Room 157

MIDNIGHT!

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...ohhhh woman what are you doin to me?"

''Ohhhhhhhhhhhh my god, this is so good...Ohhhh my goodness,Richard..ummmph.."

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..ohhhhhhh baby,yesssssssssssssss...Anita...Lawd have mercy woman..ouuuu."

The bed was squeaking something crazy, the headboard sounded like it was about to come off...

The sound of kissing and heavy breathing could be heard....

"Ohhhhhhhhh baby..."

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu darling..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

''Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."
"Ohhh baby, give it to meeeeee....ummmmmmph..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Anita...Anita ...ouuuuuuuuuu, more, more... ohhhhhh..."

"Sock it to me Ricky...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"LAWDDD girl, what are you doing to meeeee?"

"What am I doing to you? What are you doing to MEEEEEE?"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gooooddddddd lawdd it's soooo goood...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh I've missed you girl...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sweeeeet jesusssssssssss you are a demon in the bedddddddddd...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."


"Morrre...Morreee....morrre...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. Ricky..ouuuuuu..Ricky....OHHHHHHH."
she wailed...

"Ohhhh Anita, Anita,ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..I'm losin my minddddddddd!! "

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...I love you soooooooooooooo much...ouuuuuuuuuuuu..RICHARD!"

In the hallway, Lt. Tragg and several tactical squad policemen stood surrounding both sides of the room...

The Sergeant walked up to Lt. Tragg....

"Are you sure this is the right room Lieutenant? This sounds like a couple making love." he said.

Lt. Tragg gave him a side eye...

"Sergeant, WHAT DO PEOPLE USUALLY DO IN HOTEL ROOMS?  This is room 157...I have the warrant right here.....Curtis Orwell is in there....He's my suspect in a murder...Now hit the door!" said Lt. Tragg...

"I'm just sayin Lieutenant...First off, Do you need all of this firepower to take down one man ? And second...The woman called the man "Ricky" or "Richard" Not "Curtis"..So I ask you once again...IS THIS THE RIGHT ROOM? You got all of these reporters and cameras out here...I don't like this.." said the Sergeant...

Lt. Tragg was beyond exasperated...

"Listen..I'm tired of everybody second guessing me...You hear? It's an alias... Now HIT HE DAMN DOOR!!..That's an order!!!...In fact....NEVER MIND..I'LL DO IT!" he said..

The bed springs in the room was squeaking louder than ever now...and so was the moaning and cooing of the two lovers...

"Sock it to me Ricky...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."came a woman's voice...


 "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gooooddddddd lawdd it's soooo goood...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh Anita ,I love you so much girl...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sweeeeet jesusssssssssss ..this is sooo damn goood..ummmmph!...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..You have to leave your husband...Ohhh godd...I never knew it was so damn goood...ohhhhh...baby!"  came the sounds from the room.



"ORWELL!!!...CURTIS ORWELL...OPEN UP...POLICE!!!" came Lt. Tragg's voice...


"Hey man, Go away..aint nobody in here named Curtis Orwell.." came the voice from the room...

"Step aside!" said Lt. Tragg who kicked the door in himself.... Only to get the shock of his life!!!!

"Oh My GOD...ANITA???  MRS. BROWN???YOUR HONOR!!!" he said...

"OHH MY GOD....LT. TRAGG, YOU ASSHOLE!!!!...GET OUT!  ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! GET OUT!!!!! OH LAWD I'M NOT DRESSED..GET OUTTT!" she screamed...As the shocked couple spun around....

She tossed one of her pumps at him which struck him in the head...

"OWWWWW JESUS ANITA THAT HURT!" screamed Lt. Tragg....

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GET OUT...I'M NOT DRESSED" she screamed and tossed another one of her pumps at him which struck him again...

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWW! COME ON NOW!!" he screamed...

"JUST GET OUT....GET OUT..YOU ASSHOLE!!" she yelled and hurled her bra at him..He ducked...

