Your Turn

Olivia, Beverly and I attended Kim Blakely's funeral...Many of the people there were people I had interviewed in the days before...I kept a low profile..I didn't want to take the attention off of the person who was deceased...

 "Any sign of the husband?" asked Olivia sarcastically, surprised that Jake was nowhere to be found..

"No ,but he's got to be here..That was his wife.." said Beverly....

I took a walk outside the church and I spotted the man of the hour, Jake Blakely...He was talking to a very attractive woman who was wearing a tight black dress...

"Jake...My God...Don't you have any decency?  It's your wife's funeral and you're trying to put the moves on me..My God..The body isn't even in the ground yet." said the woman with obvious disgust...

"Baby...Baby..We were about to get a divorce...We hadn't been good in years.....And I've been checkin you out for years and all I could think about was you...being with you...I need to see you tonight..I need some comforting baby..." said Jake...

"Oh My God...How can you think about sex at a time like this?" she said.

"My wife is dead....I'm never going to feel the warmth of her body close to mine again...I feel so ,so alone...I need you..." pleaded Jake..

''You are pathetic...Get away from me..Oh My God.!"said the woman who pushed passed him into the church..

I stood next to Olivia..The funeral service was over and the casket was headed out of the church towards the hearse...

"I found Hubby." I said.

"Really..where?" asked Olivia..

"Oh,trying to line up wifey number two or at best, a bed partner for tonight after the repass.."I said.

Beverly overheard me..

"You can't be serious D.R. He was trying to put the moves on someone? Here? Now?" she said.

"Yes...and he's got  three million dollar life insurance policies that he's going to cash within a few days ...I'm bettin he's not going to stick around..."I said.

"Bev has he paid you?" asked Olivia..

"Yes..and I haven't even been to court yet...We have a hearing in a few days..."she said.

"He's your client...kind of sort of..."said Olivia..

"No Auntay, Stephanie is my client.." said Beverly...

"Whatever...Unless we stop him from skipping town...You won't get another red cent and baby girl is done...Which I think is the plan..."I said.

"What can we do?" asked Beverly...

"I need to call those insurance companies and see if I can hold up their payments to him..."I said.

"You two stay here...I see him...I'm going and talk to him." said Olivia.

She walked over to him...

"Jake...Aren't you going to the burial?" she asked...

He turned around and smiled...

"Olivia...Olivia Bennett!! Oh My God...How long has it been?  I heard you got remarried....Good for you."he said hugging her..

"It's Olivia Bennett-Alexander now..."she said and showed off her ring..

Jake smiled..

"Look at that rock...Looks like you got a keeper huh?" he said.

It was amazing..His wife's funeral and he was acting as if he were at a wedding reception...This wasn't lost on me or Beverly...

"Look at him Donnie Ray...He doesn't give a damn about Kim."said Beverly...

"The more I look at him, the more I believe your client got manipulated...And he's covering himself by paying for her legal defense."I said.

"You know my niece is handling Stephanie's defense?" said Olivia..

"Yes...Yes..she's a troubled young girl...I told Kim we should have never adopted her...I knew she was trouble from day one." he said.

"That uh is not how she tells the story...She says that you and she were in some kind of relationship..She's been asking to see you." said Olivia..

"What? Relationship?? Liv, I raised her as my daughter..Me and Kimmy...She's obviously nuts.."he said.

''So why are you paying for her legal defense?" asked Olivia..

"It's the decent thing to do...she has been part of our family..I don't want her to wind up with a needle in her arm ..She obviously needs help."he said.

Olivia looked at him with a side eye...

He then looked at Olivia..

"Hey Livy..Is your niece seeing anybody?" he asked.

"Jake..Are you serious? Really? She's working for you..."said Olivia....

"Yes...lord and I'd gladly like to work with her,out of court.... if you know what I mean...Heh Heh Heh.."he laughed...

Olivia looked at him in disbelief...

''Ohhh alright..alright...I know how protective you are of that girl....She's a grown woman you know and you are not her mother...just her aunt....and that's only a technicality....You guys are so close in age, you're like peers...You're more like sisters.."

"Jake..even if she was my sister...I wouldn't want her dating you....And to answer your question...She is seeing someone." she said and walked away...

''Everything alright ?" I asked.

''He skives me out."said Olivia.

"I'll be glad when this is over." said Beverly....

II-

Weeks later, Beverly,Olivia and I appeared at Stephanie's hearing.. As Beverly said...It was quite obvious that Stephanie was guilty of murder....She was arguing that this case had special circumstances...She brought in two psychologists who had interviewed Stephanie who argued that she was a little unbalanced and easily manipulated..

She wanted a reduced sentence for manslaughter and treatment for Stephanie...

Olivia acted as Beverly's second..This was a first...I watched as she beamed with pride the way her niece was handling the case...

The problem was ,Stephanie was unpredictable...This wasn't a jury trial...Just attorneys..ADA Rios,Bev,Liv and a judge....

Judge Clayton Mathis..Who was eyeing both my wife and Beverly as well as ADA Rios...

I whispered to Olivia...

"Not quite as fun as going up against ADA Wallace huh?" I laughed...

"No...It's not." she said smiling and rubbing my hand gently..."But I'm very proud of the job my little niece is doing.."she said.

Olivia had told me that her battles with ADA Keith Wallace were some of the most interesting and rewarding times of her legal career...She said that she would get up for them like two boxers or two rival sports teams would get up for each other...In seven courtroom meetings he held a 4-3 advantage over her...She admitted that he taught her so much about the law and courtroom preparation....

