Another Country Heard From

A Hot lazy Monday Morning in the office...Nobody had anything to do today.....My wife Oliva and her niece, Beverly

had just come off of three very successful cases together and another three a piece...They were understandabley exhausted...

Josie Boyd, our para-legal had just successfully defended a man on trial for murder..

assisted by Beverly's husband, Attorney, Nelson East, who had just finished trying two cases of his own...

and me, Donnie Ray Alexander, former Homicide detective and now investigator for all of the mentioned had nothing to investigate...We were just sitting around the office..

Olivia was sitting on my lap with her arms around me and her head buried in my chest..

and Nelson had Beverly in a corner talking softly to her..

which was interrupted by kisses..

and speaking of kisses..Our office manager,

had filed away all of our case files and was hanging out in the front office with her boyfriend, Assistant District Attorney, Rockland Cambridge

Once a sworn adversary of the girls....and now an almost daily visitor..due to his affection for Beverly's mother, Alfreda..our office manager.

They were kissing passionately...When the doorbell rang...

Alfreda eased out of Rockland's embrace...

"I have to get that.." she whispered..

"Pretend that you didn't hear it." said Rockland..

"Nice try horny toad.."laughed Alfreda as she walked towards the door.. "You need to calm down anyway...look at you." Alfreda said and giggled...

A young white man with two shoe boxes stood in the doorway and smiled..

"Olivia or Beverly?" he asked..

"Neither...I'm Beverly's mother...Do you want them?" asked Alfreda..

"WOW! If you're Beverly's mother...I wonder what she looks like?" he said..

"You're a sweet talker."gushed Alfreda...who was a very attractive woman....who got stares from men of all ages.

"Livy, Bev..you have a visitor." said Alfreda on the intercom..

"Send whoever back." said Olivia..

The man walked into the conference room...

"Which one of you is Olivia?" he asked.

"I am." said Olivia..

"This is for you." he said and gave her a red box... He took one look at Beverly...

"You have to be Beverly...I just met your gorgeous mother..And you're a younger version of her.." he said.

Beverly laughed...

"Is that Blue Box for me?" she asked.

"Sure is Darlin" he said..

Olivia's mouth flew open when she opened the box..

"OH MY GOD...MANOLA BLANIKS's she said.

She had a pair of red Manolo Blaniks...This shoe retailed at $1350.00....

Beverly screamed...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY GOD...LOOK!!!!" she said..

She had a Blue pair of the same shoe...

Josie screamed ,looking at both pairs of shoes...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUU  !!!!You've got a grateful client.."said Josie..

"I'll say! None of the people you guys have recently represented could afford this kind of shoe." said Alfreda marveling at the shoes..

"I know one person that could and who knows you girls shoe size.."I said.

 "You Do?" said Nelson...

 "Who?" asked Beverly..

"Who dear husband?" laughed Olivia.

They had forgotten....

"Well you obviously don't know this guy here."I said ,looking at the White man...but you know the man who sent him."I said..  "RICHARD GRAVES" I said. Refferring to the Wealthy Developer from a family of Developers suspected of Killing his wife and disposing of the body years ago...

Olivia and Beverly represented him in some early drug possession charges when they were just starting out as Public defenders...This man who could have hired the most expensive lawyers money could buy hired the two public defenders who happened to be aunt and niece because he knew it would confound people and because he could..

They later represented him when he was charged with a murder in San Diego....The killer turned out to be a real serial killer...He was innocent..

They represented him again a year later in Maine when he was accused of dismembering a man...The real killers was a man and woman from the town who knew him...

He may have been innocent of those crimes...but the fact remains...His wife has not been seen or heard from in a decade and he was the last known person to see her alive...There is no proof that she is even dead, though she has been declared dead two years ago..The City and the FBI don't have enough evidence to charge him and he remains free...

Everybody believes that Richard Graves is a murderer of at least one person...His wife..

His cases however are the cases that made Olivia and Beverly famous...There is even talk that a movie about them is in the works.. Imagine that!

