When The Boys Come Home

Saturday Morning and we were at a Tony Bistro in Suburban Philly that Stephen Bristol had casually mentioned to me the last time I was in his company...

By We, I meant Olivia and I...We were waiting for the rest of our guests...

"I don't think they're going to make it...Donnie Ray...We may just be eating by ourselves.."said Olivia,looking at her watch..

''It's Saturday Morning Livy, this isn't a court date...It's been a rough week and the boys just got back....and you know the young ladies have been missing them something terrible..." I said.

"Yeahhhh,I know how I'd be if I was without you for a week or more."said Olivia smiling...

"Damn....Old Billy Harris is right...you really are Sexy Auntie.."I joked, checking her out in her mini skirt and stilletto heels...

"Ohh hush up....Didn't you get enough of Sexy Auntie last night?  Don't answer that...."she said laughing as Josie and Paris walked up...

"Heyyy Mrs. A. , Mr. A. Sorry we are late.." said Josie...

'What's up guys?" said her boyfriend,Paris...

"You're okay...none of the others have showed...."I said...

Just then, Nelson drove up...He and Beverly parked and joined us..

"Heyyyyyyy Auntay, Donnie Ray, Jo,Paris...We overslept..." said Beverly laughing uneasily....

I playfully laughed at Nelson and said...

"Is that what really happened?"

"No comment....I plead the fifth.." he said.

Olivia cracked up laughing.....


From a distance we heard another voice..

"Hail,Hail...the gangs all here!" It was Ryan St. James....Which meant Kayla was here also...

She laughed uneasily....

"We uhhhh, overslept..." she said ,laughing sheepishly...

''You're late...Nelson and I already used that one." laughed Beverly....

"Come on silly gooses...Let's go inside and eat..." laughed Olivia....

II-

 Inside we were treated to a plethora of good food, Pancakes, French Toast, Waffles, Eggs made to order, Fresh squeezed orange juice, Hot coffee, Crepes....The whole Magilla....I loved it...

"Heyy Donnie Ray...I had a Po Boy while I was in New Orleans last week..."said Ryan...

''You like it?" I asked..

"I love it...I'm gonna have some shipped up here." he joked...

''I see you guys had the pleasure of meeting Alice Shapiro..." said Nelson...

"I wouldn't say it was a pleasure.." laughed Beverly....

"I went up against her four times as a Public Defender...Lost all four times...She's a real barracuda and she plays hardball...No filter..."said Nelson...

"Yes...We saw that.....and she doesn't take losing well...After beating us three times , the one time she lost...She was inconsolable...She acted like a spoiled child.." said Olivia...

''Yeah..She stomped her feet and stormed out of the courtroom in a huff...Asked us why didn't we let it go.."said Kayla.

"It's an election year..She wants to be Attorney General....This is her second go at it...She lost the last time...She means to win this time and you girls tampering with one of her cases won't look too good...Especially since it's a capital case! So let me tell you what she's going to do...She's going to look into every area of your lives...Try to find some dirt..Anything to make you look bad...That is how she does and have your home and office swept...She's not beyond having your place bugged."said Nelson..

"Damnnnnn...She's something.." said Ryan...

"I had our office and both floors swept....Kevin Morris's guy,Peeping Tom came in with his team...They found listening and video devices all over the place..They swept it clean..twice in the past week.." I said.

"Then she's made her move...If I were you...I'd find someplace else to discuss strategy in this case...I know it's comfortable to work at home...But your home and office have been compromised...Your laptops and tablets have probably been cloned too...Tell me ,was there a short Petite Black woman with her?" asked Nelson.

''Yes...I thought it was her assisting attorney.."said Olivia...

"Nope...she's her investigator...and she's good...She's ex-FBI.....Have your cars swept too....This woman wins for the same reason you and Bev win Liv.....She has good information...She's never surprised..." said Nelson..

"Wow!" said Kayla....

We said nothing else about the case...We just ate our food...and discussed more light hearted fare..

III-

We had 30 days before we went back to court and we didn't have time to spare....

