Dreams And Hopes

The next morning the five of us stood outside our hotel.. Nelson and I had gone down the street and got five tumblers of hot coffee, one for each of the girls and ourselves.

Olivia, Ronnie Tackett and I 

insisted that Beverly, Nelson and Josie not change their plans, That they go out and have fun last night.,That they not let the visit by ADA Hayley Cogswell and his investigator, Danny Graber upset them...

Soon enough we'd be working around the clock on Mark Washington's appeal and possible a second trial.

.Beverly ,Josie and Nelson had gone out on the town anyway...

Surprisingly, they were all up  and dressed and waiting for us downstairs on time this morning..

 "Here you go Bev, three Vanilla creams and six sugars, just like you like it and here is yours Josie..Three Hazelnut creams and three sugars..."said Nelson...

''Here Liv, four creams and four sugars.." I said..

''Thank You Nelson." said Beverly..

"Yeah Thanks Nelson." said Josie..

"Thank you Honey Bunny....I understand this is a long ride..." said Olivia..

''Angola State Prison is about two hours from here and that depends on traffic.."I said.

A white Suburban drove up just then....My friend, Ronnie Wasn't in it...There was an Attractive Black woman in it, who I did not know...

"Hi guys...Sorry I'm late...Ronnie couldn't make it this morning...He had another court date..So He got me to take you to Angola....I'm very familliar with this case...My name is Molly Thomas...I'm an Attorney with the Innocence Program...Before that, I was an Attorney with the NAACP Defense Fund and prior to that...I was a Public Defender in New Orleans..." she said..

"Hi...We are from Philadelphia...I'm Olivia Bennett-Alexander and this is my niece, Beverly West and our associate , Nelson East....We are the attorneys who are going to represent Mr. Washington..."said Olivia..

Molly smiled..

"Oh I know who you two are....I've followed your cases...I know who your husband is too...Donnie Ray Alexander...

He's our hometown boy, used to be a Homicide Detective...Now your investigator..He exposed corruption on our police force years ago...He's the reason I left the Public Defenders office and got involved with the Innocence Project..."said Molly...

"My Auntay and I started out as Public Defenders also..."said Beverly...

''So this kind of client is one you're familliar with?" said Molly...

"Oh Yes.." said Nelson East... "I know you've never heard of me....I'm Nelson East....I' not nearly as famous as my girlfriend and her Aunt.."he joked..

"That's okay....Welcome to the team...The more the merrier...and I didn't get your name mam? " she said to Josie..

"I'm Josie Boyd...I'm a para legal...I work with Olivia, Beverly and Donnie Ray.." she said..

"Now look, I know you guys must be starving...Let's go get some breakfast and be on our way..."said Molly...

I liked Molly already...She wasn't bad on the eyes either..

II-

We got a quick breakfast in New Orleans and headed towards "The Farm" as the locals called it, Angola State Prison...where Death Row is housed...

West Feliciana Parish (French: Paroisse de Feliciana Ouest) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,625.^[ The parish seat is St. Francisville. The parish was established in 1824.

Feliciana Parish was one of two 19th-century Louisiana parishes to be divided into East and West, the other being Carroll Parish.

West Feliciana Parish is part of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The River Bend Nuclear Generating Station, operated by Entergy Nuclear, is located in West Feliciana Parish below St. Francisville. It produces approximately 10 percent of the total electric power demand in Louisiana.

The Louisiana State Penitentiary is also located in the parish, in Angola. It occupies 18,000 acres at a site in a river bend, surrounded on three sides by water.

 I had sent a few murderers to Angola...Some still here...

We had to surrender our personals and be strip searched just like an inmate before we were allowed in...

Like Most Prisons, the death row was drab colored....Pea Green and cold and eerily quiet...These men didn't bother to get too close to someone...They knew that in any day...that person might very well be taking their last walk to the little white room where the lethal injection table was..

Mark Washington was tall, Six foot six...muscular build....bald headed with a beard...His complexion was reddish brown....Thus his nickname "Red"

He walked in the visitors room and his eyes early bulged out of his head..

"Lawdddd Jesus...If this isn't a gift...All these fine women..."he said, smiling..

"Mark these are your Attorneys....They're from Philladelphia...We got them to defend you....They have experience in your type of case..." said Molly..

He smiled..

"Oh Yeah..?" he said..  "Anybody got a cigarette?" he asked..

Olivia, who never smoked...Never the less carried cigarettes for her clients...A throwback from her days as a Public Defender..

She passed him a cigarette and lit it for him...

"You were a Public defender once weren't you?" he asked..

