Another Sale On Crab Legs

EARLY MORNING!

The "Cooler", The Courthouse holding facility's nickname where Lt. Tragg had been locked up for the past 24 hours for violating Cease and Desist Orders against us.

Assistant District Attorney Nicole Edwards and her fellow Assistant District Attorney ,Sharon Carter, a recent hire who would be acting as her second chair on the case...A Black woman...

"Rise and Shine , Rise and Shine Artie...Get up!  You've been sprung....You can thank me later...Here..I brought you some coffee..." said Nicole Edwards... "You look like hell." she added, shaking her head.

 "What are you doing here Nicole?" asked Lt. Tragg yawning as he walked out of his cell and the trio headed to the street..... He was relieved to have been freed after serving only one day of what usually is a three day stint...

"A lot has happened since you got locked up... Judge Jetty Dukes has recused himself from the case and Julie Wong is the new judge...ADA Jennifer Thorne had a family emergency in Oklahoma. she left yesterday ,,,,and I AM NOW IN  CHARGE OF THE CASE....I need you to recanvass, to find me new witnesses and inroads and some serious forensic evidence... I do not want to run a case based off of rumors and hearsay...I need evidence ,hard evidence...Also, you will comport yourself accordingly, you will keep your hands to yourself...they will not go under my skirt or the skirt of Ms. Carter. Is that understood.?" she said.

He was sick.....Nicole Edwards didn't interest him at all sexually, she was too damn big he thought...He was sick that she was running the case...She was bossy and obnoxious....and sarcastic as well....

"What is it with you and Olivia Bennett-Alexander anyway?? You sweet on her or something? Why do you sit outside her residence taking photos? I saw the photos of Judge Dukes and his wife and other dinner guests leaving her house that you took.... You like her of something?? She is very attractive..but you're not her type Artie in no shape or form, plus the woman is married and if I know right...She's probably making love to her tall dark and handsome husband right now as we speak..and not thinking about you..." said Nicole Edwards, laughing..

Her assistant, Sharon Carter smiled, but didn't say anything...

Lt. Tragg bristled...He'd rather be locked up than to have to take orders from and be ridiculed by Nicole Edwards...

She was right about one thing...It was early morning...Not quite 7:00 AM

And at our home...

Olivia and I were indeed making love...Having one last early morning romp in the sack...

Kissing and slobbering over each other and making sweet love one last time..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh, Ohhhhhhhhh baby....Ouuuuu,easy Donnie Ray...ouuuuu" she moaned...

"Damnnnnnnnnnnnn gurlllllll.ohhhhhhhh, you feel so good." I moaned... as I thrusted faster and faster inside of her..

"Ouuuuu,ummmmm, I love you so much Donnie Ray." she moaned..

"I love you too Olivia..."I moaned..nearly out of breath as we continued to make sweet love...

She laughed and then tossed her head back...moaning softly...Her body quivering softly....Her breathing getting heavy...

"Ohhhhh...Ohhh my god Donnie Ray...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."she moaned...

"Ouuuuuuu...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Olivia....Ohhh my goddd.."I moaned as we kissed passionately and continued making sweet love.

Downstairs in Beverly and Nelson's place...

Beverly was brushing her teeth and washing her mouth out with mouthwash, 

when Nelson came up behind her ...

and began kissing her passionately...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!  OUUUUUUUUU!!! UMMMMMMMMMMM!" she cooed..

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW LAWWWDDD!" he moaned as she stuck her hands down in his pajamas and stroked his hard and erect penis..

He slipped her panties down and placed her on the sink...

where he entered her slowly and softly and began to "go to town.."

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!  OUUUUUUUUU!!! UMMMMMMMMMMM! YOU FEEL GOOOD!! OUUUUUUUUU!" she cooed..

"SO DO YOUUUUUUUUUUU!" he moaned...

Soon he was mounting her doggie style and really working out....

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! WE gotta get in the shower baby!" she cooed softly...

"I'm almost there...OUUUUUUUUUUUU ALMOST THERRRRREEEE GIRL!!!" he cried out..

Meanwhile, Lt. Tragg sat in Sam Mothers Diner, trying to enjoy his breakfast...

His usual, Fried Eggs, Hash Browns, sausage and hot coffee..

While Nicole Edwards sat across from him continuing to talk..

