San Francisco Slide

San-Francisco was slowly becoming my second favorite U.S. City...My Hometown of New Orleans being my first of course and Philadelphia PA. , where I now lived being my second... Philly was my second only because it is the birthplace and home of the woman I love more than life..

.My wife, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander...

 Me? I'm Donnie Ray Alexander...Investigator for her law firm and former New Orleans Homicide Detective... A chance meeting between Olivia and I during Essence Fest a few years ago led to me quitting the police force and moving to Philadelphia to work for her as a Private Investigator and marrying her, because I found I couldn't be without her...

Her niece, Attorney Beverly West, younger by a mere nine years is her partner in the firm...We all live together....and work together...

So what are we doing here in San-Francisco on this nice breezy fall morning?  Well, we might have a case...
We flew in this morning...and we were having breakfast....

"Auntay...You called Sylvia Glenn and she said that we could stay with her and the baby?  " asked Beverly.

"I told her we were coming out here because we had a case that was unrelated to the Innocence Project and she insisted..I know you think that's going to be a little weird and all...but Larry North will not be a problem...Apparently , they're not together..." said Olivia.

 "NOT TOGETHER???" I said incredulous...They had just had a baby less than two months before..

"NOT TOGETHER??? WHAT?" asked Beverly...

''No...She said that they agreed to a uh how did she put it...A cooling off period..but that he still does for the baby and he still has his weekends with the baby."said Olivia..

"If it's all the same to you Auntay...You and Donnie Ray can stay with her....I -I think I'd rather have a hotel..I'll find one in town and book me a room.."said Beverly...

Olivia frowned a bit...

"Well Baby,I understand how you feel....You do what makes you comfortable..Is Nelson coming out?" she asked...

"He said that his trial has gone to the jury and he's waiting for it to wrap...Once it does..He's coming out..."said Beverly...

''Well...In that case...it's better if you get a hotel..Get a room for both of you.."I said.

"Well Let's order breakfast...Joanie should be here soon.." said Olivia..

"So tell me again why we are here Livy..?" I asked..

"Earlier this year when I came out here...Without you guys....Remember you had that Strip Club Trial Bev? Joanie interviewed me on her show, "Good Morning San-Francisco.." Well she's been let go from the show...She claims it was after she rebuffed the unwanted advances of the station owner...She's suing the station and him....He in turn has charged her with simple assault." said Olivia.

"This is going to be difficult to substantiate...one way or the other." said Beverly....

"I know...but don't you just love Cali? And we did need a vacation from Philly didn't we?" asked Olivia ,with the childish look of a little girl...

"WE DID AUNTAY?  I love the shops and boutiques out here....They're high as hell..."said Beverly...

''Yes, but we can afford em now girlfriend!" said Olivia...as the two laughed conspiratorially...

"You two must have been something when you were younger..."I mused...

"Why do you think she's my favorite Aunt?? My AUNTAYYYYY!" said Beverly, smiling...

Olivia mused a moment and looked at me...

"I think I'm going to tell Sylvia thanks but no thanks...I'm getting a hotel room"...She then whispered in my
ear..."I want to have California sex with mah husssssssssband!" and she giggled...

"Now you're my favorite sexy auntie..." I said...

"Silly mannnn." she laughed...

Our food arrived..

Scrambled eggs and bacon for Livy and Bev and..

Pancakes and Sausage for me...complete with Mimosas for all..

and coffee....

I had to say...Since I teamed up with these two...

Olivia and Beverly....My life had become, well more fun...The cases...the travel and the general improvement of my lifestyle in General...

II-

We had finished our meal and was about to pay the bill when our client walked in ...She was an attractive and shapely blonde woman....She looked like exactly what she was...A News Analyst.....Her name was Joanie Makely...

She was the same age as Olivia and I and had gotten her Masters in Communications/Journalism from UCLA....She was surprisingly an attorney herself...Having got her law degree from University of California/Berkeley campus and having just passed the bar two years ago...She was very accomplished..

"OLIVIA??  Ohhhh, I'm so sorry I'm late " she said , hugging Olivia and kissing her on the cheek...

''Joanie...Joanie...It's okay...This is my husband....Donnie Ray Alexander....Our investigator..." said Olivia..

''Wowwwwwwwww...Nice...Livy and you left him in Philly to come out here earlier this year?" she said smiling and shaking my hand...

"Pleased to meet you." I said...

"And this is co-counsel and my niece...Attorney Beverly West..." said Olivia...

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

"Joanie...Call Me Joanie...This is your niece Liv? She looks like she could be your little sister..." said Joanie..

''We get that all the time...There is only nine years between us...In many ways...She is like my little sister..."said Olivia ,smiling...

and hugging Beverly...

"So this is your team eh?  Well...Where are you guys staying?"she asked..

