Ice Cream and Hot Tea

Olivia looked sensational and happy when I ran into her in court two days later...Not like I hadn't seen her..I live with her..,but I've been doing my investigative work while she was at hearings with our client, Curtis Orwell, a blogger and free lance journalist accused of murder.

''Who is that fine woman standing over there?" I said making goo goo eyes at Olivia..

''Why I don't know...Maybe if you buy me a drink ,you can find out."she said laughing...

"Not a bad idea at all." I said and we got in my car and headed to Josie's...

II-

 At Josies..Far from the prying ears of whoever...Olivia and I were able to talk...

 Gus served us our drinks...

''Hey, where is Shortcake?" he asked. He was talking about Beverly..

''You guys are like the Three muskateers, except when she's with her fella." he said.

"She's got a big case...She's repping the Mayor's wife..."said Olivia...

Gus cracked up laughing...

"That aint much of a defense...She got caught on live TV ,naked as a jaybird with another man, who was not her husband...The Mayor got serious grounds for divorce."said Gus..

''Yeah, but there is money and property involved too..."said Olivia.

"I wouldn't give that tramp a dime...but then,that's me."said Gus laughing as he walked away..

I smiled..Olivia then turned her attention to me..

''So what'cha got?" she asked.

"I got the crime scene photos and I got the tox reports...He had two drugs in him...This one, which I can't even pronounce...I said showing her the actual copy of the tox report ..It's a Haluccinegen and the second drug which is a powerful sedative...So he was flying when they found him...."

"The drugs could have been ingested in his system through drinks that he had at Stoleys...Where he was with the young lady...Whose real name was actually, Alvena Gillespie...A high priced Escort with several arrests for prostitution...I have film footage of the two of them there that night...She may have slipped those drugs in his drinks...Opened bottles of beer was recovered from the crime scene...The sedative was in one..The one with his DNA and fingerprints on it..." I said.

"So he was drugged...We know that much...He might have been unconscious after sex.." said Olivia.

''I'm often near being unconscious after sex with you..."I said smiling..

Olivia blushed..

''Donnie Rayyyy, we are in public." she said.

''It's true...you wear me out.."I laughed..

"Okay...Be good now."she said rubbing my hands softly and laughing...

''Well the loaded condom was in the waste basket and his prints and her prints and DNA were the only ones found in the room."I said. "But"I said smiling..Getting back on topic, but still checking my wife out...

 ''But what?" asked Olivia.

"We may have caught a break...We have film footage of this guy sitting near them in Stoleys ...and look , here is the same guy outside of the motel they were in...Just minutes later...and in other film footage..This same guy is seen getting in this car...a rental...Rented to a "Lionel Jefferson" I said.

Olivia smiled, but then frowned..

"Of course that is a phony name right?" she said..

"Oh of course..but there is film footage of his face ,both from Stoleys...and from the Motel...and uh we do have a friend in the FBI...Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins..

And she was only too happy to get facial recognition of this guy....His real name is Forrest Longly..He's a contract killer...a suspect in a dozen murders in Philadelphia, DC, New York City...He's who you call when you want someone gone quietly and efficiently...He's got one manslaughter conviction...He did a nickle in New York...I've already called them for DNA samples and prints......We find his DNA or prints anywhere it's not supposed to be  and we have our killer.." I said.

Olivia smiled...

I asked her..

"You got a female judge or a male judge?" I asked.

''Male.."she said.

"You get bail?" I asked..

"Reasonable Bail...Curtis is calling some family members and his publisher to see if they can raise it..If and when they do...He is free before the trial.." she said.

I talked to a few people in the bar and at the hotel who saw them both that night...Nothing in his demeanor says killer..He was out of it..Half sloshed.." I said. "Tomorrow I want to visit that Property Management company and that Law firm that was being shook down...talk to a few people on my own." I said.

''Ouuu..you got me wanting to go home with you.." cooed Olivia.

I looked at Olivia salaciously...

"You know that's not a bad idea..."I said.

"I would love to..but I can't this afternoon baby...I have to go to the law library,look up some things...You're welcome to come with and keep me company.."she said smiling..

"Sure thing doll."I said.

III-

Beverly wasn't having much of a time with her client...She brought Anita Brown Ice Cream and Hot Tea everyday..

Anita Brown stayed in her girlfriend's spare bedroom in her night gown all day, only coming out to go to the bathroom...

She sobbed and sobbed all day...

