Never What It Looks Like

The next morning, I stared out the window of our terrace at the beautiful sunshine and the gorgeous beach..

It was a little over 90 degrees...and back in Philadelphia, they were struggling through snow and near freezing temperatures...In my native New Orleans ,it was probably only about 50 to 60 degrees...No, this was a slice of Heaven...

My wife, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander sat up in bed in just her panties and bra tapping on her laptop computer and Face timing on her IPAD mini at the same time to our office manager back in Philly, Josie Boyd.

"I just emailed you the information you wanted on the accounts..Did you get them Liv?" she asked.

"I got em...Thanks girlie...How is it there in Philly?..." she asked...

"Cold...It's 23 degrees today, but at least it's not snowing." she said...

I popped my face near the tablet and said. "It's 93 here today...."

''Oh Go away Donnie Ray." she said and laughed..."Liv make your husband go away." she laughed...

''Stop teasing Josie." laughed my wife,Olivia... "Thanks for this information...It's downloading now...Wish you were here girl." said Olivia..

"I do too...see you guys when you get back." she said.

I was still in my boxers...I walked over to our fridge and took out a Coke and poured it in a glass...I added some ice...  I looked over at Liv...

''What you got?" I said.

"Rollie was right to be worried...Rollie opened this trust fund for the boy when he was born..It's his sister's son..He put six million dollars in it and she doubled that...Over the years the interest made it jump to 18 million." said Olivia...

"And yet there is little over 6 million in it now." I said.

"Right!  Somebody has just recently been moving huge amounts of money out...but there is no way to tell who..We'd have to call a bank." said Olivia..

"The boy is starting to make money as a doctor, but there is no sign that he is using the money..Plus he can't touch it until he's married..''I said.

''I'd like to talk to the executor of the fund, this Ed Hankins fellow." she said.

''He's Rollie's most trusted advisor...I checked him out...he's been with Rollie since the beginning..Used to date his sister...The boy's mother at the time..."I said.

"You check his finances?" asked Olivia..

"No...but I'm sure you will." I said ,laughing...

There was a knock on the door... I slipped on some trousers and Olivia slipped up under the covers...

I answered the door...It was Detective Fosdick. He had a young woman in handcuffs....It was the Bride to be!!!!The woman I had seen in the bar with Wallace and Bev the night before!! Ginger!!

"Alexander!!! I've cracked the case...This is your killer!" he pronounced...

"Noo..Nooo. I didn't kill anybody...I swear I didn't....You're wrong, please..Let me go." she screamed..

A crowd was starting to gather outside my room...The Bridesmaids , The mother and father of the bride and some of the other guests..

"Heyy Hold up man...Are you sure?" I asked...

"Yes..I am...We found the dead man's boxer shorts in her bedroom,by her night stand..." he said...

"WHAT?" I said.

"Oh My" said Olivia...

By now her groom to be had come down the hall...

"Ginger no....You and Gary?" he said.

"Wally No...It's not what it looks like.." she said.

It never is!
II-

"She had the boys drawers in her bedroom...It's got to be her." said Fosdick...

"How do you know that they're his boxers?' I asked...

He produced the boxers...They had his name monogramed on them...They were silk with white horses on the side ....I couldn't argue with that...

''Uhhh,put those in a plastic bag man...That's evidence, DNA and otherwise." I said.

By now, my wife had put on some clothes ...She came to the door....

A Robust man in a suit came walking through the hall...

"What's goin on here?" he asked.

"Who are you sir?" asked Detective Fosdick...

"I'm Edward Hankins....I'm the boys uncle. Come on Wallace...The wedding is cancelled." he said.

"Uncle Ed wait! " said a tearful Wallace Anderson.

''Heyyy Wait a minute..Wait a minute...Let's get to the bottom of this first."said Olivia..

"Who are you to end my daughter's wedding??/This is all your fault." said Ginger's mother who broke into tears...

"My fault? Your daughter is the one with the groomsman's drawers in her bedroom.." said Edward Hankins...

''Why you fat bastard...I'll put my foot up your......" said Ginger's father, who had to be restrained by several of the other groomsmen...

"Hold me back...Holdddd me back...I've knocked out heavyweights..I can handle you." screamed Edward Hankins...Who was also being restrained...

"Wait a minute...Just wait a minute!!...The wedding can still go on...Let's not jump to conclusions."said Olivia.

I looked at Olivia...Who looked at Mr. Fosdick...

"I'm the lead detective on this case...FRANKLIN "FEARLESS" FOSDICK...FOSDICK IS MY NAME!!
HOMICIDE IS MY GAME!!!" he exclaimed..

I wondered if this man was trying to get a reality show or something the way he kept broadcasting his name..

