Land Of Hard Luck

It was raining like crazy in Philadelphia when the four of us left and it rained the entire drive up to the Pennsylvania Correctional Facility for men at Green Hill...Which was one of two prisons that bordered Angel City....The other located on the other side of the city was the Pennsylvania Correctional Facility at Stanga...

Stanga was 25 miles Northwest of Angel City....Stanga was for honor inmates if there is such a thing, inmates awaiting parole and non-violent inmates...Though there was a few inmates there on Murder raps...but they were the type that were considered non-threatening...again if there was such a thing...

Green Hill on the other hand was the exact opposite...It was called "The land of Hard Luck.."  It was a maximum security prison where the states most desperate and violent criminals were housed..It also is where the State's new Death Row was housed....Half of the inmates here were condemned men...Sentenced to die for murder...

It was here that Billy Harris, one time High School Football and Basketball hero, Successful Stock Broker now sat, just a few feet from the Lethal Injection chamber..

where in a few days...he'd be strapped down on a gurney and several chemicals would flow into his system....one that would begin to relax his muscles....making it impossible for him to breathe...another that would begin to put him to sleep and the third that would stop his heart, killing him....

It would appear to be a peaceful way to go....but still not one I would prefer...

II-

Billy Harris was a handsome man...Tall, muscular, Brown skinned with dreads and a goatee....

He looked like he could still fade back and place a well thrown pass into the hands of a wide receiver...

He had heard that his old High school girlfriend, Attorney Kayla Bennett had been trying to appeal his death sentence...She had written to him...He didn't know that her cousin...Attorney Beverly West, who he had also had the pleasure of dating and deflowering was also helping as well as Beverly's sexy Aunt, Olivia Bennett-Alexander, who he had met a few times when he had come over Bev's house and often mused...That If he was a bit older ,he wouldn't have minded taking a go at the aunt too..Who he really believed was Beverly's older cousin...

He was shocked to see the three of them and me, when the guards brought him into the prison visiting room...

His eyes nearly popped out of his head...

"Oh My God...Beverly West...Is that you??" he said.

Beverly smiled uneasily...

"Yes...It's me.."she said.

"You know...I asked around about you a few years back when I returned to Philly and old Russell Cummings...Remember him? He used to have a lightweight thing for you back in high school...He told me that you were a lawyer now...Kayla was too......I was proud of you...You went very far...Both of you..I had heard that Kayla was working and living in Atlanta and you were a Public Defender, You and Your sexy Aunt...Is that Sexy Auntie over there...??"he said smiling at Olivia salaciously...

"Is that what you used to call me behind my back when you came over to see my niece? I heard you once!" said Olivia, smiling...

"I meant it as a compliment..Believe me.."he said laughing...

''We are here to help Kayla with your appeal.." said Beverly dryly and without a hint of emotion...Truly the trip down memory lane didn't impress her one bit...Once you were on her bad side...There was next to no coming back I had learned...

He looked at me...

"Who's he? He with you guys...He an Attorney too?" he asked.

"I'm an Investigator with Sexy Auntie's law practice and also Sexy Auntie's husband!"I said.

He got quiet...You could see the obvious embarrassment on his face...

"Oh..uh, sorry man...I meant no disrespect,..Uh I go back aways with Bev and Kayla...And I uh saw your wife at Bev's house a few times when I stopped by to see her." he said.

"No need to explain...That was a long time ago..It's all good."I said without a hint of a smile..

He grimaced...

"So uh..what are my chances???....You guys have uh lost three appeals...I'm pretty much doomed aint I? he said..."But for what it's worth...I really didn't do this..I swear...I didn't do this..."he said.

"Before I became an investigator for Sexy Auntie over here...."I said..looking at Olivia and winking...

"Stop Donnie Ray..."said Olivia laughing and playfully punching my arm...

"I was a cop...A Homicide Detective...And I must say....After looking at the crime scene photos and reading the report of the Detective who was the primary on your case..It certainly looks like a slam dunk..Like you're as guilty as sin..."I said.

He hung his head....

"Mannn...you don't hold back do you?" he asked me...

