An All Or Nothin Kinda Girl

Kyrie was serious about throwing herself into her work and not fooling around with Tony Richardson anymore....

She traveled with Beverly and I..

as we went out to interview witnesses and get more information....

She and Josie hung on to Olivia's every word as she mapped out our strategy..

She listened attentively as Nelson groomed each witness for their testimony and how he and Beverly and Olivia.

took turns pretending to be prosecutors and asking the tough questions that would rattle a potential witness, teaching them to remain calm under scrutiny...They were so hard that some of the witnesses either broke down in tears or anger...but in the end, they understood what we were doing...


We took nothing for granted...

I thoroughly investigated every single witness from top to bottom, bank records, credit, criminal charges.... And  the six  of us...

went over all of the past testimony, witness statements and the present...

We revisited both crime scenes and snapped photos as well as scanned street, traffic and business cameras....

We were prepared..

Kyrie stayed with Olivia and I..

while Josie stayed with Nelson and Beverly..

all of this was angering U.S. Attorney Tony Richardson..Who couldn't get in contact with Kyrie..and didn't know where she was...He wondered if she was indeed seeing another man....

Kyrie wasn't at her apartment...She had changed phones and gotten a new number and had blocked his number again so he couldn't call or text her...

He was both furious and heartbroken...He was horny for her , as horny as he'd ever been...

To make matters worse...He didn't have access to Martika either... She was hearing a big case and was focused in on it...She hadn't visited his hotel in two weeks , hadn't taken his calls or answered his texts...

She left her personal phone at home and carried only her business phone... Soon he was calling and texting her on that...

"My goodness..this man needs  some work to do...All he thinks about is sex.." she complained to Olivia. "He's wearing me out! He wants it constantly..." she said.

who laughed... She realized that Martika was trying to wean herself off of him...by not being at his beck and call..She also realized who HE was.. Serial Adulterer, U.S. Attorney Tony Richardson..

A Brilliant Attorney who she respected as far as interpretation and application of the law goes, but otherwise was no different than her ex-husband, Elwood..and perhaps worse...At least Elwood had never attempted to sleep with Beverly or Kayla.....She would have killed him!  Tony Richardson had been sleeping with Kyrie...

Sweet young Kyrie and her aunt, Martika….and amazingly enough...Neither woman was the wiser..

Kyrie had cut him off a while ago and

Martika was just starting to...He must be going nuts.....

He was! He was like a junkie, going through withdrawal...His mood at work was terrible! He was jittery ,shaky and on edge! He needed a woman badly!

II-

Trial was a different story...

ADA Cal McCafferty had woven this tail of a man who was about to be ousted from his job and whose performance evaluations were worse and worse...His dismissal was imminent.. That and the fact that the man was in debt and already working a second job to pay bills and drive down his debt made him desperate..

Olivia and Beverly were one by one dissecting all of his witnesses, who just weren't ready for their questions or the facts they were bringing up...

While McCafferty was impressed with how well they had done their research and their preparation...He had the murder weapon with our clients fingerprints on them..

Our client sat stoic the entire trial.. When he wasn't staring at Kyrie and smiling..Unknown to us...He liked her...He had had a crush on her since she had taken his case...

She caught him staring at her again and she smiled shyly...She suspected he had some kind of thing for her ever since  she had taken the case...She caught him staring at her in a sexual way a lot...She mostly ignored it...

Nelson produced the legal gun permit and the police report and the officer who took the report..

The gun had been missing for close to a month...

Kyrie asked a number of damning questions on redirect of some witnesses for the prosecution that outright showed a pattern of deception and lying...

ADA McCafferty was dumbfounded...and frustrated...

 Josie conferred with me on witness statements...

I told her that our time was soon coming..

Martika was in the courtroom watching the entire proceeding...Imagine her surprise and

Kyrie's surprise , when U,.S. Attorney Tony Richardson

walked in and sat down...

Kyrie was as cool as a cucumber..She betrayed no emotion...

Her aunt ironically enough was visibly nervous...

Josie feverishly wrote notes...

