Lefty

ADA Rockland Cambridge, I'll give him credit had put on a masterful performance...A believable performance, but that's all it was...A performance...He had rested his case...  He had rested his case and he knew that at this point the jury was split..8 to acquit and three not so sure and one to convict...

Olivia, Beverly and I were about to change that...We had had a two day recess...Time for me to do some research on Ms. Carter and also time for Olivia and Beverly to set up their defense...

Nelson was uncanny when it came time to observe the jury's ways and mannerisms...He could tell which jurors were convinced of Ellen's innocence, which three might go either way and which one was convinced she was guilty...

"Liv, Bev, you got to play to that one especially....and you've got to totally convince those three...." he said..

Which is why I was called as the first Defense witness... I was rarely if ever called as a witness in Olivia's cases or Beverly's..It was a known fact that I was their investigator...

ADA Rockland Cambridge vigourously objected , saying that I was their investigator and naturally I would be biased towards them...

Olivia stated..

"My husband is an ex-New Orleans Homicide detective....I'm asking him to state the facts as he sees them based on his knowledge of investigating numerous homicides." said Olivia..

"I'll allow it.." said the Judge..

On the stand, it was Beverly who questioned me...

She wasn't married to me, so it didn't appear too biased..

We showed the jury life size blown up photos of the crime scene...as well as the chalk outline..

"Look how he's laying, facing the door...So his killer, who he must have known , because he let them in...There is no sign of any tampering on the door, comes in...They have a brief conversation...I'm going to say our killer is anywhere from 5"9- 5"10, judging by the angle both shots struck him...One right through the heart and one in the right temple...and one bullet over by the closet door." I said..

"That makes our killer left handed ,judging by where the gun fell...The killer didn't bring the bleach with them, they must have known where it was...So I'm saying this person may have been in here before...They wiped and bleached the gun down with paper towels from here....Bag and tag that bottle of bleach, we might want to have it checked for prints and or DNA...Take this trash receptacle..These paper towels may have some clues...I'm surprised the homicide detective on this case didn't already do this.."I said.

Lieutenant Tragg, who was in the courtroom slumped down in his chair..

Olivia called in Two Homicide Detectives from the New York City Police Department, Two From Philadelphia and Two from Chicago who looked at the crime scene and backed up my observation of the crime scene...

ADA Rockland Cambridge vigourously cross examined me and the detectives , but we all stuck to our assumptions...He was visibly frustrated...

Josie whispered to Olivia..

"I think you just convinced two more jurors..."

"I agree with Josie...and the one I said was leaning toward guilt is now a little confused...You gotta hit em hard Liv." said Nelson.

II-

Olivia hadn't wanted to, but she decided to call Ellen Johnson to the stand...to testify for herself..

Ellen, who was used to being on television and being interviewed was a natural..She was pleasent and good looking and didn't antagonize the jury...

Beverly coaxed her through her story of what happened that night..

"Yes...I had dinner with Brian Gleeson that night after we finished taping his show, He invited me to dinner..He had me autograph a couple of copies of my book....It was a very nice dinner... It was still light out...He asked me to come to his apartment for coffee and lightweight conversation.....I had a slight buzz, but I wasn't drunk.... By the time we got to his apartment, he was all hands...."she said..

"By that you mean he was sexually aggressive." said Olivia..

"I object,leading the witness." said ADA Rockland Cambridge

"Oh Knock it off Rockland.."said the Judge..."Answer the question Ms. Johnson." he said..

"That is exactly what I meant..He had his hands up my dress and was trying to feverishly take it off...pull it over my head..Which is how he ripped the shoulder...I kept asking him to stop, to slow down...He said "You didn't really come up here for coffee did ya?"  and he spun me around...He tried to take my panties off and ripped them...And he broke the strap on my bra.. Finally I pushed him off and said stop and he did...I gathered myself up and ran out of there....I took an Uber back to my condo...." she said..

 Olivia showed the jury the torn bra...

Beverly showed them the torn dress and the torn panties...Several Forensic workers testified that his fingerprints, DNA from his sweat, saliva and semen were found on the dress, the bra and the panties..

Nelson and I both looked at the Jurors who were now solidly in Olivia's corner..

Olivia and Beverly produced the Uber driver who picked her up at 10:30, Footage of her entering her apartment with a keycard that showed she arrived at 11:05 and did not leave the building until 8:30 in the morning and the Coroner's sworn statement that put time of death at 10:45.

To keep things from getting out of hand...ADA Rockland Cambridge called Ellen Johnson back on the stand..

He asked her about the sexual assault, Did she lead him on? Didn't she know that he was expecting sex when he asked her to come up to his room after dinner..She said she didn't know..He said he didn't believe her.
He tried another tack, he asked her if she had known he was expecting sex, would she have been open...

Olivia and Beverly objected to this line of questioning, but the Judge allowed it..

Ellen admitted that she might have been open to sleeping with Brian Gleeson, but he got too rough too soon...