"Your Husband is right.. I'm an Attorney like you guys....Entertainment law and contracts....I work for Mr. Graves....He told me to contact you two...He knows how much you two love shoes and he thought you'd like these...He purchased them while he was in Italy.. He needs a favor...Check your firms account.. He's already wired 3 million dollars to it.. That should be enough for you two and to pay your staff Mrs. Alexander.. Your husband, your Niece's husband and your para legal..."said the man...

"I didn't get your name.." I said.

"Fairchild...Seth Fairchild, Attorney at law...Mr. Alexander...You are right...Mr. Graves is not in town.. but he has a friend in Cape Cod who is accused of a murder he is certain she didn't commit..He said you two are his dear friends and his favorite attorneys...He said if anyone can get her off, You two can.. Here is a boarding pass for his Private Plane, which will be leaving from Northeast Airport in four days.. and keys to an Air BNB on Cape Cod that he owns that you guys  can stay in..It's stocked with liquor and wine and plenty of food.."said Seth..

I looked at Olivia..

"I could use a vacation right now..even if we were working.." I said.

"I've never been to Cape Cod."said Olivia..

"Me neither.."said Beverly...

 "Me neither.."said Nelson

"Nor I."said Josie..

''Well, I guess my team is all in.."laughed Olivia.

"You'll get an email from Mr. Graves...Giving you the particulars of the case.."said Seth..

"It was nice meeting you guys....My employer sends his regards."said Seth Fairchild as he left..

Olivia and Beverly stared at the shoes..

"You know we've got to buy a dress to wear with these shoes Neicey Poo." said Olivia..

"Oh Most Definitely Auntay." said Beverly.






II-

Rockland admired the shoes....He turned to Olivia and Beverly and said-

"I know he's your friend and former client...I know you two got him off of a murder rap in San Diego and one in Maine...but he killed his wife.. Everybody knows that...Don't you guys feel some kind of way about representing him ,knowing he might have done something like that?" he asked.

"I'd be lying if I said that I don't like to be alone with him and that he gives me the creeps...but the man loves me and Beverly and try as we all may...There hasn't been any proof that he killed his wife or that she's actually dead!" said Olivia..

''Come on Liv...She hasn't been seen or heard from in 17 years....No credit card or bank activity.. Not a peep...She's dead...Believe that and he killed her.." said  Rockland..

"That's a case to be tried in the future..."said Olivia diplomatically..

She didn't wish to argue with Rockland.. She had gone from tolerating him ,because he was involved with Alfreda to actually liking him...She didn't want to spoil that.

Rockland relented.. he smiled. He felt the same way too...He had come to really like Olivia and Beverly after spending so much time in their office and around him...

"Indeed....Nice Shoes..."he said..

Olivia smiled at him...She still liked him!

 "That's the true power of the pan-tays...He is so into my mommy, he wouldn't risk carrying that argument any further with Auntay.."whispered Beverly...

"I think you're right...but one day...They may meet in court...That will be interesting.." said Josie.

"Indeed." said Beverly..

I found Richard Graves a bit creepy myself, even though the girls insisted he was harmless...I noticed in spite of what they said,neither Olivia ,nor Beverly was ever alone with him...They were usually together or they had Nelson and I along..

"I know there was no proof he had killed his wife.. but you always kept looking at him and wondering if....." whispered Nelson to me.

 Rockland had Alfreda in the corner...

She was giggling like a school girl...

They were kissing again...

"One thing is for sure....He sure loves your mama...That is indisputable.." said Olivia.

"I know and strange as it may be...She loves him too!" said Beverly, shaking her head...

III-

Rockland drove us to the airport on Saturday Morning...We were all giddy like kids on a field trip at school..

''You guys are going to Cape Cod to defend a woman accused of murder...a friend of Mr. Graves?" asked Rockland..

"That's what his request said...he's already paid us in advance.."said Olivia.

"He's got a rental car waiting for us at the airport and keys to a Air BNB for us too...It's nice being connected."I said.

