Gone Girl

 So for the second time this year..A man in the shadows had a gun aimed at us...I didn't have this many guns aimed at me when I was a Homicide Detective....

Olivia held on to my arm and Beverly held on to Nelson's arm as we opened up the office and walked in...I turned on the lights and the man, Curtis Fentlow waved the gun at us and ordered us all to take a seat...

Olivia looked at him...

''Curtis, you don't want to do this...Put that gun away...What is it that you want?" she asked him...

"You know what I want....I want her address..." he said.

"You know as her attorney...I can't give you that...I however can get a message to her from you if you'd like that." she said..."Now come on,put that gun away..You're upsetting my niece...." she said.

He peered at Beverly...

"I don't mean to upset innocent people.." he said..

"Let me fix you some coffee..We've been out drinking..We had a pretty rough day in court with another unrelated case..I'll fix us all some coffee.." she said and to everybody's surprise...She turned and walked into the kitchen, turned on the Kuerig and began making coffee..She brought out five cups...

I have to admit...I was stunned...He didn't put the gun away, but he made no attempts to stop her.....

Olivia poured all of us tumblers of coffee and sat down...Curtis Fentlow sat down..Finally he put the gun on safety and stuck it in his suit jacket...  He peered at Nelson...

"It's cool man..I've put the gun away..."

Nelson eyed him cautiously, then eventually picked up his tumbler of coffee and began to sip...He hugged Beverly gently and she allowed her head to rest on his chest...

Curtis Fentlow then spoke...

''See that's nice...You and him....and Ms. Olivia and Mr. Donnie Ray...That's nice...That's all I wanted..." he said.

 "You don't get that by stalking someone Mr. Fentlow...You give people their space."said Beverly...

"You don't understand...It wasn't like the way Brenda probably explained it to you...I'm not this monster she has described..First she leaves me at the alter....Then she gets you guys to file a restraining order against me and slander my name..." he said.

''Wait a minute...What?  Stranded at the altar? You were engaged to be married??" I said.

''She didn't tell you did she?..Not only engaged....I was in the church with about one hundred of my friends and family and well wishers last July 1st and she never showed up...We all were waiting in that hot sweltering church with no AC for two hours and finally her mother and her bridesmaids showed up and said that there wasn't going to be a wedding and that she had vanished..." he said.

He went in his suit jacket...Nelson,Beverly and I all ducked..

"WHOA MAN!" we said...

''Relax...I wasn't going for my gun...I was going for this...Our wedding license..." he said...

"Oh My God...Filed in the city of Wilmington,Deleware....That's why I didn't find it in my initial investigation..."said Olivia..

I started laughing...

''Buddy...You just don't know....I've been there." I laughed..

"My husband was engaged to Ms. Young years ago and she did the same thing to him.."said Olivia.

"WHAT?? OH MY GOD!!!  ARE YOU SERIOUS??" he said incredulously..

"Serious as Cancer my man...but I look at it as a blessing...If I had married her...I would have never crossed paths with this wonderful woman who I married and her niece, who is like a daughter to me.."I said.

Both Olivia and Beverly looked at me and smiled...

"Awwwwwwwwwwww Donnie Ray." they both said..

II-

As we drank more coffee...Curtis Fentlow began to tell his story...a story I was all too familliar with...

''As you know...I am from Wilmington,Deleware...I was born here in Philly, but my family moved to Deleware when I was about 12 or 13...I got in a little bit of trouble...I was in a bar fight...a fight I didn't initiate..and I was arrested and tried for Attempted Murder....in what should have been no more than a simple assault case..

My mother got Brenda Young to represent me...She was a friend of one of my mother's church friends..

From the beginning, we kind of hit it off...in more than just legal ways..We would talk about my case..but we'd also talk about other things....Now I kind of admit that I was flirtatious and she reminded me more than one time to focus and to stop...but I couldn't...I was so attracted to her....Her fragrance...The way she wore her hair..everything...

She eventually got me released on bail and we went out for drinks...We went back to her place and had some more drinks and laughed and talked and one thing led to another....and the next thing you know..We were sharing a passionate kiss..

She slowly unzippered my trousers.....I had a huge erection....but she expected that.....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu, look at youuuu." she cooed...