The man in the bed with her , covered himself with the bed sheet and yelled out-

"HEY MAN GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! CLOSE THAT DOOR IT'S COLD..." he yelled...

By now reporters and media people were filming and photographing the entire thing...


"OHH MY GOD....Lt. TRAGG, YOU ASSHOLE...GET OUT!  ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! GET OUT!!!!!GET THOSE REPORTERS OUT OF MY ROOM!" she screamed...and hurled her pocketbook at them..It hit the wall and all of her possessions spilled to the ground..

The Sergeant of the Tactical squad snatched the warrant out of Traggs hands and read it...He grimaced...Then he looked at Lt. Tragg...who was rubbing his bruised forehead..

"You read the warrant wrong Lieutenant!!!!...It says Room 57..Not Room 157 We are one floor up....I asked you if you had the right address." he said..

"Oh My God...That's the MAYOR's WIFE!!!! and that guy she's in bed with owns a construction company..He has a major city contract..." said Lt. Tragg who was beet red...

"Looks like that's not ALL he has!." said the Sergeant...."Come on guys, let's hit room 57.." he said.

The woman, Anita Brown, was the wife of Philadelphia's Mayor, Cecil"Get Right" Brown , the mayor and a pastor...One time head of Philadelphia's Black Clergy...sat on the bed, naked, sobbing and shaking...

"TRAGG, YOU ASSHOLE...MY MARRIAGE IS RUINED...YOU FOOL!!!...OH LAWD!! THE SCANDAL!..ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" she sobbed...

"Scandal?? Your marriage ruined?? What about us baby?" said the man in the bed with her..

She looked at him like he was crazy....He said nothing more.She snatched some of the bed sheet to cover herself.

"I'm so sorry..We uh, We had the uh wrong room."  said Lt. Tragg...

"YA THINK?? OH YOU ASSHOLE...HOW DID YOU EVER BECOME A COP???OHHHHH LAWD CLOSE THE DOOR...CLOSE THE DAMN DOOR!!...I'M NAKED!!!...CLOSE THE DOOR AND GET OUT OF HERE!! DON'T STAND THERE LOOKING STUPID!!...CLOSE THE GOTDAMN DOOR!"she screamed!!!

 "HEY MAN GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! CLOSE THAT DOOR IT'S COLD...DON'T JUST STAND THERE LOOKIN STUPID...CLOSE THE DOOR!!!!"yelled her bed mate again..


"Uhhh Yes...Yes Sirr!!...Yes mam!  Soooooo Sorrry about this...Oh My God!." said Lt. Tragg, closing the door and running down the hallway...


"TURN THOSE DAMN CAMERAS OFF!! TURN EM OFF! THAT'S THE MAYOR'S WIFE...HAVE SOME RESPECT!!!TURN THOSE DAMN CAMERAS OFF!! TURN EM OFF!" he yelled to the media...

Now..more and more people were in the hallway ,staring and talking...Anita Brown shook her head in disbelief...Lt. Tragg had now brought more attention to an already bad situation...What an idiot, she thought and just shook her head...

II-

MORNING-

My wife, Attorney,Olivia Bennett-Alexander awoke to my laughter....I was watching the morning news...

She smiled...

"Myyy..My hubby is pretty happy this morning...What has got you laughing so hard?" she asked..

"Oh My God Livy...I was watching the morning news...Last night...The Police raided this hotel looking for a murder suspect..They knocked down the wrong door and caught the Mayor's wife in bed with some guy who has a huge city construction contract...Oh My God this is hillarious..."I said laughing so hard my sides were hurting..

Olivia put her arms around me and joined in the laughing...

"Oh My God...That's Lt. Tragg....I'm not surprised...I remember him when I was a public defender...He was always so condescending...I couldn't stand him..Looks like he really stepped in it this time." laughed Olivia..

Lt. Tragg was on television saying that a typographical error led them to the wrong room...and that they were very sorry for what happened....

