known Ann in law school and had worked with her at the Harris Group, where he still worked.

"Yeah, something like that." she said.

"Just to show you there is no hard feelings...

I brought some champaigne...and glasses." he said.

"Ohhhhhhhh you really came to party huh?" she laughed.

"But of course..." he laughed.

AN HOUR LATER-

They had drank the contents of the bottle.

After much passionate kissing..

Warren had slipped her night shirt off..

"Warren , you're fresh." she cooed.

"And you're sexy." he moaned..

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" she asked.

"I have lots of friends."he laughed...

He slowly slipped her panties down..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" he moaned.

"OHHHHHHHHH WARRRENNNN!" she moaned.

"OUUUUUUUUUU SWEET BABYYYY..YESssS!" he moaned.

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM" she moaned.

She eased her self down on him slowly on the side of her bed..

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" he moaned..

"OUUUUUUUUU YESSSSSSSSSS!" she cooed silently..

She rode him slowly, driving him out of his mind...He didn't know if he was coming or going!

For the next NINE TO TEN HOURS, they made slow, sensuously sweet love.....

DAY BREAK!

Warren woke up! Ann was still sleeping peacefully..He took a nice long hot shower...Got dressed and left.

She woke up just as he was leaving..

"MEOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!" she cooed and giggled.

He laughed.

He went to his house, changed his clothes and got dressed in a new suit and put on a fresh fragrance..

A Regular Day for us...

Josie helped Alfreda file away case files,

Beverly, Nelson and Bresha talked to clients and took checks from clients for payment..

Olivia and I sat , talking quietly..

sipping cups of steaming hot coffee..

Just a regular day after a big trial...

Our Bell Rang.

"I'll get it..It's probably Rockland." said Alfreda.

It was Warren Lloyd!

"Beautiful woman..Beautiful Woman, where have you been all my life?" he asked with a big wide smile..

"Waiting for you to find me." joked Alfreda..

"Hi Warren."said Olivia.

He wrote a check and passed it to Olivia..

"I believe that is the balance of my legal fees ...Thanks again for a job well done."he said."

"I'll put this in the safe... I have to go to the bank today anyway...I can deposit this with the other ones."said Beverly...

"You all do good business here...You ought to advertise..I know a guy...He can hire a director and a film crew and cut you a real nice commercial." said Warren.

"It won't look like those late night commercials for other law firms will it?" asked Nelson.

Warren busted out laughing...

"No this guy is really good...He's expensive...but you guys can afford it." he said, smiling..

"Sooooooo, what are your plans?" I asked.

"I go back to work tomorrow...Today however I am free as a bird.. You doin anything Josie?" he asked raffishly..

"I'm working as you can see." said Josie.

Beverly, Olivia and Bresha smiled.

"Well, it's still early..I'm going to Breakfast..I'm certain we'll be doing future business..Thank you guys once again,.,"he said..

''So Long man, Good Luck." said Nelson.

"Goodbye Warren." said Olivia.

"Byyyeee." said Beverly.

"Byyyeee."said Bresha.

"Byyyeee.Warren." said Josie, laughing.

'Good Luck man, take it easy" I said as he left.. I had no idea that we would be representing him again and for something far more serious than his law suit.

III-

SAM MOTHERS DINER-

Attorney Brenda Jordan had just finished a day in court..she was having her breakfast... Two Eggs over easy and Bacon..

It had just been delivered to her table...Before she could lift her fork..

Lt. Arthur Tragg of Homicide invited himself to her table..

"Welllllll hello stranger, I haven't seen you in a few weeks." he said.

"I've been busy...In court and litigations... I hate to be rude Arthur,.but I uh have a breakfast guest...

You can't sit there..." she said.

Talking to him was like speaking to a brick wall.. He made no attempt to get up..

"I miss you....I miss us..." he said.

''Arthur Please...I told you...No strings attached..Now we had a real nice time...Four times, which was three more than we were supposed to do... Now it's over...Come on, don't be like that!" she said.

"GOOOOOD MORNING LUSCIOUS.." said Warren Lloyd, her breakfast guest..

who kissed her longer than it seemed appropriate.

''Sorry I'm late, I stopped by Olivia and Beverly's place, to drop off the balance of my legal fees, Uh excuse me my good man, you're in my chair." said Warren Lloyd.

Now Lt. Tragg got the message..He stood up and allowed Warren to sit down..

"Excuse me! Was there something else you wanted?" asked Warren.

