Like Two Women Scorned..

A Typical overcast and hazy day in the city.....

ADA Miles Ellis

 had seen the angry text from

U.S. Attorney Karla Williams and was frantically trying to call her..

''Karla, baby please...what's wrong?   Answer your phone...Talk to me baby...please!!!" he pleaded...but her phone went straight to voicemail...

He had left nine messages...

"ASSHOLE, DON'T EVER CALL ME OR TRY TO GET IN CONTACT WITH ME AGAIN!!" said her text!

He couldn't imagine what she was angry about...She hadn't seen him with Alex, he'd made sure of that..He wondered if it was because she was in court to see him and he kind of ghosted her?

She had been talking to Olivia , Beverly and their team...but they don't really know Alex like that and they didn't strike him as gossipers and blabber mouths...and he was certain that Olivia's ex-husband, Elwood Barnes hadn't told, because he knew nothing of him and Karla...

He was right on all counts...but Karla now knew he had been lying and two timing her..

We were at the time in a large booth in Sam Mother's Diner with the most unlikely breakfast guest....

Olivia's ex husband, Elwood Barnes.. We had picked him up and had stopped for breakfast...

Olivia sat with me and

Beverly sat with Nelson...

Poor Josie sat with Elwood

 on the other side of the table..

We all had pancakes and sausages......

II-

A DAY BEFORE-


I ran down the case to him....We had already accompanied him to the D.A.'s office....Miles Ellis was not there...So we talked to D.A.'s Investigator Gary Lockwood..

Gary took us over to Robbery-Homicide

and the office of Lt. Danny Ho..

"Gary, Donnie Ray to what do I owe the pleasure...?" asked Danny Ho.

"Danny Boy this is Attorney Elwood Barnes,

 the man everybody is looking for...He was in that building that morning and he witnessed that woman being murdered...He's here to look at some mug shots and identify the killer." said Gary...

''Shouldn't you be talking to Lt. Tragg? This is his case?" said Danny Ho, who did not want to run afoul of Lt. Tragg..

"You can call him when you're ready to take down a door." I said.

Elwood looked at millions of mugshots for close to an hour and then positively identified one...

"That's him...That's the guy!" said Elwood..

"You sure?" said Danny Ho..

"I'm positive...He said" Porter Carr sends his regards" and then plunged a meat cleaver in her chest...killing her....I looked right into his face and he into mine...He chased me for a block and hurled that cleaver at me...It missed and lodged into a telephone poll...and I got away..."said Elwood..

He would take us to the site and we would photograph where the meat cleaver lodged.

"I had heard the name Rony Clanton bandied around on the street and had done a work up on him...

He had been locked up five times in between ages 13- 21....At 22 he went to prison and did three of five years before being released..

He went to work for Porter Carr's crew...He served as a body guard to the touts and collectors who picked up money and distributed the re-ups on the street...

He was never really close to Porter Carr and it was said that Porter thought he was a nut, always carrying a meat cleaver around...

But Porter was his man crush...he idolized him...Always trying to talk like him, act like him,dress like him...

When the Detectives of the Criminal Investigation Division,along with the FBI, ATF and DEA rounded up a major supplier and the drug crews who bought from him, Porter Carr and 49 of his associates were amongst the ones arrested and convicted and sent to Federal and State Prisons..

Rony Clanton was not important enough to be arrested...

Porter Carr was very upset that his wife, Hillary Benn Carr filed for divorce immediately after his conviction...He was distraught...Rony Clanton was distraught too ..Apparently I found out he and two goons  had threatened the divorce lawyer, who left town...Never finishing the proceedings...Which was why she was still married..

He was even more enraged when she married an African Immigrant...

Abner Lumimbe, our client anyway...

He seems to have taken matters in his own hands and murdered her..." I said..

''It makes sense...That's his M.O.  The meat cleaver.."  said Danny Ho..

"We 've got enough for probable cause...Let me call a judge I know...He can email me the warrant." said Gary.

"Guys, I know you're going to hate me for this...but I gotta call Lt. Tragg and bring him up to speed...It's his case."said Danny Ho..

Because I wasn't a cop anymore.. Lt. Tragg didn't allow me to hit the door of the project dwelling where Rony Clanton was...I had to sit outside in the car...

