Irregular Around The Edges

ONE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING!

Beverly was in our apartment or domicile early the next morning.....Olivia had fixed a light breakfast for the three of us...

''Josie will be here soon.."she said..

''So will Bee Bee...I took your advice and called Yvette..Who loaned Bee Bee to us..She said Bee Bee was overjoyed.."said Olivia..

''She worships you two...I hope she doesn't have a room full of news clippings on her wall.."I joked..I liked Bee Bee...She reminded me of Shortcake when I first met her...

''I don't think you have to worry about that Donnie Ray..She has something else to think about....Definitely!"said Olivia,looking out the window as I washed the remaining dishes..

Beverly looked out the window too...She observed the car that drove up... A 2018 Lexus Coupe..

"Yes she does!" laughed Beverly...

Attorney Bee Bee Evans got out of the car......

She had a carrier with four coffee's in it...She put it on the roof of the car....The driver..A Tall handsome guy, who I recognized as one of Yvette's other young Attorneys, Keith Jones...got out of the car with another coffee..

''Call me when you're ready and I'll pick you up baby.." he said..

"Awww thank you baby.." she said...

He laid a passionate kiss on Bee Bee that made both Olivia and Beverly swoon...

''Oh Myy."said Olivia.

"I'm not mad at girlfriend...Her boyfriend is a cutey pattootie...I remember him from when we first went to Yvette's to work that case with her..He offered to buy me and Josie some coffee...He thought we worked there...He was so cute...If I didn't already have coffee...I might have let him buy me a cup.." laughed Beverly...

"Watch that...Almost married woman!" laughed Olivia...

"Awww I'm just saying, I would have let him buy me the coffee, nothing more.."laughed Beverly...

Josie was driving up just then...She opened up the office..

"Heyy Bee Bee...Hey Keith..." she said..

''Hi Josie.."said Bee Bee...

'' Heyy Josie.." said Keith Jones..

 and helped Bee Bee with the coffee's

The three of us came downstairs to meet her...

''Heyyy Bee Bee...How are you?" asked Olivia.."Thank you for coming.." she said.

"It's always a pleasure Ms. Olivia.."said Bee Bee...

''So...You and him now huh? Nice...I aint mad at you girlfriend.."said Beverly, hugging her..

''Okayyyyyyyyyyyy?"said Josie, high fiving her..

''Took us two years of playing games before we finally realized we wanted each other...It's been two months now and I couldn't ask for a sweeter boyfriend." said Bee Bee, slightly swooning..

"God, you sound like me when Nelson and I were at the two month stage...It's like that sometimes girlfriend...My Auntay told me that you kiss a lot of frogs before you find your Prince!"said Beverly , gushing...

''Aint it the truth Bev?, She aint never lied!" laughed Bee Bee,

   high fiving both Beverly...

 and Josie..

" Sooooo, Your Big day is tomorrow huh?  I know you're excited girl..I'm excited for you."said Bee Bee who hugged Beverly.....

"I just miss my baby so much...I haven't seen him in a week...And since I'm not working cases...I'm going stir crazy." said Beverly...

"Awwwwwwwwwwww....you're almost there girl...Almost there... Tomorrow....Tomorrow you'll see him and he'll see you...."said Bee Bee.

She had had Kayla and Josie for company for the past two days, but today...Kayla wasn't here and Josie would be going with Liv and me..Leaving Beverly behind to mind the store..I felt sorry for her..

"Thanks for the coffees Bee Bee.." I said as we all sat down and began to drink our tumblers..."You remembered how we like our coffees...Wow!" I said.

"Yupper.."said Bee Bee..

''You are coming tomorrow?" asked Beverly..

''We all are...We are all soo happy for you."said Bee Bee.

"Another Attorney ,Larry North of the Innocence Project is coming here...He and I and Bev and Nelson all used to work together at the Public Defender's office years ago....He has asked for our assistance in defending this client..."said Olivia...

The door bell rang...

Beverly got up and answered the door...It was Larry North...

"Good Morning Larry.." she said cheerfully...

He smirked and walked past her without speaking...Beverly shook her head, she ignored the slight and sat down next to me...

I put my arms around her and hugged her...I kissed her cheek softly....

Olivia smiled...I know she didn't like the snub, but she chose to ignore it...

''Larry, this is Attorney Beatrice Evans...We call her Bee Bee..I've worked with her before...She'll be backing us up in Beverly's Abscence.."said Olivia..

"Pleased to meet you.."said Bee Bee..

Larry North looked at Bee Bee like a hungry wolf....He smiled from ear to ear...

