Snickers

 SATURDAY NIGHT-

Because it was raining tonight... Pouring....It had been all day.

Duke's Birthday cookout was postponed and moved to Curley's...Duke was there with his wife, Hazel and there was much Champaigne...

"Babe, I can't thank you enough for organizing this for me..." said Duke to his wife, Hazel..

"I wasn't going to let a little rain stop your birthday party dear heart...I'm just glad I'm off tonight...Taking a break from Murder and Mayhem."said his wife. Deputy Coroner, Dr. Hazel Baylor.

Several bottles of Champaigne were popped and served..

Curley roped off a huge section for Duke's guests... The people he was closest to , Lt. Sissy Van Buren,

Her husband, Eddie C. , ADA Keith Wallace, his wife, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace, Detective Tyriq Pile, perhaps his closest friend on the force, his wife, Detective Sirena Pile, Detective Jimmy Barlow, his partner, Detective Angie Belton-Barlow, and FBI/ATF Deputy Special Agent in Charge, Sharon Hopkins and her husband, Detective Tony Hopkins...

Curley loved it.. It meant he was going to be making money tonight...

"Happy Birthday Duke..." said Sissy.

"Yeah Man, Happy Birthday." said Eddie C.

"Happy Birthday Duke, Only you could bring me out on a rainy Saturday Night."laughed ADA Keith Wallace.

"Happy Birthday Duke." said Carlotta, kissing him on the cheek.

"My Main Man, My Road dog all these years...Happy Birthday Duke." said Tyriq..

"Happy Birthday Duke." said Sirena, kissing him on the cheek.

"Happy Birthday Duke."said Jimmy Barlow.

"Happy Birthday Partner." said Angie, also kissing him on the cheek.

"Happy Birthday Duke." said Sharon, hugging him and kissing him on the cheek.

"My Man...Happy Birthday Duke." said Hop.

There was plenty of Beers and Martinis and Food, Hot Wings, Shrimp and a Cold Cut Tray with meats and cheeses, hard rolls, mustard and mayo for sandwiches.....All supplied by Alfreda's Caterer.

We paid it back forward...We weren't going to let a thing like rain stop us..

This was everybody who had been at Laundry Day the Week before- Olivia and Me, Beverly and Nelson, Josie and Paris, Bresha and Tony, Alfreda and Rockland, Along with Yvette's crew, Her husband, Gary, Jade and Danny Ho, Keith and Bee Bee, Sofia and Kahlil, Virginia and Jetty and Jazzy, Dabnis, Kayla, Ray, Jessica , Chip, Zoey and Lem , Kevin Morris and his wife Sepia and Bonnie and Ronald Shay...

Normally on a Saturday, All or most of us would be in Josie's or Aqua Bar or Stoleys... But we all got together during a Zoom call and decided to have it here at Curleys and dared Lt. Tragg to make an appearance and try to spoil it.. We'd be ready for him...ALL of us.

"Happy Birthday Duke. We weren't going to let the rain stop the party." said Olivia. She was overjoyed to be here with not just us, the people from our block...but with the cops who were our close friends too!

''Hey Duke, Happy Birthday man." I said.

"Happy Birthday." said Beverly...

"Happy Birthday."said Nelson.

"Happy Birthday."said Josie..

"Wow, this is a nice crowd....Love it. Happy Birthday man!"said Paris.

"It's raining cats and dogs out here..I'm glad the three buses are across the street to transport all of us." said Bresha.

''Yeah I am too!" said her husband, Tony, squeezing her tight and rubbing her shapely legs.

"I imagine  on a rainy night like tonight this place is empty." said Alfreda.

"Oh I know it is.. I've been in here on a rainy Saturday Night , it's been bone dry.." said Rockland.

"Happy Birthday Duke.."said Yvette..

''Happy Birthday Mane!" joked her husband Gary,,

''Happy Birthday Duke." said Jade, who remembered Sissy and he detectives from when she came here and worked a case years ago.. They had been very nice and hospitable to her and like me, They shared information with her to help out on cases.

"Happy Birthday Duke." said Jade's husband, Danny Ho, who worked closely with Sissy and her detectives on a lot of cases.

"Happy Birthday."said Keith Jones

"Happy Birthday"said Bee Bee.