But he, Danny Ho, Gary Lockwood...

and several

tactical squad officers raided the project house and caught a startled Rony Clanton in his underwear...
He grabbed the meat cleaver and swung at Lt. Tragg, cutting his belt and cutting his trousers off...leaving him in just his boxer shorts...

Never had I seen someone so skillful with a meat cleaver...

"Geeeez Louise.." screamed Lt. Tragg...

The Tactical squad officers were getting ready to light him up...When Lt. Danny Ho told them to stand down..

"It's over Rony...Unless you want to die!!.Now drop that cleaver...I won't ask you again!" said Danny Ho softly.

Rony did as he was told and he was handcuffed and brought out in his boxer shorts...

Lt. Tragg came out in his boxers.. (They were Red, White and Blue with Stars and flying saucers on the side...I couldn't believe a grown man would buy Boxer Shorts with those designs on them.)...Glad that no reporters were around...He was very embarrassed! He couldn't look at any of us...

Several of  the uniformed police officers faces were beet red, they were trying hard to conceal their laughter...

Some were in tears trying so hard to hold back their laughter.

I took one look and asked Gary Lockwood..

"What Happened?"

Gary was trying hard to hold his laughter too, He  couldn't.

"Long story Donnie Ray...The man has the worst luck. And did you see those shorts? No wonder he doesn't get laid more often!...." he said and turned around and walked away..

I could hear him howling and laughing and stomping his feet behind the building...

and at the diner...

"Oh my god....Oh My God...I wish I had seen it.." laughed Olivia hysterically as I retold the story...

"Me too!" laughed Beverly...

"The important thing is , the real killer is in custody...Your testimony is just a routine thing now Elwood." said Nelson.

''Yes and a good thing for that." said Elwood.. "Turns out he's a nut..a lone wolf who acted on his own...Porter Carr's people are all in State and Federal Prison..They had nothing to do with this."said Elwood.

"I can't believe he still had that Meat Cleaver with the victim's blood and DNA on it.."said Josie..

"Yeah well , crime makes you stupid sometimes.." said a relieved Elwood..

III-

In court the next day...It was quite obvious that Miles Ellis's mind was somewhere else.. He hadn't looked at Discovery..

In court, Olivia and Beverly

retold the same story.. about Rony Clanton and how he was the actual killer.. Now in custody...

Miles Ellis bellowed..

"This is preposterous...You don't have a shred of proof.."he said..

"Did you look at discovery? We have an eyewitness!" said an exasperated Nelson..

''An Eye witness, WHO?" he asked.

Elwood Barnes was called to the stand...

The Jury gasped...Here was the eyewitness..The man who the entire city had been looking for...He had come forward and identified the actual killer...

Rony Clanton who was in police custody, charged with murder...….from a large glossy mug shot!

"WHERE IS LT. TRAGG?" he bellowed..

"He's actually the one who arrested Clanton yesterday..."said Josie...

"Probably looking for his pants"whispered Olivia.

Beverly giggled...Her Auntay had a wicked sense of humor!

Olivia, Beverly and I looked around...Lt. Tragg was nowhere to be found....

"This is not the man you saw in the lobby stabbing that woman is it?" asked Nelson. pointing to Abner..

''Absolutely not." said Elwood.

Elwood never called anyone by name or said who he was visiting...

But Miles Ellis was sharp...

"Wait a minute...4:45 am....That loft....WHO WERE YOU VISITING THAT TIME OF THE MORNING?" he asked..

Olivia came to Elwood's rescue..

"Objection...Relevance...All that matters is that he was there...He admits he was the man in the grainy photo and he has identified the real killer and absolved my client. Who he was visiting has nothing to do with his testimony." she said..

The Judge agreed...

"Sustained... In lieu of this new evidence...All charges against Mr. Lumimbe  are dropped.. Case Dismissed.. You are free to go.." said the Judge..

Beverly and Josie hugged Abner...

 "Now we are going to work on getting your citizenship and I know two attorneys who are very good at that.." said Beverly...

Thinking about Sofia Garcia and Kahlil Ahmed..

 "I'm so happy for you....and look there are no Ice Agents around..You're a free man Abner...Go out and celebrate.."said Josie.

"Ohhh thank you so much..."said Abner....

Olivia looked at me...

"That was a close one..." she said..

''Getting Abner off or keeping Elwood from telling who he was with?" I asked her, smiling..

"BOTH!" she said..

"I think he's figured it out.." said Nelson...

