Pre-emptive Strike

An Average Monday Morning....

In Ms. Yvette's Office, the door is closed... She's gotten a visit from her husband, D.A. Investigator, Gary Lockwood...

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" she moaned softly...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"Gary moaned softly...

"Vettie, I don't want to let you go.." whispered Gary.....

"I don't want you to let me go...but you have to....I have work to do baby....Don't you/" asked Yvette..

They kissed a little more..

"Yeah....Unfortunately I do...

I've got to meet with Karen Page , Brooke Mars, Nattalie Tennison and David Charles downstairs....I'm investigating a case for them...with WRONGFUL CONVICTION UNIT!" said Gary.

"I forgot she shares you with Rockland...Stay here..Get yourself together... Let me go out and check in." Yvette laughed as she walked out into the lobby area..

"Your social calender is something today Vettie." said Virginia with a smile...you have another visitor.." she said..

Attorney Brenda Jordan was in the lobby, smiling...

"Yvette, Yvette...How nice to visit you in your new digs." she said.

"You've been up here before. Haven't you?" asked Ms. Yvette.

"I was up here with you, when they were bringing your stuff in...This is my first time here since you guys have set up shop... I see you've hired an Office Manager...Ms. Virginia Shaw.....Great hire.."said Brenda.

"That's Mrs. Dukes...She married Judge Jetty Dukes over the Christmas Holiday. He works in this building too...

A few floors down at the Legal Ethics Board..." said Yvette..

"Ohhh How Nice...Congratulations on your wedding..." said Brenda.

"Thank you.."said Virginia.

'I'll see you tonight baby." said Gary, leaving out of her office..

''See ya babe!" said Yvette, taking Brenda by the hand.. "Let me give you the tour.." she said.

"Ohhhh Myyyy!" she said.

"This is our conference room and law library....

And this is our media room...

THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY KEITH JONES-

"This is Keith's Office..

He's meeting with and working a case with Attorney Dabnis Coley..." said Ms. Yvette.. I waved at her and Brenda...They waved back..

THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY KAHLIL AHMED...

"This is Kahlil's Office.. He's working on a case with Attorneys Ray St. Jacques and Tony Billips..

The three were so deeply engrossed in conversation that they didn't notice Ms. Yvette and Brenda.

THE OFFICE OF BEATRICE "BEE BEE" EVANS

"She's working a case with Attorneys Jasmine "Jazzy" Coley and Kayla Bennett-St. Jacques."

Bee Bee waved at Ms. Yvette and Brenda.. They both smiled and waved back.

THE OFFICE OF SOFIA GARCIA-AHMED.

''Sofia is working an IMMIGRATION CASE with INNOCENCE PROJECT ATTORNEYS, Jessica Sanchez-Burrows and her husband, Charles "Chip" Burrows

The three of them waved at Yvette and Brenda...

THE OFFICE OF JADE LEE HO- INVESTIGATOR

Only Jade was alone in her office, looking at her laptop..

''My My Myyyy your young protoge's are now working independently of you and are busy, working with other attorneys.." said Brenda..

"I was training them for this...For the day when they could operate independently of me...Operate on their own...The four of them have exceeded my expectations and in record time...I am so proud of them."said Yvette, gushing like a proud mother.

"It's great you all work in this building down here away from everything.."said Brenda.

''Soooooooooo Brenda...You've had the grand tour.. So, tell me....What kind of trouble are you in now?  You need my help for something don't you/" asked Yvette..

"Vettie....I am hurt...To think that you would think I'd just visit you because I need your help.........Okay, time to cut the crap....I do need your help."said Brenda.  My associate's lover has gone missing...His lover's name is Lenny Fischer. He hasn't been seen in three weeks...He told me of his concern about a week ago...He's a photographer out on a boat at the Marina...Not too far from here...His boat is empty ,except for his cameras, an anchor is missing and there is missing tarp...He is very worried."said Brenda

''Seems like your friend needs to go to the police.."said Ms. Yvette.