"We never meant to uh invade the uh er..Privacy of the uh ahhhh Mayor's wife...This was a huge mistake and I'm going to get to the bottom of this...Find out and fire whoever is responsible for this gaffe."he said, Sweating bullets...

"This guy is an embarrassment....He was on here a month ago announcing an update in that serial killer case and come to find out the cops had already arrested the serial killer hours before.. And then I saw him on here raiding an empty church looking for another guy that the FBI had picked up hours before that in Camden.."I said.

"Not to mention, he was kidnapped by that crazy girl who killed all of those gangsters,including the guy he had arrested and he was filmed with no pants on being rescued....Oh My God..This hasn't been a good year for him..."said Olivia...

They showed film footage of the Mayor's wife throwing her shoes and her bra and her pocketbook at him and of her guest covering himself up in the sheets...

Now Olivia was laughing uncontrollably herself...

We had no idea that this was going to be just the beginning of one of our strangest cases...


III-

"I'm going to be making a lot of money...I'm going to be making a lot of money....I'm going to be making a lot of money..." sang Beverly West, my wife's niece and a partner in the law firm...

Olivia smiled at her niece...

"My..You seem very happy this morning .Everybody is happy this morning.."said Olivia...

I kissed Olivia on the cheek...

"I don't know..you were pretty happy last night.."I whispered...

Olivia blushed...She was so sexy when she blushed...

"Donnie Rayyyyyy." she said, smiling sheepishly.

"You'll never guess who my client is?  Take a guess."said Beverly...

Olivia looked at me...I shrugged my shoulders....I didn't know..

"Oh come on guys...Take a guess." said Beverly..

"Oh Alright...I'll tell you....Anita Brown..THE ANITA BROWN...as in  Mayor ,Cecil "Get Right" Brown's wife...She and I went to law school together...You'll remember..She was an ADA at one time before she caught the Mayor's attention and they got married..." she said.

"Oh My God Bev...GOOD FOR YOU BABY!....I suppose he wants a divorce after she was caught in that hotel room with that guy, Richard Young..."said Olivia..

''Well it's not clear yet...But she wants an attorney in place just in case...Right now she's staying with one of her girlfriends and the Mayor is in seclusion...This might be a huge Divorce settlement...And I'm handling it...Ouuuuu la la..." she said.

"I'm happy for you baby."said Olivia , hugging her neice...

"I suppose there is nothing for me to investigate....This is pretty open and shut...No pun intended.."I said.

Beverly cracked up laughing.....

"Oh wow...Did you see that circus on Television...Those coppers went to the wrong room, Kicked the door in and were in the wrong room....The guy they wanted was a floor down...Oh My God...Somebody is in deep water this morning..."laughed Beverly...

"She called you pretty fast."I said.

"She's scared....and she's embarrassed...The whole city caught her cheating..It's all over the news and social media..I'll have to do damage control."said Beverly...

"Ohhh look at you missy."said Olivia laughing.".Sounding just like me."

The three of us busted out laughing.

III-

But like I said...The events of the night before hadn't finished affecting us... Olivia got a phone call just minutes after Beverly's announcement...

"Alexander & West Law Firm....This is Olivia Bennett-Alexander." she said.

"You're the one I'm looking for." came the voice..

Olivia smiled..

"That's always nice to hear." she said.

"My name is Curtis Orwell...I'm a Blogger and Free lance journalist...I've been arrested for murder...A murder I did not committ...I need a good lawyer and you come highly recommended..."he said.

"Ohhh-Okay..Where are you? she asked...

"I'm at Police headquarters...This is my one call that I was allowed.."he said.

"Okay...My niece and my husband and I will be down..." she said.

"Thank you..Thank you so much." he said.

Olivia looked at me...

"Beverly isn't the only one who has a case..We have one too..." she said.

"Sounds Good...Come on Shortcake...We'll take my ride." I said.

"Can I drive?" asked Beverly...

"Sure" I said and tossed her the keys..