"Happy Birthday." said Sofia.

"Happy Birthday." said Kahlil..

"Happy Birthday Duke."said Virginia, who knew all of Sissy's detectives from her days as an Attorney, when they all drank and talked  in Josie's...

"Happy Birthday Duke."said Jetty..

"Happy Birthday Duke." said Jazzy.. She had been a Public Defender and an ADA,. She knew a lot of the cops..

"Happy Birthday Duke." said Dabnis..

''Happy Birthday." said Kayla.

"Happy Birthday." said Ray..

"Happy Birthday." said Jessica , who had also been a Public Defender and knew a lot of the cops.

"Happy Birthday." said Chip...

''Happy Birthday." said Zoey, who also remembered when we all used to sit in Josies and drink and talk..

"Happy Birthday." said her husband, Lem.

"Not many people can get me to come out on a rainy Saturday Night, but you can Duke." laughed Kevin, shaking his hand.. Kevin had worked with Sissy and her detectives the longest out of any of us..They had cracked many legendary cases together.

''Happy Birthday" said Kevin's beautiful wife, Sepia. A realtor,  She had sold all of us our homes!

"Happy Birthday Duke." said Bonnie Shay.. Like me and like Jade and Kevin Morris, Bonnie, an Attorney and an Insurance Investigator had worked with Sissy and her detectives on numerous cases

"Happy Birthday man." said her husband, Ronald.

Had we of not been there tonight, This place would have been dead.....It was Saturday Night and it was raining hard..It had been doing that a lot lately....

There was 44 of us here tonight... Make that 47... B.L. Benz , Karen Page and ADA Sharrone Stokes came in together...They hadn't been aware of our little shindig, but we invited them over to have some drinks, some food and to say happy birthday to Duke...Sharrone hadn't seen many of her cop friends since she left the force...They were happy for her, that she'd gone to Law school and become a Lawyer...

"And we thought the place would be empty tonight huh?" said B.L.

"I can't get away from you guys.."said Karen ,laughing with us all.

"It's not the capacity crowd  this place would usually have on a Saturday Night, but this is enough..This is like having the place to ourselves ." said B.L.

"Oh Olivia, a word!" said Sharrone..

"Hi Sharrone." said Olivia..

"I am soooo sorry I didn't get back to you....I took Thursday off to handle a personal matter and to do some things you just don't have time to do during the work week,  I got your message that you'd called from my assistant and then Lt. Tragg came around and took up half of my day with his nonsense..I just didn't want you to think that I was blowing you off."said Sharonne.

"And Speak of the Devil.." said Olivia ,pointing at the door..

"Mr. Warmth" himself walked in... Lt. Tragg was astounded to see close to 50 people in the bar.. he figured on a rainy night like tonight it would be close to empty... The cops he harassed on a daily basis..

Sissy Van Buren and her entire unit and all of the attorneys he jousted with on a regular basis and then some.. They were all here together. He couldn't believe it.

He couldn't believe that ADA Sharrone Stokes was conversing with Olivia Bennett-Alexander either... He walked over to them...

"YOU TWO CAN'T BE SOCIALIZING...YOU TWO CAN'T BE TALKING....THE TRIAL BEGINS MONDAY....WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU STOKES?" he bellowed ,talking to her like she was still one of his detectives..

"FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I'M HERE CELEBRATING DUKE BAYLOR'S BIRTHDAY...JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HERE...AND I CAN TALK TO WHOMEVER I PLEASE....I BELIEVE I KNOW THE LAW AS WELL IF NOT BETTER THAN YOU DO LIEUTENANT!. NOW WAS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANTED?? YOU GOT ANY NEW EVIDENCE???" asked Sharrone loudly...

''Don't worry ,We weren't discussing the trial....Unlike you...We can compartmentalize..."said Olivia.

"I KNOW YOU DIDN'T COME IN HERE TO RUIN MY HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY PARTY.....YOU KEEP IT MOVIN MISTER." said Hazel, who was a little tipsy...