''We haven't worked that out yet...We have an offer from a friend and we are considering getting a hotel.." said Olivia.

"If the friend can put you up...Take that offer....I'm from outside of Los Angelas originally and let me tell you...San Francisco is high...I don't even live within the city limits...I live in the suburbs...where it's cheaper,if you can believe that!" she laughed...

"Interesting perspective..." I said...

"We've finished eating...So let's sit down...Tell me about this case and why you brought us out here." said Olivia..

We sat down again and ordered a round of coffees and Mimosas...

And Joanie began to tell us her story..

III-

 "Well ,it all began like this...You might not know it...But I was a sportscaster on a highly rated evening news show in Los Angelas....I got a call from a friend...Cody Jennings that there was a morning anchor spot available at this station in San-Francisco...but that I'd have to re-locate and jump on it fast.....The pay was three times what I was making in L.A. and it could possibly lead to a National Spot with the Network if I did well out here...At any rate it would be nice to fatten my resume..So I came out for the initial interview...This was two years ago....

I met with The Station Manager, Bud Colgate....A nice enough guy...He is maybe two or three years older than me..Handsome..well dressed.. The kind of guy who should have no trouble getting dates...I sat in a boardroom with him and his attorney and three other men...He was nice enough...offered me water and coffee and complimented me on my looks....

"You really know how to fill up a dress Ms. Makely and those legs!!! My goodness...The legs on you..." he said.

I thought this was odd...and a bit sexist...He certainly wouldn't talk to a male applicant like that...He offered me the job and he bumped my starting salary up from what they previously offered...I was over the moon...He said. "You are our new morning anchor person...."

 He even told me a few places I might find temporary lodging until I could get my things up here and make permanent arrangements...but even that day...He did something a little off putting..

I was sitting next to him and his hands were softly caressing my legs and he was running them up my skirt...

I couldn't believe it....but they were....I politely removed his hands...but he firmly began rubbing my legs and actually pulled the ...the ...the waistband of my panties...a little...

I looked him dead in his eyes...and he just smiled like a naughty little boy...but he removed his hands..

 "OH MY GOD!!! before you even got hired?? He was doing this?" asked Beverly....

"Oh my goodness." said Olivia.

''But nobody else witnessed this ?" I asked.

"No, it was under the table...That was the first time....There were other times after that.. many others...So I got the job and I did well...The ratings went up...and at another meeting...The first quarter meeting...

Mr. Colgate said -" Ms. Makely...Our numbers are up...Since you came on to do our morning news.. Ratings are through the ceiling..." and he whispered in my ear...."And my erection is damn near out of my pants..I don't know if my zipper can continue to hold it in..." he said.

I was stunned that he would say such a thing...and I recoiled in horror....Several of the board members...People at this meeting saw that....But he laughed it off....The next morning he sent me a Bouquet of Roses....and I was informed that I had gotten another significant raise...So I never said anything...But every meeting we had.. He made sure I was seated near him and all through the meeting.. His hands were up my skirt, caressing my legs.. A lot of times I just let him do it...but when he went too far and began pulling the waistband of my panties or trying to run his fingers down them..I removed his hands...One meeting, he was so bad.. `I got up and just left the meeting...I went in the bathroom and cried...


Another time...He caught me in a back hall and had me up against the wall kissing my neck and trying to kiss me in the mouth.. I pushed him off... I said to him.."You know you are wrong....STOP IT!"  He apologized profusely and sent me more Roses the next day.


A year went by..I entered Law School at Berkeley and I ran into Mr. Colgate in passing...



"So you're taking law classes..." he said.



''Always trying to improve myself..I graduate in a few months...Then I plan to take the bar..."I said.



"Smart and good looking...I like that." he said..and I could see he was ogling my breasts...I smiled and walked away...."said Joanie..

"So it started off as little things and it escalated..." said Olivia..

''Yeah...He sent more roses and he would slyly ask me out for after work drinks and dinner and because he was my boss...I would decline....I just didn't think it was appropriate...Then one night...It was a Friday Night...I was at a downtown San Francisco night club....

I admit I had had a lot to drink, but I wasn't sloppy drunk....I look beside me and there is Mr. Colgate...
and he palmed my butt with his hand...I removed his hand and a little while later, his hand is up my skirt, rubbing my legs and tugging at my panties...I stood up , removed his hands and walked away..."

"Oh My God.." said Beverly....

"Did you tell anybody about these incidents/" asked Olivia.

"I told my mother and sister in L.A. about all of it...and I told my cousin and a friend over in Oakland...I didn't know what to do...I-I-I mean , he was my boss...my employer..." she said.

"Did he ever say anything about his behavior?" I asked..

"Not right away...but eventually he  dropped by my office ..Two weeks after you were out here and we did our interview...

