VENTURES: Ace In The Hole

THE OFFICE OF ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY KEN JENDELL.

"Here's the deal Yvette...I'll take the Death Penalty Off the table... He gets Life ,No Parole...If you skip a trial and take a guilty plea... That's the deal , take it or leave it." said ADA Ken Jendell.

"No deal..We are pleaqding Not Guilty and we have a pretty good case.."said Ms. Yvette.

"You've got to be kidding...We have a very strong case...we could win it on DNA alone."said ADA Ken Jendell.

''We plan to challenge that DNA Evidence...We have some experts of our own." I said.

"Everything isn't always as it seems." said Bee Bee.

"We have credible evidence to prove otherwise."said Sofia.

"You know us...We always come with receipts." said Kahlil.

"Oh you do, do you? This isn't one of Lt. Tragg's weak and poorly investigated cases....Lt. Arthur Clarke is one of the best in the business." said ADA Jendell.

"Maybe he was...but he's old school and not adept at new scientific methods of investigation.." said Jade.

"WHY YOU POMPOUS YOUNG...."snarled Lt. Clark.

"HEY WATCH IT!" said Ms. Yvette. She really didn't like Lt. Clarke.

"Relax Arthur....Yvette...You've been around...You're a canny lawyer...I've watched you over the years...You know when you've got a winning hand...You sure you want to play with your client's life like this? Goin once, Going twice..like I said..I'll take the Death Penalty Off the table... He gets Life ,No Parole...If you skip a trial and take a guilty plea... That's the deal , take it or leave it." said ADA Ken Jendell.

"We plan to leave it.." said Yvette... "Good day gentlemen...Come on guys...let's go." said Ms. Yvette.

We all followed her out the door.

"THOSE POMPOUS LITTLE RUNTS.."snarled an angry Lt. Clarke.

"I know Yvette...She's got an Ace up her sleeve or at least she thinks she does... She's a great poker player...Go back over that crime scene..Recanvass."said ADA Jendell.

TWO DAYS LATER-

COURTROOM WAITING AREA-

Bee Bee and I fetched coffees for the group. I had a big lipstick smudge on my jacket and my lapel..We had been kissing while in the long line.

Ms. Yvette took out a disinfectant wipe and took the lipstick off my collar and my face...

"You two are something else...Can't keep your hands off of each other." laughed Ms. Yvette.

I smiled sheepishly.

Bee Bee said nothing...She went in her purse and applied her lipstick.

"You bought that in Bridget's store didn't you....I have one just like it."said Sofia.

"Guilty as charged." said Bee Bee.

"Thanks for the coffee." said Kahlil.

"Thanks for the coffee."said Jade.

"Yeah thank you."said Alexa,.

"Thank you for letting us sit in as observers.." said Cassie.

Lt. Clarke and ADA Jendell walked past us...

"Look at em, swilling coffee like they don't have a problem in the world.."snarled Lt. Clarke.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmm" said ADA Jendell.

II-

COURTROOM B-

ROOM B-

"ALL RISE FOR JUDGE KELLY ANN MERCER!" said the Bailiff..

"Be Seated " said Judge Kelly Ann as she walked up to the bench...

"DOCKET 724, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA VS. RYAN COOPER, CHARGE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE." she said.

"Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning Attorneys and Prospective Jurors...I am Judge Kelly Ann Mercer. Welcome to my courtroom....I believe I know most of the lawyers involved in this case, but not all, like you Mr. Prosecutor...Could we start with Attorney introductions?" she said. We loved her...She was our favorite Judge.. So professional, yet so kind...

"ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY KEN JENDELL,representing the Commonwealth your honor." said Ken Jendell.

"Yvette Jones-Lockwood, Lead Attorney for the defense your honor." said Ms. Yvette.

Ryan sat next to her stoically. He was wearing a new suit and a nice fresh fragrance.

"Keith Jones, Attorney for the defense your honor."I said.

"Beatrice Evans-Jones, Attorney for the Defense your honor." said Bee Bee.

"Sofia Garcia -Ahmed, Attorney for the defense your honor."said Sofia.

"Kahlil Ahmed , Attorney for the defense your honor." said Kahlil.

Jade sat at a seperate table with Alexa and Cassidy.

"This is soo cool watching them in action." gushed Alexa.

"My Aunt used to work with them and against them at times...She told me they were some of the best lawyers she had ever met and great friends."said Cassidy.

"Your Honor, Attorneys Cassidy Skyler and Alexa Pratt are sitting in with us as observers."explained Yvette.