IV-

Curtis Orwell was white,about Olivia and my age...My height and general build...with Reddish brown hair..

He looked a bit disheveled..Like he could use a shave and a shower and maybe some sleep......

He smiled when he saw the three of us...

"I am Olivia Bennett-Alexander, This is my niece Beverly ,she is also an attorney and my husband, Donnie Ray Alexander, our investigator.." she said.

He smiled..

"I remember seeing you guys before...You probably don't remember me..I covered you when you had that law suit against Betty Mercy...I did a story on you in the Atlantic Monthly...I figure anybody who could go up against that harpie Betty Mercy and win is the only kind of lawyer that can me out of the mess I'm in." he said.

"Well just what kind of mess are you in?  You said you're being charged with murder."I said.

"Yes...I've been charged with the murder of what I now know was a prostitute...I was set up...They found me or rather I woke up in the room with the girl and she was dead...She had been suffocated with a pillow..Only I didn't do it...I went to the room with her...We had consensual sex..Next thing I know...I was out like a light...I woke up hours later and she was dead!!!.....I didn't kill her..I wouldn't have done that...I swear..I'm being set up." he said.

"What makes you think that?" asked Olivia..

"Look,Like I said...I'm a Blogger and a Free Lance Journalist...I was doing a story on Bob Mcloud..Ever heard of him?" he asked.

"I have!!!..He's the City Treasurer.."said Beverly...

He looked at her and smiled...

"Your little sister is sharp." he said.

Olivia smiled..

"She's my niece...but sometimes I feel as though she's my little sister." she said looking at Beverly affectionately..

"Yeah, well I got information that Mr. Mccloud is interested in a run for State Senator...and so our distinguished City Treasurer...the guy in charge of our money was shaking down a law firm and a property management company for big donations to his campaign.... I had a contact inside his office who I won't name who was feeding me information...Good information about his activities.. I had files..Photos of his books...Photos and accounts ,personal accounts on tape that would have proved that he was in fact doing this...Only they are all gone now..Before I could make copies..Somebody broke into my apartment and stole them and wiped my hard drive clean..."

"Right around that time..I met this girl...Her name was Selena Carr...or that's the name she gave me..She seemed like a very astute young lady,Pretty...with looks too good to be doing administrative work.. She was working at the magazine I was doing this story for...We started dating...And I started building my case up again against Bob McCloud..I mean she helped me with the interviews and gathering information...The works..."

"We wound up in a motel..Making sweet love...She was too good at what she did to be just some normal secretary...This was a dead give away....I woke up and she was dead...My files ,once again..gone!  Only..I made copies this time...They're on a USB drive and that's in safe keeping where they won't find it..Only thing..I can't get to it...I called the police and told them what I knew..They took me in..I made a statement...I gave them blood ,urine and saliva samples..and they released me on my own word...Next thing I know..I hear on the radio that I'd been formally indicted for 2nd Degree Murder..This guy..This Lt. Tragg...He's trying to make a big name for himself...He comes to get me with a throng of reporters...Only I wasn't there...I was across the street watching...When they left,I left...but somebody tipped him off... Of course I knew what that was...It was Bob McCloud..putting political pressure on the Mayor and the police..." he said.

"Where did you go?" asked Olivia..

"I was in the Wynndom Hotel...I was in Room 57....Ironically enough...Just one floor down from where the cops found the Mayor's wife and that guy who is trying to get a construction contract with the city...Richard Young...My arrest that same night took a back seat to that circus going on upstairs....Hell..If  I wasn't involved in this mess...That's the kind of story I'd be covering." he said,laughing..

Just then Lt. Tragg walked in...He looked like so many Police Lieutenants I had known in New Orleans...Well Dressed, White and with an air of self importance about them...

"Olivia..Olivia Bennett....Well I'll be...You've come a long way from the Public Defenders office.Got your own firm now huh?"he said.

"Yes and It's Olivia Bennett-Alexander now.."she said showing him her wedding band and pointing to me..