''Yes I was....The three of us were before going into private practice." said Olivia softly.

He smiled at her...

"You're cute !, you got sexy legs too!" he said..

"I'm Olivia Bennett-Alexander , This is my niece, Beverly West..." said Olivia..smiling at the compliment...

 "Damn girl, you got some curves on you...Lawdddd!" he said.. "That's your aunt? Yall two look like you're nearly the same age?" he said..

"Her much older brother is my dad..."said Beverly...  "This is Mr. East, He'll also be helping us with the case.."said Beverly...She didn't show any emotion...She was used to guys drooling over her when they first met her...

"What's Up man?" said Nelson...

"SUP" was all Mark would say...

 "I'm Donnie Ray Alexander, Mrs. Bennett-Alexander's husband and her investigator..."I said..

He stared at me....

"I know who you are....You're from here....You're that detective who busted those crooked cops...Those murderin bastards...but before that...Before you was a detective...You used to be a beat cop down in the Treme...You drove a squad car..." he said.

"Right again.." I said..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and you married to shorty with the sexy legs huh? You a P.I. now huh?  Niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" he said ,smilin..."Who is the red bone?" he asked ,pointing to Josie..

"That's Josie Boyd...She's a para legal...She'll also be assisting with the case..."I said..

"Lawd today...Well Ah certainly have the sexiest legal team around...Maybe that sexiness might get a judge to stay my execution.." He wondered aloud...Then he smiled..

For a man ,just days away from a needle, I was amazed at his sense of humor, his breeziness...He had escaped the needle just a year before..Thanks to Molly...but time was running out on him.

He sat back, took a drag from his cigarette and sighed..Then he got serious.

"I've been on Death Row for five years...I didn't kill that woman...I didn't even know her...No one believes me." he said..

 "They found you just blocks from the murder scene with a coat on in summertime to cover up a bloody shirt..."said Olivia..

"That was my blood and the guy who I was fighting..." he said..

''So you were in a fist fight.???..That's your blood on the shirt?" asked Beverly...

"Yeah....They never looked up the guy I was fighting...and they never tested the blood on the shirt...If they had of they would've known it was my blood, possibly his...but not hers...because I was never there...I was six blocks away from where the murder happened that night...I couldn't get anybody to listen to me.." he said.

''You fired all of your lawyers, defended yourself"said Nelson..

"They wanted me to plead guilty to manslaughter...I couldn't do that...That would be three felony convictions for me...I'd automatically get life...I'd be screwed either way...And since I didn't kill her why plead guilty to somethin I didn't do?" he said..

"You don't know her?" I asked..

"Never seen her in my life..." he said..

"They have a gun and fingernail clippings.."I said.

"They aint mine...I was on parole...I get caught with a gun...I get violated and sent back up...Nah,I wasn't carrying...And what? You think I'm gonna rob and shoot somebody and then take the time to clip my fingernails??? Come on man!!!"he said..

I believed him...

 ''We are going to look into what you said... We'll be back when we have something.."said Molly..

"Molly why don't you come back anyway...And wear something low cut, so I can see your breasts?" he said..

"In your dreams..." laughed Molly..

"All I got is dreams....and hopes..They almost executed me last year....My luck may be running out.." he said.

''We'll do what we can...Don't give up.." she said as we left..

It was now that we realized that Molly was the lead Attorney....She told us on the way back that this was her first Death Penalty case...She had heard of how Olivia and Beverly seemed to have a knack for last minute saves in these death penalty cases...

She needed their help and expertise.

III-

On the drive back Olivia said..

"First thing I have to do is get a Judge to stay this execution....That will give us time to find new and compelling evidence  for an appeal...So tonight Bev, Nelson...We draft an appeal to stay the execution based on a DNA test....Of that bloody shirt, the fingernails and the gun..."said Olivia..

"We have his DNA, Urine, Saliva and Blood on file....for comparison...and since he has a record, his prints will be easy to get.." said Molly...

"If I know right the case detective won't talk to you.." I said.

"Hasn't returned any of our calls..."said Molly...

"We've got to find the ex-girlfriend and his ex-cellie who testified against him too."said Beverly....

"You and I will get on that Shortcake..."I said.

"Josie and Nelson will go with me to Appellette Court tomorrow."said Olivia..

"Ouu I love the team work here..."said Molly..."One day I hope to go into private practice like you and have my own team..."said Molly...

''You can do it...but you have to start planning now..and squirrel away money...but you can do it."said Olivia..

''I have Dreams and Hopes."said Molly.

IV-

We had dinner and then Molly dropped us off at our Hotel..