He did...and Detective Sgt. Sam Smith of Missing Persons has been on it for two weeks....Talked to all of his friends and associates and it seems they haven't heard from him either...His car is still in the Marina Parking lot, cold to the touch and his car keys are on his boat...

and mail is piling up at his apartment...They went in there and the beds are neatly made up ,The Kitchen sink is bone dry, not a dirty dish in the  sink as if no one has been there for awhile...

They turned it over to Homicide... Detective Sgt. Brice.. He's good... He interviewed the last known person he photographed.

Candace Hamilton.....He did a nude spread of her and some sexy photos of her in hot lingerie..." said Brenda.

"Her I know...I had a nasty run in with her and her husband... They sued a client of mine and we went to court....a very bitter battle with their attorney....We won and then they tried to sue McCluskey/Cozen/Connor and Pratt personally...They lost again...She's not the biggest fan of me or my firm.. " said Yvette..

"Her husband is not too nice either...He was particularly shocked when he found out the photographer was gay....I didn't understand why that mattered...but he tersely told me not to stop by his house again unless I wished to speak with his attorney..."said Brenda.

''Well Bren...you really have no skin in the game....You're an Attorney and this seems like a police matter."said Ms. Yvette.

''Which is why I am really here...Lt. Arthur Tragg has just come off the boat after 90 days away...I know you guys were in heaven.." said Cheryl.

"Girrrrl we were in heaven...We Went to couples night at Curleys and really enjoyed ourselves for like the past month or so...We ate at Sam Mothers Diner, just like in the old days....Sissy and her cops were there and it was like how it used to be, All of us meeting there, laughing, eating talking..It was so nice with him not being around...and now I hear he's back..."said Yvette.

"He's back and he's taken over what is now considered a Homicide in the case of Lenny Fischer..

"My associate is an attorney, His name is Effrom Burke....An advocate for LGBTQ rights. Lt. Tragg has had him down at the station three times already questioning him about his whereabouts and about rumors that he and Lenny had broken up and had some relationship discord in the past month or so... They did, but no more than any normal young couple... Effrom fears he's going to be charged with this.

Effrom needs a good attorney....I was hoping you would at least talk to him...Meet with him." asked Brenda.

"You know , there is no body found to date...Now Lt. Tragg's last case, which got him beat up twice, jailed and put on the Marine Boat involved a case where he arrested a woman falsely , twice...six years apart in a crime where there was originally no body and she sued the city for false arrest and harrasment..and won a hefty 2.5 million dollar settlement...You'd think he would want to stay away from any case like that."said Yvette.

''Yes, that case was in the papers and all over the Television.. The Sylvia Peterson case... Olivia and Beverly's case... They got an acquittal for her in 2017 and they got another acquittal for her...Which gave her grounds, reasonable grounds to sue.. Well here we go again..Another case where there is no body...and Lt. Tragg dancing with another prosecution..."said Brenda.

Speaking on Olivia and Beverly's almost simular case.

"The man has a thick skull...He never learns... Come on girl, let's go have some lunch.." said Ms. Yvette. "I'll meet with Effrom...You set it up." said Yvette. 

Unknown to any of us at the time...The Skeletal remains of  Lenny Fischer were at the bottom of the river, weighted down by cement shoes...wrapped in tarp...

II-

That afternoon, everybody was snug as a bug on the train...headed home after a Long Days work...

"This feels more like a Thursday or Friday than it does a Monday Afternoon...."said Ms. Yvette.. "The Kids wrapped up all of the cases they were working on today and our slate is semi-clear." she said.

"Semi Clear Boss Lady?" asked Jade, who was sitting next to her...

"Yeah, tomorrow, you and I have to meet with a potential client.. He feels as though his arrest may be imminent...Nothing has happened yet...Hopefully it won't." said Yvette, leaning back..