"ALL THIS DRINKING GOING ON...I KNOW NONE OF MY DETECTIVES WILL BE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE TONIGHT...THEIR WIVES EITHER!!! AND I KNOWWWW ALL YOU HIGH FALLUTIN ATTORNEYS WON'T BE DRIVING AFTER ALL OF THIS DRINKING IN HERE TONIGHT...IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF ANY OF YOU GOT ARRESTED FOR DUI!!!" he bellowed ,ignoring Hazel. He could see that a number of people were tipsy. They were eating, drinking, laughing and basically ignoring his presence..

''WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP AND GO AWAY?   THIS IS MY HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION....DON'T RUIN IT!" snarled a very angry Hazel.

"Bae!...BAE!!!... Come on...Don't even worry about it...We're covered." said Duke, pulling her away.

"Duke you gotta control your wife....Her attitude is becoming bothersome." said Lt. Tragg.

"ARTIE ,YOU'RE BECOMING BOTHERSOME!" said B.L. , who had a slight buzzz...

"B.L. stopppp, don't start anything," said Karen, who was sitting on his lap, drinking a Martini.

Olivia and Yvette already lit up like a Christmas Tree were laughing and high fiving each other..

Gary and I pulled them away and back to our tables...

''For your information, everybody was brought here on the three buses across the street in the parking lot, including your detectives....Nobody will be driving.So go away...We plan to close this joint." said a very tipsy Alfreda.

We had all come on the buses except B.L., Karen and Sharrone..  Kevin and Sepia and Bonnie and Ronnie were staying the night at Sissy and Eddie C's house..  I suppose Virginia would be driving Jetty to her apartment, six blocks away when we got back.. We told them they were welcome to spend the night at our place.. We certainly had the room.

  We had tuned Lt. Tragg out...

He marched over to Curley.

"Who's paying for this wing ding?  It better not be coming from the City." he snarled.

''Olivia provided the caterer.. Hazel brought the cake and champaaigne, and they're all paying for the drinks themselves.. WHAT DO YOU CARE?? STOP BEIN A PAIN IN THE ASS!" said Curley, walking away..

We closed the bar... In fact...It was 2:30, when we all finally cleared out, having devoured all of the food and all of the drinks...

All three Buses and the Catering Van pulled off, carrying practically all of the  guests..All of Lt. Tragg's favorite people..

Lt. Tragg watched as each and evey one of us entered the buses and took our seats.. There was nothing he could do or say...We weren't driving home...We were traveling home on three rented buses.

Unfortunately... B.L. had driven Karen Page and Sharrone Stokes here tonight..

He had watched them drink and carry on with all of all night..

He still carried a big torch for her....He had wanted her for years....he hated that Karen Page was now the girlfriend of his former friend, B.L. Benz, an Attorney and host of the Television show HARD BOTTOM that he also used to be a guest on nearly every week discussing controversal crimes,Law and Justice in the city.

B.L. , Karen and Sharrone got in B.L.'s car and left the parking lot... They weren't technically drunk...but they had been drinking a lot and all had well over the legal limit of alcohol allowed in their systems.

They pulled off , unaware at first,  that Lt. Tragg was following them in an unmarked police car.

He was going to love putting the bite on B.L. tonight, he thought, smiling with glee.. This was going to make a great headline.."TV host arrested for DUI."

He followed them for six blocks.

B.L. now realized he was being followed.

Lt. Tragg was going to follow them one more block and put the lights on and pull them over. He'd call for a squad car and write B.L. up and arrest him for DUI... He'd allow Karen and Sharrone to go. That was the plan.

B.L. spotted him and raced through a light, just as it changed from Green to yellow and sped down the street, made a turn at the corner.....and sped down another street,losing him..

Lt. Tragg floored it, ran through two red lights,made a turn and smack dab into another car coming in the same direction..

It was a bad crash... The impact was so bad, the front wheel came off of his car...It was totaled, so was the other car...

When the police arrived... Lt. Tragg was given a breathylizer.. He failed it! He too had been drinking a lot and he too  had well over the legal limit of alcohol allowed in his system.

So for the third time in one week, He found himself arrested... This time for DUI..

and locked up in the "Cooler".

II-

SUNDAY MORNING-

They Say News travels fast...and Bad news travels faster....The News of Lt. Tragg's  car accident and arrest for DUI last night traveled very fast....and laughter abounded...especially in our circle..

We were having breakfast at home this Sunday...