"But here is what bothers me...Your fingerprints are all over the house.....As they should be...You lived there....But the so called murder weapon is wiped clean....Why didn't you just get rid of it? Also...There are nobody's fingerprints on the doorknobs...and there is the smell of bleach all over the front room...Yet Detectives admit they found no bleach in the house and no bottles in the trash... Which is very little...but it makes me think that somebody else was at your house and cleaned up traces of themselves...POSSIBLY!  Or you just did a sloppy job of covering up....Tell me which scenario is right?" I asked..

"Look man...I was at the gym...My wife and I had had a violent quarrel that morning...I remember..She had hired a Private Investigator to tail me and he had taken pictures of me and the young woman I was uh,ruh seeing on the side together in a seedy motel...My wife showed me the photos and she exploded..This was like the third time she had found evidence of me cheating...She demanded a divorce.....We quarelled..It was loud..but nothing violent...She told me to get out...Told me she'd leave my things outside the door and that I could get them when I came back and to leave the keys....I stormed out.." he said.

"Where did you go?" asked Kayla dryly ,who was now as droll and emotionless as Beverly...

"I went to the gym and worked out...I was unemployed at the time...and going to interviews...I worked out at the gym for about three hours and then I went to see my uh friend....Her name is Glenda...Glenda Avery." he said.

"The young lady you were cheating on your wife with?" asked Beverly....

"Yes...Look..I never revealed her name during the trial because she was ...she was engaged ..to a very influential man...Some big time lawyer named uh Elwood...Elwood Barnes...and she wasn't sure if she was going to marry him or not...She thought he might be cheating on her...I didn't want to mess things up for her...They got married while I was on trial..

Olivia and Beverly looked at each other and busted out laughing...This was the woman Elwood had left Olivia for..who had moved to New York and who had eventually dumped Elwood too...but neither told
Billy Harris that..

"You two know her?" he asked.

"I uh know of her..."laughed Olivia.

"So you never went back home that night right?" asked Kayla..

"No...I was scared....She was so mad...And plus..I knew that her ex-husband ,Austin Cauliflower ,who despised me was probably over there soothing her...Everytime we had an argument and she put me out for a few days...He'd come running ,begging her to take him back...She didn't want his old ass..He was twenty years older than her.." said Billy.

"So she was alive when you left right?" I asked..

"Yeah...that was uh around 11:00 am , just before the mail is delivered...."he said.

"Anybody see you?" asked Olivia...

He thought for a moment....Then he smacked his hand on the table...

"Oh My God....All these years...All these years!" he said.

"What?" asked Beverly....

"The Mail lady....She was a Puerto Rican woman,or Dominican... She was working that day..She spoke to me...She asked me if me and the missus had had another argument...And I told her yeah and that I was in the dog house again...She passed me some letters that were for me...My wife was at the door...She talked to her..Her first name was Verona...I don't know her last name.." he said.

"She's your alibi man.!!!!.She can prove that she saw you and saw your wife alive at the time you said!!!!!...And if we can find your uh girlfriend...She can prove that you were with her and that you never came back to that house.."I said.

"Man...that was four years ago....That woman might not even be employed at the Post Office anymore...and my uh friend...She's married to that Attorney..He doesn't know anything about me and her...I don't want to mess her thing up."he sighed..

"Trust me...They're not married anymore..I happen to know that for a fact....Do you have any idea where she might be now?" asked Olivia..

"She was in New York..last I heard..." he said.

"These two witnesses may be the key to saving your life Mr. Harris."said Olivia...

"You've got another court date huh? One last Appeal? " he asked..

"One last State Appeal...If that fails..We have to go to the Supreme Court...We don't want to have to do that...but those are our last two shots."said Kayla..

"You mean MY last two shots..." he said...Then he laughed...

"What's Funny?" I asked.

"I'm guilty of a lot of things...Especially the way I've treated women...My wife included...And ironically..I'm being punished for something I didn't do...I did not kill her...I wouldn't have done that...They tryin to say I did it for the money....I would have gotten the money anyway...Regardless..Look at our prenup." he said..

"We will." said Beverly...

He reached out to Beverly...

"Bev..I never apologized to you for what I did to you...I took advantage of you...You were young and trusting...Just a 10th grader and I used you and lied to you...That wasn't nice or right...and all these years I kept meaning to find you and apologize and I could never get the nerve...and the years piled on and pretty soon I...I uh just couldn't do it....I was a coward..And now you're working to save my life..I am so sorry what I did to you and to Kayla..." he said..