"You know...you're making a pretty decent salary now aren't you?  Way more than you expected..That was because of me you know...." he said..

''Sir , I appreciate what you have done for me and I hope to keep the ratings up.." I said.

''Well what about my erections? You're keeping them up , but not satisfying them." he said.

 "WHAT?" said Beverly...

 "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!" said Olivia

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I said.

"I was so stunned...I didn't know what to say... he looked at me and he said....I've been wanting to get it on with you since you got here and you've been playing games with me...Teasing me..." he said.. He reached up under my skirt and ripped my panties off....!!!!

I let out a yell- "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  I couldn't believe what he had just done..

Then he threw me up against the wall and began kissing my neck, my cheeks and my lips...

"MISTER COLGATE PLEASE...GET OFF OF ME!!!" I yelled..

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmph...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh baby....I can't control myself..I need it..I need your good lovin sooo bad...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." he moaned.
"MISTER COLGATE!!! PLEASE! CONTROL YOURSELF" I yelled.

I got away from him and now he was chasing me around my desk...

"Come here you little minx and give daddy some sugarrr!" he screamed...

I kicked him as hard as I could in his groin...

He let out a yell-

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! " and fell to the floor..

I picked up my ripped panties and put them in my pocketbook and stormed out...

"Good For you." said Olivia...

"Yes..." said Beverly....

"What happened next?" I asked.

"Nothing...at first."she said. "Then In July...I was taken off of the morning Anchor spot and given the afternoon drive by news....In August,I was given a Weekend News Magazine slot and just last month..I was let go altogether..." she said..

''And you're certain it stems from this incident?" I asked.

''I am Certain." she said.

"Uh..Ruh..Not trying to be funny, but do you uh have the ripped panties?" I asked..

"I've learned enough about evidence from Law school to know to keep them....I have them in a plastic bag that is sealed...His fingerprints and sweaty DNA should be on them still." said Joanie..

"Okay good and I'm going to need the addresses and phone numbers of everybody you told this story to.."I said.

"I'll have all of that for you tomorrow." she said.

"Good...By then..We'll get started with your case....Joanie....I have to ask...Why did you ask for me to defend you and offer to pay all three of our round trip airfares out here to San-Francisco...There is any number of great lawyers out here."said Olivia.

"Not like you and Bev....After I interviewed you...I did some investigating of my own into you...As a Public defender...Your work with Black Lives Matter, Unions, Womens Issues, The Innocence Project....You got that creepy Richard Graves off of two murder raps and you've saved three guys who were a breath away from a needle from execution and several wrongly convicted guys....You and your niece are miracle workers..fighters...That's what I need..." said Joanie...

''Well thank you...We'll do our best, but every case is different Joanie..."said Olivia...

"I know..but I'm glad you're taking mine..." she said.  She shook all of our hands... ''Call me whenever you get settled." she said.

''We will." I said.

We watched as she left.....

Beverly sighed....

"I don't wish to hurt Sylvia's feelings..She did make the offer..." she said.

I put Olivia and Beverly in a cab and sent them and our luggage to Sylvia Glenn's house....I would join them later...

I stopped by the Television station where Joanie was employed....I wanted to talk to her friend, Cody Jennings, the program director...

He was a little younger than me, White, Blond, Athletic build and dressed like a Hipster...I introduced myself..

"Hi ,I'm Donnie Ray Alexander....I'm a Private Investigator...I work for Attorney Olivia Bennett -Alexander and Beverly West.." I said.

To My surprise...He knew who they were....

"Oh Yeah....I know who they are....They got this Gay guy off, accused of killing his employer , they got Creepy Steven Graves off of a murder rap in San Diego and Maine and they saved that guy who was on his way to death row about a year ago...Two hot shots....So you work for them huh?" he asked..

"I'm Olivia's husband as well as their investigator.." I said.

He looked me up and down...

"You seem like a cop.." he said.

"I used to be a Homicide Detective..."I said.

He smiled..

"Yeah, you seem like an ex-cop....So what can I do for you?  We interviewed your wife earlier this year you know."he said..

"Yes,I know and we are representing Joanie Makely who used to work here..." I said.

He got tight lipped then and looked around to make sure no one was within ear shot...

"Look ,I'm not supposed to be talking to her or anybody reppin her..." he said.

"Look, we have a pretty solid case...Mr. Colgate ripped her undergarments off of her and was sexually harrassing her for close to a year..."I said.

"Yeah? Is that what she says?  Well maybe....I heard things, but I aint never witnessed anything...She aint so squeaky clean herself you know." he said.

"No ,I don't know.."I said.

"She had a pretty torrid affair with a Black camera man that used to work here....He was married...She tell you about that?" he asked.