''He's always walking up to us crowing about, "I KNOW NONE OF YOU HIGH FALLUTIN ATTORNEYS ARE GOING TO BE DRIVING HOME TONIGHT AFTER ALL OF THIS DRINKING AND LOOKS WHO GETS IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND ARRESTED FOR A DUI!" said Beverly, laughing hysterically while sitting on her husband's lap..

Nelson held her tight and squeezed her... He was laughing hysterically himself..

"That is funny....I wish I had seen it." laughed Olivia..

"You guys are having too much fun with this... I know he's sitting in "The Cooler" just steaming." I said.

''Serves him right.." said Alfreda....who was helping me set out the Breakfast Tray her Caterer had left for us.. ''With his hypocritical, sanctimonious ass." she added.

Hot Coffee, Pastries, Doughnuts, Bagels with Cream Cheese and jelly and Mimosas..

"I heard he totaled that unmarked police car he drives." said Josie..

''Heard he totaled the other car too....It was head on..Good thing no one was hurt.." said Paris.

He showed everyone a photo of the accident on his phone..

"DAYYYYYYYYYYYUMMMMMMM!" said Tony, looking at the accident and cracking up laughing..

"OH MY GODDDD!" said his wife, Bresha...

Rockland cracked up.... "He is in hot water....He's been arrested three times in one week...He's totaled a police vehicle in an auto accident and was driving legally drunk....It's back out on the boat for him for sure." said Rockland..

"YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!" said Beverly, Olivia, Josie ,Alfreda and Bresha in unison, laughing and clapping their hands...

"Tell us how you really feel." I laughed...

Nelson, Tony, Paris and Rockland cracked up laughing...

"All joking aside...Are we ready for trial tomorrow?" asked Olivia.

"Ready as we'll ever be Auntay,.. Me ,Josie and Bree did our research, predicates, like cases, similar laws ." said Beverly...

"I looked at those figures that Lawrence did for Teddy like you asked and compared them...Lawrence was right on the money...That man had no reason to fire him.."said Josie.

''He did if he wanted him to cook the books and he didn't. "said Bresha.

"I've even got a theory to the type of juror we will want." said Nelson..

''I don't think we have to worry about a jury Nelson...I don't expect this to get to a jury..." said Olivia..

"This should be over quick..."said Olivia.

After breakfast, everybody left....It was raining again....It had been raining a lot lately.....

I was staring out the window....I hadn't noticed that Olivia had gone into our bedroom and changed her clothes...

''Donnnnie Rayyyyyy, we've got the rest of the day together and we won't be interrupted by a certain Lieutenant this time." cooed Olivia.

I took her in my arms........

"OH MY DAMN!" I said.....

We kissed passionately....

"I'm not wearing any panties..." she whispered in my ear...

"AWWWWWWWWWWWW LAWWWWD!" I said.,

She giggled...

I dropped my trousers and came out of my clothes... I lifted Olivia's petite body up and placed her on the bathroom sink...She kissed me slowly and softly, nearly driving me out of my mind as I entered her..

and slowly began to grind inside of her...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU  DONNIE RAYYYYYYY..UMMMMMMMMMMMM!" she moaned..

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I cried out...

I lifted her and entered her slowly.......

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU HUSBAND!!!!!" she cried out...

A floor below us... Nelson was already out of his clothing... Beverly was sitting on his lap...kissing him and softly stroking him...

"Ummm you had your hands up my dress the entire time we were at Auntay's ......You're as bad as Lieutenant Tragg.....I thought you were going to rip my panties." she cooed..

''Nawww, I have much more finese than he does.." said Nelson, who slipped her top off and helped her out of her skirt..

"Oh MY GODDDD BEV..." he said.

marveling at her Paisley Thong...which he slipped off with ease..

She giggled...She loved turning him on...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, YOU DO HAVE MORE FINESE." said Beverly... as Nelson lifted her up and entered her slowly and softly.. 

Her body trembled...and her head moved from side to side.

"A HIGH SCHOOL BOY HAS MORE FINESE THAN HIM.." said Nelson..

"You've never ripped a girl's panties by accident?" asked Beverly...

"Nope!" said Nelson...

"Ummmmmmmm, I have to take your word for it. You've never ripped mine and you've certainly tried to get them off over all the years I've known you." Beverly giggled..