"We were kids...It was a long time ago.For what it's worth...I forgive you.." said Beverly, who turned and walked out of the room..She looked as if she might cry..

"Kayla!" he said..

"Save it...I'll talk to you in a few days after the appeal.Get some rest..." she said...

I went to go to both of them...but Olivia pulled my arm...

"Leave em be..It's a girl thing...Let them work it out...They'll be okay..." she said and smiled at me....

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Grateful I'm with you.."she said and kissed me softly..."Let's Go." she said.


III-

Angel City was wet and rainy...We drove around and finally found a diner....We were the only African -Americans in the diner...

Judging by the way the towns people stared at us...I couldn't tell if they knew we were Attorneys or if they thought I was a pimp...

Kayla and Beverly sat next to each other and ate silently...It was as if they were both comforting each other..

Olivia looked at the both of them and smiled occassionally....And I said nothing...

We had two adjoining rooms at the motel....

The girls set up their laptops and tablets and went to work doing their research for their fourth and final state appeal...

It was as quiet as a tomb for a couple of hours as we worked...I was estactic when Beverly's tablet vibrated....She was getting a Facetime message from Nelson..

"Hey Baby..How you doin?" he said..

"I'm so glad to hear from you ..I miss you so much." she said and got up....She whispered to Olivia..

"I have to take this Auntay..."

"Go ahead...We are done here." she said smiling..

"I miss you too...Our trial is over...They settled out of court...I'll be in Philly tomorrow..But you're up in Angel City aren't you?" he said.

"Yeah..We are appealing this Death Penalty case for the fourth time..."said Beverly...

"Damn, from what you told me before...Ole Boy doesn't have much long does he?" asked Nelson..

"Two more days.."said Beverly....

"Damn...I sure hope you guys can pull this one out...You and Liv have done this before...You can do it again...And then hurry on back so I can relieve you of them Big Girl Panties.." he joked..

Beverly laughed for the first time in hours...

"If you were here right now,I'd throw them at you....Love you so much." she said giddily like a school girl..

"Love you too babes.." said Nelson....

Ryan St. James called Kayla...

"What's the matter babes? You sound down ...You guys didn't lose the fourth appeal did you?" he asked.

"Not yet...but we have 48 hours to get a stay and if we lose the next one....We'll have to go to the Supreme Court and we may run out of time...."she said..She was sobbing...

"Heyyy,Hey Hey Don't cry babes..Your two cousins are two of the best trial attorneys I've ever seen...And you're no slouch yourself...You'll knock it out...I can feel it...And guess what? I'll be home in a few hours...My trial ended yesterday....I'm catchin a red eye out..." he said.

Kayla perked up....

"I can't wait to see you Ryan...Ryan...I love you..." she blurted out...

"How can you not? Look at me...I'm a successful Attorney...I'm good looking...Modest!" he said and cracked up at his own joke..

Kayla cracked up.....

"You are sooo simple..."she said...

Olivia and I were in the next room oblivious to both of them...We were kissing like two teenagers..

 "You're about the pan-tayss too Donnie Ray, but at least I know you love me for something more." said Olivia as I eased her panties down and inserted myself into her...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Donnie Ray...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ,my lord.." she moaned as she moved up and down on me..

"Yes....ohhhhhhhhhhhh..I am definitely about something morrrre...but right now...ohhhhhhhhhhhhh..I'm about the ummmmmmmmmmmm, pan-tays.." I moaned as we made sweet love...

''And that's...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, oh my goodness Donnie Ray...Ouuuuuuuu..that's okay with meeeeeeeeee,yessssssssssssssssss...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."moaned Olivia.....

Olivia kissed me deeply and passionately and we said no more..we just continued making sweet love well into the night...

It began raining again....Hard....It was going to be a long night..A night for good sleeping.

IV-

 I had been with Olivia and Beverly for a few years now and up until this year,I was used to them winning in court..Wasn't too used to them losing...but I had now witnessed them taking a few losses...

Once again The Original ADA who prosecuted the case, Alice Shapiro  was in court...She was by herself.. She appeared to be pissed at Olivia and Beverly...

She approached them before the appeal began..

"You know...You just won't leave this alone will you?  "she said.

"It's my job..to represent my client."said Olivia..