''We were over there...He had his hands up my dress and he spun me around and threw me up against the wall...He practically pulled my dress over my head...That's how he tore the sleeve...He was moaning and groaning and sweating and he yanked my panties down and tore my bra trying to unhook it." she said.. "At this point, I was done...I was no longer interested...He was a caveman...

"They found semen on your underwear woman!!!, He ejaculated...There was sex..He raped you!" screamed Rockland dramatically...

"No he did not!!!..He didn't take it any further...I put my dress back on, scooped up my under wear and ran down the hallway and down the back steps...My make up and lipstick were smeared and my dress was torn and my hair was all over the place...That's why the street cam caught me exiting out the side entrance of the building and running..." said Ellen...

''You were mad..madddddddd as hell, you picked up that gun and you shot him didn't you? I don't blame you...YOU WERE VIOLATED!!!" he screamed..

 "YOUR HONOR!!!" screamed Olivia..

''YOUR HONOR PLEASE!"protested Beverly...

"ROCKLAND!!! ENOUGH!" said the Judge...

''He did not rape me.He may have gotten a little over excited and ejaculated...but I wasn't even aware of that...I was planning to sue him for assault, which is how I happened to come across Olivia and Beverly..I didn't even know he was dead until Consulting Attorney, Nelson East came in from one of his cases and told us...I was long gone whenever he was killed." she said cooly..never losing her composure...The one juror who we thought may have been convinced of her guilt was smiling at her now..Ogling her cleavage....

The Court recessed....

In the hallway, Kayla Bennett hugged Olivia,Beverly and me..

 "Oh My God, you guys are on fire...I'm lovin this.." laughed Kayla..

"Yeah pretty much...He's losing the jury and I think he knows it"I said.

''We've got one last witness to call and then I'm going to rest my case." said Olivia.

"I think we did a great job of tripping him up last week...and with what we've hit the jury with..At least they'll be in doubt of her guilt.."said Beverly...

"I think you've turned them all to your side now.."said Nelson..

"Our witness is here...She's drunk as hell.." said Josie..

"Oh she'll sober up soon.." I said.

ADA Rockland Cambridge was furious and he was letting Lieutenant Tragg know it..

"Tragg you idiot....You were supposed to be on top of all of this...There are more holes in this case than the Titanic...They're making me look like a fool.." he screamed and stomped his foot.

"It wouldn't be the first time.." said Lt. Tragg dryly....

"You know...Other detectives laugh when your name comes up in conversation...You know what they say?" said Rockland who was getting angrier by the minute..

"NO, WHAT DO THEY SAY?"asked a now agitated Lt. Tragg.

"They say you couldn't bring in a case unless it was on television...You're a joke...I should have never of taken this case..." he said and stomped his foot and stormed off..

"Well Laaaaaaaaaaa De Dah!" said Lt. Tragg...

III-

Olivia and Beverly called Kelly Carter as a hostile witness..She was obviously inebriated and smoking a cigarette...

"Ms. Clark....Is it not true that you have perjured yourself in three other trials?" asked Olivia..

"YUP!" she said and laughed...

"I object, relevance.." said Rockland..

"Over ruled...Continue Mrs Alexander.."said the Judge...

"You told my Husband ,My Niece and I that you weren't there when Mr. Gleeson got killed, Yet you told Lt.Tragg that you were there and that you heard the entire incident and that you heard shots fired at 9:00 pm...We know you couldn't have heard shots at 9:00 pm because they were still dining..So were you out,like you told us or were you there?" asked Olivia...

"I was out." she said..

Beverly smiled..

"You do know you are under oath don't you?" she said..

"Yeah I know..." she said.. She really didn't like Beverly and that was evident from day one!

"Your ATM card shows you purchased a case of Beer at the Fresh Grocer...at 9:10 pm, so you couldn't have been there...At 9:30 you made another purchase or you tried to but your card was declined...You had run out of money...Isn't that right?"said Beverly..

"You know the answer already, why are you asking me that?" snapped Kelly...

"Because you also told us that you and Mr. Gleeson were intimate...We know that you often slept with him when you needed money..Money to pay your rent...Money to pay your utilities...See I have bank transfer statements..money from his account to yours..You went up to his apartment that night for money didn't you?
Only he had company...right?" said Olivia..

''What are you trying to say?"said Kelly, now defensive..

"You're five nine aren't you Kelly and you're left handed aren't you?" asked Beverly...

"Yes I am...| she said..

"I notived the judge told you to put that cigarette out....You held it in your LEFT HAND, didn't you?" asked Olivia..

"Mrs. Alexander , where are you going with this?" asked the Judge..

"The killer was 5'9.....judging by the angle of the shots....Ms. Carter is 5'9.... The gun was handled by a more than likely left handed person...Ms. Carter happens to be a lefty..." said Olivia.

"The killer more than likely had access....Ms. Carter lived right across the hall....." said Beverly who picked up the defense exhibition...The murder weapon , a .38 smokeless revolver...

"Your prints aren't on the gun...but they were on one of the shell casings....How is that?" asked Beverly...