"I wrapped up my case early today....Me, Jazzy and Kayla went up the gym and worked out...We all had a good workout and a nice hot shower...I'm real mellow..."said Bee Bee to me.

"I like you when you're like that...You can run me a nice hot bath..." I said to Bee Bee...

"Ummmmmmmmm that sounds nice... Que up some nice smooth music and make a night of it hot stuff." she said softly...

Soon we were kissing passionately....

''Did you finish up your case was Ray and Tony?  I finished up my case with Jessica and Chip...I'm all yours tonight papi." said Sofia..

"Yeah we wrapped everything up....I'm free and clear...It's nice when we all finish up on the same day."said Kahlil..

They were soon kissing passionately...

"Ummmmmm baby....I'm a reasonably successful Black Attorney with a big penis, who would like nothing better than to put it inside of you..." Dabnis whispered to Jazzy.....

"Ouuuuuuuu hoohoo hooooo hoooo hooooo!" she giggled...As Dabnis felt her soft, shapely legs and slowly snaked his hands up her skirt....

"DABNISSSSSSS!! Chill out...We are on the train!" she laughed.....

"Did I ever tell you that you're my favorite Bennett woman?" Ray whispered softly into Kayla's ear....

Ray was kissing Kayla passionately....and rubbing her legs..

"I'd better be." laughed his wife Kayla in between sloppy kisses..

"Yvette is going to hear you tonight ,because when we get home...I'm gonna put it on you."whispered Chip to Jessica..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu I can't wait." said Jessica

As they began kissing passionately...

'Wow...Next week I'll be staying in the sub-basement of Olivia and Beverly's house as we get ready to get married."said David Charles...

"So you better take advantage of enjoying me all you can this week."laughed his fiance, Natalie..

"Everything okay at work today?" Brooke asked her husband, Sean, who rode to work with us now, even though he worked a few blocks away from us.

''Oh yeah, kinda slow in between cases.." he said.

Virginia and Jetty weren't talking...They were kissing like two teenagers.....

"I know with all this kissing going on , you can't wait to see Bree....I know I can't wait to see Josie."said Paris , who was sitting next to Tony....

"You better know it mannn."said Tony....

The Train let most of us off... We all waved goodbye and walked toward our homes...

until tomorrow, when we met at the same train station to go back to work...

Rockland was already there to meet his wife, Alfreda... And Paris joined his wife Josie and Tony joined his wife, Bresha at Olivia and Beverly's house for dinner..

Which was served for the entire staff Monday Through Thursday unless they were in court for trial. Just an average Monday Night...

And at Ms. Yvette's home that night...

"Hey Sweets...I brought you home a platter...You can warm it up in the Microwave..."said Yvette...

"Thank You Baby....I'll eat it while you take the warm bath I just ran for you....I used your favorite bath salts....and there is a glass of the Champaigne left over from the birthday party at Curleys on the counter for you..."said Gary...

"OUUUUUUUUU YOU EARNED YOURSELF A KISS!" said Yvette...

They kissed passionately....

Gary helped her out of her clothes...

Unsnapped her bra..

and eased her panties down....

"OH MY GOD ANCHORS AWAYYYYYY!" Gary exclaimed..

"You are so silly....I'll see you in the bedroom in a few." Yvette said seductively.....continuing to kiss him as she fully undressed and headed for the bathroom...

A HALF HOUR LATER-

Gary ambushed Yvette in the bathroom....

"You couldn't wait could you?" said Yvette, who was lotioning her legs....She had just finished a nice relaxing bath....

"No, I couldn't.." said Gary.,.... Yvette's skin was so soft and she smelled so good....Gary was near delirious.....He had thought about nothing all day but his sexy wife and how much he wanted her...

He placed her on the sink and entered her slowly and gently ...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she gasped loudly....

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LAWWWD!" he moaned...

A HALF HOUR LATER!

