Only Hand Left To Play

ONE WEEK LATER- We were all having a delicious lunch in what was becoming the girl's favorite bistro...

"This food is off the chain...Thanks for reccomending it to me Livy...I've got to have Ronnie bring me here." said our friend, Attorney and Insurance Investigator, Bonnie Shay..

 She was helping us on this case and she was introduced to our other friend, Attorney, Zoey Easter, who was also with us..All of the unpleasentness about Elwood and Zoey was out in the open and the two were formally introduced..

"I haven't been here since I moved out of this neighborhood."said Zoey..

"I lived here too when I returned to Philly from New York." said Bonnie..

"It is a small world isn't it?" laughed Olivia...

"It really is.." said Beverly...

"I found every single one of those trolls who sent death threats and hateful Twitter and Facebook messages to those Jamaicans in that restaurant....I sent them all letters from our Insurance Company and from your Legal firm....Most of em are teenage boys....or young men with not much education or money...The last thing they want is a court case or possibly jail time...They ceased and desisted...like the cowards they are.."said Bonnie..

"Thanks baby girl.."I said to Bonnie...  "Liv ,this Attorney, This Wallace Payton fella who is representing Sweeney....

"He's Harvard educated...Practiced in Boston for awhile...Was an ADA , won 125 cases...Lost only once...Then he left to work for a prestigious law firm...He next surfaced in Philadelphia...He actually works for your former firm Liv...He came in and became a partner within six months...He's very good, very cut-throat..."I said.

"How do you like that? Six months...I was there for three and a half years...Never lost a case for them , was one of three attorneys who had trial experience and I couldn't make partner.." said Olivia..

"You're preaching to the choir Livy..I know your pain." said Zoey. "You plan to take Sweeney to court too?" said Zoey...

"Yes..He made unwanted sexual advances against me...Not once, but twice....I want you to represent me.."said Olivia..

"Okay, but you're representing a client who is also suing him for the same thing...I'm just saying...It looks kind of .."said Zoey...

"Beverly is going to be the lead Attorney on this...She can do it...Nelson is going to act as her second...I will also be acting as her second.."said Olivia ,looking with pride at both Beverly and Nelson..

Zoey and Bonnie Shay looked at each other..

"She's sharp isn't she?" said Zoey, smiling..

''She thinks of everything.."said Bonnie Shay!

We enjoyed our food and did not mention the trial again..

II-

Attorney Wallace Payton did not want to go to trial...I could tell by his actions...He no longer had the Jamaican Restaurant in his pockets...They agreed to testify to what they heard that day....And he must know he had a stone cold loser case on his hands...He knew better than to personally talk to any witnesses in the case...but his law firm had money and reach...They could pay anybody to do their work for them.

We subpoenaed Milt Sweeney's two friends ,forcing them to testify and we hit Milt Sweeney with a second charge of Sexual Harrassment..Olivia.


The six girls who made claims against Sweeney were contacted....Not by Payton...He knew better, but by a represenative from the television affiliate...They offered them up to 150k to keep quiet and refuse to testify...However ,when I looked deeper into this..The Television station denied having any such person in their employ, so did the Law firm!

The four girls still working at the station were also approached...It was insinuated that they would lose their jobs if they testified...whoever approached them never gave a name or affiliation....How smart, How Sway...Wallace Payton was a boss playa...I almost wanted to tip my hat to him.

I told Olivia and Beverly what I'd heard...

''Wow ,this guy doesn't play, does he?" said Beverly..

"No he doesn't....That money is a lot to turn away from...He's buying their silence..."said Olivia..

"But the good news is..The six girls told them to go to hell...They said they knew what was up...and the four girls quit their job...They said they were miserable ,working with Sweeney, him pinching their butts, grabbing their breasts and making his comments..They quit yesterday....It's all over the news..." said Nelson...

"Liv,Bev...I think they'll settle....Plus you're suing him too? They'll settle.." said Josie..

"No he won't.....A guy like Payton..He hates to lose and he's not used to losing...He'll do something else.."I said.

"What move do you think he has left Donnie Ray?" asked Olivia..

"Melody.....Her Abortions....He's going to exploit that and say that she asked for it...That's all he has left to do..That's the only hand he's got left to play"I said..

"We need to bring her down here and talk about this " said Olivia..

"Let's go find her Donnie Ray." said Beverly...

III-

There was still the matter of the Lemon's Divorce proceedings that had drug on a lot longer than it should have...

Arthur Trout had argued with his client, most of the morning...but Leonard Lemon would not budge....He did not want a divorce under any circumstances and he even brought the third girl down to the office to say that she was no longer involved with Leonard....

''What about your baby mama?" asked Olivia..

"She delivered a healthy nine pound girl last week....I have arranged to take care of that child financially and we have agreed custody..."said Leonard...

Then Gretchen smiled sheepishly and looked at Olivia..

"Liv....I am sooooo ashamed to have to tell you this...but you're fired!" she said.

"What? I'm fired?" said Olivia, astounded..

