Two Keepers

The next day Olivia ,Beverly and my father arrived in court...ADA Lowell Jenson began his argument....An argument he knew was weak...but that he stubbornly decided to try anyway...He was a proud bastard and did not want to admit defeat , neither to an African -American or a woman...Two African American women from the dreaded north was even worse..

 

 It was quite obvious from the start of my father's hearing that he resented them being here...He was used to Public defenders merely pleading out or pleading down and the matter being settled out of court...With the poor destitute Black or White defendent going off to jail...

It had long been suspected that he was paying off some public defenders and bribing others...It had  never been proven...His bullying tactics didn't work with Olivia and Beverly...They came to court with my dad every day on time and never raised their voices...Always speaking and comporting themselves with the utmost of profesionalism, yet tenaciously arguing their points...

Try as he might...That snake...Lowell Jenson could not shake or intimidate either one of them....Soon a number of the public defenders who weren't in other court rooms began to sit in and watch the two young women from Philly.

There was another spectator to this trial...The suspended Detective ,Bobby Grandon, smarting from being ordered off the case as well as being out  smarted by me and Bev days before..

Olivia and Bev tried their best not to make eye contact with him, but he glowered at them constantly..

II-

Meanwhile ,with the help of Detective Dwayne Baptiste... we interviewed five people who verified my father's story that he was in a New Orleans bar, drinking from 12:30 - 3:00 ,the night of the murder...We found film footage that proved that as well...

We interviewed several tenents in Veronika Markland's building....They said that they heard her arguing with a man about 12:15....It was pretty loud....No way my dad could have been that man...He had already left and was on his way to the bar...

We found a cab driver that said he remembered picking my dad up at 12:04 am...This was enough of an alibi to clear him....

Olivia and Bev were arguing now with this evidence alone...  I had no doubt that charges would be dropped against my dad soon...

Since Detective Baptiste had more or less cleared my dad...I felt I owed it to him to help crack this case..

"Donnie Ray...the camera on the east side of the building was disabled..Two days before the murder.." said Dwayne..

"That made this deliberate..."I said...

''Yeah...I think it's time we talk to the city council president.." said Dewayne..

"Yupper...Lead the way." I said.

We headed to city hall...despite the fact that council was in session, it's president, Douglas Stevens was no where to be found...No one seemed surprised either.

We headed to his office... The doors were locked..But it was quite obvious that someone was in his office..

'Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......Doug.....Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."  moaned the woman as she lie in the top of his desk....The legs on the desk  squeaking loudly and moving from side to side..The desk was rattling...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Baby....Baby.....ouuuuuuuuuuu you feel so good..." said City Council President, Doug Stevens..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Dougie, you feel good too.ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu." she cooed. 

 Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Douglas...Douglas...DOUGLAS....don't stoppppp..don't stopppppp." she moaned as he continued to hump her like crazy.....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh baby...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh baby...I'm about to blow my damn LOADDD!!! arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he moaned as he came furiously and she began to come also...shaking a little...

''OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU."she moaned....

 

Detective Baptiste looked at me and smiled. I smiled too.. We heard clothes ruffling and zippers being zipped..
Then the door opened...The woman deposited her panties in her pocket book...Douglas Stevens straightened his tie...she fixed her hair.

"I can't control my erections around you Joanie..." he said.

''Ohhh Doug you're so fresh." she laughed and then she looked up to discover Detective Baptiste and myself.

"Ohhh, you have company" she said and ran down the hall...

He looked at me strangely...

"Don't I know you?" he asked..

''You sure do...I used to be a cop in this town..." I said.

"Yeah..Alexander....I remember..You brought that corruption trial to light ...What are you doin for yourself now?" he asked.

"I'm a P.I." I said.

He shook his head and laughed...

"All you cops do the same thing...You leave the force and you become P.I.'s..." he laughed...

"I work for a lawyer." I said.

"Oh you do huh, good for you..I heard you got married..Did this one actually come to the church this time."he laughed..

"She sure did...said I do too." I said.

"Good for you...Where is the little woman?" he asked..

"In court...Defending my father from a trumped up murder charge...Which is why I'm here..My dad and you were seeing the same sex therapist...For sexual addiction.....Now on the night she met her death...He had left at midnight...You were there at 8:00...did you come back?" I asked.

"Look Alexander...I told all of this to Detective Grandon....And the last I checked...You aint a detective in New Orleans anymore...I don't have to talk to you..." he said snidely..
"But I am a detective in New Orleans and this is my case now...You do have to talk to me." said Detective Dwayne Baptiste...

His smug look dropped..