She was sitting on top of him on the side of their bed...moving up and down and kissing him passionately...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU GARYYYYYYYYY!!! UMMMMMMM!" she cooed softly..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YOU'RE MY SWEET SWEET GIRRRRRRRL!"moaned Gary...

They made sweet, slow and tender love for the next EIGHT TO NINE HOURS! 

Both of them climaxing together and loudly......

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

"Ouuu that was so relaxing baby! " cooed Yvette as she lie on top of Gary, catching her breath...

Gary rubbed her butt softly...

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the river....Lenny Fischer 's remains were at the bottom of the river, weighted down by cement shoes...wrapped in tarp...

III-

The next day....Attorney Effrom Burke  met with us...

"Thank you guys for meeting with me... I'm being pro-active here...That Jackass, Lt. Tragg is getting ready to charge me with murder...I can feel it...We don't even know if a murder has been committed or if Lenny is dead....I'm hoping he is alive.." said Effrom..

"Effrom...Everything is pointing to Lenny being deceased...I hate to say... His mail ,including bills has been piling up for two weeks...Several people who he had appointments with to do photo shoots haven't heard from him... His car is still in the Marina Parking Lot.. His car keys are still on the boat... and there has been no movement on his credit cards or debit cards in three weeks.. People don't just drop out of sight like that....I don't mean to alarm you...but it certainly looks like he met with foul play.... Still I admire you being pro-active..."said Yvette..

"I mean we are just attorneys , not cops...but can you provide an alibi for where you were on the day he vanished and tell us about when you last saw him?" I asked.

"I can give you my entire itenerary for that week...My credit and debit will coincide with everywhere I was during those days and I have a list of witnesses, credible witnesses who will verify my whereabouts.." said Effrom.

''Excellent...you're an attorney like us...You know how this works.."said Bee Bee.

"Do you have a list of charactor witnesses?" asked Sofia.

''Right here!" said Effrom , who pulled out a list of  20 people....Most of them attorneys , their phone numbers and their addresses..."They will attest to my good charactor..." he said.

''Excellent...We'll be in contact with these people in case you get arrested and I guess all we have to do is get a judge.." said Kahlil...

"Of course you know , I am going to vet all of these people...your charactor witnesses and these people you had interviews with...and I will be checking your bank accounts and your credit cards thoroughly.."said Jade.

"I expect you to...You're an investigator...That's your job....Lt. Tragg has had me down at Central Booking three times in the past week...I see no evidence that he is looking at any other suspects... I am certain he's going to arrest me for murder in a few days....and as bad as it looks...There still is no proof that Lenny is actually dead...He could have been kidnapped for all I know."said Effrom Burke.

"Thank You for not driving here...Check your car when you get back...Lt. Tragg likes to put trackers ,GPS Trackers on people's car..." said Yvette.

"Yes, I know..I've discovered several of them....I've disabled them and mailed them to him... I suspected he had undercovers or plain clothes men following me.. I took three cabs in opposite directions today before I hopped the subway here..I'm certain I lost his men... I know he doesn't know you all work down here and I would never give your secret away..."said Effrom..

'It's early...but let me give you this... It's a Portal...We can give you updates on how your case is progressing, provided there is a case..."said Bee Bee.

"From now on you will not contact us by our business phones or our personal phones, you will contact us by  this burner phone and this number... It can't be traced..."said Sofia.

passing him a burner phone.

"You guys really don't leave any stone unturned...Brenda told me you guys were really cool, She didn't lie." said Effrom... 

He got up, He shook all of our hands and bid us farewell.

After he left...Yvette looked at us...

''Seems too neat doesn't it? Or am I the only one who thinks so?" asked Ms. Yvette.

" No....I thought so too... Buttt...Considering Lt. Tragg has been on his back.....I can understand his need to prepare for the worst..." I said.

"He's a Lawyer...He's being smart...He sees the writing on the wall.." said Bee Bee..