''Yes...Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss...I killed him, I was so mad...I needed a few dollars...He told me to get lost..I was sooooooooooooooo mad....I shot him....I didn't mean to do it..I didn't mean to do it...I was drinking...I was drinking...!" she screamed...

"Don't say anything else Kelly...Don't say anything else...Get yourself some legal counsel.."said Olivia..

Beverly looked at Rockland and winked..He slid down in his chair...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh for the love of Pete!" he said and slapped his hand hard on the table...he angrilly kicked the chair next to him....The Jurors were stunned...

"In light of this new information...I move that all charges against Ms. Johnson be dropped. You are free to go." said the Judge..

"Olivia..Beverly...I love you...Put me on retainer...You two are my attorneys for life..." she said...and hugged them both....and kissed them both on the cheek....

"Just doin our job." said Olivia..

Beverly smiled with glee.. She was so cute...

Can I kiss your husband and your boyfriend?" she asked jokingly

"Yes, I suppose so...Don't get them too turned on." laughed Olivia..

"Yeah,leave some for us.."laughed Beverly..

 and kissed both Nelson and myself softly in the lips..


She hugged Josie...

We had won without having to go to a jury...But I'm certain we would have won anyway...

Bailiffs handcuffed Kelly Carter ,read her her rights and spirited her off..They had no intention of allowing Lt. Tragg to horn in on this...Had he of done a better job of investigating...He might have snagged the more obvious suspect...

ADA Rockland Cambridge glared at Lt. Tragg...

"TRAGG!!! I'm not going to forget this.. 25 consecutive courtroom victories and I've lost again...I've lost again...I can't believe it...I don't believe it...This is so damn frustrating! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he screamed and stomped his foot..

 "Guys ,let's get out of here.."said Olivia..

"Yeah..I don't feel like hearing his crap.." said Beverly..." Kayla...Why don't you come over to Cherry Hill with us and celebrate?" said Beverly...

"You can bunk with me...We are all coming home tomorrow." said Josie..

"Why not, I'm free tonight...Ray is off somewhere with his drinking buddies." said Kayla.

"I'll bring the SUV around." said Nelson...

"I knew Kelly was unhinged, but I didn't know she would come apart so easily.." I said..

"I think she wanted to tell somebody...That was why she was drinking so much...She couldn't carry that burden any longer.."said Olivia..

"I hope the courts will be kind to her...She obviously needs help." said Beverly...

We slipped out of the back with Ellen ,who waved as she got in an unmarked car and Nelson, Olivia,Beverly,Josie and Kayla and I left in an unasuming rental....

Lt. Tragg and ADA Rockland Cambridge weren't so lucky...The press bombarded them with questions about how could they have led such a sloppy and shoddy investigation...Accusing a World famous Author ,when the killer was right under their noses..

They each through the other under the bus... ADA Rockland Cambridge saying that he was only going by the evidence he was presented.....And Lt. Tragg saying that Rockland Cambridge himself didn't do a thorough vetting of the witness....but then again...neither did he!

Both men were embarrassed beyond words....I would have loved to have seen the looks on their faces...

EPILOUGE-

Kelly Carter was remanded to the psychiatric ward and held for observation...It is not known when or if she'll stand trial...

  ADA Rockland Cambridge went after Lt. Tragg's badge...He accused him of being unfit...Said He didn't know how he managed to make Lieutenant, brought up the number of times he bungled a case and embarrassed not only himself , but the city.....told them that he let an ex-Homicide Detective, namely me..outshine him..."A P.I." he snarled...He carried on so much that the Police brass thought that he was protesting a bit much (ie- They thought he was crazy!) He kicked a trash can over and turned his desk on it's side...He had to be restrained... He has taken another leave of absence and is talking to a therapist.

Lt. Tragg was not demoted or reprimanded...The Brass basically just shook their heads..Maybe they were hoping he would self implode...I don't know....

The Press was riding him...."Lieutenant Mc Dreamy turns a case into a Nightmare" read one of the headlines..

Detectives , city wide were snickering and laughing when his name came up!

Olivia, Beverly,Nelson and I went back to our hotel room in Cherry Hill where we celebrated...Kayla and Josie came with us...Kayla packed an overnight bag and would be spending the night with Josie...
We all met in Olivia's and my room for serious libations..

We didn't discuss the case, we just laughed and drank and talked about other things....

  There was a lot of kissing going on....Olivia and I in one corner of the room

 "Thank you baby, once again you came through in spades..." said Olivia..

 "Just doin my job baby...Just doin my job,like I'm gonna do tonight when all of these people leave tonight.."I whispered in her ear..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu I like the sound of that...." she whispered in between kisses...

and Nelson and Beverly in another..

 "I've always wanted to kiss you since the first time I laid eyes on you.." he said..

 ''Well now you're getting your wish...and more." she said...in between kisses...

"Let's say goodnight and go downstairs to our room.." she whispered in his ear...

"Fine by me.." said Nelson....

A nice ending to another very interesting case..