Red as a beet and livid, Lt. Tragg stomped his foot and stormed out of the diner angrily.

''So How did your trial go?" asked Warren.

"My litigation you mean...It's a civil suit and it goes to the jury tomorrow...What did you do last night? I called you, but I didn't get an answer."said Brenda.

"Ohhh Bar Hopping, you know me...I'm lucky to be up this early, but I wanted to take the balance of my legal fees to Olivia and Beverly and I wanted to eat and see you." he smoothly said.

HOURS LATER- UNIVERSITY CITY...

We were having dinner at a small Bistro off the campus of both Drexel and University of Pennsylvania.

The girls remembered it from their days at PENN LAW SCHOOL!

''I can't believe this beat up place is still here. It brings back memories" said Beverly..

''Me Neither. When I was in WHARTON, I often ate here." said Josie.

"Remember when we were Public Defenders Bev and we were starving and this was the only place open after spending the night in the law library?" chuckled Nelson.

"It wasn't the only place open, but it was the closest and we both were too tired to go anyplace else.

You talked yourself into spending the night with me at my apartment...ON THE COUCH!"laughed Beverly.

"Yeah, I remember." said Nelson.

"BOYYYYY! You really liked her didn't you?" laughed Bresha.

"Ohh he adored my niecey poo, I used to get mad at her for the way she treated him back then." said Olivia as we all laughed. ''Who knew they'd be married one day?" mused Olivia.

"I knowwwww, but I think I've more than made up for those days...I mean, we're married now aren't we?" said Beverly in her defense.

"Yeah, you're off the hook." joked Nelson, pulling Beverly towards him

and kissing her passionately...

"Well one thing about this place...They make a mean hot dog." I said.

I had an Italian sausage..

Everyone else had Italian Style Hot Dogs..

"You aint never lied Donnie Ray." said Josie's husband,Paris

"Indeed, these are hella good." said Tony Billips, Bresha's husband.

It was the end of a normal day , only a few feet away, our day was beginning.

The Body of a young woman was being removed from the river...

Crime Scene Investigators and police were snapping photos.

"Hmmm, judging by body temp and the condition of the body, I'd say she's been in the water about two hours or more." said Dr. Hazel Baylor.

"She got any ID on her?" asked Dr. Marcy Martin.

"She's in a night shirt doc... All she's got on is a T-shirt and panties....but I'll tell you one thing...Somebody did a number on her neck...Geeez.." said one of the Crime Scene Investigators.

We all were taking a leisurely walk across the 23rd street bridge when we saw the grisly scene.

"Oh My God!!! Look down there, They're pulling a body out of the water and look who it is!" said Nelson.

"Oh My GOD!!! That's Ann King!!"said Olivia.

"Let's go down there, we can help." I said.

Nelson, Olivia and I bounded down the steps...

Beverly, Josie, Paris, Bresha and Tony followed us..

''Her name is Ann King, She's an Attorney...We just faced off against her in court a day ago, a big Civil litigation.. She was representing VLADSTADT HOTELS...We won a 3.5 million dollar judgement against them. She was opposing counsel." said Olivia.

"Do you know where she lives?" asked Hazel.

"No..I don't know where she lives..."said Olivia.

Just then an unmarked police car and two police cars stopped on top of the bridge. Four uniformed officers got out...

This signaled the arrival of Lt. Tragg, who followed them down the stairs...

He saw the dead woman's body still lying uncovered and he saw some familliar faces.

Olivia's niece, Beverly, Her husband, Nelson, Her Associate Attorney,Josie Boyd and her husband, Paris

and her newest Associate Attorney, Bresha something or other and what looked like her husband, who he did not know.

They were standing a safe distance from the crime scene.

"What is this, couple's night? What are you doing here?" he asked.. None of them said a word.

"Olivia identified our Jane Doe...Her name is Ann King, she's an Attorney." said Dr. Hazel Baylor.

''We were just in court with her yesterday....A 3.5 million dollar civil suit. she was opposing counsel."said Olivia.,

"You're a distance from home, what are you all doing here?" asked Lt. Tragg.

"My wife, her niece Beverly and our associate, Josie are all PENN graduates... We were down here tonight at a lecture and then we had dinner and were walking across the bridge to where our car is parked when we saw them pulling the young lady's body out of the river." I explained.

''So you guys know her? You got an address for this broad?" asked Lt. Tragg.