They retreated to their bedroom where they made sweet love for the next NINE TO TEN HOURS...

And a floor above them, Olivia and I were already in the throes of passion...

also making  sweet sweet love for the next EIGHT TO NINE HOURS... I'm certain all of our friends and associates were doing the same thing on this rainy Sunday Morning...

III-

The First day of the preliminary hearing in the murder of Teddy Williamson...

Judge Percy Reynolds was presiding...

Lawrence Stephenson was on trial for the murder...

Olivia, Beverly, Nelson, Josie, Bresha and I stood with him as his representation...

''Lawrence, I am one hundred percent sure I can get you out of this."said Olivia.

''Auntay doesn't think this will be a jury trial." said Beverly.

"I'm still curious to see what the prosecution has." said Nelson.

''My Guess is not much...Their chief investigator has spent most of the time leading up to this in jail."said Josie.

''Not like he was going to do any more investigating when he was out." said Bresha.

For once, I had to agree with Bresha.. Lt. Tragg was much more interested in making a headline...He was making them now for all the wrong reasons... Arrested for a DUI over the weekend.. His third arrest of the week...He had to be very embarrassed...

He was not here today...He was still in jail..

Assistant District Attorney Sharrone Stokes didn't seem to mind at all....In fact she seemed relieved not to have to be bothered with him...

She opened up with her sumnation...The same one she gave at arraignment with how Lawrence shot and killed Teddy Williamson in his living room and callously left the door open and coldly dropped the murder weapon in the trash can at the end of the block...Saying this was "The mind of a true sociopath.."

She then showed the photos of the crime scene  and the testimonies of the Crime Scene Investigators  and Police on the scene, including the officer who found the murder weapon.

She called her three witnesses, Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla Williams, Attorney Derek Buchannon and his pregnant wife, Brittany Ainsworth Buchanon..

They all told the exact same story...

Everybody didn't have the day off that day  and at the U.S. Federal Building , a hearing was taking place in the office of Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla Williams.

Mr. Williamson you say your organization is a legitimate investment firm, but we have reason to believe your organization is just a front...That you've been taking investors money and funneling it into several offshore accounts, paying your investors just enough to keep them from being suspicious, while giving them IOU's for numerous amounts still owed..We've built a case up against you that results in Wire Fraud and Bank Fraud as well.." said AUSA Karla Williamson..

"You know this is bullshit..." said Teddy Williamson who slapped Lawrence Stephenson

An Attorney and Forensic Accountant who had helped us many times in the past in the head..

"WHAT DO I PAY YOU FOR HUH?? HUH?" he said angrilly....

Brendan punched him in the jaw....knocking him backwards...

"DON'T YOU EVER PUT YOUR HANDS ON ME AGAIN!!! YOU DON'T PAY ME TO COOK THE BOOKS....I DID AN HONEST FINANCIAL AUTOPSY AND THE NUMBERS ARE WHAT THEY ARE...I STAND BY MY WORK!!" shouted Brendan...

"GENTLEMEN...GENTELMEN...CONTROL YOURSELVES..." said AUSA  Karla Williams...

"Guys....Guys calm down there obviously is a mistake here....We'll have another accountant look over our figures." said smooth attorney Derek Buchanon, who was there with his wife,

Brittany Ainsworth Buchanon, also an attorney....She vomited in the waste receptacle for the second time this afternoon......

"I'm so sorry.,.." she said.

"That's okay... Derek, how many months is she?" said Karla, running cold water on a towel and administering it to her head...

''She's Two months."said Derek...

''Stephenson, YOU'RE FIRED!" said Teddy Williamson..

"I WANT MY SEVERENCE!!!" demanded Lawrence Stephonson..

"Derek pay him and after he pays you ,GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" snarled Teddy Williamson..

Derek wrote him a check and passed it to him...

"HEY, THIS IS ONLY FOR HALF!!" screamed a furious Lawrence Stephenson...

"You did a half assed job , you get paid for half ass work..." said Teddy...

Lawrence Stephenson grabbed Teddy in the collar...

"You cheap son of a bitch. I'll kill you." he said...

"GENTLEMEN...GENTELMEN...CONTROL YOURSELVES..." said AUSA  Karla Williams...