Elwood smiled wryly at Miles...but said nothing...

"That little slut. .I'm out of town two weeks and she spreads her legs for you...You bastard...You were with Alexandria...You were weren't you? You couldn't wait." said Miles , who was livid!

Alexandria, unaware of what had just happened walked into the courtroom...She kissed Miles.

"Hey Baby.. How'd your case go?" she asked. He pushed her away...

"I lost...He's free, Don't you see him celebrating with Olivia and Beverly over there?  Don't hey baby me...You slept with Elwood..while I was gone...Didn't you?  You and me? We are through!" he said..

Karla Williams was also in court...unseen by us..

She took a pitcher of water that was sitting at the defense table and poured it on Miles Ellis's head..as we all looked on astonished...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! What the hell?" he said as the cold water poured on his head and ran down his suit....and splashed on the courtroom floor....

"I GOT YOUR NINE TEXT MESSAGES! ASSHOLE....DON'T EVER CALL ME AGAIN OR TRY TO COME OVER MY APARTMENT......WE SPENT TWO WEEKS TOGETHER, TWO WEEKS , AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU HAD A GIRLFRIEND!!!YOU LIAR!!   HE'S ALL YOURS HONEY!" said Karla, looking at Alexandria as she  walked away..

Several spectators smiled...

ALEXANDRIA SLAPPED MILES SO HARD, the water went flying off of his head..

"YOU HYPOCRITICAL ASSHOLE!!!...YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE WITH JUDGE REED...IN DC...JUDGE REED WAS IN MIAMI THOSE TWO WEEKS YOU WERE GONE!  I CHECKED IT OUT!!

YOU WERE IN VIRGINIA BEACH WITH HER!!!  DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME OR COME BY MY LOFT AGAIN..LOSE MY NUMBER YOU CREEP!  YOU HYPOCRITICAL ASSHOLE!!!" she said and she too stormed out of the courtroom...

"Oh My God!" said a startled Nelson... whose sleeve was wet by the splashing water...

It had all happened so fast....

Elwood was laughing so hard, he lost his balance and fell over one of the chairs...He hadn't known about the other woman...This really was rich he thought as he got up off the floor..

 "Oh My God!!!!...It doesn't get any better than this.." laughed Beverly hysterically...

 "Oh My God!!!" said Olivia.. who was also laughing her head off!

"Ohhhh My goodness...what an end to a trial.." said Josie who was laughing too!

'

''Well you know what they say...Hell Has No fury like a woman scorned...Hell has no fury like TWO women scorned..."I said..

"Is that you trying to be a comedian?" asked Olivia.. hugging me..

''Well Auntay… That was funny. You gotta admit" laughed Beverly...

"Yeahhhhh that was kind of funny." admitted Olivia, laughing...

"Let's Get out of here." said Nelson.

"Yeah.. ADA Ellis might want to be alone.." said Josie as the five of us left..

Miles Ellis sat alone in the courtroom, still soaking  wet...His face smarting from the slap he'd got.. He hadn't noticed us laughing at the turn of events...His mind was far from that now....He had lost his case and both women he had been sleeping with in one day...Unbelievable how bad his luck was..




IV-

Outside court...Elwood was laughing his head off, banging his hands on his car...

"I never thought...I never thought I'd see a circus like this..."he laughed..

Beverly looked at him...

"Laughter is contagious you know...A few months ago we were laughing at you in Josies, remember?" she said.

It was the first time she'd said anything to him in ages...

"True, but today we are laughing at old lover boy....and nothing can spoil that.." he said and continued laughing as he started his car..

"Liv.. Donnie Ray...Always a pleasure." he said as he drove off..

"You know...Miles lost Alexandria today....but Elwood didn't gain her either...The way I look at it.. both men lost.." said Olivia..

"Not really...Elwood got some much needed revenge I suppose..and for him, for right now..That's enough..

"Petty.. Petty as hell." said Beverly...

"Aint he though?" added Josie..

''When we were married...I called him the King of Petty." said Olivia..

"Fitting." said Nelson...

EPILOUGE-

Rony Clanton was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life....


That night we celebrated our latest courtroom victory in a very colorful after hours bar in Cherry Hill ,New Jersey with friends.

''Oh My God Liv, he can't stop laughing about that killer cutting Lt. Tragg's pants off.."said Yvette..

Gary and Danny Ho were howling and slamming their hands on the bar...