"That's fine... We will now have Juror selection." said Judge Kelly Ann Mercer.

Ken Jendall was smart and seemed to be well prepared...more prepared than most...He knew a little something about Voir Dire and was not going to let Kahlil and I run amok or so he thought.

Kahlil and I had the slight advantage...Our technology and my brilliant run down of each of the jurors, the way they voted in elections, their jobs, their education level, et al...gave us an advantage.. We knew it all going in..

Sofia and Bee Bee our little understudies , Protoge's if you will, both were helping us today as usual...They sat behind their laptops and whispered certain things we had talked about into our ears..

We got an 8-4 split, including the jury foreman....A Nice victory for us.

Yvette and Ryan smiled. Ryan gave us the thumbs up!

"They're good!" he said.

"Glad You Approve." said Yvette, smiling...and rubbing his back.

"OUTSTANDING! WE HAVE A JURY! Okayyyy, Trial will begin in this courtroom, promptly tomorrow at 9:00 AM...I ask that Jurors and Attorneys be on time and be ready for trial...Court dismissed." said Judge Kelly Ann.

"LOOK AT EM...SO SURE OF THEMSELVES!" said Lt. Clark as we walked out..

"We'll show em, eh counselor?" he said.

ADA Ken Jendell said nothing....He wasn't so sure at this point.

III-

THREE DAYS LATER-

ADA Jendell started out on all cylinders, painting a picture of a young womanizing attorney who was turned down by several young ladies and in desperation murdered Lorna Donavan who happened to be

wearing the same dress that Cassidy Skyler , the true object of his affection was wearing. He pointed out that Cassidy was in the courtroom...an observer for the defense and showed the jury photos of the late Lorna Donovan and compared her to Cassidy Skyler...Both women were the same height and same build..They were often mistaken for each other.

He brought witnesses...Witnesses from our office..People we knew.

Sofia and Bee Bee on cross were nothing less than brilliant...They got all of his witnesses to admit that although Ryan flirted with them...They viewed it as harmless and him as well..Not violent at all.. Basically he was a harmless nuisance they all agreed.

Yvette argued that our client had no prior police record...Not so much as a traffic ticket.

ADA Jendell argued that he killed in frustration after being rejected several times by Cassidy Skyler.

Kahlil argued Speculation...

Judge Kelly Ann agreed and his remarks were struck from the record.

Bee Bee and Sofia frustrated Jendell several times during the period by challenging many of his motions with good strong legal facts, based on laws from prior cases, predicates previously set up and just general law...

Judge Kelly Ann thought they were so cute and agreed with them....She was impressed with their knowledge of the law.

ADA Jendell was visibly frustrated at being bested by young girls who were just starting law school when he was out making his mark in the world.

Ms. Yvette and I began tackling the actual night of the murder...

We presented the Medical Examiner's Evidence...Lorna Donavan was attacked in the women's restroom on the 13th floor a little after 10:00 pm...She was sexually assaulted and strangled....Her time of death estimated at around 10:15 pm.

Our client left the building a little after his shift was over at 5:30 pm...Five hours earlier...We showed the jury Street Cam and building cam photos of him leaving..

Bee Bee interviewed the Valet who brought his car around and remembered bantering with him about the basketball game..

Kahlil produced a Debit card receipt of a Daily Double Ticket he purchased a few minutes later from a store down the street.

Sofia showed the jury a huge glossy photo of his credit card receipt....Showing he bought his dinner at Sam Mother's Diner at 6:15 am...

I showed another credit card receipt as well as street cam footage of him gassing his car up at a gas station two miles from our office at around 7:30 pm..that same night.

ADA Jendell argued that he could have done all that and come back to the building...

Yvette argued that while all of this was speculation, She dared him to prove it.. We showed film footage of everyone who entered and exited the building in between 7:30 pm and 10:00 pm.. and we interviewed the night watchmen who left duty at 8:00 pm and the one who was on from 8:00 until midnight...Neither of them recalled seeing Ryan in the building. Our building had cameras in the back as well and Ryan just wasn't on them...

Then ADA Jendell pulled out his trump card...."How do you explain that there is a positive DNA match in the semen found inside the young lady's body and in her panties...???? "He was certain he had Yvette and company then...

Yvette called Dr. Goggins who ran an independent DNA Lab and Dr. Hazel Baylor of our own Medical Examiners Office.