Olivia, Beverly, Nelson and Kyrie..read the notes and on cross examination literally wiped out witness after prosecution witness....

Most of ADA McCafferty's objections were over-ruled...

He glared at Lt. Tragg..

who's case was falling down around his ankles again...

Olivia, Beverly, Nelson and Kyrie

were painting a picture of the two murder victims, Tamika Hastings and Jewell Baxter as two conniving and scheming young women who had an idea of the ideal employee they wanted and anyone who didn't fit the mold was subsequently set up with a series of phony and fraudulent evaluations that led to their termination...They presented three employees who this had happened to already...

Not one prosecution witness could place our client at the scene of either murder...On the first night...When the first murder victim had been shot to death ,leaving work...He hadn't come to work that day...He was in Atlantic City...We planned to produce credit card and debit card slips to prove this..

The second murder, occurred in front of the second victim's home...Miles away from where our client lived...Our client claimed to be home that night, alone...

Witnesses to the second murder claimed to see a tan convertible speeding away from the scene. Our client didn't own such a car..

The big problem was that the same gun was used in both killings...We hadn't been able to fight that and

McCafferty closed with that in mind...

Olivia asked for a 48 hour continuance before she began her defense.. surprisingly...

The Judge granted it..

Nelson reported..

"Liv , the Jury is six to six..." he said..

"Wow..we are up against this.."said Beverly...

"Means I'm going to have to actually try and solve this...It's cool...I'm up to the task." I said..

"Let's get out of here guys."said Olivia..

"Is there a side door out of here..?"asked Kyrie..

 "Sure..follow me and Beverly." said Nelson..

Kyrie and Beverly pretended they were deep into conversation and blended into the crowd...They met Nelson at the door and slipped out and slipped away...

Olivia and I and Josie walked out the front door..

On the street, Connor looked at Kyrie and said...

"You all are doing good in there...I'm really grateful....Uh Kyrie?" he asked..

"Yes?" she smiled..

"Uh,I know you are uh, you're my attorney..but uh ruh..after this is all over if I'm acquitted...." he said.

''Don't say if...You are going to be acquitted.."said Kyrie..

"I uh was wondering if I could uh take you out for drinks, maybe dinner...a movie..??" said Connor..

"You mean on a date right?" asked Kyrie, who was all smiles..

"Yeah..I uh hope I'm not out of line here.." he said..

"No Not at all...After the trial is over...Yeah, I'd be open to that.." she said..

''Wow! That's cool.." he said.

************************************************************************************

Tony Richardson feverishly looked for Kyrie, but she was gone....

Martika observed him but said nothing...

He turned towards her..

"Martika...baby.....I haven't heard from you in a week..." he said raffishly...

"I've been busy...I've been in court..You uh looked like you were looking for somebody.."she said.

''A colleague of mine...he apparently uh got away.." he said.. "Sayyyyyyy uh how about you and I get some drinks and uh head back to uh my suite..?" he asked her..

"Can't do that...I've got a hair appointment..." she lied..

"Is that more important than letting me make the hairs on your neck rise?" he asked Martika..seductively, holding her in his arms...

She was getting very aroused....and he knew it..

She was aroused beyond belief....but she held her ground..

"It is today...See you Tony." she said softly.. and walked out..

He was furious...He stomped his foot and stormed out of the courthouse..

III-

Sometimes , NOT being a cop  has it's advantages....People will talk to you, tell you things that they won't share with the police.....

For instance...I learned that a burglar named Barney Ales had been operating in the area where our client was living and that several burglaries had been reported to the local police...

Through my underworld contacts ,I located several pawn shops he did business with and even his apartment...He wasn't in...but I called the police and found him in a dive bar...

He wasn't hard to spot either...

"Barney Ales my man...No don't get up...sit down...." I said... "REALLY, SIT DOWN!" I said and stuck my .38 smokeless into his side..

"You...You...You a cop.?" he asked..

"I'll ask the questions.." I said..

I showed him some photos , grainy but good enough of him ,taken off of a street cam photo....

"That my man is you....and you burglarized this house...DIDN'T YOU?" I said gruffly...