"He's not your client...I believe Kayla Bennett is his Attorney of Note...You and your niece are just in this to get headlines...I know who you two are...I've seen you on Television...You just can't deal with the fact that I've beat you..Not once...but three times...The Great Olivia Bennett-Alexander and Beverly West....I've beat you..You two can't stand that....Let this go...He's a dirt bag..A womanizer...He killed his wife...It's a slam dunk case...Justice will be served in 48 Hours..Don't cause the dead woman's family any more grief ..for god sakes.." she said.

"Is that all you're worried about ? Or your perfect record of 100-0 being harpooned and it effecting your election as Attorney General in a few months?" asked Beverly...

"THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING!" she stammered and stomped her foot and stormed off...

"Man..this is just like Louisiana..."I laughed...

"I think it's worse...At least there...You know what everybody's motive is...Here everybody has got an agenda and they keep it hidden."mused Olivia.

Olivia ,Beverly and Kayla argued their strongest case yet and had possibly new evidence that could prove his innocence...

The ADA argued that none of their so called evidence was relevant and that if so it would have,should have been brought up at trial..

The girls hammered home how Billy Harris didn't have proper representation in his first trial...how his first lawyer quit in the middle of the trial and how a fresh and very green attorney was given the case ..a case he wasn't prepared for...

That and new compelling information that might shed light on another killer was brought up also...

Surprise ,Surprise...This time...The Judges ruled in Olivia ,Beverly and Kayla's favor...

They granted Billy Harris a thirty day stay!!!

It wasn't much...But at least, he wouldn't die in two days...

Beverly was ecstatic...

"YES..We can go home...." she said.

"I can sleep in my own bed..." laughed Olivia...

"This is great...maybe I can make this case after all..30 days is better than 48 hours...I've cracked cases in far less time." I said ,remembering my time as a Homicide Detective. I looked around..

"Where is Kayla..?" I asked..

"She's talking to Billy..She went back to the Prison...Let's go and get some dinner...She'll be along."said Olivia.

V-

 Kayla sat in the visiting room with her client... Billy Harris..He just stared at her..

"Damn girl...You saved my life...I never in my wildest dreams imagined that one day I'd owe you so much." he said as they sat and talked..

"My two cousins and my Uncle Donnie Ray saved your life...That's why I got them on board...This was way over my head..I have never tried a capital murder case before.." she said.

''Sexy Auntie and Cousin Bev are good...I've heard of them...I can't believe it..All three of yall became lawyers...Mannnn, Imagine that...."he mused...

"Billy,I was in 10th grade too."said Kayla..

"Huh?" he said.

"I was in 10th grade too when you took my virginity...You knew you were seeing my cousin Beverly didn't you?"she asked..

"Yeah...I had seen you two together...I knew..."he admitted..

"We both were just some game, some sexual conquest to you weren't we?" she asked..

"At first....yeah...Neither one of you had given it up to anybody and I wanted to prove that I could get both of you...Which I did...but after awhile..I started having feelings for you Kayla...Real feelings...That's why ,even after I graduated...Everytime I came home from college,I'd come see you..and I'd bring you something...Remember??" he said.

"You need to stop lying...You came around because I was easy....You came to see Bev too, You thought I didn't know...but she wouldn't give you the time of day and her father, Big Jimmy West would have killed you...Me ,I was easier and you had nothing to fear...I let you have me up until I was a freshman in college and all the while..you had other girlfriends...You didn't feel anything for me but lust..admit it.."she asked.

"I'm sorry Kayla...Yeah,you right...I don't know if I've ever loved any woman past ejaculation....This whole experience has taught me something...That I need to be a better man...I do...You've taught me that."he said.

"I want to believe you so bad...Just tell me I'm not wasting my time and the money of the Innocence Project..You didn't really kill your wife did you?" she asked..

"I swear Kayla..I didn't kill my wife...I may be a womanizer....But I'm not a killer...I'm not. I've been locked up for four years....Hardly any contact with the outside world...It's rough baby..I've thought about you..A lot...Bev too!..But mostly you...Your soft brown skin...your pretty legs...the way you smell..The way you taste...ouuuuuuu I can't tell you how much I've thought about you baby..." he said..

Kayla was silent for a few minutes..

"Billy..tell the truth...You didn't start thinking about me until I took your case and we started writing each other..." she said.

He stared at her...She was a good lawyer, she kept catching him and calling him out....

"So...You married?" he asked..