Bee Bee Evans was an attractive woman...even younger than Beverly...Just Larry North's type...

"Welll Helllooooooo.." he said...And focused his attention on her...It was if Beverly never existed...

Beverly and Josie shot each other looks....and shook their heads..

Olivia looked at her one time friend,Larry North with disgust....She would tell me later that at that moment, she lost all interest in even taking on the case...

Me???...I wished for some popcorn..

II-

''Larry tell Bee Bee about the particulars of the case." said Olivia..

Larry smiled..

Larry opened his briefcase...He put the case file on the conference room table and began leafing through it...

Larry now got serious 

 ""In 2012  Jason Trope was arrested here in Philadelphia and accused of killing his girlfriend’s three-year-old daughter. After waiting in jail for three years for a trial to begin, Jason Trope was convicted of capital murder and sent to  death row..."

"Could I see the trial transcripts?" asked Bee Bee..

"I have them right here...They're riddled with inconsistancies...The original trial lawyer made several mistakes."said Olivia.."We are going to argue those points and hit home.."she said..

"What about DNA?" asked Bee Bee..

Larry smiled...

"She's sharp, I like you already.." he said, smiling.. "As I told Olivia and Josie yesterday...(He purposely left Beverly out...)We'll have to run our own DNA tests....The original tests are questionable at best..

"I've talked to Dr. Hazel Baylor....She said that DNA tests, which were sloppily done then might prove his innocence...Judge Turner S. Freeman found a number of inconsistances in his original trial as Olivia has told you and has overturned his original conviction...I'm working on his retrial..For the past three weeks I was here working on overturnig his original conviction, which I was successful at doing..He's in County Lock up currently. That's where we are going today and then either Friday or next week..We are going to a bail hearing." he said.

He looked at Bee Bee's cleavage, but he continued talking..

"I'm sure you want to know what happened.. "In the early morning hours of May 3, 2012, Cynthia Melton, the three-year-old daughter of Jason Trope's girlfriend, Michelle Melton, was abducted from her home, raped and murdered. Jason had spent that evening babysitting little Cynthia and her two younger siblings, who were Jason's biological children with Michelle. Two days after little Cynthia disappeared, her body was found in Tacony creek in  about 500 yards from her home. Police suspected Jason Trope because he had been at home that night and there was no sign of forced entry; however, a broken window near where the child slept could have provided the point of entry for an intruder. he went on trial in 2015, was convicted.." he said.

"Larry...is his girlfriend Michelle alive and living in the area now?" I asked.

''She is, She's at one of these two addresses...."he said..

"I've got to talk to her and I've got to get crime scene photos..."I said.

"The house where the crime occurred burned to the ground in 2016...but I do have crime scene photos.." he said.

"We need to talk to him.." I said.

''Well Let's go.."said Larry...

''We'll take our SUV.." said Olivia, who took Beverly's face into her hands and kissed her cheeks..

"I know you miss all of the action...but you need your rest...Your big day is tomorrow." she said loud enough for Larry to hear..

Beverly hugged her Auntay....

"I know...I can't wait...This feels like Christmas Eve...."she gushed... "See you guys later.." she said and waved and walked up the steps to her domicile..

Larry watched her as she walked up the stairs....He wished he could follow her and join her in her bed..

III-

The ride to the prison was interesting...I drove,

Olivia sat next to me..Larry sat in between Bee Bee and Josie..

Josie might as well have not been there...He talked to Bee Bee the entire time..about this case, his many cases..San Francisco...et al..

"You ever think of moving out to the West Coast?"he asked..

"No..it's never crossed my mind....I would like to visit.."said Bee Bee..

''Well you ought to...I can make that happen..There could be a future for you at the Innocence Project...I could make that happen..." he said.

"Well uh,I like where I'm at now...I like the people I work with....I'm pretty settled..."said Bee Bee..

"You Philly people..All you know is Philly, You got to learn that there is a great big world out here..Beyond Philly...You got to see it..explore it.. I've Lived in Dallas, San Diego and San-Francisco...and I'm from Philly too!  I just broadened my horizons.... You don't have to decide now...Here is my card...Call me when you're ready to stretch out.." he said..

Olivia sucked her tongue..She was disgusted at the way Larry North was throwing himself at Bee Bee..

I just smiled... Now where was my popcorn?

At home...Beverly's phone rang...

''Hello.."she said..

"Hi Baby." It was Nelson..

"Nelson?" she said.

"Look...I know I can't see you...Nobody said anything about talking to you..."he said..

"You are such a lawyer....I'm glad you called though...I miss you so much.."she said..