She massaged it gently with her soft hands...and then got down on her knees....

"Heyyy what are you doing?" I asked...

"What do you think?" she said...

She took most of me into her mouth....My eyes almost went to the back of my head.......She worked me like a job...She stopped when she felt that I was on the verge of climaxing.....She stroked it gently enough for me to still be interested , but not explode...

Soon she was lying on top of me and we were kissing...wet, sloppy kisses and finally, slow ,long sensual kisses...

 We rolled off of the couch and on to the floor...We made out on that floor for close to a half an hour until I got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore....

  We undressed and I picked her up and took her into the bedroom.....I laid her gently on the bed....and just stared at her...I didn't say anything...

"What?" she whispered breathlessly...

"Nothing.....You're just beautiful.." I said.

I slowly entered her....I wanted to stay right there...at the point of ecstacy....

 This was slow, smooth ,etheral lovemaking...We were taking our time...We made love for the next five hours that night..We were both very ,very satisfied at the end result...

From that time on...We would meet almost everyday...Go to her place or mine and just make sweet love..sometimes all afternoon and into the night after the hearing..

She got me an acquittal on all charges... And I think she thought that that was the end of our relationship,but I pursued her relentlessly...I called her ,I stopped by her office and pretty soon we were right back into our old groove...

A groove that lasted three years....By now,I had a new job, a nicer apartment and was taking classes at night..I was ready to settle down and that Christmas ,I asked her to marry me...She said yes...She told me that she had been engaged before to some cop in New Orleans...and she couldn't gop through with it...Cold feet...She said she would try not to do that to me...The fact that she said try went completely over my head" he said.

I cleared my throat...

The room got silent...He looked at me..

"That was you?" he said..

"Yes sirrrr...and unlike you..She gave me no warning at all."I said.

"Well how did you wind up way up here in Philly?" he asked..

I stood up and walked over to Olivia and kissed her in the lips..She looked surprised...

"I met her at ESSENCE FEST...and a year and a half later,I quit my job and got my P.I. license and moved up here to work for her and eventually marry her..She is the reason I quit my job and moved up here..."I said.

Olivia smiled...So did Beverly...

"So...He finally admits that it was Auntay that brought him up here to us...I always knew it." she laughed..

I smiled...So Did Olivia...

I could have gone anywhere after I quit the force....Could have stayed in New Orleans...but I knew I was coming to Philly the morning after I first met Olivia..I knew I was going to see her again..She was much more than any one night stand..Whether I admitted it to myself then or not!

 He looked at Olivia and smiled..

"I hear that...She seems like a nice lady...I certainly aint mad at you bruh...So anyhow..We spent days registering our friends...getting gowns for her bridesmaids...doing invitations and securing a church...The whole shootin match and come our wedding day...I'm in the church standing and looking like a fool when she didn't show up....I was devestated man...I went to her job...Found out she had resigned days before..Went to her apartment..It was empty...Which means she had moved out and had never intended to marry me..She had left Wilmingon altogether...It was the most embarrassing and humiliating moment of my life..."he said.

''Damnn Man...I -I can't imagine how I'd feel if that had happened to me.." said Nelson..

"Donnie Ray, Mr. Fentlow...Your girl was a little cray -cray"said Beverly...

"So you weren't actually stalking...You were trying to find out why she left you right Mr. Fentlow?" said Olivia..

"Exactly...I traced her first to New York and then to Philly....Then the trail went cold...Next thing I know, You guys are representing her and I'm being served with a restraining order...I just wanted to know why she did me like this.." he said.

''Mr. Fentlow..She was my client...but I don't pretend to understand her...And while I do have to keep her whereabouts confidential...Let me give you some advice...Move on...Forget about her...She's left two men at the altar..She never intended to marry you...Getting married scares her for some reason.." said Olivia..

"I never looked for her after she ditched me...She went to San-Francisco...She came back to New Orleans five years later and I was engaged to another woman...Unfortunately...that relationship didn't work out for me either.."I said.

"Then you met Ms.Olivia huh?" he said...

"Yeah man..Third time is the charm.."I said and looked at my wife and smiled..

He stood up..He shook my hand...