"No she didn't...but what has that got to do with her being sexually harrassed by Mr. Colgate..

"Nothin and then again maybe everything...I aint sayin no more about nothin...I've already talked too much."he said, looking around...

"Look, tell me more then, Give me his name, address..."I said.

"You're a detective...find out yourself...Like I said...I aint sayin no more...I'm gonna have to ask you to leave Mr. Alexander..." he said abruptly....

I couldn't make him talk...I wasn't a cop and I had no legal grounds.....I smiled and without saying another word...I left.


IV-

I arrived at Sylvia's house a little while later....Olivia and Beverly were already there and had gotten comfortable, were drinking Mimosas for the second time today.....Miles Davis was playing softly through her Bose speakers...

''Hey Donnie Ray.." said Sylvia...

"Hey baby, how are you?" I said, kissing her cheek.

''Hey D.R." said Beverly....

We heard a baby crying.....

"AWWWWWWWWWW Is this  the little cutie? Say Hi to your Auntie Liv...." said Olivia, as Sylvia led us to the room where her and Larry's two month old daughter lie....a now 14 pounder named Chloe.....Chloe Glenn!

 Beverly lifted the baby and cooed at her lightly..."She is a cutie Sylvia....Oh My God. Hi pretty girl...I'm your Aunt Bev..."she said.

"Thank You Beverly, Liv....Look...I know You might feel a little weird Bev...because of me and you and Larry, but don't worry...It's cool...It really is...He and I just mutually agreed to give each other a little time out." she said.

"A little time out? You two have a child now.." said Olivia..

''I know Livy...I know...but it's complicated. I've got plenty of room....As you know..You've been here before...Liv, you and Donnie Ray have the room at the end of the hall and Bev..Is uh Nelson coming ?" she asked.

"In a day or two..."said Beverly...

"Well....There is plenty of room in your room at the end of the hall...And the baby and I are in the middle room...Oh and uh, these walls are thick...You all will have complete privacy....as long as  uh you keep your doors locked." she said.

"Everything will be just fine Sylvia...Thank you.." I said. "Liv, I got something to tell you.."I said.

''About the case...?"she said..

''Yeah. Don't worry, I'll look into it further....You won't get blindsided..."I said , after telling her what Cody Jennings had told me..

V-

Sylvia Glenn, in addition to be attractive and shapely and a Brilliant Attorney in her own right was a pretty darn good cook too...She fried us some chicken, made macaroni and cheese, some string beans and a nice salad..Topped off with some Ice tea...

"Oh My God Sylvia...You are the bomb...This food is delicious..." said Beverly...

''Yes indeed and we were thinking about getting a hotel room ...I'm so glad we changed our minds and decided to come here with you.."said Olivia..

"I am too." I said while munching on a chicken wing...Olivia took a napkin and wiped the grease off of my lips...

"You guys are my friends....I wouldn't make the offer if I couldn't put you up and feed you..."she said..

"You're not from here Sylvia...Not cooking like this.." I said.

"I was born and raised in South Jersey....but my mother and father are from Louisiana ,like you Donnie Ray...My daddy is from New Orleans and my mama was from Monroe.." she said.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh..I thought so...Cookin like this.. I knew you had some Louisiana in you gal.."I laughed...

"So you guys aren't here for an innocence project case...What is this case?" asked Sylvia..

"Are you familliar with Joanie Makely?" asked Olivia..

"She used to be the morning Anchor peson on our FOX News affiliate here...I liked her...Didn't she interview you when you were out her in June Liv?" asked Sylvia..

"Sure did..She's the one...She was fired from the network....She is renegotiating her severence with the network..That's part of what we are here for, but she is also suing the Station Owner personally for sexual assault..." said Olivia..

''Wow! He tried to make a move on her huh?" said Sylvia..

''Several..including reaching up under her skirt and ripping her panties off!" said Beverly.

"Oh My God!!...but without witnesses..that is still just a case of he said..she said..and very hard to prove."said Sylvia..

''Yeah,I know and I warned her that this case might not swing her way.." said Olivia...

"Unless.......You can find someone else he has done this to and establish a pattern." said Sylvia.

"Yeah!  Guys like him don't just start out with one person or stop..."said Beverly...

"You're absolutely right...They usually feel so comfortable doing this because they have done this so many times before..." said Olivia.

"Seee, aren't you guys glad you came out here?  Plus the three of us can go Shoe Shopping and hit the boutiques..." said Sylvia...

"Gurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl , you aint never lied.." laughed Beverly high fiving her...

Olivia laughed and high fived her too...

I smiled and shook my head... Time to get to work on this trial...I thought!

The sun was going down..signaling the end of our first day out here....I thought briefly about our client, Joanie...I wondered what she was doing right now!

(TO BE CONTINUED)