''Sylvia Peterson did the same thing...She met with Olivia and Beverly three days before she was arrested for the second time for the same crime."said Sofia.

"He's being smart....You know Lt. Tragg is going to bust him and have it all over the news...So why not be prepared....It's a shame most people aren't prepared before they get arrested. They sit in custody for god knows how long before they have legal representation.." said Kahlil...

''At any rate...We've got a murder case or what looks like one...I've got some digging to do."said Jade.

Out in the lobby area..

"Virginia, so nice to see you out and free again and working at a great law firm....Still dressing to the nines like I remember when I clerked for you...Sorry you can't practice anymore..but you seemed to have landed well.. Married to a Judge....Who needs to practice huh?" said Effrom as he left our office.

"I do more than just act as an Office Manager here....I'm a consultant also....This job pays well and I'm happy now...I'm at peace.....I hope all goes well with you."said Virginia.

"I hope so too!  Thank You Virginia." said Zac as he left our office suite.

WHILE MILES AWAY!!

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST HIM?" said a livid Lt. Tragg to his plain clothes men...

"He must have made us... He took three cabs in opposite directions and then vanished...He 's a real professional.."said one Plain clothes guy...

"YEAH HE'S A PROFESSIONAL, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY YOU KNUCKLEHEADS LOST HIM!"said Lt. Tragg.

"You had a GPS Tracker on his car....How did you lose him?" asked another  plain clothes officer..

"IF YOU EVER WANT TO MAKE DETECTIVE, YOU'll button your lip buddy." said Lt. Tragg.

IV-

The Marine Unit, The Very same unit that Lt. Tragg had just finished serving a 90 day stint with scanned the river...They sent a mini sub down...

and they discovered a body, covered with tarp and weighed down with a cement block...

The body was brought up to the surface..

Having been missing for three weeks it was in bad shape...Rigor had set in and the body was blue...Almost unidentifiable.

"This man was shot once in the head.....he was dead when he was rolled up in tarp and weighted down.."said a Crime Scene Investigator..

''When we get him to the morgue...We'll be able to do a DNA analysis and do Xrays of his teeth and get an identification that way...All we know for now is that this is a white male, Death most likely by gunshot wound to the head..."said Dr. Hazel Baylor..

"The fact that the water is so cold this time of year....It's a wonder the body is this well preserved...The Tarp covering did help..."said Dr. Marcy Martin.

An Unmarked police car

and several other police cars drove up...

It was Lt. Tragg!! 

He looked at the body...

"This man was shot once in the head.....He was dead when he was rolled up in tarp and weighted down.."said a Crime Scene Investigator..  'We can't make a positive identification yet Lieutenant, but we have estimated that this body has been underwater at least three weeks." said another CSI man.

"This is Lenny,Lenny Fischer. The Queer Fashion Photographer boyfriend of that querro lawyer, Effrom Burke, who vanished three weeks ago... I coulda told you he'd been dropped in the river."remarked Lt. Tragg.

"Lieutenant TRAGG!! When you talk like that....It comes off as being very homophobic."said Dr. Marcy Martin.

"Oh excuse me...I meant to say...The uh Homosexual Gentleman who is the significant other of the other homosexual gentleman, Effrom Burke.. Heh heh heh." he laughed sarcasticallly. Some of the police officers snickered a little bit.

Apparently you didn't hear the CSI guy... He said the corpse is UNIDENTIFIABLE...Which means we don't know who this is...Look at the body, it's blue...We won't know who he is for sure until we get him to the Medical Examiners Office and do a full work up...So please do not tell the press that we have recovered the body ."said Hazel loudly and sternly....Another showdown was brewing.

"YOU DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO SAY AND WHO TO SAY IT TO...IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?? I AM THE DETECTIVE HERE AND BEING THE SUPERIOR OFFICER I MAKE THE FINAL DECISION!" said Lt. Tragg..

