All Things Considered

Olivia showered and began to get dressed... A week had passed and she and Beverly were still arguing this case...

I was already dressed and I watched attentively as she looked in her closet for an appropriate dress to wear to court...

''Stop looking at me like that" she joked as my eyes followed her..

"Like what?" I smiled..

"Like you want to ravish me...We don't have time for that..We've got to be in court today." she said as she picked a dress..

"But I do want to ravish you dear..."I laughed.

"Tonight, Okay?" she smiled...as I helped her zip up...

"Okay, but when you wear that dress, it's very hard for me to keep my mind out of the gutter."I said.

She kissed me softly..

"Try." she said.  "Speaking of the gutter...Things have sure changed in that courtroom"she said.

''Oh? How so?" I said.  I hadn't been in court with her and Bev in about a week..I had been chasing leads..Trying to locate the surogate mother,Brenda Blake..

"Remember Herbert Drinkwater, the other attorney on the case?  Herbert who practically slobbered over me and Bev so much that he couldn't concentrate? Herbert Drinkwater with the wandering hands??

"Yeah..I've been meaning to pull him to the side and speak to him about that." I said.

"You don't have to...He's been the consumate professional the past few days...Really on top of things...No salacious remarks ,no staring at cleavage or buttocks...and no wandering hands...He hardly smiles...He's strictly business...It's like somebody kidnapped him and gave us his evil,serious clone."laughed Olivia.

"Really..He's really into it..Been very helpful..And his behavior is not the only weird change...That Judge!! Juanita Corley!!! She actually smiles when she comes to court..She complimented me on my outfits everyday last week...And told me that she thinks I'm a very crafty and smart lawyer...She complimented Bev too..Said she had the makings of a fine lawyer and said that I was mentoring her well..Bev nearly fainted." laughed Olivia..

"I can't imagine that ."I said laughing..."What about Sonny Cochran? Has his personality changed ?" I laughed...

"No...but I saw him in the cafeteria and he asked me if I noticed the change in the Judge...He's as perplexed as Bev and me." she said.

''Wow..Imagine that?" I said.

"Not only that...She has ruled in our favor all last week and even admonished Sonny Cochran a few times....He's obviously in the dog house with her right now..I don't know what he did." she said..

"You girls may win this thing yet." I laughed...

"Yeah...We just might." she said.

II-

We met Beverly at Sam Mother's Diner....She was reading through a few files ,waiting for her breakfast to arrive.

"I'll be glad when this case wraps up ..It's putting a cramp on my love life...I've been up all night in the law library looking up precedents..There aren't many.." she said.

"I've been there with you baby..In fact, if I don't show my husband some kind of affection soon..I think he's going to leave me.."joked Olivia...

"It's okay...I've been so tired after driving back and forth to Deleware that I've hardly noticed.."I said. They both had been getting in so late that I was asleep by the time they arrived...One night I surprised them with coffee and sandwiches and stayed up with them...

We were all so sleepy when we got home the three of us fell asleep on our big bed...Imagine that! Me waking up with both Olivia and Bev in bed with me...Somewhere,Larry North or Soloman Foster was fantasizing the same thing.

Both Olivia and Beverly gave me the serious side eye after I said I hadn't noticed ...I smiled sheepishly....

"I hope that Judge continues to be in a good mood...I heard her humming yesterday in the hallway and she greeted me with such a pleasent smile ,I nearly fainted." said Beverly.

"Yeah ,she was in the ladies room singing."said Olivia.

"Maybe she got some good loving...Some robust man put it on her..Look at Josie and how happy and upbeat she's been since Paris has been puttin it to her."I said, smiling...

"Stoppppp, Donnie Ray...I'm happy for Josie..I'm happy she has a good guy who likes her.." said Olivia laughing.

"You know...You're joking but you could be right....Judge Corley doesn't even seem like she's concentrating on the case at times...Though I can't blame her...This case has tended to get a little boring...Not like a murder case or some other civil cases..God Knows...We all could use whatever it is she's getting." laughed Beverly.

"If it's true that she has a man...I hope he puts it on her good the next few nights.."said Olivia as our platters arrived...We all busted out laughing..

III-

That morning , while waiting for trial to start, Olivia and I were met by Judge Juanita Corley in the lobby, She had a new hairdo...Her hair was now in long braids and she was wearing contact lenses and make up....She hadn't put on her robe yet and she was wearing a very tight ,curve revealing skirt...She wasn't a bad looking woman at all...I was delightfully surprised...

"Mrs. Bennett-Alexander is this your husband?" asked Judge Juanita Corley, smiling sweetly..

"Yes it is...This is our firm's investigator, Donnie Ray Alexander.." she said introducing us..

"How long have you two been married?" she asked..

"Since New Years Day.." said Olivia..

"Ohhhh that's so beautiful." she said and walked away humming.. "I've got lovvvve.... loveeeeeeeeeee on my mind....."The Natalie Cole song from the 70's.

"Somebody is rocking her world..." whispered Olivia to me...I just laughed.

Once again the trial resumed.....My detective instincts kicked in...I observed everyone in the courtroom...

When Livy or Bev spoke the Judge either smiled or her eyes wandered..

When Herbert Drinkwater spoke or made a motion, the Judges eyes got as wide as saucers...A sexy little grin appeared on her face or an outright schoolgirl swoon...Could it be ? The Judge and Herbert Drinkwater?? Nahhh...I put that notion out of my mind...She was a serious, no nonsense woman and he ,although a very good Attorney as I was seeing, was basically a clown outside of the courtroom..She'd make him cry...I mused...

But damn if my girls weren't making serious points and getting serious concessions as far as the divorce...The matter of child support was also in play and it looked like they were winning this battle too..