"It does sound funny.." said Jade.. "Maybe we had to be there.." she added..

"Maybe, but nothing was worse than when Karla here poured a pitcher of water on Miles head.."said Olivia..

"Just as he was tearing into Alexandria about sleeping with Elwood while he was gone..and sleeping with you.." laughed Beverly...

"It was a circus...I was standing right there when it all went down.."said Nelson...

"I'm sorry baby..I didn't mean to wet you.. I just wanted to wet that creep Miles Ellis...Had the nerve to be dressing down his girlfriend because she cheated on him.When he had been cheating on her for roughly a month!"said Karla..

"I don't think she's his girlfriend anymore.." said Josie..

"No doubt...He lost both girls today...damnnnn."said Josie's boyfriend Paris.

"Poor Miles...I thought he had changed....He can't keep it in his pants.. He had a good girl and he lost her, just like that!" laughed Yvette.

 "We were in court today briefly...We started to come down there and catch your act.." said Keith Jones..

 "Yeah.. I wish we had.." said Bee Bee..

 "Beverly!!...Don't let me forget...I'll stop by with Keith and Kahlil next week to work on Abner's Visas and his citizenship.."said Sofia.,.

"Yeah , Thanks for reminding me .I want to get that started as soon as possible." said Beverly...

"We've been getting a lot of those cases.." said Kahlil...

The night wore on....We sat at the bar, while the youngins paired off into corners.. It was late.. We were practically the only ones here..

''Gary brought me here a few weeks ago..I really like this place...It's quiet and cozy." said Yvette.

"Miles used to bring me here.!!..Now I know why...It's not in Philadelphia...No chance of running into his girlfriend.." said Karla, who was about to cry...

"Now.. Now...You're amongst friends.. We felt it would be better for you if you didn't drink alone tonight.." I said..

"That's right and we pooled our money and rented a huge suite

 in that hotel down the road...

You're staying the night with Donnie Ray and I ,

Yvette and Gary

 and

Jade and Danny.." said Olivia.. who had been concerned about Karla after seeing what went down in court after the trial.

''What about the kids?" asked  Karla, smiling...

"We couldn't all stay in the suite...They're down the hall in individual rooms.. From the looks of things...I think they're ready to go to their rooms anyway." laughed Olivia.

Bev and Nelson, who were in a corner booth now..

Kissing passionately...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuu husband....you can stop staring at me now.."whispered Beverly in between kisses..

"Awwww...I've been looking at you all day." moaned Nelson...

Josie and Paris, also kissing passionately...

"Come on...Let's go to that room Josie.."said Paris..

"Ouuuuu, we'd better.." whispered Josie...

Keith and Bee Bee, who were doing the same..

"Bee Bee, you're driving me crazy..."said Keith...

"Pay your tab and let's go to our room and I've drive you crazy some more...We can drive each other crazy.."giggled Bee Bee in between slow smouldering kisses..

and Sofia and Kahlil

who were also kissing passionately...

"Ummmm papi...It's nearly three...Let's say good night.." said Sofia..

"Yesssss mamasita...Yesssss." he moaned..


Didn't matter though...

Citris Martinis and Mango Martinis were passed around amongst us older ones...

''All you nice couples...I'm like the third wheel." said Karla.

"It's better than being alone...You're hanging out with your friends tonight and tomorrow morning girlie...We are all going to a nice brunch spot.." said Yvette..

"Oh My God, they're still laughing.."said Olivia, pointing to Gary and Danny who started out as young detectives together...

Gary and Danny were still laughing about Lt. Tragg's suit pants being sliced off and he coming outside in just his boxers, socks, shoes and shirt, tie and suit jacket...It was the funniest thing they'd seen in days..

"Red , White and Blue Boxers...."howled Gary...

''With flying Saucers on the side..What grown man wears drawers like that?" howled Danny Ho....

"Under roos" said Gary..

Both men pounded the bar and began laughing loudly again......

Now, I too was howling with laughter...remembering the sight that day...

"You'll keep us company Karla...The boys want to be alone.."joked Jade..

Josie and Paris came up from kissing to laugh at that remark....

I smiled...Our circle was growing wider...Such a nice Friday Night.

We all eventually paid our bills and filed out...We drove a few miles down to the hotel and turned in for the night...

A beautiful restful night....


FOR  L. CHANTAY-