Boondoggle

 Aida and U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums were taking an early morning shower together...

"Ouuuuuuu holster that thing.." she said as she lathered soapy water on his erect penis..

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmm" he moaned..

"You ready for trial this morning?" she asked him...

"I'm always ready." he said confidently..

"Ouuuuuuuuu I can see that...Wouuuuuuuuuu!" she said in amazement..

within the next half hour , both were dressed and leaving his waterfront condo...

Unknown they had caught the eye of Lt. Tragg...Now working on the Police Marine Boat...

"There's that stuturing peacock.. If he wasn't with that skirt...I swear, I'd pull my glock and take him out...Who would know? Who would suspect??" he grumbled.. "My Uncle Jack took somebody out like him before, off duty.. somebody just like him..A self important big wig...Nobody ever found out to this day...I could do the same thing...Ahhhhhhhh things aint the same as it was in my dad and my uncle Jack's day..." he grumbled and walked on...

We were in the dining hall of "Big Fed" , the modern Federal Courthouse ...

Having a delicious breakfast....

"One thing I can say about the Feds...Having been a Detective, before I became a Federal Agent..They sure do know how to feed you well."said our client, Jerome Glenn.

"I said the same thing myself." I said.. I had really bonded with this client...We had a lot in common..We were both Detectives on an Urban Police Department at one time..Me in New Orleans and him in Newark, New Jersey...He was now a Federal Agent with the U.S. Marshals and I was an Investigator for my wife and her niece's law firm...He was good people and he was innocent of the crime he was being accused of..

"Well guys, are we ready?" asked my wife, Olivia, giving the troops one last pep talk..

"I am..."said her niece, Beverly...

"Ready as I'll ever be.."said Nelson...

"Let's go get em." said Josie...

We had all had a great night...and were having a nice breakfast...We were glad they let our client out of lock up to eat Breakfast with us..

Now we were ready for whatever lay before us....Ready for trial.

II-

The Fourth  Murder trial of Jerome Glenn began....

with the same Judge, the same Judge we felt was slightly favorable to the prosecution  presiding over this case..

U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums was on top of his game.. Arguing the false story about our client having a romantic affair with the agent's Black wife...and luring him into an abandoned bar to kill him so he could be with the wife..

Olivia addressed our new jury...She said that this entire trial, the fourth was a Boondoggle, a waste of time, but somehow necessary due to the ego of the U.S. Attorney and the revelation of what is really behind this.. A third party's attempt to quiet an investigation.." she said....

With the opening arguments came the Prosecution's case..

Just as he had in the first three trials, U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums argued that no such third party had ever been identified..and that there was no proof to Jerome Glenn's claims that Agent McClinton was investigating a possible White Supremacist within the Federal Government.. He did however produce photos of Jerome Glenn and Agent McClintock's wife socially, having drinks, laughing and talking..

Beverly argued..

"Our client and the Agent's wife attended the same Jr. College, They both hail from Newark, New Jersey and they are both here in Philly....They were friends..Nothing more and those photos do not prove anything different..." she said..

The next week and a half...U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums paraded a slew of witnesses in front of the jury...

Olivia, Beverly and Nelson were brutal on cross.. With examples of what they told Police, FBI Agents, Me and what they said in all three previous trials... They had taken very copious notes and discredited half of them...

U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums paraded Crime Scene Investigators and Forensic specialists from the Philadelphia Police and FBI before the jury...

Nelson and Josie questioned them and took apart their testimonies surgically and much more thoroughly than they had in previous trials...

For the first time , U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums's superior smirk seemed to be falling off of his face...He could see that we prepared extremely well....His many objections were met by

Olivia, Josie and Beverly citing Predicates and Past Cases like verse and shooting them down...

The Judge , as much as he wanted to help U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums, couldn't help him...but for the first time, he actually showed admiration for Olivia, Beverly, Nelson and Josie. The Tide was turning.

It was what Olivia told her young troops..

"You can't lose with the law on your side.."

Her young protoges, Beverly, Nelson and Josie lived by this...

U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums closed his case , not feeling as confident as he did in the first, second or even third trials...

There was good reason for that..

Nelson smiled broadly...

"Liv, we have a jury that is 12 -0 to acquit...We haven't even begun our defense yet...He totally lost this jury an totally failed to convince anybody this time.."said Nelson..

''Well that's good to know Nelson, but we can't let up...We have to bring this home..."said Olivia.

''We have more to go on than we ever had before this time." I said.

"Not much longer now Jerome...You're about a week maybe of getting your life back.."said Beverly to Jerome.

"I sure hope so...You guys are the best...The very best...."said Jerome Glenn.

My phone rang....I took the call..

I looked at Olivia..