"I'm telling you..This is all a mistake...I didn't kill anybody...I swear I didn't..I need a lawyer.."she wailed..


"I'm an attorney, My name is Olivia Bennett-Alexander...Just calm down dear..." she said.

She looked at Detective Fosdick...

"Before you arrest her...Get rid of  all these people...Let's take her to a room where we can talk at least...In private.." she said.

The girl's father walked over to Olivia...

"You're an Attorney?" he asked.

''Yes Sir,I am." she said.

"I have money...please help her...She didn't kill that jive ass fool...I don't know why Wallace invited him anyway..He knows that Gary used to have a thing for my daughter.." he said.

"Now wait a minute" said Ed Hankins....

''Everybody relax...Relax...We are all going to go downstairs to a private room and sort this out...Just relax." I said.

"Alright everybody...disperse..there is nothing to see here...Nothing at all...I'm going to interrogate the suspect privately...I'll let you all know when we've come to a conclusion...I'm the lead detective on this case...FRANKLIN "FEARLESS" FOSDICK...FOSDICK IS MY NAME!!HOMICIDE IS MY GAME!!!" he exclaimed..

Everyone looked at me....I shrugged my shoulders....Then I shook my head...

III-

Olivia, Detective Fosdick , Ginger Patterson, the bride to be and I all went to an empty room provided by the hotel staff....

It was perfect....

"Baby, tell us what happened?" said Olivia..

"Like my dad said...Gary and I used to date for awhile...When we were in school...before I met Wally...Then, we broke up....I met Wally and we got engaged....When I saw Gary down here ,I was surprised..He and Wally weren't even that tight.." she said.

"How did Gary afford to come down here?" I asked..

"I don't know...He told me that he got the money with his invitation...but Wally told me that he didn't invite him or send him any money...But once he arrived here and with a matching tux..he couldn't turn him away." she said.

"Wait!  Neither you, nor your intended invited him?" asked Olivia...

"Wally invited him, just out of courtesy, but he didn't send him any money....Gary wound up here with his hotel paid in advance, a round trip ticket and a tuxedo...Nobody knew how he could afford it...He said somebody sent him the money...he assumed it was us."

"How did the boys drawers end up in your bedroom? " asked Detective Fosdick.

"I was in my room about to doze off...He came in my room through the connecting door and took his clothes off and got in the bed with me...he said he'd gotten my text...Only,I didn't send him a text...He was as erect as a board...He tried to rip my panties off...I fought him off...I told him to get out and that I was going to tell Wally...That's the truth...He grabbed his clothes and he ran out...I guess he forgot his boxers...That's the truth." she said.

"Let me see your phone." I said.

She passed it to me...There was a text to Gary Robinson from her- "I'm Horny baby, come on up and get this good good."

"I didn't send that text...I don't even talk like that....I didn't even know his cell phone number." she said.

"Who is in the room next to yours?" I asked.

"Evelyn Sway" she said.

"Evelyn Sway....It all makes sense." I said.

"What are you talking about?" said Fosdick...

"Robinson flirted with Evelyn Sway and drugged her for a reason....He couldn't be seen going in the Brides room...but Evelyn's room was another matter...He drugged her, so he could have access to Ginger's room without being seen...Their rooms connect..He came in through the side door there. He went in her room and got disappointed...and he realized he got played...It was at this time he must have approached his "sponser"and threatened to out him or her and at that point...He was killed to shut him up..."I said.

"So...you think she's telling the truth?" said Fosdick...

"Yes,I do...We got to check Robinson's phone." I said.

"Where is his phone?" asked Fosdick...

"It's at Police headquarters with all of the other evidence." I said.  Olivia held her head down to keep from laughing..

"Uhhh Oh...Well I'm going down there and check it out...Yeah,I'll uh ,check it out." he said.

"You do that...and when you come back ,I'll see if I can come up with anything..." I said.

"Okay, you do that." he said and left...

Olivia and Ginger walked out of the room...

"Thank you so much, both of you." she said...Tears streaming down her face...

Wallace Anderson was standing in the hallway with Beverly...

"It's okay Wallace...It was all a mistake...Your girl didn't kill Gary and nothing happened between them,Somebody,probably his murderer lured him into her room under false pretenses.." said Olivia.

Wallace hugged Ginger and the two of them walked away....Beverly stood there watching...

I walked over to her....

''You alright?" I asked.

"Yeah...I'm okay."said Beverly.

"Liar...Come on...Let's get some brunch...I'm starving...Come on Liv...and then we are going to get out of here and go shopping.." I said..

"That's a good idea.." said Bev...

Olivia put her arms around me and Beverly kissed me on the cheek...An Old man looked at me and the two women and smiled..I can imagine what he thought...but like most things.. They are never what they look like at first.

(DEFINITELY TO BE CONTINUED..)