They both explained to the jury in length how even though you can have a DNA Match, all that means is that you or someone who shares your DNA is guilty of a crime... By doing something called a Genealogy search and with DNA from family members...we can now pinpoint the actual perpretrators.

ADA Jendell questioned them on cross...but the two women held their ground....

Yvette called her next witness....Frank Cooper...Ryan's father...A Senior Associate Attorney at our firm..

He had been watching the trial for the past three or four days...He wondered how he fit in...He looked at Cassidy, sitting as an observer for the defense..

He wondered what was her stake in all of this...She couldn't be smitten with his lightweight son could she? he wondered.

"You know everybody was looking for evidence that your son, Ryan either came back in the building or left...but we know now for sure that he left at 5:30 pm and did not return until the next morning...Everyone was busy looking for him on that footage and we forgot to look for you...You never left the building that night...Not until 10:30 pm as shown on this camera footage and you left from the back..and you had that nasty open scar on the side of your face... Did Lorna scratch you while you were raping her?" asked Yvette.

"I OBJECT!! INFLAMMATORY AND ARGUMENTIVE!AND GROSS SPECULATION!" screamed Ken Jendell.

"Question withdrawn..."said Yvette.....

"In Addressing the DNA match....Yes there is a DNA match...but we did a deep dive and did a genealogy search as Dr. Goggins and Dr. Baylor told us....using your DNA, taken from this napkin with your ejaculate and this handkerchief with your perspiration...and we found a DNA match that points to directly YOU Mr. Cooper...and only YOU!!"said Yvette.

And now he realized that Cassidy had set him up...The only way they had his direct DNA samples was that she obtained it and turned it in to them. It would be too embarrassing to explain how she got the samples and to sue her...He was livid.. He wanted to strangle her...He shook his head...He didn't say anymore...

"I- I- I - I would like to speak to an Attorney." he said...His hands shaking.

"That's a good idea...The Defense rests your honor." said Yvette.

ADA Jendell realized what Yvette's ACE in the hole was... It was Frank Cooper...She had a direct DNA match to him...He sighed...Yvette's investigator was right...Lt. Clark was a good detective, but he was old school and not adept at new technology....He shook his head and sighed.

''Alright the case goes to the jury....Jurors talk amongst yourselves...Don't discuss the details of this case with anyone.Court dismissed." said Judge Kelly Ann.

Nightfall...

We retired to our homes after court....The Trial had lasted four days...It was Tuesday Night....

Bee Bee was wearing a sheer see through Baby doll.....She had just taken a hot shower and walked into our bedroom..

My eyes popped out of my head..

She giggled..

"Oh my goddd..look at you...Are you going to act like this all the time You see me after a shower?..WOW!!! That boner is massive.Ouuuu look at you..." she said and put her hands over her mouth..

"You should be used to me by now..." she whispered...

"I know....I've been watching your lusciousness now for over a decade...."I said.

We began kissing...

"We did good in court...I'm certain we got an acquittal." she said.

"I am too." I said.

Passionately kissing...

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmm Hot Stuff your lips are sooo soft..." she moaned.

"AWWWWWWWWWWW and your body is so round, so supple." I said,

"AWWWWWWWWW!" she exclaimed.

"Is this something you bought at Bridget's store the other day?" I asked.

"Yes...The panties and the top...you like it? Of course you do." she giggled..

I undressed and slipped her bra and panties down and off and took her into my arms and kissed her softly...

"Ohhhhh my godddd, Bee Bee..."I moaned...

"Ummmmmm, ouuuuuuuuuuuu you are so hard....Ouuuuuu, look at youuuu!" she exclaimed as she stroked me lightly...

I spread her legs apart and entered her...

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU BEE BEE..." I moaned.

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU..HOT STUFF...Bee Bee moaned..

I spread her legs across the bed and entered her slowly...Her body began to tremble something fierce, her head moved from side to side and she began to cry like a little girl...

She wrapped her legs around my waist and held on to me for dear life...She laughed and cried tears of joy at the same time...

I didn't know if I was coming or going.

Soon we were making love passionately on top of the bed..Not thinking about the day's events..

The next EIGHT TO NINE HOURS, all we were thinking about was each other..

The same was next door at Kahlil and Sofia's house..

Sofia and Kahlil were lying across the bed..

Kissing ,fondling and laughing..

He unsnapped her bra and slipped her panties down and off...

"OHHHHHHHH MAMASITA!!!" he moaned...

Sofia eased herself down on Kahlil...