"Now first off..I need you to find out where this guy Roderick Peterson has been all these years we thought he was dead, who he talked to...If he owed anybody money....the works..Find out about the wife, what she was doing, if she knew he was alive....Was somebody keeping her...I want a record of financials for everybody involved...Donnie Ray has had a 24 hour head start on you...but that doesn't mean you can't play a mean game of catch up." she said.

For the first time...He understood how we felt when we were trying to enjoy a meal and he stood over us baying like a wolf to the moon...

Sharon Carter said nothing.. She smiled and enjoyed her breakfast..

Lt. Tragg looked miserable...He was going to be miserable the rest of this case.

II-

While at our home...

We on the other hand were having a very nice,pleasent breakfast at our office/duplex.

''Breakfast is ready...come and get it." said Alfreda, who along with Olivia and myself prepared breakfast for us... Orange Juice, Coffee, Pancakes, Sausage, Hash Browns,and eggs to order..

We all gathered around the table to eat and talk about the case at hand...

"we've had a 24 hour headstart on Lt. Tragg...He's cooling his heels in the "Cooler" No pun intended."said Olivia with tongue in cheek...We all laughed..   "Nicole Edwards is the new ADA...I know this woman, She is like you Donnie Ray, a former Homicide Detective..and she thinks like one..So we need to really get up on this." said Olivia.

''Well like I said..I looked up our former benefactor, Jason Lockway...The one who paid for our first defense of Sylvia....He's dead and he's been dead for three years.. I checked his bank account....Sylvia was telling us the truth... Roderick Peterson transferred the money for his wife's defense into his account , three days after he was reported missing...Nobody ever checked....Not us even...We just took his money and not Lt. Tragg....He never checked the dead man's finances....EVER!!!! Now there was no movement after that for six years,,,,but if somebody had of checked...They would have known that he was alive, at least after he was reported missing." I said.

''Who is he? Who was Jason Lockway....When he hired us..He told us he was some kind of Broker." said Beverly..

"He was...He was a stock broker.. Roderick Peterson's personal broker.... He loaned Peterson money to pay off this Gambler from AC before Peterson took a powder...and he paid us to defend Mrs. Peterson, which we did... Then after the trial he seems to have dropped out of sight...He went to San-Francisco for two years...Then he was in Montreal for two years after that... He returned to Philadelphia, where he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and he died not long after.. Natural causes...He had no criminal record of any kind." I said.

"He was just a bag man... I wonder if he knew that  Roderick Peterson was still alive?" asked Nelson..

"He had to know.." said Josie...

"Maybe Roderick Peterson was in another state or country even under an assumed name..."said Bresha.

Olivia smiled.. "One thing I know he didn't touch his bank accounts...His Savings and Checking Accounts are the same....Well ,they've accrued interest since he vanished...but not a penny has been touched."said Olivia.

"You mean his widow or wife didn't touch his money??....Wouldn't she have been entitled to it.. They never did divorce and he was assumed to be dead." asked Alfreda.

"No, she didn't...Sylvia was and is a very successful business woman and entrepreneur. She has money of her own...She did sell the house they both owned...That was her right..but other than that..She didn't touch his money...Nobody did...She cancelled his credit cards..."said Olivia..

"Then Where was he all these years and how was he supporting himself?" asked Beverly...

"Unless he became someone else.." said Nelson...

"That's a very good theory Nelson and there is only one man who might know....Alfreda..wanna come with us... I hear there is another "Sale on Crab Legs." I said, smiling..

We drove up to Pink's Seafood Emporium....

Alfreda's eyes got as large as saucers... She didn't often get to come with us when we went out... She welcomed  being with us..

"Oh this is sooo nice...He's got some of everything here...Is this a front or something?" she asked.

"Oh nooo Mommy, this place is totally legit..Auntay and I buy all of our seafood from Mr. Pink...but uh...before he was a businessman he was of the streets....Auntay, Nelson and I represented him numerous times... He keeps his ears to the streets and from times provides us with information."said Beverly..

"Hi Pink....I brought my entire staff today... They came to give you some business..."said Olivia, smiling..

"Well thank you Olivia. YO ALI...give these good folks half off of whatever they buy.."yelled Pink...

"Pink , of course you know Beverly and her husband, Nelson..." I said.

"Oh yeah..he knows me.. I was his lawyer once.. So was Liv and Bev."said Nelson harking back to their Public Defender days...

"This is Associate Attorney, Josie Boyd" I said..