"And that is my husband, Donnie Ray Alexander."she said.

"Ohhhh, You got married...Congratulations!!!Your husband a shyster too?" he asked.

"No..He's our investigator....You remember my niece, Beverly?" she said.

He smiled...

"I do..She was a public defender also....So she's with you now huh? And you're repping this loser here huh? Well you're wasting your time with him...We got him cold...In the room with the dead hooker and his DNA and prints all over the room." he said.

"Doesn't mean he killed her... He said he was drugged...I'm going to look at the Tox exams taken from the night...and I'd like to see the crime scene photos." I said.

"You sound like you used to be on the job at one time."said Lt. Tragg..

"I was Murder Police once...New Orleans Homicide Unit."I said.

"I thought so...Well you know how real cops feel about P.I.'s..We aren't inclined to help you...Ex-Cop or not." he said snidely...

"But we have a right to see the police reports and as a real cop..You know that!" said Beverly...

He looked at Olivia and smiled..

"She inherited your smart mouth huh?" he said.

''Who is the Primary On this case?" I asked.

"You're looking at him."said Lt. Tragg.

"How did you know he was at that hotel and in that room?" asked Olivia.

"Got an anonymous tip." he said.

"About Mr.Orwell or the Mayor's wife?" asked Beverly....

Curtis Orwell, Beverly and I could not contain ourselves...We laughed heartily....

Lt. Tragg was beat red...It was quite obvious that he despised both Beverly and I and was only mildly tolerating Olivia.

"Finish this interview...He's getting ready to go down to booking and then to lock up." he snarled,clearly not amused at Beverly...

''We are done here..Curtis..I'll arrange a hearing and see if we can get a low bail...Maybe I can get you out,but I can't promise.."said Olivia..

"Thank you..Thank you for taking my case." he said.

"Nice seeing you again Liv...Teach your niece some manners..." he said giving Beverly the side eye...

"Let's go Orwell.." he barked as two officers escorted him out...

I looked at Beverly...

"I don't think he likes you Shortcake!" I said smiling.

"Screw him if he can't take a joke."said Beverly non-chalantly...

"Don't feel bad Shortcake..He's not a big fan of me either." I said.

"Then I'm in good company."said Beverly with a smile.

Olivia smiled...

"Don't let him fool you..He's no big fan of me either..All of that was a little act...He despised me when I was a public defender..." she said.

"Yeah,I gathered...Let's go get that tox and DNA report.." I said.

"We can subpeona the crime scene report....I was hoping I didn't have to do that..."said Olivia.."I wish Sissy and her guys or Sharon was dealing with this case." she said.

"What a day...I've got a meeting with the Mayor's wife, Anita Brown tomorrow..."said Beverly...

V-

And at city hall,Philadelphia Mayor,Cecil "Get Right" Brown held a press conference...

"My wife and I are trying to deal with this incident privately...We please ask for privacy and a time of healing and reflection..She is currently staying with some friends and I will be in seclusion..." he said somberly...

"Mr. Mayor..Mr. Mayor"  came the questions of reporters as he walked away...

He looked at his chief of staff...

"Who is the jackass that busted down the door of the wrong room? And took the press with him ?"he snarled..

"Who Else sir?, Lieutenant Tragg sir...You know how he loves being on the news" he said.

"What an idiot...I want him fired."he said.

"You can't fire him sir...He technically didn't break any law..He went in the wrong room..He was there looking for Orwell...You personally assigned him to get Orwell as a favor to your buddy McCloud."he said.

"Is Orwell in custody?" he asked.

"Yeah,he is."said the aide.

"Then Take Tragg off of the case.." barked the Mayor..

"Can't do that Mr. Mayor...How would it look? Like you were covering up something sir."said the aide.

"Damn it..Well Tell Tragg to stay off of Television..No press at all...No News conferences..I want this bottled up..Kept quiet..." he snarled.

"Yes sir sirrrr." said the aide.

(TO BE CONTINUED)