"Hey man, are you a cop?" he asked...

I clicked my gun...

"Like I said, I will ask the questions...You robbed this house...You stole a gun....I don't care about the $800.00 ,All I care about is the gun.. a .38 smokeless...WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?" I asked.

"I  sold it...I sold it to a guy..I swear..." he said.

"It's got two murders on it!" I said.

"It wasn't me...It wasn't me...I swear...This guy told me about that house in particular...He knew there was a gun in the house..he said keep whatever else I stole...but give him the gun..." he said..

"Next question....Who was the guy?" I asked.

"His name is Tepper..Lawrence Tepper...He's a square...a citizen...He's not connected..." he said.

"Thank you..." I said and handed him a summons...

"Be on time Barney, don't make me have to look for you.." I said.

Back at home...Olivia and Beverly

 asked Connor Lewis about Lawrence Tepper.

''Larry Tepper...Yeah, I knew him...We were once good friends...He was Tamika Hastings boyfriend at one time... You had to know Tamika...on the one hand she was this Holy Rolling Christian...and part Black Nationalist, always talking about how it was only a few Black people at the office and we had to stick together... On the other hand she was a hypocrite...Sleeping with Larry Tepper...who was married at the time...and scared to death of Jewel Hastings..I swear ,if that woman said jump, the next words out of Tamika's mouth was how high....

Jewel Hastings was the new boss...She came in with all kinds of new fangled ways she wanted the office run and right away, people started getting canned...Offered early retirement packages at first or out right being set up to be terminated with the phony evaluation reports if they bucked...Quite a few people had lost they job this way...I was the latest on the list."said Connor..

"But you fought back...You got yourself a lawyer...Ms. Austin here..."said Nelson, smiling at Kyrie..

"Yes...I was in the middle of a wrongful termination suit against his place of employment when the double murders occurred and Connor was arrested and charged....I'm kind of green and murder was way over my head...I decided I needed help."said Kyrie..

"And you came to us."said Josie..

"Exactly.."said Kyrie , smiling..

 "So you say this Larry Tepper was once romantically involved with Tamika Hastings.." said Olivia..

"What Happened?" asked Beverly..

"Jewell found out about it...She had a network of snitches...They told her things about other employees just to keep their jobs...Jewell found out and ordered Tamika to break it off with him...She did..She did whatever Jewell told her to do...Hypocrite...And I think somebody told Tepper's wife..
She divorced him...Now he was without a job and a wife...Needless to say he was not happy...I'd forgotten all about him.." said Connor.

"He knew you had a gun." I asked.

"Yeah...He has one too...We used to go to the range and fire back when he worked there...We hadn't fired in a year though.."said Connor..

"I don't understand...Lt. Tragg overlooked all of this? And Donnie Ray in little more than a few hours you've uncovered a possible second suspect and a motive??" asked Kyrie..

 "My Husband is an ex-Homicide detective...This is his area of expertise..."said Olivia.

 "And Lt. Tragg has NO area of expertise..."said Beverly...

Nelson burst into guffaws of laughter...

"This isn't the first time he has loused up a murder case."said Josie..

''So now...on the night of the first killing, Tamika Hastings....We can prove you were in Atlantic City, but on the night of the second murder, Jewell Baxter...You were at home alone...Anybody see you?" I asked.

"No, but I did run down to the neighborhood Bodega...I bought a Coke, some Tostitos and some salsa and I was watching the Sixers game...I made a couple of calls, to women, none were at home...but aside from that...I never left my apartment again..."said Connor.

 "I think we can prove he wasn't there..."said Olivia..

 "On Both Nights..."said Beverly...

 "We know the gun was stolen and we have a sworn statement and affadavit from the burglar, Ales ,that he stole it for Larry Tepper.

"Tepper may not confess to the killings Kyrie...but he doesn't have to...All we have to do is present the jurors with Reasonable doubt.."said Josie..

"That's right and our witnesses will hold up better than the prosecution's witness and once we put the gun in Tepper's hand and present his motive..We'll turn the other six jurors who are undecided our way...I'm sure of it.." I said..