"Teddy, Teddy, cool it... Ms. Williams, don't file charges yet...We'll be back with a different set of figures...I assure you there is nothing untoward about our operation.." said Derek Buchanon... "Thanks for the heads up." he said.

Brittany vomited again...She had a really bad case of morning sickness.

"Alright...Get her home...She needs to be in bed." said Karla..

"Yeah, I'll do that...Come on.." said  Derek, who seemed surprisingly irritated...

Brittany got up...She too seemed irritated..

It had been three days...ADA Sharrone Stokes rested her case...

Olivia, Beverly, Nelson, Josie and Bresha sat quietly for all three days...They didn't question anyone on cross... They had a few objections, but not much.. Sharrone was stunned by this.. She expected a battle royale..

''I have heard enough evidence here to ask for a trial on first degree murder charges.... Mrs. Bennett-Alexander, do you wish to present a defense?" asked Judge Percy Reynolds, who was surprised that we had sat silent the entire three days..

''We do indeed your honor...Due to the lateness of the hour, We request to be able to present our defense tomorrow morning if it please the court." said Olivia, eloquently.

"Alright....Court will resume tomorrow morning at 10:00 am ..Be on time attorneys and be ready for trial." said Judge Reynolds.

ADA Sharrone Stokes watched us... She knew she had presented the case as best she could and she knew it wasn't enough... Olivia ,Beverly and company had sat back and watched to see what she had.. and they knew she didn't have anymore.. She now wondered what they had... The confidence she had had for three days of zero opposition was now fading away... She looked worried for the first time!

IV-

THURSDAY MORNING- COURTROOM B- 9:45 AM

Lt. Tragg had been released from jail  Wednesday Night... He had missed the Prosecution's entire argument in this preliminary...

Beverly, Nelson, Josie and Bresha were drinking coffee and were talking to Keith Jones, Beatrice Jones, Sofia Garcia-Ahmed and Kahlil Ahmed , who also had a court appearence today..

They had been laughing and talking until he walked in....Then they got quiet...All talking ceased.. Then one by one, they began to snicker.. At first it was quiet, then it became outright laughter..

Lt. Tragg knew they were laughing at him... He was as red as a beet... He spotted Olivia and I over to the side , drinking coffee and conversing with Yvette and Jade.. 

We too had stopped  talking and had tried to turn our heads... Olivia and Yvette snickered quietly...but Jade just laughed outright... I smiled and snickered myself..

He knew we were all snickering about him, His three arrests in one week and especially his arrest for DUI Saturday Night after leaving Curley's...

Even Assistant District Attorney Sharrone Stokes turned her head to keep from looking at him as she entered the courtroom...She too was snickering...

Olivia called Lt. Tragg as her first witness...

She asked him if he or any of his men found the defendant's Fingerprints or DNA at the scene of the crime..

"No we didn't  but..." he said...He was cut short..

Beverly asked him if he or his men found any fingerprints or DNA  belonging to the defendant on the murder weapon, which had been dropped in the nearby trash can...

''No we did not but..." he said.

''So you admit there is no forensic or otherwise physical proof placing my client at the scene of the crime or to the murder weapon, which we know is a stolen gun, missing for six years." said Olivia..

''Well No but..." said Lt. Tragg.

"You haven't been able to find one eyewitness that places my client at the scene of the crime have you?" asked Nelson..

"Well..Well No..but.." he said.

"No further questions your honor." said Olivia.

"OUUUUUU THIS WAS A HIT JOB!! They were trying to make me look inept.." protested Lt. Tragg.

"Seems like you've done a good job of doing that yourself..Be seated Lieutenant." said Judge Reynolds.

ADA Sharrone Stokes put her head in her lap....She had told him he did not have enough damning evidence...She had implored him to get some more evidence..He had stubbornly refused and now largely because of his ineptness...her case was falling down around her ankles.

"Olivia had been smart, They sat and waited to see what she had...Once they saw it..They began tearing it apart and they had done a good job at that." she thought.

Lt. Tragg went back to his seat totally humiliated and feeling betrayed because Sharrone Stokes did nothing to protect him from Olivia and Beverly's onslaught.

Judge Reynolds who did not like Lt. Tragg found himself snickering, not only at the bruising he took on the stand, but at the news of his recent DUI arrest.