And that they became friends and had many long discussions over coffee about the law and life in general...He was smitten with a young Puerto-Rican Detective who he later married named Detective Carlotta Rodriguez and she was ending a bad marriage to Elwood Barnes...and pondering going into private practice..

 Even though she wasn't exactly the lead attorney ,she had reveled at the chance to guide her young niece against the brilliant legal minded Keith Wallace...She was a little disappointed when she saw ADA Rios..a very capable attorney ,who had worked as a public defender with her years ago and who she considered a good friend...but nowhere near as exciting as a potential showdown with Keith Wallace..

For Beverly, this wasn't much of a battle...ADA Rios was not challenging any of her motions and met with her in a sidebar to discuss taking her plea of Manslaughter one, 15-30 years and observation ..

When Stephanie blurted out..

"Where is Jake?  He was supposed to be here...He promised me he'd be here...He told me we were going to be together!  WHERE IS HE?? HE TOLD ME HE LOVES ME!!!  I DID MY PART...I DID WHAT HE ASKED ME TO DO...I DID MY PART!!!" she yelled..

"STEPHANIE!! HUSH UP!!! SHUT IT UP!!" yelled Beverly...

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING STEPHANIE??" asked ADA RIOS...

"I DID MY PART!  I DID EVERYTHING HE AND I TALKED ABOUT!!" she yelled..

Beverly tossed her hands up in exasperation....

Olivia came up to Beverly....

"You did well Baby...I was so proud of you...None of this is your fault...None of this..." she said..

"Auntay...She's crazy....You and D.R. were right...This was a lost cause...

I hugged her...

"Who said that?  Who said that Bev?  "I said .

"I couldn't control my client...I told her to let me do the talking...I told her....Maybe I should have gotten her a sedative.." said Bev..

"You did your job...and I'm proud of you and if you hadn't...You know I would've been the first to tell you...and Beverly Denise West...The woman telling you this is not just your aunt..but a professional attorney...Who loves you very much!" said Olivia who hugged her and kissed her on the cheek..

ADA Rios walked over to us...

"I still plan to go with Manslaughter one ....For her!  15-30, with a recomendation for psychological observation...but I plan to file Conspiracy to commit murder charges against Jake Blakely,immediately..."she said.

"Stephanie is my client...but he was paying me in her behalf.." said Beverly..

"And you have completed your job...Unless you plan to represent  him." she said.

"Nope...he's already paid me..I'm done..."said Beverly..

"Then he'd better find a good lawyer..He's going to need it."she said.  "Hello Olivia..you've got quite a niece here.."said ADA Rios smiling..

"Isn't she though?" laughed Olivia..

III-

That night...Olivia and I and Beverly and Nelson went to Aqua Bar....

''Sorry I missed your trial babes.." said Nelson...

"Believe me...You didn't see me in my finest moment." said Beverly....

Nelson kissed her and whispered in her ear...

''I thought I'd seen your finest moments...in the bedroom.." he said.

For the first time, Beverly smiled and blushed...

"That's the Beverly I know..She's smiling.." I said.

"Whatever you said...God Bless you Nelson...My poor niece has been feeling some kind of way since this case began..."said Olivia, smiling..

A round of drinks came over....We looked in the distance and there was Jake Blakely ,with a very sexy young woman sitting on his lap...

"Hey guys...thanks again for getting Stephanie a light sentence..." he yelled and then turned and kissed the woman in the lips passionately...

"You'd never think his wife just died and was buried a few weeks ago." said Olivia in disgust...

We drank up and looked on as Jake talked to his woman..

"So baby...tell me what a guy like me has to do to get you to come home with me?" he said to the young lady..

Just then Detective Tyriq Pile walked up...

"I'd pay for her drinks and thank her for her time."he said...

His partner..Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace walked up next...

"Jake Blakely...Stand up....." she said and handcuffed him..

Detective James "Jimmy" Barlow spoke next...

"Jacob Blakely....You're under arrest for the Conspiracy to commit murder, You have the right to be silent..Anything you say can and will be used against you...You have a right to an attorney...If you can't afford one...one will be provided for you...do you understand these rights? Sure you do..You teach law don't you?" said Jimmy...

He screamed -

''Heyyyy Livy, Bev....What the hell happened? That girl is crazy...I can't believe you guys believe anything she says...She's crazy...I had nothin to do with this...HEYYYYYYYY!" he screamed as the three detectives and four uniformed policemen walked him out of the bar...

"OH MY GOD...I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!!!  " he said stomping his foot in anger...Awwww lawd..." he screamed..

"I hope he doesn't call me...I will not represent him..."said Beverly...

''Me neither.."laughed Olivia...

"Come on guys...let's go home." I said laughing...

IV-

As the four of us pulled up and parked...We had no idea that the night wasn't over...We were all laughing and holding each other and secretly imagining the night of lovemaking in our respective domiciles..

"I'm so tired...I guess we'll be turning in.."I said fake yawning..

"Yes...Me too."said Olivia...

"You two need to stop...We both know what we are all going to start doing as soon as our doors close."laughed Beverly....

''That's my girl."laughed Nelson...

Just then...I heard the click of a gun....I saw a man walk out of the shadows...

"Okay...hold it right there...All of you...Open that door slowly and walk inside." came the voice...

"Oh My God..Curtis Fentlow." said Olivia..

"WHO??" said Beverly, Nelson and myself...

"He's the man who has been chasing your ex-fiance." said Olivia...

(CONCLUSION NEXT)