''I miss you too....Tomorrow...Tomorrow we'll be together...No more of this huh?" he said..

"That's right.." she said..

''Where is everybody?" he asked.

"They got a court case....Larry North dropped by...He wants Auntay to help him defend some guy accused of killing his girlfriend's daughter...The guy was on death row..his conviction was overturned...They're just going to meet with him today...The bail hearing is Friday or Monday and the prelims are next week.."said Beverly...

"Wow,Liv won't have either one of us to back her up....She's just gonna have to rely on Josie..Josie is pretty good...She knows her stuff.."said Nelson...

"Well they have Bee Bee...Bee Bee Evans will be backing Auntay up...I suppose they'll be alright..I kind of wish I was in on this.."said Beverly..

''Yeah me too!  It's just sooo good to hear your voice.."said Nelson..

"Your's too baby! You always call me just when I need to hear you the most" said Beverly...who's entire mood changed...She was beyond happy!

They talked for the next TWO HOURS!

IV-

 I was getting used to Curran-Fromhold Correctional Center. So many of Olivia and Beverly's clients were here....

Jason Trope was a big man, Six four and easily 240 pounds...He was surprisingly well groomed...He looked fit,like he'd been working out and he had a southern accent..

"Hello Mistah North, so glad you could come out and see me.." he said as Larry shook his hand..

''Jason ,I brought some people with me that are going to help me get you out of this mess..."said Larry.

''Jason, this is Mrs. Olivia Bennett-Alexander, the other lead Attorney on this case.." he said.

"Hello Jason.." she said..

"Pleased to meet you Mrs. Olivia.." he said and smiled..

Olivia smiled..

"Ouuuuu you sound just like my husband...You're not from Philly are you?" she asked, smiling..

''Well..I've lived here for twenty five years..but I'm originally from Louisiana.." he said.

"No kidding? So am I..I'm from New Orleans..."I said..

"Yeahhh? I'm from Shreveport myself." he said...

''Alright...Well us Louisianians gotta stick together,,,,"I said.

We laughed...

''My husband is the investigator that is going to be looking in at your case.." said Olivia..

Larry then said..

"This is Ms.Beatrice Evans...She is the other Attorney that is going to be representing you.." he said.

Bee Bee smiled..

"Hello Jason.." she said..

"Howdy mam.." he said..

''And this is Ms. Josie Boyd...She is a para-legal and will be helping us with research." he said..

"Hi Jason." said Josie..

"Such pretty woman.....I'm blessed to have you guys on my team..." he said..

''First things first...I did not kill that baby...I loved her like she was my own...I had two children by Michelle, I haven't seen my son or daughter in five years...Her Mother convinced her that I did this...She never liked me..I wouldn't have harmed a child.. The cops said there was no sign of forced entry but the back window was broken...I put that child to sleep..my babies too and I had a couple of beers and passed out on the couch...I swear...That's all I remember.." he said.

"Was there any other men in Michelle's life?" I asked.

"Cynthia's daddy...That's the only other one I know of..Me and him didn't get along...but I don't think he'd of done nothin like this..Killed his own chile.."said Jason...

''Well I need to find him and talk to him."I said.

"Bee Bee, you need to get on that DNA tests and evidence...Look over the original testing and take Josie with you to get the new evidence...We use Dr. Goggins

 and we'll use Hazel's analysis too.."said Olivia..

"I'm on it.." said Bee Bee..

''Well Hang in there Jason, we are going to try and get you bail...Monday...Okay buddy?" said Larry...

"I've been locked up for five years...what's four days?" he said.. "Thanks for comin down...Nice meetin yall." he said.

We left....

We stopped to get something to eat....at Sam Mother's Diner...

"I'm surprised this dump is still open ,I remember us all eating here, You , me, Beverly, Nelson..."said Larry....''When we were public defenders.....

I've moved on to much more sophisticated cuisine and tastes..."said Larry ,trying to impress Bee Bee.

Bee Bee and her friends ate here and they liked the food...She didn't appreciate Larry's bourgie attitude...

Larry sat incredibly close to Bee Bee....He stopped short of groping her the way he used to do Beverly...This was because he didn't know her...She tried to move over to have a little space...

He talked incessantly about his passion for justice, for clearing people who didn't have enough money, weren't the right color, et al who found themselves on the wrong end of the law...He talked about the Innocence Project and how they had better lawyers and investigators than the Public defenders office had.."

Bee Bee listened entranced...The he turned the conversation to her..

"You know..If you came out to San Francisco...I could put you up in a nice place until you found yourself a nice place and uh..."