"Tell me about it." said Rockland..

"Is that his jet?" asked Beverly pointing to the private jet that was ahead of us..

Sitting by itself..

"I believe it is."said Nelson.

"Wow...It doesn't get any better than this.." gushed Josie...

"No I'm afraid it doesn't." I said..

Even Alfreda was impressed...

"Ouuuuuu wee Livy girl....You and my baby girl need more clients like this." she said..

 ''For the Shoes alone.."said Beverly...

We all laughed.

Both of my girls were rocking their expensive new shoes..

Olivia just laughed...

We all hugged...

Beverly whispered in Rockland's ear...

"Don't you get my mommie pregnant.."

Rockland cracked up laughing...So did Beverly...

Olivia hugged Rockland...She never imagined she'd ever be doing that...but he was almost like family now!

"Take care.. Take care of Freda.." she said..

Alfreda hugged all of us..

''Call me when you guys get settled.." she said.

 "We'll be there in under two hours."said Nelson..

''Wow, that's fast..Like when we went to Boston.."said Josie..

"Exactly." I said..

The plane was sweet, nice and roomy...Other than the pilot..We were the only people on the plane..

Rockland and Alfreda waved as our Jet coasted and then took off..

No sooner was our plane out of sight ,he was kissing Alfreda….

"Ummmmm why don't we go to my place?...I'm off today...So are you..." he moaned in between kisses.

"My goodness Rockland...You are the horniest man alive...Is there ever a time you don't want it?" asked Alfreda..

"Is that a trick question?" he asked and they both laughed..

IV-

We told Alfreda it would take us two hours to get to Cape Cod..It actually took us 90 minutes.

Richard Graves jet was smooth and fast....It felt like we'd just got on the plane , when it was time to get off..

The Rental Car Richard Graves supplied us was nice...and the GPS lead us right to our Air BNB

It was a nice wooden two story house......Away from everything...I suspected that this place was like that for a reason...

We had shipped our law books, Laptops, Tablets and phones ahead of time and I picked them up on our way to our AIR BNB...

 "It looks nice.."said Olivia..

 ''We aren't far from the Harbor.." said Beverly..

 ''Wonder if any clubs are around here.."said Nelson,looking around..

"If it's not...I brought Alexa and two decks of playing cards." said Josie..

"Good Girl...and he said the place was fully supplied.." I said..

The inside was beautiful....Nice and roomy, nice big living room....

There was two floors above us...with two rooms on each floor..

Beverly and Nelson had one room,

Josie had a room to herself..

Olivia and I had a room to ourselves on the second floor.

There was a cooler full of Wine and Beers of all kinds and a refrigerator full of Orange Juice, Ice Tea, Fresh Fruit, Vegatables, Eggs,Milk and what have you... There was Pancake batter and in the freezer,Thick juicy steaks, Pork Chops, Ribs et al...

Richard had provided for us well..

"Well, We'll go to the courthouse and see our client tomorrow."I said.

Beverly plopped on the bed...

"Ouuuuu this bed is so soft...I might not be able to get out of it.."laughed Bev...

Nelson plopped on it too...

"Wow..Nice and soft...just like luscious here.."he said and hugged Beverly ,who giggled...

"Luscious huh Niecey Poo?" teased Olivia..

"He's always called me that...even before I was his girlfriend...You must have never been around to hear it."said Beverly...

"I guess not..."laughed Olivia...

We hung our clothes up....we kept the law books in our room...Each of us had a Laptop and a Tablet and a phone..

''Well will ya look at this..It's raining.."said Nelson..

A light rain had begun...a humid kind of rain....

"I'll throw some steaks on the grill and bake some potatoes......You ladies can make a salad."I said,..

Josie assembled Alexa...

And I'll provide music...

Beverly pulled out the playing cards...

''After we eat...Five card stud." she said.

"We've always been our own best company."said Olivia..

She was right...We had all been together for so long..Working together, practically living together...

I looked outside at the light rain...I hoped that that wasn't an omen..

( TO BE CONTINUED)