"OUUUUUUUUUUU PAPI...AYE MIOS DIOS!" Sofia moaned as she rode him on the side of the bed until neither one of them could take anymore...

Kahlil didn't know if he was coming or going...

Sofia was so wet...she couldn't believe herself...

She was crying tears of joy.....and her head was turning from side to side. She had an insane orgasm that caused her to cry out!

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she said.

Kahlil spread her legs across the bed and entered her slowly...Her body began to tremble something fierce, her head moved from side to side and she began to cry like a little girl...She was having her second orgasm of the night.

Sofia wrapped her legs around Kahli's waist and held on to him for dear life...She laughed and cried tears of joy at the same time...

Kahlil didn't know if I was coming or going.

before they too were making sweet love for the next EIGHT TO NINE HOURS!

Gary and Ms. Yvette were also making sweet love..

Gary couldn't wait to get Ms. Yvette out of her clothes

They had gone straight to the bedroom..

They had made love early into the morning hours....

Enjoying their massive and new smart bed..

Yvette smiled..The bed was sturdy and very very comfortable...It moved with their every move and was very comfortable and warm..It actually enhanced their lovemaking..

TEN TO ELEVEN HOURS had passed by.

Bee Bee and I were fast asleep in each others arms..

Sofia and Kahlil were in each others arms and still kissing, almost asleep.

And Gary and Ms. Yvette were sound asleep..

Jade and Danny Ho were really giving their bed quite a workout...

Kissing and moving up and down on each other in bed...

Hours of coital bliss

both in the bed and on the floor... It seems we all couldn't wait to get at each other...

And Ms. Virginia and Jetty's home....

Jetty was kissing Virginia passionately as he always did no sooner than he got her home,She was feeling the hard bulge in his trousers and shaking her head and smiling. "This man stays hard", she mused.

"Virginia, you are snatching my damn soul..." exclaimed Jetty

in between smouldering kisses.

Ms.Virginia laughed..."WHATTTTT?" she said.

She stripped down to her panties and Bra..

Jetty nearly fainted..

"AWWWWWWWW LAWWWD!" he proclaimed.

She laughed long and loud..

"You are so silly.." she said.

As they continued to kiss in the middle of the bedroom floor..

She slowly eased herself down on him and began to move slowly up and down...

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...OUUUUUUUUUUUUUU JETTTY, YOU'RE

SNATCHING MY SOUL!! OUUUUUUUU LAWDDDDDDDD MAN!, OUUU WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?" she asked as she experienced an orgasm like none she'd ever had..

Jetty humped her over the bed....

"OH MY GOD VIRGINIA....I'VE NEVER FELT LIKE THIS BEFORE ABOUT ANY WOMAN!" he moaned as his body trembled..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU FOR REAL?" she asked.,

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS." he moaned... "UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he grunted.

"WELL I'M GLAD YOU FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT ME." she exclaimed.

FOR THE NEXT EIGHT TO NINE HOURS, they made sweet ,sweet love....

Virginia was very satisfied.. She lie on Jetty's chest, breathing lightly...

"Virginia..I want you to buy some more lingerie like what you had on this afternoon...only in my favorite color..Lawd woman you was hot."said Jetty..

"Okay...but it'll cost ya...you have to give me the money for it. Bridget's fashions aren't cheap." she joked.

"Anything you want...How much?" he asked.

"I was kidding..." she laughed.

"Well you know what they say...Nothing is Free in America!" he laughed.

They both laughed before they dozed off in a deep relaxing sleep.

IV-

COURTROOM B- WEDNESDAY MORNING 10:00 AM-

"Has the jury come to a conclusion?" asked Judge Kelly Ann..

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

He passed the verdict envelope to the Baillif..

She passed the verdict to Judge Kelly Ann.

She read it and remained expressionless...

"Read it" she said.

"We the Jury of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the matter of Ryan Cooper on count one, SEXUAL ASSAULT of Lorna Donavan we find the defendant, NOT GUILTY! " she read..

"On Count Two , FIRST DEGREE MURDER of Lorna Donavan, we find the defendant, Ryan Cooper,

NOT GUILTY!" she read.

Ryan leaped in the air and high fived Kahlil and Me..

"YOWSA!!! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! THANK YOU SO MUCH" he yelled out..

''We want you to hang out with us this weekend.."I said.

"It'll be a good time." said Kahlil..

"YOU GOT IT!"he said..

He hugged Ms. Yvette for a long time and rocked her back and forth...

"YOU ARE THE BEST...NO WONDER YOU MADE PARTNER...THANK YOU!" he said.