"Beverly girl...I'm so glad you cammmmmmmmmmmmmmme....ARghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I could kill that jack ass Lt. Tragg...Busting into our room of all the rooms he could have busted into."she sobbed...

"Nita, as much as I don't like the man...in his defense..He had no idea you were in that hotel..He was looking for a murder suspect... My Auntay's client..in fact,who was actually arrested that night." said Beverly...

"He's still a jackass...If he had of read the warrant right, he would have seen that it said Room 57, Not room 157....He was so busy...lining out the media..and getting his make up and his suit just right."she sobbed.

"He said it was a typographical  error on the warrant."said Beverly...

She gave Beverly the side eye...

"Read the warrant....Go ask your Aunt Olivia..She's probably seen it by now..There was no error..It says room 57 clear as day...My husband wants him fired...but they can't fire him...They have no grounds...but he is the biggest jackass on the police force..Ouuuu,I could kill him...He couldn't knock and give someone a chance to come to the door...Noooooooooooooo..Mr. big hero has to kick the damn door in like he's on TV...What a damn jackass." she spat..

"Have you talked to the Mayor since the incident?" asked Beverly..

"He was understandably incensed...He told me to get out....I packed a few things and I called my girl, Joanne...and she came and got me." she said.

"Do you guys have a prenup?" asked Beverly...

"No...and he had that house before we got married.. The cars are all leased or owned by the city...I might not get a penny out of this girl." she said and continued to sob...

Beverly passed her a bowl of Ice Cream and the two of them said nothing as they ate Ice Cream...

Next Beverly poured her a tumbler of hot tea....

She watched as Anita sipped and sobbed...

"Uh,what about the guy ,Richard?  The guy you were with?" she asked.

"Oh him?  He's going through a divorce....He's seperated...I know he was just trying to get close to me so I could influence my husband to give his company that city contract...But Bev the man just ooozed sexiness...I was curious...I had an itch..So I scratched it.." she said.

"So..there's nothing between you two?" asked Beverly...

"Girl please...He aint got no money....He's got a big penis and he's good in bed...but I wasn't thinking of making a life with him....Frankly ,I've loved being the mayor's wife."she said.

"Anita...you were a promising ADA....You left your career to marry a man 19 years older than you."said Beverly...

"Yes...and not have to work for eight years and be the first lady of the city of Philadelphia...Maybe be the wife of a State Senator or a congressman...Who wouldn't have taken that chance girlfriend?"said Anita...

Beverly smiled at the thought.

"You comin by tomorrow?" asked Anita..

"Uh No..I have to be in court on another case."Beverly lied...

"Oh...I cherish our talks and the Ice Cream and Hot Tea."she said.

"You ever getting out of the bed?" asked Beverly...

"Eventually."she said.

Beverly told us that they hadn't even discussed the divorce yet or if there was even going to be one..

"This is like being over one of my girlfriend's houses after a break up...I don't even feel like a lawyer right now ."she told Olivia..

Suddenly her big case seemed like a big dud.....but she was still getting paid. It wasn't all bad.

Beverly finally took a few days off from being Anita Brown's shoulder and supplier of Ice Cream and Hot Tea and went with me to the Law Firm and the Property Management company to talk to people and to check their books..

I decided to take our friend Lawrence Stephenson ,the Forensic Accountant with us...We had just helped him beat a murder rap and had been involved in a case simular to this...

 "So nice to see you guys again." said Lawrence Stevenson as he ,Olivia, Bev and I headed to the Property Management Company to check their books..

Me going there by myself would probably get us nowhere...But two attorneys and an accountant going with me gave me more legitimacy...

Curtis Orwell had given us a list of people we could talk to and then some...And both the law firm and the property management company's people were very co-operative...They had no love for Bob McClod..but I could tell they were all afraid...

Still we got enough information from both places to match Curtis Orwell's information...And like Curtis Orwell...I placed everything we had on three Zip Drives... I mailed one to Louisiana and called my sister...Told her to put it in her safe deposit box and hang on for instructions..

Olivia took one and gave it to U.S. Attorney Brendan Burnside for safe keeping just like before..and the third one I gave to Gus the bartender at Josie's and told him to lock it up in his safe at the bar along with our notes on the case...My good friend and fellow Private Investigator,Kevin Morris told me that Gus had often held sensitive information for him in Josie's safe...

I expected a visit from someone soon.

As the four of us drove back home Olivia spotted an Ice Cream Bistro...

"Hey guys..anybody up for some Ice Cream?" She asked...

Beverly sighed...

"I'll sit this one out Auntay." she said.

(TO BE CONTINUED)