Olivia recalled Prosecution witness Derek Buchanon...

Derek was smooth and collected...He couldn't imagine why he was being called again...

''You've been Teddy Williamson's attorney for what five years now?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah....I've been your niece's friend for longer than that and uh I'd like to be YOUR FRIEND.." he whispered to Olivia.

Olivia laughed... "I've got enough friends. And you couldn't handle me." she said.

''Would you say good friends?  You went bar hopping together, Chased women together..That kind of friend?" asked Beverly...

''Damn Beverly, Did your breasts get bigger?" he whispered and laughed...

Beverly totally ignored his question...She didn't crack a smile.

"Just answer the question." she said.

 He answered the question. "Yeah we bar hopped and chased women up until I got married...then that sort of thing  kind of stopped. At least it did for me." said Derek..

"Did it? Not for Teddy.Teddy had a voracious appetite...He liked Good Food, He liked Money, Yachts, Private Planes and trips to Vegas and A.C.  He liked the good life and he had a weakness for women...All attractive women...A weakness just like you have, up here trying to flirt with my boss and MY WIFE!!" said Nelson..

''Aww come on man, just jokes...How long have I known yall? Even longer..You and I graduated law school the same year..and I was a year ahead of Beverly...Come on man.." he said..

"Teddy had a weakness for attractive women, including your wife...Who he knew before you did...And when you discovered your wife was pregnant....You knew it wasn't by you, didn't you?' asked Josie..

Bresha showed Medical papers...

My colleagues, Mrs. West-East and Mr. Alexander looked into everybody that was in that room that day...Especially you and they interviewed your first wife, a lovely woman, who was surprised to know your present wife was pregnant.... She told us about your problem, and and these papers prove that you're sterile...You can't have children.." said Bresha..

"Don't do this..Please don't do this." said Derek, now losing his veneer of cool and on the verge of tears..

''You knew that wasn't your baby , the minute you found out she was pregnant...and you knew the father was....Teddy Williamson... This DNA report we took by comparing the dead Teddy Williamson's DNA

and your wife's DNA confirms that he is the father of her child.. You've known that for weeks , haven't you?" asked Olivia..

"Please, Please....Please stop." he was begging...shaking like a leaf and crying like a baby.

''And that made you angry...It would have made me or any man angry...And you waited and you plotted on a way to kill him..and when you saw the argument and fist fight he had with  my client, when you heard my client in the heat of anger  threaten to kill Teddy....There was your chance, wasn't it?" asked Nelson... "My client couldn't have rang his doorbell and have been invited in for a drink at that time of night....The police reported that Teddy poured two drinks just before YOU SHOT HIM!!! He let you in because he knew you...Isn't that right?" asked Nelson.

''Nice story, but you've got no proof." said Derek,still trying to be cool and failing...

"Well  actually, we kinda do. You lied for one...You told the police you were home with your wife..She told our investigator and she will testify  that that wasn't true...That you didn't get home until 1:30 AM, about 90 minutes after the murder..."said Beverly..

"We have a very good investigator...He leaves no stone unturned...."said Bresha...

"He checked the traffic cam's thoroughly....And there is your car...isn't that your car? Racing from the scene, Two blocks away at 12:24 am...about 15 minutes after the estimated time of the murder....Can you explain what you were doing in the vicinity?" asked Josie, showing time stamped Traffic cam photos.

"Well?" asked Olivia..

"I did it....He could and did have any number of women....He didn't have to take my wife, My stupid , tramp of a wife...I gave her everything and she flashed herself around like a two dollar whore.. From the time I found out she was pregnant...I wanted to kill him..I KNEW HE WAS THE CULPRIT!!!.I sat and I waited patiently until the time was right...I KILLED HIM AND I DON'T REGRET IT!!! HE HUMILIATED ME AND SAT AND SMILED IN MY FACE EVERYDAY.....You You know what's funny, right before I shot him, He had the nerve to ask me WHY?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHY??????" laughed Derek.

"You didn't check the traffic cams for a car?  You didn't look into everybody in that room that was privy to that argument?? A First year Homicide Detective would have done that much.. You didn't recanvass either..." said Sharrone in total disgust...She found it hard to believe that this man was one of her supervisors when she had been a detective.