"WOWWWWW!" said Kyrie..

Connor smiled..

"You guys are on it!" he laughed... He whispered to Kyrie...

"You're on it too!" he said..Her sheer sundress was turning him on...

Kyrie was blushing a little bit...

IV-

At the Marriot....U.S. Attorney Tony Richardson had talked Martika into coming back to his room once again..

 He held her in his arms...

"Martika ,I forgot how good you are in bed...You've been on my mind all week long.." he whispered softly...

"Is that all I am to you , a bed wench?" asked Martika...

"No...Nooooooooooooooo… I love you baby...I'm just realizing it.." he said.. Now tired of not being able to get in contact with Kyrie...He had decided to key in on Martika.. He was desperate...He decided to say whatever he thought she wanted to hear to get her in the bed this afternoon...

"What about your wife?" asked Martika...

"What about her? She's in D.C.  and you and I are here in Philly baby..." he said raffishly,leaning in for a kiss...Martika moved her head...

"And somebody else could be in New York or Boston , Chicago or where ever the hell else your work takes you....Nahhhh that's not for me...I'm an all or nothin kinda girl.."said Martika, whose arousal was gone now..

His wasn't and his trousers were standing out like a circus tent.. He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately now.....She unzippered his trousers and softly fondled him.....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Martika.." he moaned..

"I told you I'm an all or nothing kinda girl.." she said...in between hot sweaty kisses...

"Baby it can just be you and I...I'll make you the same deal I made your niece...I'll put you up in a nice place....I'll pay for it..I'll…." he said, then realizing what he just said..

She broke from his embrace just then....

"MY NIECE??? WHAT??? KYRIE????YOU OFFERED TO PUT HER UP IN A PLACE?? YOU TRIED TO SLEEP WITH MY NIECE??" said a now furious Martika..

He hadn't realized he had slipped up and said that....He fixed his trousers...

"No...No..No..(He lied) It was a while ago...She turned me down!" he said..  "Martika, baby please..let's not fight...let's make love..." he pleaded...

"My niece turned you down!   She's a smart girl...She's a good girl...Much better than her aunt.."said Martika and she kneed him hard in his groin and slapped him harder than he'd been slapped in awhile..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW LAWDDDDDD!" he screamed as he fell to the floor of his suite with a thunderous crash....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." he moaned....as Martika stepped over him and stormed out of his suite...He was never going to get anymore of this , she thought.

The bell rang at our place an hour later...

Alfreda let Martika in..

''Heyy Lady, how are you?" she said.

Martika looked at a smiling, satisfied Rockland Cambridge, sitting down...

then looked back at Alfreda..

She smiled..

"Not as good as you.." she said and laughed..

Alfreda smiled back at Martika and both women gave each other a knowing nod! Alfreda liked Martika!

 "Hey Tika girl, we were just finishing up for the day..."said Olivia..

 "Yeah, we were all going to go and get some food and adult beverages.."I said.

 ''You're welcome to join us.."said Beverly...

 "Hi Judge Anderson." said Josie..

 "Hi Judge Anderson..." said Nelson..

''Hey Guys.....That sounds like a great idea...I could use a cold one..."said Martika

"Hi Auntie.."said Kyrie..

"Your Aunt is a Judge and you're friends with Olivia and Beverly and their team...Girrrrrl, you got it made."laughed our client,  Connor Louis..

"Hey Kyrie...Uh let me pay for your meal.."said Connor.

Kyrie was caught off guard...

"Well....uh....Okay...cool...Thank you!" she said.. She thought that was sweet of him.....

Martika was in tears...She grabbed Kyrie and hugged her....

"I am soooo sorry I was ever judgemental of you...You are a good girl and a fine attorney, much better person than I am....I love you baby and I'm proud of you.." she said..and kissed Kyrie on the cheek, Much like Olivia often kissed Beverly...

"I love you too Auntie...What is this about?" asked Kyrie..

"Nothing...Let's all get some drinks and some food ."said Martika..


(CONCLUSION NEXT)