I continued to have our office swept and our Laptops, Computers and Tablets safeguarded as well as our phones...

Olivia only discussed our other pending cases in the office...Not this case at all..

Beverly met with Kayla,Olivia and me outside the courthouse a few days later and had a solution...

"The Innocence Project has donated us some Laptops and Tablets to work on and our friend here..."she said pointing to Bridget Jones...

"Hey guys" she said, waving....

"Our friend has an upstairs office over top her Lingerie store where we can work...."said Beverly...

"It's perfect....It's quiet...Nobody will know you are there and you have complete privacy..."said Bridget...

"Bridget...We can't thank you enough..."said Olivia...

"That's perfect..."said Kayla...

IV-

So on the upper floor of Lady Chatterlies Lover...Panties and Bras for the discriminating woman...We set up a makeshift office...

In a secret makeshift office,

Olivia, Beverly and Kayla worked on what would be their last appeal for Billy Harris's life...They had won a stay of execution...by the end of the month when they returned to court...They needed enough compelling evidence to order a new trial or get his conviction over turned..

"I don't have to tell you how important this appeal is...We lose this one and we have to go to the U.S. Supreme Court where it will be extremely difficult to get a stay of execution or his conviction overturned or anything and we are running out of time ladies." said Olivia..

"I know Auntay...and we have to have something really compelling....Which right now..we don't have...All we have is the same old half baked arguments we've been using, reshaped...Alicia Shapiro is good and we are very lucky we got this stay....She'll be ready next time...We need some new evidence.."said Beverly.

"Donnie Ray is going over the case...piece by piece...As though it's a fresh homicide...I don't know where he is right now...but he'll come up with something...He's been interviewing people and looking at crime scene photos and forensic reports for three days now...As have I...Something will pop."said Olivia.

"I know and I appreciate the help Cousin Liv, Cousin Bev....I wouldn't have even gotten this far, You two have given me an incredible education...Not just in how to write and prepare appeals but how to be a trial lawyer....In my world...Most of my verdicts are handled in an office or with just a Judge.." said Kayla..

 "I've been a trial lawyer most of my time as a lawyer....Ironically enough,I'm just starting to get cases where I'm in an office or just amongst  a judge....Civil Cases...That's kind of boring to me..I like trials."said Beverly.

"You've been in the corporate law world for a long time Kayla...I know..It took me a while to get used to being a trial lawyer again after I quit my firm and opened up my practice..."said Olivia.

I would drive by every night and pick them up and take them home...

Some nights I'd drop Beverly off at Nelson's apartment.

And some nights I'd drive Kayla over the bridge to Cherry Hill

 ,where Ryan St. James was living..

The arrangement was uncomfortable...but it was serving a purpose...No information was leaking to Alice Shapiro and it had to be driving her crazy.....

Both Beverly and Kayla were truly professional...They were always on time ,when I came to pick them up in the morning and they met Olivia at the Lingerie store and got down to work promptly...

Bridget's staffers brought them lunch and sometimes dinner, depending on how hard they were preparing...and how late they were working...We had a key and security codes to lock up the place.

I'd been a cop too long to not know how this went...If Alicia's investigator couldn't hear anything or pull any information from our home and office which I was still having swept...A seasoned investigator would have to know that whatever the girls were doing they were doing it somewhere else..And there for..I would become the target...

Follow me...

Now that I knew who her investigator was...I knew when I was being tailed...and being an ex cop..I knew how to lose her...

I switched cars with my friends,Clerow or Reed Nelson or Downtown Rob Brown a couple of times and on other days..I just took her for a ride around Philly...

But I still continued my investigation and I got lucky...I located the woman , who delivered the mail on Harris's route that day...I swore her to secrecy and took her to meet Olivia,Beverly and Kayla at Lady Chatterlies Lover...panties and bras for the discriminating woman.

"Livy, Beverly,Kayla...This is Verona Montclair...U.S. Post Office..."I said.

"She was delivering the mail on Billy Harris's route the day of the murder...Just minutes before the murder."I said.