Lt. Tragg sat there with a blank stare on his face. This had been a bad week for him.. A Nightmare case.

"Bailiff's take this man into custody.... Well played Mrs. Bennett-Alexander...Well Played." said Judge Reynolds.

"In the interest in Justice, The People ask that all charges against Mr. Stephenson be dismissed." said ADA Sharrone Stokes , who glanced at me and smiled seductively... "Olivia is sooo damn lucky." she thought to herself.

I saw her looking and smiled.

''So Be it!   Mr. Stephenson, you are free to go!" said Judge Reynolds.

"OLIVIA, I am in your debt...Thank you so much..." said Lawrence Stephenson....

''Don't mention it...No way I was going to let the best Forensic Accountant I ever had go to prison for a crime I knew he couldn't have committed." said Olivia.

''We knew you didn't do this..Considering who arrested you, it was easy."said Beverly...

Nelson cracked up...

So did Josie..

"Wow that's a load off of our minds.." said Bresha,.

"Nothing like winding up a case on Thursday.." I said.

''Well Played Olivia..You had a slight advantage...A Better Investigator." said Sharrone.

We all shared a laugh...

Lt. Tragg, thoroughly humiliated...slithered out the side door and away from the embarrassing questions about his DUI arrest and his lousing up yet another case once again...

He was seen heading toward the parking lot ...

and driving away...

EPILOUGE-

Derek Buchanon suffered a complete nervous breakdown while awaiting trial and he was deemed "unfit to stand trial."  Today he is being held indefinitely at Blue Skies Correctional Center for the Criminally Insane..

His wife, Brittany divorced him.. She miscarried the baby she was carrying.

People are still snickering behind Lt. Tragg's back at him being arrested three times in one week and one of those times for a DUI..

He got F.O. P. Attorney Louis C. Brown to represent him on his DUI charge..  Louis Brown got him a small fine and he has to complete 100 hours in an Alcoholics Anonymous program that meets three times a week. No jail time and unfortunately for us... He still has a job.

THURSDAY NIGHT- THE MERMAID CRABHOUSE

We all had dinner and drinks at the Mermaid Crabhouse that night. The whole gang.  They found us one long table to accomodate all of us.

''We needed this Donnie Ray, a nice night out with our friends and no chance of an unhinged police lieutenant bothering us." said Olivia.

''With our ever expanding family." I said,

"All of us here like this does give me the warm and fuzzies." said Beverly..

"You give me the warm and fuzzies" whispered her husband, Nelson in her ear.

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! " cooed Beverly.

''Nice Thursday Night Activity." said Josie.

''You guys earned it , after all that trouble you had with Lt. Tragg." said her husband Paris.

"Don't say his name.." sighed Bresha.

''Yeah let's stop letting him live rent free in our heads."said Tony.

''What we all need is a nice vacation.. To get out of town for awhile." said Kayla.

''Let's see, maybe one of your cousin's rich clients like Steven Graves or Rollie Rollerson might make that happen." said Ray.

''We all make enough money between us that we ought to be able to make that happen ourselves." said Jazzy.

She was right...They were all pretty successful attorneys.

Dabnis squeezed her tight.. "Yeah, that's a thought." he said.

"Someplace warm, with a beautiful beach." said  Jessica.

''Where I can make love to you under the docks all day long like in Punta Cana."said Chip.

"Ouuuuuuuuuu Chip, did you do that?" joked Yvette, who had heard him.

"It's not a bad idea." laughed Gary.

"Not a bad idea at all."said Keith Jones.

"I saw some nice bathing suits I'd like to buy." said Bee Bee.

"Me too!" said Sofia.

''I'd like to see that." laughed Kahlil," Whether we go to the beach or not."

Jade laughed...She was a little tipsy from her drinks.

"I'm glad we all came on the buses...We wouldn't want to be driving under the influence now would we?" said Danny Ho,mocking Lt. Tragg.

The entire table erupted in laughter.

"Yeah how about that." said Alfreda.,

"I heard Tragg got himself Louis C. Brown to defend him on the DUI Charge...Lou is a good lawyer.. We were in law school together." said Jetty.

Alfreda and Rockland were oblivious to the conversation...They were at the end of the table kissing passionately.

A Nice ending to another case.