Olivia and I went back to the room..

Beverly, Nelson and Josie chose to go back out....

Olivia lie across the bed in just her panties and a black t-shirt ,checking her smartphone messages ...

I stared at her, then I went to the window...

"Wow.....We have our work cut out for us....I hate these cases the worst....He's already been convicted  and he's a two time loser..Judges aren't very sympathetic to guys like him.."I said..

"Donnie Rayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.."said Olivia, lying across the bed, smiling..

"Yeah?" I said.

"Lock the doors..." she said softly....

"They are locked.."I said...

"Then take your clothes off and come over here and stop worrying about the future...concentrate on the now!" She said softly...

"Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.." I said softly...

A man was just checking in in the room next door to us ...

"Thank you.....I want some rest and relaxation down here...Last time I was in New Orleans I was in a real cheap joint..Walls were paper thin...I couldn't get any sleep..." he said..

"You'll get sleep here sir." said the Bell Hop.

He tossed him a quarter for a tip...

"Thanks pal.." he said..

The bell hop stormed off..

"Cheap bastard." he said..

In our room...In no time,I had my trousers and my shirt and undershirt off and my socks and shoes...

Olivia laughed...

"God ,just the thought of having sex with me makes you move so fast....WOW! " she laughed..

We kissed passionately.....Her lips were so soft....I was becoming aroused beyond belief....Something that wasn't lost on Olivia..


"LAWD!" I said..


"Oh Mr. Alexander.." she giggled...looking up at me....

She was wearing pink string bikini panties...and a black t-shirt


"Ohhhh my MISTER ALEXANDER!!!" She said noticing my raging erection...  "You're a horse among ponies..."she said..

I smiled sheepishly...I had heard that before..

I gingerly slipped her Black T shirt off and I slipped her panties down and eagerly watched as she stepped out of them....

"My My Myyyyy.." was all I could say...

"Ouuuuuu Mr. Alexander.....you're fresh" she remarked...

Soon, we  were kissing passionately in the middle of the floor...Olivia giggled...

....She immediately got a rise out of me...Which she noticed...

''Ouuuuuuuuu, look at you..." she said.

 Donnie Ray....Your penis!!!...It's..It's shaking...You really are excited aren't you?  Calm down....Calm down...It's going to be okayyyy" she said, stroking it lightly...

"Can't help that..."I laughed sheepishly...

"Oh My god...you're as hard as an iron pipe...I'm going to have to take care of that...Ummmmmm"she said..

I smiled sheepishly...

I  lifted her up and entered her gently and began to move in and out of her..

''Ouuuuuuuuuuu sweet baby..." she moaned softly.....

 Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Easy Donnie Ray, Easyyyyy."Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Donnie Ray..Ohhhhhhhhh my godddd...Ummmmmmm, you are just showing off...Ouuuuuu lawd!" she whispered...

In no time , we were lying on the bed....

I entered her softly,gently...She was wet and warm...I was losing my mind...as I began to move up and down slowly at first and then gradually faster...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Donnie Ray..Ohhhhhhhhh my godddd!!" she moaned...

Five to Six hours of lovemaking continued...The bed was not squeaking at all and the headboard was nardly moving but we were moaning and cooing, which caused the man in the next room to yell to the top of his lungs.. the entire six hours or so we were making love...

 "HEY, FOR THE LOVE OF PETE...WILL YOU  TWO KNOCK IT THE HELL OFF WITH ALL THAT RACKET?I AM TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP!!! YOU TWO BEEN GOIN AT IT FOR HOURS....Shutttttttttttttttttttttt up!!!"he bellowed and slammed his fists on the wall..

We ignored him and kept making love...

"Ummmmmmmm Donnie Ray, ouuuuuuuuuuuuu...give it to mama...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"she moaned..

"Yesss baby yes...." I moaned..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she moaned loudly...

"KNOCK IT THE HELL OFF WITH ALL THAT RACKET?I AM TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP!!!"the man in the room next to ours yelled ..He had a Philly accent...Maybe he was visiting too!He sounded a lot like another guy who had been next door to us...


This bed was the quietest bed we had ever been in, no squeaking, no rattling..no headboard slamming against the wall.. If our moans were bothering him, too bad...


Olivia was feeling so good,she slapped me across the face...
"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu MISTER ALEXANDER...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! JUST STOP IT, JUST STOP SHOWING OFF IN THIS BED...OUUUUUUUUUU!" she cried out....