And Associate Attorney Bresha Billips." I said.

"Olivia, you keep some gorgeous women around you......Ummmmph, Ummmph, Umph...well look around...You guys got half off of whatever you purchase..." said Pink...

Alfreda, Olivia, Beverly, Nelson, Josie and Bresha went into his Seafood store part...They began shopping.

In case somebody was looking...I wanted this visit to look as normal as possible..A Shopping trip...

After they finished shopping they all sat down in his dining area and was treated to a free meal..

"Olivia, you should have told me about this place... I got some good pieces....I'm going to leave them in the deep freezer in your basement...and this food is delish...ouuuuuu" said Alfreda.

"Next time you want to purchase some good seafood just let me know and I'll drive you out here.."said Olivia.

Beverly and Nelson sat together , enjoying their meal...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu this is delish... I am enjoying this.." said Beverly..

"I can tell." said Nelson, who was enjoying his food too."

Josie and Bresha sat together at another table..

"I bought some extra food for Paris...Did you get anything for Tony?" asked Josie..

"Sure Did!" said Bresha...

But the real conversation was between me and Pink at yet another table.

"You know, when I found out that Roderick was still alive and killed a few days ago...I knew it would be just a matter of time before you or somebody came to see me.. I'm glad it was you...And I'm glad you did it like this..You brought the whole staff and they did some shopping and eating... Here's what I know... Roderick was a successful businessman..His womanizing and gambling doomed his marriage and then he got into an Atlantic City Gambler named Joey Torres for a quarter of a milly... Torres put a contract on him...but he paid him off..He got a loan from his broker..Paid him off just before he vanished." said Pink.

"Okay...so what was the problem? He paid him off....." I asked.

"The Feds pinched him for Wire Fraud and Securities violations shortly before he vanished.. He was looking at 10 years in the slams...Then all of a sudden , the charges were dropped...Now when the feds have you and they drop the charges...What does that usually mean...You used to be a cop Donnie Ray?" said Pink.

"He traded information....He gave them somebody!" I said.

"Right you are...He gave them Torres and his entire operation... The Feds busted Torres and 39 of his close associates on RICO charges... His lawyers did a structured plea, only it didn't work out quite the way they hoped.. All 39 people got close to 30 years ,No parole in Federal Prison... Joey Torres was released from prison earlier this year....He fled Atlantic City and is living here in Philly....Co-incidence?

Hmmmmm and in order for this guy Roderick to so completely vanish...He had to have help from a powerful ally...My guess is the Witness Protection Program...Good luck with getting any information on that...The Feds won't talk to you about any aspect of that program...They don't even talk to the cops...You gotta know someone...Unfortunately Donnie Ray...I don't know anyone on that level." said Pink..

"That's Okay Pink, you've already given me more than enough to go on!" I said.

We all finished our meals and packed up the seafood we bought in our new SUV..

"Thanks again Pink!" said Olivia...

"You're the man Pink!" I said as I took the drivers seat....

"Thank you...I'll be back to give you some more business."said Alfreda.

"Byyyeeee Pink!" said Beverly...

''So Long Pink...Thanks for everything."said Nelson.

"Byyyeeee Pink!" said Josie ,waving!

"Byyyeeee Pink! thank you for everything." said Bresha ,waving!

"You all are very welcome...See ya later!" said Pink, waving to us

As we pulled off..

With new information and full bellies.

III-

Lt. Tragg was at a loss to where to start his investigation...There was really nowhere to start from... He couldn't follow Roderick Peterson's movements because there was no money trail...No Smart watch or Phone trail to follow and cross track his movements and worse...No one to talk to who knew the guy and could trace his movements... He wasn't even sure where this guy was killed.. He was found in the river...He was lost... He arrested his wife clearly on evidence he had from the last trial.

He imagined that I was in the same predicament as him...but he was wrong...I had followed up on his associate, his broker, who had paid us to defend Sylvia Peterson...I had looked at his bank account and found a transfer of funds made days after he supposedly vanished...proving that he was still alive when Sylvia was alleged to have done away with him...We didn't have that information and we were still able to carve out an acquittal for her...She actually was innocent...Considering he was alive the whole time...

I knew about Peterson being into Atlantic City Gambler, Joey Torres and the deal he made with the Feds to keep himself out of jail that landed Torres and his whole gang behind bars and Torres being released from prison and living in Philadelphia..