"It's nothing personal honey and I intend to pay you your fee....but I no longer want a divorce....Leonard and I are getting back together....Besides...I'm pregnant!!  We just found out..." she said, smiling sheepishly...

"You're pregnant?" asked Olivia..

"YOU'RE WHAT??" asked a now thoroughly exasperated Arthur Trout...

''She is...It's mine...I don't know why, but ever since this divorce thing started...I've been terribly attracted to her and I haven't been able to keep my hands off of her or stay away from her...I've been going to see her almost every night.." said Leonard..

"And I've been letting him in." said Gretchen...grinning and smiling sheepishly...

''So Arthur Ole Boy...You're fired too!" he said..

"I'M WHAT????" asked Arthur...

The two of them began kissing passionately in front of Olivia and Arthur...

"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!" said Arthur Trout...

Olivia leaned on his shoulder...

"Don't sweat it...We are still getting paid and it's finally over...You should be happy!" said Olivia...

"Yeah ,I guess you're right.." he sighed..

Leonard and Gretchen continued to kiss, even more passionately...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Gretchen....Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." he moaned..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Leonard....I love you so much...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."she cooed..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh babyyyyyyyyyyyyy.." he moaned.

"Let's go to Sam Mothers and get some lunch....They'll uh probably be gone by the time we get back..."said Olivia.

''Where's Beverly and Donnie Ray?"asked Arthur Trout..

"They're working on an upcoming court case we have.." said Olivia....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Gretchen....Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." he moaned..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Leonard....I love you so much...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."she cooed..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh babyyyyyyyyyyyyy.." he moaned.

"Ouuuuu you're so hard.....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu.."

"Ohh hhh Gretchen....I'm hotter than a firecracker in a gas station right now..ummmmmmmmmph.."

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuu, then let mommy take care of that...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Come on Livy....I can't stand anymore.." said Arthur Trout...

"I know right? Let's go to lunch..." said Olivia..




IV-

Beverly and I found Melody Brown and talked to her about the upcoming court case.....

 "A woman came to visit with me a few days ago....I don't know how she got them ,but she had copies of my medical records...They're supposed to be sealed...I was a juvenile...I was in 11th grade , the first time I got pregnant...My Mother and father were very dissapointed.. My Father made me get an abortion...He said my future depended on it...The boy....He was in the 11th grade too....His mother and father were in agreement with my father...He was kind of like my first love...my first everything" said Melody...

"I understand that....Believe me....I was just lucky that's all... I see you attended Summer school right afterwords,You graduated from High school on time...and went on to college.." said Beverly...

"What happened in college?" I asked dryly, trying not so sound too judgemental...

"Another guy....He was on the Football team....He was ,my boyfriend from sophmore year...I was in my Junior Year....Up until then I had been smart...we used protection....one night we didn't and that was the night I got pregnant..I didn't want my parents to be disappointed in me again and I was too close to graduating ,so I made the decision to terminate that pregnancy....It was a secret....Nobody at school knew...I never even told the guy....This woman who came to see me the other day...She never said her name or who she was...I don't know if she is an Attorney or someone who works for the network or what...She has my records and she says that If I continue with this...All of it is going to be aired out in court...Which means my parents and everyone else will know.."said Melody.

"You had to know that when you sue a guy like Milton Sweeney...he was going to get a good lawyer and that all of this was going to come out...He just isn't going to roll over and take it..."said Beverly...

"I know....They've got money and connections and they've gotten to a lot of people...That's what people like them do....I know...but that's why I became a lawyer....It's corny I know...but I believe that people who don't have a voice should have a voice...I never thought that I would be without a voice..." she said and sighed..

"You still have a voice...You ready for a fight?" I asked..

"I've been where you've been and I've felt just as helpless and hopeless....If you're ready for a fight...Then we'll fight with you....We can't let Milt Sweeney and people like him get away with this...If you or somebody doesn't stand up to him....He'll keep on doing this...He made a sexual advance at my auntie ,the night she was on his show...she didn't say anything...but he said some pretty nasty things to her a few days ago and she's suing him too!" said Beverly...

"No kidding? Wowwwwwwwwww!" said Melody....

"You aren't alone Melody....Say you're ready for a fight..." I said.

"I'm all in..." she said.

"Gooood...We got you." said Beverly..

V-

That night we all sat in Beverly's domicile discussing trial strategy and drinking wine and beer...

"So The Lemons decided to get back together?" laughed Beverly...

"Not Only that...She's pregnant!" said Olivia...

 "WHATTTTTTTTTTTTT?" laughed Beverly...

"WOW! So she's pregnant by him and he and another girl just had a baby! Incredible.."I said,laughing myself..

"They worked it all out...Fired me and Arthur....I've never been so glad to be fired in all my life." said Olivia..

"But now we've got to work on strategy for this case coming up..." I said.

"Nelson went home to get some things...

He ,Beverly and I are going to start working tonight.." said Olivia..

 "This may be my biggest challenge yet.."said Beverly.

"I'll be with you...."said Olivia...

"So will I....Partners.." I said and we all smiled.

(CONCLUSION NEXT)