 "I'M CALLIN THE DAMN MANAGER!! GO TO SLEEP IN THERE!!! ALL THAT DAMN MOANING AND COOING!!!SHUTTTTTTTTTT UP!!!" he yelled..."This doesn't make any gotdamn sense...Carrying on like that." he grumbled...


"Yess...Yessssssssssssssssssss...YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Ouuuuuuuu YESSSSS!" she screamed....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ...oh my god...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"I moaned...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu lawd...ohhhhhhhh Donnie Ray...You are just showing off...You just showing off...ohhhhhhhhhh" she wailed..

 "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... OLIVIA......ouuuuuuuuuu, more, more... ohhhhhh..."

"YES BABY YES...CALL MY NAME.....ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...You can have all you want!!"she moaned.

 "Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ...oh my god...OLIVIA...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"I moaned...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu lawd...ohhhhhhhh Donnie Ray...You are just showing off...You just showing off...ohhhhhhhhhh" she wailed..



"I'M CALLIN THE DAMN MANAGER ,THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO....NOW PIPE DOWN! SHUT IT UP I TELL YA!!! SHUTTTTTTTTTTTTT UP!!!" yelled the man next door.


"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gooooddddddd lawdd it's soooo goood...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh girl...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sweeeeet jesusssssssssss ...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."I cried ...out!!"Morrre...Morreee....morrre...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. "

"WILL YOU TWO CUT THAT RACKET OUT IN THERE? GO TO SLEEP!!!" came the voice from next door...We both ignored him.

Another two hours must have gone by 

 "Donnie Ray...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee  Donnie Ray..ouuuu calm down honey...I aint goin nowhere...woooooooo" she screamed...

"Oh girl, you better not...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......ohhhhhhhhhhhh.." I moaned..

 "Donnie Ray..ouuuuuu..Donnie Ray....OHHHHHHH. DONNIE RAY ALEXANDER! Stop showing off in this bed...whooooooooooooo lawd.... GIVE IT TO ME DADDY.....ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."she wailed...


"I'm GONNA CALL THE COPS! THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO....QUIET THA NOISE...CUT THAT DAMN RACKET OUT IN THERE! GO TO SLEEP!"came the voice of the man next door who loudly banged on the wall...

 "GO TO SLEEP OR I'M CALLIN THE COPS!  SHUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT UP!" he yelled

"Ohhhh Olivia, this is sooo damn goooood,ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..I'm losin my minddddddddd!! "I cried out!

 ''Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ohhh Donnie Ray, give it to meeeeee....ummmmmmph..."she yelled...

 "AWWWWWWWWWW FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD!  QUIET THE NOISE!! SHUT IT UP OVER THERE!! DON'T MAKE ME HAVE TO CALL THE MANAGER! COME ON!!!!!" screamed the man next door!


"Ohhhh Olivia, this is sooo damn goooood,ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..I'm losin my minddddddddd!! I'm losin my minddddddddd!!  lawdddddddddddd! "I cried out!

"I'M LOSING SLEEP....CUT IT OUT IN THERE YOU TWO....I'M ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW CALLING THE MANAGER..THEN I'M CALLIN THE DAMN COPS!
NOW QUIET IT DOWN IN THERE!!!  SHUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT UP!"


''Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ohhh Donnie Ray, give it to meeeeee....ummmmmmph...ouuuuuuuuuuuu...yessssssssss baby...yessssssss!"she yelled...

"Ohhhh Olivia, baby this is sooo damn goooood,ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..I'm losin my minddddddddd!!  BABY..I'm losin my minddddddddd!!  lawdddddddddddd girl, ummmppppppppppph! "I cried out!

"UMMMMMMMMMPH,Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ohhh Donnie Ray, give it to meeeeee....ummmmmmph...ouuuuuuuuuuuu...yessssssssss baby...yessssssss! Give it to mama..."she yelled...


I came so hard....I was speechless, Olivia came too and held on to me for life....

A little while later...Olivia and I sat up on the bed.. 

"It's something about New Orleans...When we make love down here I have more orgasms than usual." she said..

"Me too!" I said...

It was a full moon out...Olivia and I heard singing...Drunk singing.....We looked out the window...
Beverly, Nelson and Josie had just come back and they were drunk....and singing...

They had certainly enjoyed their night...

Olivia and I looked out the window and laughed at them...

Whoever was next door to us began to yell...

"SHUT UP DOWN THERE...SHUTTTTTTTTTTTTTT Up!"

We all yelled in unison...

"YOU SHUT UP!"

People began laughing and clapping

'Well I never !" he said and closed his window..

 We were having a great time...but tomorrow the real work began on this case...To save a man's life and preserve his dreams and hopes..

(TO BE CONTINUED)