I knew that , which put me way ahead of Lt. Tragg....who had a case based on malicious gossip and hear say..

At Our OFFICE/DUPLEX- In our adjacent building. Everybody was at work on this case..I was out on the streets.

In our Law Library, Beverly, Josie and Bresha was busy doing what they do.. researching laws , predicates and like laws related to this case, and using the previous case as a guideline..

"One advantage we have... The original prosecutor is deceased...We have a new prosecutor, who is actually at a disadvantage..."said Beverly...

"Yeah, she's depending on Lt. Tragg to investigate this ." said Josie...

All three young ladies howled with laughter...

"No Bev means that she's starting from scratch and we have an advantage over her in that sense."said Bresha..

"Actually, you're both right..." said Beverly, smiling..

Next Door, Nelson and Olivia were busy picking possible jurors and looking at their profiles....

"How are we going to run the defense Olivia?  same Strategy?" asked Nelson...

"I'm going to tweak it a bit....I'm going to put the onus on the prosecution to prove she did it , to place her at the scene of a crime...We know where she was the entire day and we have witnesses,,,I may even call Lt. Tragg and have him explain why he arrested her in the first place." said Olivia.

"He does know that they communicated and met three days before he died." said Nelson... 'So she knew he was indeed alive." he said.

"And what? So what? Where was the crime?? She discovered he was still alive , what was she supposed to do, call the police?.. She was acquitted of his murder six years before...He's been missing..He calls her out of the blue...They meet, again I ask you where is the crime?" asked Olivia.

"I uh suppose you have a point Liv." said Nelson.

"Let him explain that!  Let the Prosecution present proof of any wrongdoing on her part... They can't...I know they can't..."said Olivia.

Meanwhile at our kitchen...

Our Office Manager, Alfreda looked at her watch as her husband, ADA Rockland Cambridge backed her against the wall and kissed her some more..

"Ummmm Alfreda...." he moaned in between kisses..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu husband!" she cooed..

"Open your pants.." he asked.

This was usually met with reluctance,  considering she was at work...

but I was out and the others were hard at work in the adjacent building...She opened her pants and her blouse..

Rockland nearly lost his mind, kissing her passionately..

"OHHHHHHHHHHH MY LORD, YOU ARE SOOOO SEXY!" he moaned..

"Oh hush up!" she giggled, kissing him slowly and softly...

He eased her panties down...

Rockland lifted Alfreda up and entered her slowly and softly...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU HONEY!!! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

NOT HERE, NOT NOWWWWWWWWWWW..OUUUUUUUUUUU!" she said as Rockland pumped her slowly and softly for about A HALF HOUR!!

"Come on...let's stop... Go home..I'll be there shortly and we can finish..and take our time." Alfreda whispered..

Rockland put her down slowly..He pulled his boxers and trousers up and straightened himself out the best he could.

Alfreda composed herself and zippered back up and closed her blouse..

"MY LORD!! LOOK AT YOU!....Calm yourself down...We live across the street now..." said Alfreda..

"I can't help it...LOOK AT YOU!!" said Rockland

Alfreda blushed...

"Thank You....Thank you...You are wonders for my ego...Now go home, relax....Run a hot bath...and be ready for me when I get home." she said softly....

It was amazing they were never caught by any of us...

After Rockland left... Alfreda ran some hot water in a bucket and some comet and scrubbed the baseboards around the sink down....

We eventually returned to the conference room...We gave Sylvia our daily update via Portal.

"Hi Sylvia, We want you to know we are working hard on your defense."said Olivia.

"We are going to put the onus on Lt. Tragg and the Prosecution to prove you committed this crime And we are betting they can't prove it!"said Beverly...

"So Hang in there" said Nelson.

"Look, when he called me two days before he was killed...I almost fainted...It was like hearing a Ghost.....I really believed he was dead...I was waiting until next year, the seventh year when he would officially be declared dead...Then I'd be free to get remarried without going through a costly divorce...I was terribly frightened when he called.. I met with him...We talked.. He didn't want anything...He gave me no explanation to where he had been all these years and he agreed to give me a divorce...He was supposed to call me the next day... He didn't...and I couldn't call him because he called from a blocked number..The next thing I know....They're fishing him out of the river and I hear he's dead....Then that stupid Keystone Copper is arresting me with absolutely no evidence... I asked him..'Why do you think I did this? He couldn't answer me....He just said, "Because I know you did it" said Sylvia.