 "Hello Ms. Montclair.."said Olivia.

 "Pleased to meet you Ms. Montclair..."said Beverly.

 "Pleased to meet you Ms. Montclair..."said Kayla....

''Tell them what you told me.." I said.

"I tried to tell the cops this and that Prosecutor, Ms. Sinclair...but she didn't want to hear it...I saw Mr. Harris leaving the house on the day of his wife's murder...and I saw Mrs. Harris  outside , yelling at him...He told me that he might not be coming back there tonight because he was in the dog house again...I remember...because we always used to joke and talk...He was a very handsome man....Very flirtatious with me...That was 11:00 am in the morning when I delivered her mail...She was outside yelling at him..He picked up a few pieces of mail that was his and kept going...She was yelling that she was going to put his stuff outside the door and for him to drop his keys off.." she said.

"But girls ,listen to this..."I said.

" I was finishing up delivering the mail and was getting ready to head in when I saw her closing the door and a white 2012 Mercedes Benz was parked in front of her house that hadn't been there when Mr.Harris  left...The car had been there before the same time ,two days before...I thought that maybe Mrs. Harris was having an affair...but I never saw who was in the car,if it was a male or female. That was 11:20 am...She  had a visitor ,but I didn't see who it was...I saw her smile and close the door..." she said.

"The coroner's report has her time of death between 11:30 am- 12:00pm...So if you saw her alive at 11:20 pm,closing the door...Billy couldn't have killed her...He wasn't home..."said Olivia..

"He arrived at the gym at 12:13 am...He was on foot...He was running...and he didn't leave until 3:00..He was working out...So he didn't return home....We have eyewitnesses who saw him running to the gym and who place him in the gym ."said Beverly...

''We need to know who that last visitor was..but how?" said Kayla..

"I know a way!!!...Remember when we were in Dallas....That death row case...??" I asked..

"You got street cam footage of the house from years ago...and that was like ten years ago...We are only talking four....That's a long shot..D.R."said Beverly...

"What have we got to lose?" asked Olivia...

I called FBI Deputy Special Agent in Charge ,Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins...

"FBI...May I help you?" came her voice...

"Heyyy Baby...what's good?" I said.

''Donnie Ray Alexander, is that you?" she asked...

"Who else?" I laughed...

"What can I do for you? she asked...

"I got a real easy favor.." I said.

"No favor you ask is ever easy...Where are you now?" she asked..

"I'm here in Philly...I'm at Lady Chatterlies Lover...panties and bras for the discriminating woman."I said.

"Uhhh huhhh..No...I don't know Liv's size,You should know it by now... and I don't know what she'd like..."laughed Sharon...

"No..No No...It's not that kind of favor...I'm working a case.." I said.

"In a lingerie store? Must be some case....Come on Donnie Ray...I'm busy...What do you want?" she asked..

""I'm going to give you a date and a year and an address...I know they take satellite photos...I need a satellite photo of this street at this time and all of the cars on it...and I need a make on all of the cars. A 2012 White Mercedes Benz in particular...It's right here in Philly."I said.

 "Well...This is easier than the last time you asked for this...When you were in Dallas...Give me an ip address that you want this sent to and give me about an hour.." she said.

"Thank you soo much...I owe you a drink..."I said..

"You owe me a couple...Tell my girl Liv,I said hi and buy her something nice while you're there...Not Slutty..."said Sharon laughing.

"Can she do it?" asked Olivia...

"We'll have what we need in an hour."I said.. "Ms. Montclair...We are going to Video tape your testimony downtown in a courtroom with a judge present...Attorneys Beverly West and Kayla Bennett will accompany you.." I said.

"We can take Donnie Ray's car..." said Beverly..

"Okay..Can you drop me off at my job afterwords.?" she said.

"Oh of course." said Kayla.

I looked at Olivia...

"When I was a detective, we did this with witnesses quite often to...."I said..Olivia cut me off!

"I know...To safeguard the integrity of the testimony....I was a Public Defender...Detectives used to do that here." she said and smiled.