"You see a ring?" she asked...  "No I'm not married ,but I'm seeing somebody...Another Attorney...I met him on the plane when I was moving back to Philly..He was moving back here too..He lives in Jersey..Cherry Hill." said Kayla..

"White Boy?" he asked.

"Nooooo he's Black.." she said softly...

"Bev hooked up?" he asked..

"Yup...He's an Attorney too...and yes, he's Black." She said.

"You're both smart girls..Good Girls..I'm happy for you....Damn Kayla...You still look good...Ease your dress up a little...Let me see those fine brown thighs of yours.."he said.

"Come on Billy...Let's not go there okay?   I'm your attorney...When this case is over...I'm out of your life...Don't call me or try to find me..." she said.

He smiled..

"For Real?" he asked..."For Real Kayla...?" he asked..

"For real" she said and eased her dress up far enough for him to see the outline of her panties...He still could charm her and get her to do almost anything he wanted...She hated that he had that kind of power over her..

His eyes nearly popped out of his head..

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwww lawddddddddddddddd..Damnnn girl, ease that dress up a little more.."he moaned..Staring at her intently....

She eased her skirt back down...

"Good Night Billy....Last favor I'm gonna do for you...Outside of try to save your life." she said.

He watched her attentively as she walked out of the visitor room.....

It was raining out...She caught a cab back to the motel where we were staying....

In our motel room...

Olivia and I were kissing like two teenagers again...We were both Nude...Beverly was fast asleep in her and Kayla's room...

...She stood in between my legs and leaned down and kissed me softly...
She could see that I was very aroused...She smiled..

"Ohhh myyyy..." she said.

She straddled me and eased herself down on my waiting erection....

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...ouuuuuu, you're as hard as an iron pipe..ouuuuuuu.." she cooed as she moved up and down...up and down...

"How can I not be? You in front of me all sexy like this.."I said.

She laughed and then tossed her head back...moaning softly...Her body quivering softly....Her breathing getting heavy...

"Ohhhhh...Ohhh my god Donnie Ray...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."she moaned...

"Ouuuuuuu...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Olivia....Ohhh my goddd  .."I moaned as she moved up and down on me...

"You like that?" she asked..

"Yessssssssssssssssssssss.."I moaned.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm Mama Likes it tooo...Ummmmmmmmmmmm.."she moaned..

Three and a half hours of lovemaking followed...We were both enjoying ourselves immensely.....

"Oh My God Donnie Ray....Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" she moaned.

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuu girl....Olivia..."I moaned myself..

Olivia riding me softly and slowly and me nearly losing my mind....These beds were incredibly squeaky and this was the only way we could make love without the bed and these thin walls being a dead giveaway...

Olivia had the sweetest ,most serene look on her face....Soon it looked as if she were crying...She was shaking and holding me tight...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.." she was cumming and cumming hard...

I was so excited that I exploded like a gusher.....

We held each other tightly for a few minutes.....

Then Olivia got up off of me , got a bottle of cold water out of the refrigerator and  sat on the side of the bed sipping it...with the covers wrapped around her...

"It felt so good to beat that Arrogant ADA Alicia Shapiro...She took it soo hard and so personal when they ruled against her...She wants to be Attorney General...She'd kind of be their boss...They weren't having it.."laughed Olivia...

I smiled and stared out the window....I put my arms around her...I hugged her gently...she passed me what was left of her water and I finished it....

It had stopped raining...The moon was out..

 The streets were wet and steamy at the same time....It was a balmy 88 degrees outside....Olivia's head was up under my shoulder...She was sleeping soundly...I looked at her and smiled ...

  Next door...Beverly was sound asleep..She had face timed Nelson and was content...She was sleeping like a baby...

Kayla lie in her bed, staring at the moon outside her window and dreaming of a time long passed, when Billy Harris was young and free and he held her in his arms and told her whatever she wanted to hear and she believed him and he kissed her with those full soft lips of his and her clothes seemed to just melt...and he was inside of her ,driving her to heights of ecstacy she couldn't imagine...But she was older and she knew that he had made scores of other women believe the same lie for a few hours...

Tomorrow we went home....Tomorrow,I began my investigation anew...I sure hoped this guy was innocent and wasn't manipulating my girls...because if I found out he was...I'd pull the switch on him myself..

(TO BE CONTINUED)