''He has absolutely no real proof...He just knows that you knew Roderick was still alive before everybody else did."said Josie..

''We could win this in the preliminary." said Bresha.

"That's my plan!"said Olivia..

"Thank You Olivia....The sooner you do...The sooner I can get back to my life.."said Sylvia..

IV-

You poke around long enough and your quarry comes to me... I got a call on my phone from a man I did not know ,saying to meet him in Sam Mother's Diner..I would have preferred any place other than this.. I didn't want Lt. Tragg barging in , ruining my interview....I was crossing my fingers and praying he didn't come in...

I ordered a Burger and some coffee...If this man didn't arrive by the time I finished..I was leaving..Next time he contacted me...It would be on my terms..

An older white man walked in to the diner...He seemed to know who I was...He sat down with me and he ordered coffee..

He pulled out a glossy of Olivia, Beverly, Nelson, our client Sylvia , Josie and Myself after the acquittal.

"I'm a retired U.S. Attorney.....I was at the trial... Roderick  Peterson was a co-operating  witness...he helped us make a case against 40 Organized Crime Figures in Atlantic City...It was a career making case.. We put him in the Witness Protection Program....We told him he could take his wife with him..He explained that they were going through a divorce and to forget her...We gave him a new name... Thomas Jones...and we moved him to San-Francisco with a new job, New Social security card..The works... Then that idiot ,Lt. Arthur Tragg came up with this ridiculous theory that she was murdered that threatened to expose our entire operation.... That's when I contacted Jason Lockjoy.....his broker...He was the only person who knew that Roderick Peterson was actually still alive.. Roderick funneled money , money that the U.S. Government gave him to pay for your wife and her niece's services...We knew that if anybody could get Mrs. Peterson off, you guys could and you did not disappoint. We didn't know Peterson was going to come in out of the cold...We told him we couldn't protect him if he retirned to Philadelphia...Torres, the man he fingered got released from a 30 year sentence on a technicality...Luckily...his 39 henchmen are safely tucked away in Federal Prisons around the country..but he was out and living here.. We told Peterson that...but he needed to see his wife...Make things right." he said..

"You think Torres had him killed?" I asked.

"I don't know...I don't put it past him...We've been keeping an eye on him.." said the man..

As fate would have it..Lt. Tragg walked in and naturally, seeing me, he headed straight for our table..

My Mysterious guest plunked some dollars down on the table...enough to pay for his coffee and my burger and coffee and promptly walked out of the diner..

"WHO WAS THAT MAN?" asked Lt. Tragg..

''I don't know...He didn't give me his name." which was the truth..

"I could run you in....Get your license pulled you know." said Lt. Tragg..

"Yes you could...and you still wouldn't know....because I don't know who he is...He just told me he is a retired U.S. Attorney...that's all I know." I said.

"WHAT DID HE WANT WITH YOU?" asked Lt. Tragg...

I smiled.. "You do ask a lot of questions don't you?" I said..

Olivia walked in just then... She sat down next to me...

"Hi Baby...I heard you were here...So I came to make sure you were alright...Have some pie with me ,I heard it's very good." she said.

She ordered two slices of Key Lime Pie and a coffee...

"Refill my husband's cup please..."said Olivia, smiling.....

"NOW LOOK I ASKED YOU A QUESTION AND I WANT AN ANSWER!!" Lt. Tragg bellowed.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE LIEUTENANT?? WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING THIS WOMAN AND HER HUSBAND????I NEED YOU TO RECANVASS THE CRIME SCENE AND GET ME SOME MORE EVIDENCE FOR THIS CASE... WHY AREN'T YOU ON THAT?? Sorry Olivia...but I know you guys are already up on this." said ADA Nicole Edwards....

"Olivia Bennett-Alexander...I remember when you lectured at my law school, Middleton , 

You know two of my former classmates...

Bresha Billips...she works for you and her husband, 

Tony Billips..If you see them, tell them Sharon Carter said Hello." said Sharon Carter.

"I certainly will...I'm Happy to see you've become successful..."said Olivia..

Lt. Tragg was furious about being embarrassed in front of Olivia and I and bossed around by Nicole Edwards...He stomped his foot and stormed out of the diner.

Olivia and I finished our pie..and quietly went home...

(TO BE CONTINUED)