"Mr. North...I may come out to Cali to visit one day..., It is on my bucket list...but right now...I like where I live...I like where I work, I like the people I work with.." she said..

"But it's like I said.."You Philly people..All you know is Philly, You got to learn that there is a great big world out here..Beyond Philly...You got to see it..explore it.. I've Lived in Dallas, San Diego and San-Francisco...and I'm from Philly too!  I just broadened my horizons...." he said.

"Larry...Give it a rest...The girl said she likes where she is...Just accept that.." said Olivia..Who was disgusted at the way he was treating her niece and at the way he was openly flirting with Bee Bee..

Josie told me she was equally disgusted and felt bad for Bee Bee, who didn't know what was going on...

V-

Beverly was waiting for us when we got back...

''Hey Guys...Everything go alright?" she asked..

''Why wouldn't it?..We had some competent attorneys. What? You thought something would go wrong because you weren't there?" said Larry North  tersely...

Beverly just looked at him with a blank stare..She showed no emotion whatsoever.

"I didn't say that...I simply asked how everything went." she remarked softly..

Bee Bee chided him...

"That wasn't very nice....She just asked you a question...You didn't have to get like that! What is wrong with you?" said Bee Bee...who had noticed the icy coldness he had towards Beverly and was annoyed by it and him...

Larry North didn't like being chided by her....Despite her good looks and how much he wanted her sexually at the moment...He was finding Bee Bee Evans quite annoying otherwise...

Olivia turned to Beverly...

"Everything went fine baby...Our Client is a nice guy...From Donnie Ray's home state of Louisiana...Just as country as my baby...More so..."laughed Olivia..who gave Larry North an icy stare...

"Is that even possible?" joked Beverly, hugging me and laughing....and completely ignoring Larry North, which was driving him crazy....It was as if he wasn't in the room...

"You Hungry Shortcake? I brought you a doggie bag.."I said..

Beverly kissed me on the cheek..

"Oh thank you....You always look out for me.." she said...

''And I bought you a soda Bev.."said Bee Bee..

''Awww thank you Bee Bee."said Beverly , who hugged her..

Larry North was beyond annoyed..

Josie hugged Beverly...

"I'll see you tomorrow girl friend.Bye guys..." she said and got in her car and pulled off..

"Bye Jo" said Beverly..

Larry turned his attention to Bee Bee..

"That's my car over there...I'll drop you off at your address...Perhaps we can stop on the way, buy us a nice bottle and we can talk some more about what we were talking about.." he said.

Bee Bee looked at Olivia and Beverly with confusion...Then said..

"You don't have to do that...Somebody is coming to get me.." she said.

"Well call them and tell them they don't have to come...That you have a ride." he said..smiling...

" My BOYFRIEND just texted me a few minutes ago..He's already on his way...I don't live too far from here...No Need for me to do that!" she said diplomatically..

Larry once again looked like he'd swallowed a can of paint..

"Your BOYFRIEND?" he said.

"Yes...Here he comes now!" said Bee Bee, smiling..and waving!

Keith Jones drove up in his Lexus coup...Larry North was stunned....What was a young first year Attorney doing with a car like that? He mused...

"Hey Liv, Beverly...When do I get a chance to work with you guys?" joked Keith Jones..

''You'll get a chance...I promise."laughed Olivia..

"When I come back from my honeymoon...We'll get you and Bee Bee.."joked Beverly..

Larry North bristled with anger!

"Congratulations on your wedding Beverly..We'll be there tomorrow."said Keith Jones, who kissed her on the cheek...

''What's Happening Donnie Ray?" he said.. 

 "I can't call it man! I like that car....You got the hot hand man!" I said..

''Window Dressin man...Don't believe the Hype.." he laughed....

 ''See you guys tomorrow...Tell Yvette I said Hi and Thank You." said Olivia, waving...

"See You Guys!" said Beverly...

Keith looked at Bee Bee..

"You ready to go home sweetie?" he asked Bee Bee..

''You lead and I'll follow babes!!...See you guys." she said..

He kissed her passionately and they got in his car and pulled off..

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm I missed you baby!" she said...

"I missed you too!" he said....

Larry North's mouth hung open...He looked like he'd swallowed a can of paint...He angrilly stomped his foot.....

Beverly couldn't resist the urge to laugh....Larry North had made a fool out of himself again..

Even I fought back the urge to laugh...

I peered at Olivia..

"Will we see you tomorrow Larry?" she asked..

Larry stomped his foot..

''Yeah...Yeah...Yeah..." he said and angrily got in his car and sped off..

"He's a little irregular around the edges.." said Olivia...Shaking her head....

(TO BE CONTINUED)