"Now I'll ask you again...Did you come back?" asked Detective Baptiste...

"No." he said.

"Your case file is missing..It was the only one..." I said.

"So? I didn't take it..I didn't go back there..." he said..

"Can you prove that?" I asked.

"I was at a club....I have three solid witnesses...The Mayor for one...Ask him...I was there from 9:00 until 2:00 and after that..I was at another bar with the District Attorney...You can ask them." he said.

"Oh I plan to." I said.

Just then a secretary walked down the hall..."Sir, your wife is here.." she said.

An attractive blonde walked down the hall, She smiled cheerily...

''Doug..I thought I'd surprise you for lunch?" she said.

If she'd of come just minutes early , she would have gotten a real surprise I mused..

''Bonnie, these are detectives ...They were speaking to me about a police matter." he said.

"Nothing serious I hope." she said.

"No they were just leaving." he said icily..

''We'll be in touch Mr. Stevens." I said and Dwayne and I left...

"Thanks man...I'll call you tomorrow." I said.

''Will do Mr. Alexander." he said.

III-

I met Olivia and Bev and my dad in front of the courthouse...Olivia was beaming...So was my dad...

"Your daddy is a free man!!." proclaimed Olivia..

I smiled...My Father was all teeth...

"Son...If you wasn't married to this woman,I'd marry her myself.."he said.

"That has to be record time for you." I said looking at my wife..

"Not really...but with the great work you and Detective Bapiste did..It was the easiest case I ever had...The ADA was forced to drop all of the charges...He really didn't like that...The Judge asked him why he would take such a weak case in the first place. He stomped his foot and stormed out." said Olivia..

"Speaking of that cutey patootie, Detective Baptiste...Where is he?" asked Beverly....

"With his fiance, the coroner.."I said...

"Oh." said Beverly...

''Don't you have a boyfriend?" I asked..

"Yes..and I love Nelson dearly....I just said Detective Baptiste was cute...That's all.." laughed Beverly..

We all laughed...

"Speaking of significant others..You said you were engaged Johnnie Ray...Where is your lady?" asked Olivia..

"She's probably left me...Considering the circumstances..." said my dad..

"Awww maybe not...Call her...Invite her to dinner...I want to meet her.." said Olivia.

"You really think that is wise?" asked my father....I was surprised at how humble he sounded...How Olivia had been able to do what no other woman I had ever known had been able to do...Humble and charm my dad all at once..

"I'm a woman...She's a woman....She probably hasn't heard from you...She'd like to at least know you're out of trouble." said Olivia..

"Then how come she didn't visit me?" he asked.

"Did you write her?, Did you call her?" asked Olivia..

"Well uhhhh...ahhhhh...no." he admitted...

Olivia frowned....

"Johnnie Ray....Call your lady...." said Olivia...

My dad smiled....Pointed at Olivia ,then looked at me...

"Donnie Rayyyy, boyyyy...Who would have thought that you'd land a keeper like this?" he said ,laughing and shaking his head.

My dad called his girlfriend...Cora Sample...He explained his entire month long ordeal and how he had reunited with his son and met his new daughter in law the attorney and she had gotten him off..

I don't know what was said...but Olivia took the phone and began talking to his girlfriend....They talked for close to 15 minutes...then Olivia handed the phone to Johnnie Ray...She was smiling.

"She forgives you and she's agreed to have dinner with us at Della's tonight." said my wife...

My dad looked at me...


"Boy...You got a keeper here..." he said , Then he pinched Beverly's side..

"Ouuuu.." she said...She waved her right index finger at my dad and laughed...

Normally she would have been mad...but she liked my dad...She thought he was a trip...

She giggled like a teenaged girl..

''J.R. Not in front of everybody....People might talk."she said jokingly. They both busted out laughing...

He hugged her..

"You got two keepers boy." he said.

IV-

Della fixed a fine dinner that night....I got to meet my dad's fiance...Cora Sample..A nice looking woman , who was only about five or six years older than me...My dad loved young women.

Beverly played with my niece and nephew and fixed them hot chocolate and read them a bedtime story after Della gave them both a bath...My dad and Cora sat and laughed and talked with Olivia and I and my brother in law...

For the first time...I felt really good...
Olivia rubbed my back...

"You feel better now?" she asked..

"Yeah...for the first time in a long time....Livy ,I was bitter and defeated when I left this town and You...You helped me come back and win a moral victory of sorts over some of my demons...I thank you for that...My father was right..I do have a keeper...Two keepers.."I said..

Olivia smiled at me..

"Awwwwwwww." she said as we both kissed under the Louisiana moonlight!

(CONCLUSION NEXT)