"You're "Superior" only due to time in rank, otherwise...A first year detective is better than you..Okay guys...wrap him up and let's get him out of here....We don't want him to deteriorate any further than he has.." said Hazel..

As they wheeled the body out...

"You know ,I've complained about you to Doc Gibbons and he won't do anything. I see I'm going to have to complain to the State Board about you....maybe both of you...you and him.."said Lt. Tragg.

Hazel pulled out her phone.

"I keep them on Speed Dial...Call em up....With your track record....They ought to get a good laugh." said Hazel defiantly...

Before he could respond....His phone rang.

"It's the Deputy of Operations...I've got to take this... Yes sir..I believe we've found the body of Lenny Fischer...What sir? No sir, they have not made a positive identification..but.....Okay...Alright....I will not say anything to the press concerning this until positive identification is made...Yes sirrrrrr sirrrr...No sir, I do not want to go back on the boat....Sirrrrrrr, who said I was making homophobic remarks??? Who told you that???  I-I-I just may have been uh joking with the guys....you know..locker room talk! I'm sorry sir....I will not do that again sirrr.... Yes sirrrrrr sirrrr...No sirrrrrrr sirrr my head is not up my ass sirrrr... Sir there is no need for that type of language....Yes sirrrrrr sirrrrrr....I understand sir...yes sir...sirrrrrrrr....It won't happen again and I will keep my big mouth shut until we have confirmation...sirrrrrrrrrr!" he said and hung up.... He was near tears....

He glared angrilly at the CSI men and uniformed officers.....

"ONE OF YOU GUYS CALLED THE DEPUTY OF OPERATIONS...AND IF I FIND OUT....IF I FIND OUT...THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY!" he growled... He was so angry and hurt..he was shaking...and you could see he was fighting back tears...

Without saying another word...

He turned and got in his unmarked police car and sped off.

A FEW BLOCKS AWAY- IN OUR BUILDING-

THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY KEITH JONES-

Bee Bee and I were in my office with the doors closed and the shades drawn for the past NINETY MINUTES....Kissing passionately...

I had gotten her nearly out of her clothes....

I was about to unsnap her bra...

and slip her panties down , when she stopped me..

"Nooooooooo, we are not going to do this in here..Not working hours...." said Bee Bee., She put her dress back on and fixed her clothing...

"Whoooooooo that was close...whew.....I'm going to stop coming in here...You're always trying something." she laughed.

I was breathing heavy as I straightened my clothing....Bee  Bee wiped her lip stick off of my face and my lapel... and she applied lipstick and fixed her hair..

''Wow, you can sure tell we don't have anything to do today..." I joked.

There was a knock on the door..

I opened the door..

Kahlil smiled..

"I uh wasn't interrupting anything was I?" he asked with a wry smile.

"No...Not at all." said Bee Bee with a straight face,..

''What's Up?" I asked.

"The Police recovered a body from the river a little while ago... it had been covered in tarp and weighted down with cement..The body is unidentifiable for the moment, but it had a nice neat bullet hole in the head..." said Kahlil.

"I think it's Lenny Fischer....Although we won't know for sure until the M.E.'s office does a complete identification... That might take a couple of days..But maybe we should call Effrom and prepare him."said Sofia.

and in the other part of our suite...

"The Police recovered a body from the river a little while ago... it had been covered in tarp and weighted down with cement..The body is unidentifiable for the moment, but it had a nice neat bullet hole in the head...I think it's Lenny Fischer....Although we won't know for sure until the M.E.'s office does a complete identification... That might take a couple of days..But maybe we should call Effrom and prepare him."said Jade.

''I'll call him....Now we wait. We wait to see if Lt. Tragg will jump the gun and call a press conference before confirmation like he always does...Will he rush to judgement and arrest Effrom ,like he always does or both." said Ms. Yvette.

''Probably both." said Virginia.

All three women laughed in unison..

(TO BE CONTINUED)