"I don't know where she lived..We weren't friends or acquaintences...I just knew her because we faced her in court."said Olivia.

"Did you win your case?" asked Lt. Tragg almost sarcastically.

"Yes, we did!" said Olivia.

"Good for you! Okay! If that's all you know...I'll take it from here..."said Lt. Tragg.

"Well, you're welcome." said Olivia, snidely.

"I know..I know, he's an asshole...Thank you Olivia for identifying the body."said Dr. Marcy Martin

"Yes thank you Livy." said Hazel, kissing my wife on the cheek and hugging her.

"Come On let's get out of here guys." I said , and we began walking up the stairs and towards our cars.

"That's a shame, you know...I vaguely remember her from law school...I think she was a year behind me, but we must have had a few classes." said Olivia.

"That is a shame...Who would do something like this?" asked Beverly.

"I hope the cops get whoever did this." said Nelson.

"Think of who is the lead detective on this case. Not gonna happen." said Josie.

Paris cracked up laughing.

"She's right though..He'll probably arrest the wrong person and this won't get solved for months, if it

ever." said Bresha.

Her husband, Tony cracked up laughing.

None of them knew how close to the truth Bresha was.

IV-

The Next Morning-

"He'll be here ..I know it. It's almost like he needs to be here."said Olivia.

"He doesn't see us in Sam Mother's much and Ms. Yvette and her crew don't eat there at all since they moved into their new building.."

said Beverly.

''He misses his sparring partners."laughed Nelson.

"Kayla told me that ever since her husband Ray had that fight with Lt. Tragg, she never goes in there any more.

and Jessica and Chip were in there when he had that fight with Deke Richards...They choose not to eat there anymore too!"

said Josie..

And Jazzy and Dabnis don't eat there either

Neither does ADA Karen Page." said Bresha.

"They all have that nice building to protect them from him, at least for now.." said Olivia.

"Even the cops that work under him don't eat at Sam Mother's..

They all have their own cafeteria in their building.

which Danny told me Lt. Tragg hates. He hates that Sissy and her guys got a building to themselves away from where he can watch them and bug them" I said.

Just then our door bell rang!

''Uh, you talked him up...I'll get it." said Alfreda.

Across the street was one unmarked police car with lights flashing

and one police car in front of it.

"Well look who it is. Mr. Warmth!"said Alfreda.

"I need to speak with Olivia." said Lt. Tragg.

''We are in here Lieutenant." said Olivia.

He walked into our conference room

He saw Beverly, Nelson, myself, Josie and Bresha sitting, saying nothing.

"Allow me to tell you something.. Attorney Ann King was killed by manual strangulation anywhere between midnight and when we found her. She was a successful Attorney who won three huge lawsuits filed against her employers who are based in Dubai, She lost for the first time to you guys and she lost big to the tune of 3.5 million. I imagine you guys cut was pretty nice.She lives six months out of the year in Dubai and the other six here in Philadelphia." said Lt. Tragg.

"You've already told us more than we knew. I told you yesterday that she was only an attorney we faced in that trial..We weren't friends or acquaintences..I didn't know where she lived or that she lived in Dubai half the year."said Olivia.

"You two were both in PENN LAW SCHOOL around the same time." said Lt. Tragg.

''She was a year or two behind me...I may have seen her a time or two, we may have even had classes, but I didn't know her. "said Olivia.

''Whether you did or didn't is not important. We found her hotel room yesterday and we found some loaded condoms in her waste basket , a champaigne bottle and some glasses with a lot of DNA and fingerprints and a description and film footage of someone you do know.

"THE ATTORNEY, WARREN LLOYD,

YOUR CLIENT...HE WAS THE LAST KNOWN PERSON TO SEE HER ALIVE AND I WANT HIM DOWNTOWN TOMORROW FOR FINGERPRINT AND DNA

TESTING!" said Lt. Tragg

"He's not actually our client anymore...We won his law suit for him, we've been paid. But you can't just demand he turn over his prints or DNA without legal counsel present.just so you know." said Olivia.

"ALRIGHT.JUST SO YOU KNOW, I AM GONNA NAB HIM AND I DON'T WANT ANY INTERFERENCE OUT OF YOU AND YOUR TEAM, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" snarled Lt. Tragg.

"If he doesn't call us and ask us to represent him, you won't hear a peep out of me or my staff. But if he does call us..We are going to represent him to the fullest like we would any other client. You don't dictate to us who we can and can't represent..Get out of here!" said Olivia.