"Come here Sexy Auntie and sit on my lap.." I joked..

"Stop calling me that.." she said as she sat on my lap...We kissed a little bit....

 "Ummmm Sexy Auntie....you feel good."I said in between slow, sensuous kisses....

"You're going to stoppp calling me that...I'm not your auntie...That sounds creepy...I'm Beverly's auntie." said Olivia ,smiling and continuing to kiss me...

"Whatever you say....ummmm this feels so good." I said...

"You're not bad yourself..."she said in between more kisses....

I slipped my hand up under her skirt and began to try and slip her panties down...but she stopped me...

"Ouuuuu, Ohhhhh Donnie Rayyyyy, Noooooo baby noooooooo,Someone could walk in on us at any minute....that door isn't locked..." said Olivia...

"The girls will be gone for at least an hour or more......and Bridget is downstairs conducting business." I said.

Olivia smiled...

"Listen at you...you are just determined to get some this morning aren't you?" she laughed..

"Whenever Opportunity presents itself.."I laughed..

"

 "Ouuuuuuuuuuuu, I know honey, but your sexy auntie..needs to be available just in case something comes up..."she cooed seductively...continuing to kiss me...

"I think something is coming up right now..." I said...laughing slyly..

"Ummmmm...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuu...I can feel it..Ouuuuuuuuuuu..." she whispered..."Calm down...We can't do this...Not here...Not right now.." she whispered...''We might get that information back that we need on the laptop any minute now."she continued..and gave me one last kiss...before she got up.

and in no time her laptop vibrated...

"That was fast..."I said..a little disappointed...

The timing of things was terrible. But Sharon had delivered the goods....

Olivia and I stared at the screen...

"Well...Well..Well..Look at this.....It's time dated and there is the car....and there is the license plate..."said Olivia..

"I'll run it down.."I said.

"You don't have to...I know who that car belongs to...My ex-Husband...Elwood Barnes..."she said dryly..

"WHAT?? Elwood???" I stated...

"Yes....it's his car...but he didn't do this...and he wasn't her visitor on that particular day...."said Olivia...

"You know this because...??" I asked..

"That was one of three cars that he owned...I was supposed to get that in our divorce settlement...He lied and said that he no longer had the car and that he was in the process of selling it...She had it...His little trollip, whoever she is, was also sleeping with Billy Harris on the side... Elwood and I were in court that particular day...It wasn't him....I just need to call him to confirm that she was the one who had that car that day....God..I hate to have to talk to him, for any reason..."said Olivia...

"Want me to go with you?" I asked.

"No...I can get more out of him if I'm by myself..." she said.

''You can get anything you want out of me right now." I joked.

She smiled..

"I know..You should stop being so easy."she laughed..

"Can't help that."I laughed.

She kissed me softly and then walked away.....

"I'll see you this afternoon...I gotta go and change my clothes...I'll see you later." she said..

"Can I uh come with? To Uh Help you uh pick something suitable?" I said.

Olivia busted out laughing...

"No,I think I can manage." she laughed....

She sat on my lap and kissed me softly and slowly one last time....

"That will have to hold you until mama gets back." she whispered...

"Wow !" Was all I could say....I watched her as she walked out of the building and got in her car and pulled off...

I knew she was going to put on a tight mini skirt and some heels and perhaps bring her hair out....She knew what her ex-husband liked...I was jealous that she was going over to his place looking all sexy and what not...But I knew she could handle herself and handle him...

And in an office in downtown Philadelphia.....ADA Alicia Shapiro questions her investigator...

''What do you mean they're off the grid?" she demanded...

"They don't discuss this case at home or in their office....and they discovered the bugs...They've had their place swept three times...They only come home at the end of the day....The only person I've seen in the office is their Office manager...I've been to the courthouse...Haven't seen them there....I don't know where they are.." said the petite and pretty young Black woman...

"That means they're working somewhere else...Find out where they are meeting...Find out where they go...I don't want any surprises...."said Alicia Shapiro.

(CONCLUSION NEXT)