Climate Change

The next morning...Olivia, Beverly and I went to the prison to meet with Louis Young, being held over for trial on 2nd Degree Murder charges...He was facing possible Life in prison if convicted..

He seemed to be surprised that he actually had "real lawyers "

''Wow...I had two Public Defenders....They were talking to me about accepting a plea deal and trying to get me 15-Life at best....That's no deal...especially since I didn't kill anybody....I can't believe I have real lawyers..." he said..

''Well you do...and we are working on your bail hearing..."said Olivia..

"Bail?  It's pretty high....I can't afford no bail." he said..

"Your cousin Greta is paying it...She put her house up as collateral...She's paying for our services..."said Beverly...

"Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwww...Man, I owe Cousin Greta....I can't believe this.." he said.

"I knew Greta when I lived in New Orleans...She's good people and she believes you are innocent...So does your sister and if they believe you, We believe you..." I said..

''So there will be a hearing...Your plea will be Not Guilty and then we arrange for bail, to get you out of here..."said Olivia..

"I was on the phone with Greta...She's in New York City now..She's going to wire the money..."said Beverly...

"You could be a free man in 24 hours Mr. Young.."said Olivia...

"I remember you...from a few weeks ago....Claude was shooting you for a magazine article...I had no idea you were an Attorney..."said Louis...

"I am.."said Olivia, smiling...

''So what happened?  What Happened that night?" I asked him....

"I'm very protective of my sister...Always have been...She was the smart one in our family...If anyone had a chance to make it, to make something of herself...It was Robin...A Math genius...Great with book learning....

Not so street smart..Not so smart with men....But Claude...I liked hm...I did and when she told me he was cheating on her,I couldn't believe it..  I had a man to man with him and he swore he wasn't doing anything....I believed him....but never the less, My sister and I hired a private investigator to shadow him...

The Private Investigator followed him, bugged his offices, cloned his phone and photographed him for two months and found nothing...I mean nothing...The man ate the same two places , went to work and stopped at Josies for a drink....He went to the Mermaid Club once...but no women...No hotel rooms, no apartments...Nothing....and the only time he had sex..Was with my sister...."said Louis...

"Okay...so if you believed him....What were you doing at that apartment where Claude got killed..An apartment belonging to Janelle Stevens...

He laughed...

"Man...it wasn't like that....The Private Investigator told us that my sister was going out at all times of night and coming home in different clothes and without her glasess...I asked her about this and she had no memory of it at all..

Louis showed me his bank receipts....Robin was writing checks ,paying for an uptown apartment every month....He didn't know why...He asked her about it and she denied it...Had no memory of it..

Then Louis showed me credit card receipts...Hers...Where she bought sexy lingerie from Victoria's Secret...Louis said he begged her to buy lingerie and she wouldn't do it...So He asked me..."Who was she buying it for then?"

I followed him to that Apartment....but I got there too late...He was already dead when  got there...Laying in the middle of the floor with two gunshots...one in the back of his head and another in his back...

I got the hell out of there....I know I was seen running from the scene...but I didn't kill him...I had no reason to...I had no beef with Lou...

The cops grilled my sister for 48 hours and they had to let her go....So they just blamed all this on me.." he said.

"Who is the case Detective?" asked Beverly...

"Lt. Tragg."said Louis..

 Not this guy...He reminded me of so many of the Brass in the New Orleans Police Department back home..

Olivia, Beverly and I looked at each other...

"Ohhhh hell." we said in unison...

''So you know him huh?"laughed Louis...

"Yeah...We know him.." sighed Beverly...

II-

A few hours later...We returned to the office... Nelson was there drinking a coke... Josie was at her desk..

''Hey Liv, Bev, Donnie Ray,How did everything go?" he asked..

"We pleaded Not Guilty and We made bail...We got him released....Now we have to find a way to defend him..."said Beverly...

"Well he has no powder burns on his hands....That's in his favor...and he owns no gun of record and the murder weapon was never found...He had very little time to ditch that gun,considering he was apprehended leaving the scene..."said Beverly...

"That's good for starters..." said Olivia...

"Liv,I already told Beverly about this and I forgot to tell you...Look at this...It's from the State Law Review...You, Your lovely niece, Me and ADA Keith Wallace along with 6 other attorneys from the area have been named to the 2017 edition of Pennsylvania & Delaware Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multi-phase selection process. Each year, no more than 5% of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor...How about that?" said Nelson with pride...

"He is sooo happy about that."laughed Beverly.

''Well that is a big thing Beverly...Nice to hear some good news for a change.."laughed Olivia..

"Congratulations Guys..."I said, smiling..

"Hey Guys, Mrs. Tolliver is here..."said Josie as Robin Tolliver walked in...

"Hello..." she said..

"We've got good news for you...We got your brother released on bail today and he pleaded Not Guilty...Now Bev,Donnie Ray and I have to put a defense together for him..."said Olivia..

"Ohhhh thank you Lord...Thank you Jesus...Thank you Mr and Mrs.Alexander and Ms. West.." she cried as she hugged Olivia ,Beverly and myself..