"You're welcome..I never thought you did this." said Ms. Yvette.

He hugged Bee Bee, Sofia and Jade....

"THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH !" he said.

"Oh You are welcome." said Bee Bee.

"You are so welcome." said Sofia.

"You're so welcome."said Jade, smiling.

He and Cassidy embraced each other and began kissing....

Kissing each other passionately...

and unashamedly...

"OUUUUUUUUUU WEEEEEEE!" said Alexa,looking at them and laughing in amazing.

"OH MYYYYYYYYYYY!"gushed Ms. Yvette.

"Looks like those two were a thing after all." I said.

"Yeah, looks like you were right...You said you thought they were a thing." said Bee Bee.

"Ouuuuuuuuuuu look at those two."squealed Sofia.

"Bedsprings will be squeaking somewhere tonight."laughed Kahlil.

"Maybe before tonight."laughed Jade.

Frank Cooper angrilly stomped his foot upon seeing Cassidy and his son making out and stormed out of the courtroom.

"AHHHHHHHHHH...I DON'T BELIEVE IT! THEY GOT THE KID OFF...I DON'T BELIEVE IT!"snarled Lt. Clark.

But ADA Ken Jendell believed it... "Frank Cooper....Frank Cooper was Yvette's Ace in the hole...Well played Yvette." he said to himself as he left the courtroom.

EPILOUGE-

Frank Cooper was arrested ,charged and tried for the Rape and Murder of Lorna Donavan...He just barely escaped the Death Penalty....He was disbarred and sentenced to Life, No Parole. His son doesn't visit him.

SATURDAY NIGHT-

We all decided to meet and hang out at Food Corner...

Where we enjoyed Steaks Sandwiches and Hoagies..

Barbecued Chicken Wings and Pizza...

and Pizza...

It was that rare Saturday Night that the place was packed...

"Ouuuuuu I love this place...This is where you guys hang out?" asked Alexa Pratt...

"Well not every week...but it's nice to have a place like this so close to where we all live which is a few blocks from here." said Yvette.

"It's nice for casual dining on an afternoon when we are just hanging out.." said Gary..

"I've seen your homes...They're beautiful...I like it around here."said Alexa.

''We like them...We used to live in the apartments a few blocks the other way before we got married."I said.

"We visited Ms. Yvette and Sofia and I fell in love with the houses, the neighborhood..."said Bee Bee.

"And here we are..." said Sofia.

"Thinking about moving around here Alexa?" asked Kahlil.

"Yes...I looked at some units in those very apartments you guys used to live in." she said.

"Ouuuuu that's a start." said Jade.

"Yes...a good start." said Danny Ho.

"Ouuuuuuuuu look at those two...They haven't come up for air since we got here."laughed Virginia.

''Ahhhhhh leave em alone." said Jetty.

Cassidy had changed her mind about Ryan....

They couldn't keep their hands off of each other since we had gotten him cleared of murder charges..

They were kissing passionately...

So passionately, they hadn't ordered any food.

"My Niece has found a love connection...A young attorney at her firm.."mused Brenda Jordan, her aunt, who was out with us tonight...

She was here with her boyfriend, Attorney Warren Lloyd, who was with his former attorneys ,Olivia Bennett-Alexander, Beverly West, Nelson East, Josie Boyd and Bresha Billips and company...He was keeping a low profile.. Brenda had no idea that he had slept with Cassidy a few years ago.. And Cassidy, true to her word hadn't said anything...Still he felt on the hot seat.

"True Love can be beautiful." gushed Olivia.

"But it takes time."I added.

"You're such a poet Donnie Ray."laughed Beverly.

Nelson was enjoying an Italian Hoagie and a Slice of Pizza.

"How does he eat so much and not put on any weight?" laughed Josie.

"He works out at the Spa in our building everytime he comes over and we do play Basketball every

other week." said Paris.

"yeah you guys are active outside of the courtroom." said Bresha.

"And in the bedroom too!" whispered her husband....Tony. "That burns off a lot of calories." he said and winked.

"Oh Hush Up."said Bresha, blushing..

"These wings are delish."said Alfreda, munching on hot wings...

"Mmmmmmmm and they're hot too."said Rockland.

Our friend, Toni Robinson was also out tonight..

"Heyyy Toni...Where's Nick?" asked Jazzy.

"He's out of town on a case....I did my laundry....I didn't have anything to do and I was Hungry...So I walked up here..Glad to see you guys." she said,.