I stared at Rachel Bell, my ex-fiance....Ironically being defended by my wife...She stared at me longingly...I averted my eyes....Every now and then I'd catch her staring at me like that to the point it made me uncomfortable..

A Baillif came into the courtroom and whispered in my ear-

''You Donnie Ray Alexander?"he said.

"Yeah" I said.

"Someone wants to talk to you on the phone...Outside.." he said.

He motioned me to the door and I excused myself... Olivia was making a motion, Beverly and Herbert Drinkwater were talking to Rachel and leafing through files..

I walked over to the phone in an adjoining room...

"Hello, this is Sgt.Walter Pike,Deleware State Police...You Alexander?" he said.

''Yes."I said...

"We got your girl, Brenda Blake....Caught her this morning..." he said.

"That's great." I said.

"Only thing is, you gotta pick her up..We don't have anyone available to transport her to you guys today,All of our cars are out on calls." he said.

"You're kidding right?" I said.

"Hey man...you want her or not?" he said.

"Okay....I'll work something out." I said.

I sent a text message to both Olivia and Beverly....I had to move and move fast.

I had my .38 smokeless and a pair of handcuffs from my days on the police force...But I didn't have power of arrest..For that I'd need an actual cop...or court officer...I explained my plight to a few officials and a U.S.
Marshall decided to go with me to Deleware.

IV-

While I was on my way to Deleware to pick up Brenda Blake....Olivia would tell me later that Rachel sat down next to her in the cafeteria during recess...

"You know..Things looked really bad at the beginning of this case....but you hung in there and it looks like we may just win this thing...Herbert and Donnie Ray both told me that you're a fighter." said Rachel.

"You're paying good money Mrs.Bell, you ought to have the best representation possible." said Olivia who smiled..

"You and your niece and even Herbert have earned your money...but that judge....Wow, she really warmed towards you guys....What did you do?" she asked.

"Nothing....I can't imagine why she's so different now...Donnie Ray said that she probably got some good lovin.." laughed Olivia..

Rachel laughed..."That is sooo him.....Wow...if I had married him years ago...We wouldn't even be sitting in this courtroom today...He and I would still be in New Orleans..."she sighed...

"Why didn't you marry him?" asked Olivia..

"Because I was stupid....Donnie Ray was a cop...A Homicide detective...I thought I'd be a bored cop's wife...Hollywood Bell seemed so exciting then...Shopping sprees, fast cars...Nice clothes...Nice restaraunts, trips...I was young...dumb....I didn't see that the man had wandering eyes...That the man was a liar...He wasn't like Donnie Ray...Donnie Ray was a simple man..he didn't have much, but whatever he had was yours if he liked you....you know?" said Rachel.

"Yes I know...I was married before too...To a guy who didn't meet a woman, whose dress he didn't think should come off...I used to find panties in MY car...under the seats...And he always had some wild excuse." said Olivia..

''When did you leave him?"asked Rachel.

"Actually...He left me....I was going to leave him , but he beat me to it..." said Olivia...

Both women laughed....

"When I got involved with Donnie Ray...He came back, wanting to get re-married...But I said absolutely not!" said Olivia..

"You're a smart woman...and you got a good man..a real good guy...You're much smarter than I was..."said Rachel..

"Don't be so hard on yourself...At least you're smart enough to finally be free of this man and you're not going to have to pay for some baby that is not yours at all...."said Olivia ,who smiled..

''I like you Olivia...Amazing that I would like the woman who took the best man I ever knew off the market, but I really do like you...I hope.....I hope after this is all over..we can ..we can be some type of friends..all things considered." said Rachel.

"I don't see why not..."said Olivia..

Rachel smiled...

"You know,I don't even know if I'm going to stay up here in Philly...I may go back to Louisiana.. By the way, where is Donnie Ray?" she asked.

"He's in Deleware...The State Police picked up Brenda Blake...He's going to pick her up....He sent me a text...Check your phone Auntay...He sent you a text too!"said Beverly...

Rachel looked at Beverly and smiled.."Is this your sister?" she asked..."I know you said she's your niece..  But you don't look much older than her Olivia.." she said.

" No, She's my niece...My Older Brother's daughter....She's like a little sister and a daughter all rolled up into one. I'm nine years older than her to be exact.." said Olivia looking at Beverly and smiling..

''So you all live together in that Duplex?" she asked.

"Yes...Bev has the 1st floor above the office and Donnie Ray and I have the second floor...It works out..For now..." said Olivia..

"That's nice...I'm happy he's surrounded by people who love him and care for him...He didn't have anybody in New Orleans...He has a sister in Monroe...She's married and has two kids...and that's it..His Dad is kind of a wanderer...Did you meet him?" asked Rachel.

"I met his Sister and brother in law and their kids...Didn't meet his father." said Olivia..

Herbert Drinkwater appeared just then..

''Ladies..Court is back in session.."he said.

Rachel frowned as he walked away....

"Speaking of  a man who never met a woman who's skirt he felt he should remove....There is a real skirt chaser right there...He won't say, but he done tied fire to some woman last week..He's acting all super serious now...Don't seem so thirsty anymore...I know he went some where and got him some...Calmed him down....I saw his phone yesterday...Whoever the heifer is..She texted him that she wasn't wearing any panties....He don't know I saw his text message, but I did."said Rachel...

Olivia and Beverly laughed that conspiratorial laugh that women laugh...So Did Rachel...

V-

Meanwhile..U.S. Marshall Matt Hendricks and I arrived at Deleware State Police Headquarters....At last this case was coming to an end..

What I couldn't know was that before the case was over..It was going to take one more bizarre turn of events.

(CONCLUSION NEXT)