She was such a nice woman.....

"I can't wait to see him..."she said..

''We called you, but you didn't answer your phone..." said Beverly...

"I-I- I was out....I should tell you....I know it's so soon...but I believe I've met a man....A very nice attentive man.." she said..

"Oh really? Well...I-I guess that's uh good for you..."said Olivia...

"Gurlllllllllllllllll you just don't know...Wouuuuuuuuuuuuuu, the things that man does to meeee...LAWD! He makes my toes curl....Umph, Umph,Umph!   My lawd!" she said...

And there it was....It was as if we were talking to someone else altogether...Her voice sounded different and it was if her entire body temperature changed....

Nelson, Josie and Beverly noticed it....They all looked at her funny....

Then just like that....It was as if there was another change in the climate......She was quiet and reserved and her voice changed again...

"Oh My,Forgive me for that kind of talk....About my personal business....I-I don't know what gets into me sometimes...That's not who I am..." she said..

"That's okay...Mrs. Tolliver...These are cashed checks and Credit Card receipts...From your Joint account and your persona credit cards...You've been paying for that apartment...For Janelle Stevens...Your husband didn't now about it..He went over there to get to the bottom of it...Then he got killed..Why were you paying for her apartment...?"I asked..

"But I wasn't....My husband showed those receipts to me...Somebody forged my signature...I despise Janelle Stevens..We were once good friends...but I'm convinced she's trying to destroy me..I've been nothing but good to that girl...When she got pregnant...I was by her side when she had two abortions..."said Robin...

''Where were you when your husband got shot?" asked Olivia.

"I was at home...You don't think I did this do you?" she asked..

"We have to ask....The Prosecution will be asking the same questions."said Olivia..

"I was home..."she said calmly...

"Is it possible Janelle Stevens shot your husband?" asked Beverly...

"I don't know...I haven't talked to her in years..."said Robin...."Look....I have to go now...I'm feeling a bit stressed..." she said..

Josie grabbed a bottle of cold water off the table...

"Here...Drink this...Relax..You'll feel better.." she said..

She drank the cool water and sat back and relaxed...She was sweating profusely ,despite the fact the air conditioner was on..

After awhile ,she stood and smiled very sweetly...

"Thank you three again..."she said..

"You're welcome..."said Olivia...

She got up and let herself out..

III-

 It was hours later-

I had rented a car with tinted windows...I sat in a parked car across the street from Janelle Stevens apartment with Beverly and Olivia...

"Maybe we'll finally get a glimpse of Ms. Janelle Stevens at long last..."I said..

"You couldn't find anything on her Donnie Ray?" asked Olivia..

"Nothing Liv,it's like she doesn't exist....And yet somebody obviously lives there and she has been seen.."I said.

"This is creepy!" said Beverly...

"Oh My God....Look! It's, It's Robin!!!" said Olivia...

 "No Auntay...That's Janelle...I know she looks like Robin....but our Robin doesn't dress like that...Not at all.."said Beverly...

''Shortcake is right..That's got to be the mysterious Janelle Stevens...She might be the key to this whole thing.."I said.

Janelle Stevens walked out of the lobby....She looked like Robin Tolliver, Exactly like her except, She wasn't wearing glasses, her hair wasn't in a bun and she had a sexy dress on that accentuated her every curve and was low cut...She wasn't wearing a bra and her huge breasts seamed to fighting to get out of that dress..She had on make up and she had her hair out...

My goodness...You would never guess that mousey Robin Tolliver looked like this up under that bun, those long school marm dresses and those huge glasses.. No this wasn't Robin Tolliver, it was her sexy twin sister..

An Uber came and picked her up...I took several good photos of her....

The three of us walked into the building....We showed the photo to the Landlord and spoke to several tenants on her floor..

"Yeah that's Janelle...She moved in here about six months ago....She keeps to herself...She has a boyfriend...He comes over and spends the night..He drives a sports car with his initials monogrammed on the side...J.S." said The landlord... "She always pays her rent on time..She's no trouble.." he added..

"Auntay....Robin told us that Janelle and her were viewed as twins...Maybe they are twins..."said Beverly...

"Sorry Shortcake...The Youngs only had two children...Louis and Robin...No third..I checked to see if there was a third that was given up for adoption..There wasn't." I said.

I remembered a conversation we had with Robin Tolliver earlier today...about Janelle Stevens...

" ..I despise Janelle Stevens..We were once good friends...but I'm convinced she's trying to destroy me..I've been nothing but good to that girl...When she got pregnant...I was by her side when she had two abortions..." remember she said that??" I asked...

"There was no record of Janelle Stevens being pregnant or having an abortion anywhere...There is however a record of Robin Tolliver being pregnant two times and having two abortions..." I said.

"Then that can only mean one thing..."said Olivia...

We all looked at each other and said it in unison...

"ROBIN TOLLIVER  AND JANELLE STEVENS IS THE SAME PERSON!!!!!!!!!!"


(DEFINITELY TO BE CONTINUED!)