"I'm sorry for this...I'm going to leave you good people...You're right...It's time to move on with my life."he said...

"Good Luck to you man." said Nelson..

''Be well Mr. Fentlow.."said Olivia...Beverly smiled and waved to him...

We never saw Curtis Fentlow again!!!...I suppose he returned to Wilmington and went on with his life...

III-

On the other hand...Jake Blakely called our office several times...Neither Olivia ,nor Beverly would take his calls...we didn't want his business...

Truthfully, Olivia and Beverly were taking on other cases and didn't have time for him anyway...

Josie took his messages and eventually forwarded him the name of a good attorney....

ADA Rios was well prepared...She produced witnesses who testified that Jake was seen with Stephanie in sometimes uncompromising positions in the park and at movies and in the parking lot...A lawyer who testified that Jake had asked her if he got a divorce ,if his foster daughter could come live with him..

This was all very circumstantial..but it was weighing in on the jury, who heard from Stephanie, who never wavered and who told the same story over and over again..

Beverly was called to testify as to what Stephanie had told her concerning her and Jake's sexual relationship...When it started ..How it escalated...

The jury had heard enough...It took them two hours to convict him of Conspiracy to commit murder and hand him a 30 year sentence....

''I'm ruined...She's a liar....I can't believe people believe this..." he screamed..

Olivia was there on the day he was sentenced...She walked over to him..

"You murdered my friend...I hope you do everyday of the thirty..." she said..

"Liv..LIVY...You can not believe this..LIVY!!!!" he screamed as he was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom...

Beverly looked at ADA Rios-

''Our Deal still stands?" she asked.

"Yes..She's going to the Prison for the criminally insane, Blue Skies...Where she'll get psychiatric attention...She'll be eligible for parole in ten to fifteen years..." she said.

"Thank you..." she said.

I put my arms around her...

"It's finally over.." I said.

Beverly hugged me...

"Thank you D.R...Thank you and Auntay for all your help."she said...

EPILOUGE-

Olivia parked the car across the street from the Apartment complex...She looked at me...

"This is it Donnie Ray...This is where she is staying...Be careful..I don't know this guy she's with now..I think I'll come with you...Bev stay down here with the car." she said.

"Okay...You want my pepper spray..Just in case things might go sideways?" she asked..

I looked at her and smiled..

"I don't think that will be necessary Shortcake...but thank you ..." I said.

Olivia and I got out and walked up the stairs to the apartment of Lance Woods..I rang the bell...

He came to the door...He looked us up and down and then smiled at Olivia...

"Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy..what can I do for youu?" he said with a salacious grin..

"Is Brenda Young here?  This is the address she gave us...This is her attorney,Olivia Bennett-Alexander and I'm a Private Investigator with her firm and Olivia's husband!" I said.

"This your wife man? Alright!!!...I aint mad at you...Damnnn...But uh, you out of luck if you lookin for Brenda..She gone man." he said.

"Gone?" asked Olivia..

"Yeah..I come home from work last week and all of her things was gone..Not a trace and no forwarding number..She told me she had people in San-Francisco...My guess is she went back to the West Coast...but I don't know....We was livin together for six months...I thought everything was cool...Then I come home and she just gone..."he said.

''Yeah, she tends to do that.."I said.

"I sure wish I had known..I was uh startin to get serious about her...I was thinking about askin her to uh marry me...Glad I didn't if that's how she is.." he said..

"Believe me...You're better off than you know...Sorry to bother you man.." I said.

"No problem man...mam!" he said and closed the door..

Olivia looked at me as we walked down the steps...

"You alright?" she asked rubbing my back...I pulled her to me in the stairwell and kissed her passionately for like five or six minutes...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuu,Okay!  I guess you are..."she said and smiled...

I looked at her and smiled...

She smiled back....

"I'm fine...I have you." I said...

"And I have you.." she said. We kissed again for a few minutes before breaking our embrace..

We walked out to the car...

"Well that was fast.. "said Beverly..

''She wasn't there...She's gone.." I said.

"Gone?" said Beverly...

"Yeah..Gone." I said.

Olivia smiled..

''Let's go home guys..."she said.

The three of us got in the car and pulled off...