"I gotta go baby....You all have lunch without me..I'll see you this afternoon.." I said and kissed her passionately..

I almost didn't want to let her go..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuu, you sure you want to go?" Olivia asked me seductively...

''Don't force me to answer that.." I laughed.  "I'll see you later." I said.

III-

Everybody sat in Sam Mother's Diner relaxing..

sipping Ice Tea...

"You Know I hate to say it..but I miss Lt. Tragg, it's been a week and a half  without him coming in here when we eat and harrassing someone or paying a visit to our home looking for someone.."said Beverly..

Nelson felt her forehead...

"You feelin okay Honeybun?" he asked in jest...

Beverly giggled...

"Hey where is Donnie Ray?" she asked.

"He got a call...I think it's case related.." said Olivia.

"Ouuuuu and just on the eve of our defense.." laughed Josie.

I found myself at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Philadelphia Police Department.

"Heyy Duke, Rico" I said as I walked in..

''Donnie Ray...what's up man?" said Detective Duke Baylor

"What's Up Donnie Ray?" said Detective Tyriq Pile...

"Got a meeting with the Federal Lady..." I said...

FBI/ATF Special Agent in charge, Sharon Hopkins smiled and placed some documents on the table..

"These are copies of our investigative files..We had to keep these top secret until now.. Our investigation is nearly over..So I declassified them..They'll help Liv out with her trial...  Agent Mclintock was investigating a White Supremacist cell that was planning to bomb several government facilities and State Facilities here in Pennsylvania.. He had gone deep undercover and had several undercovers working with him.. He found a lot of bombs, a lot of bomb making materials and a lot of guns... We were able to intercept the plans and arrest 39 people and make good cases on them..

He told us in the last days of his life that there was someone in the Federal Government...In his building, I believe ,who was in communication with these guys and giving them logistics and information...

That was this man, Inspector General James McChristy... His office is right down the hall from U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums... When you found out that he called a juror in the last trial and wired money into his account.. Dellums immediately wiretapped his office and began a quiet investigation of him , not just for obstruction of justice and jury tampering, but possibly for the murders of both Agent McClintock and Robert Phillips...We were getting ready to make an arrest when that bumbling idiot,

Lt. Tragg arrested Todd Dellums last week and alerted him...Now he's gone missing...but I hope you can use this." she said.

"Ohhhhh my god!  If we weren't both married, I'd kiss you.." I said.

"I'll settle for all my drinks on you at Josie's next time you're playing."said Sharon..

"You got it baby!" I said, smiling..

"Liv, I want to thank you and Beverly and Nelson and Donnie Ray for putting me up... I have a new place and I moved in yesterday...I'm gonna have you over as soon as I'm all set up..."said Aida.

"You were great...We hardly saw you."said Olivia with tongue in cheek..

"You were spending all that time with your man..."said Beverly...

"We spend a lot of time with your man too!" joked Josie..

"He said you guys are the most prepared and most tenacious attorneys he has ever been up against..And from the short time I've been in his company....Praise for other attorneys is not something he throws around lightly.." she said.

"He's a tough nut too...Mannnn, He is just relentless...Won't back down, won't give up.." said Nelson..

"Oh I know...He's still bugging me about moving in with him...Even though I've just moved into my own place.." said Aida.

We all laughed.

IV-

Our defense began...

Olivia began with her strongest argument to date...She re-iterated that this entire thing was a boondoggle, a waste of time...a waste of tax payers dollars , a waste of the jury's time based on

a lie about an alleged  affair.. due to the ego of the U.S. Attorney and the revelation of what is really behind this.. A third party's attempt to quiet an investigation.." she said....

U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums sat with that same self confident smirk on his face...which unknown to him had turned the jury off from day one of this case..

Beverly produced the wife of the late Federal Agent who re-iterated for the fourth time that there never was any romantic or sexual relationship between her and our client. Jerome Glenn..

U.S. Attorney went after her hard on cross to the point of her crying on the stand..This soured him in the Jury's eyes.. Made him look like a Bully! He was completely  unaware of this.

Beverly and Josie went after him hard with their objections... It got so heated that it almost seemed a little personal..

The Judge admonished all three Attorneys..

The Jury began to look at Todd Dellums as a bully...

Something that made Nelson gleeful...He loved it...

He and Olivia began their defense with the story of Agent Mclintock..

"Agent Mclintock was investigating a White Supremacist cell that was planning to bomb several government facilities and State Facilities here in Pennsylvania.. He had gone deep undercover and had several undercovers working with him.. He found a lot of bombs, a lot of bomb making materials and a lot of guns... The FBI and ATF was able to intercept the plans and arrest 39 people and make good cases on them.. He told the FBI and ATF  in the last days of his life that there was someone in the Federal Government...In his building, I believe ,who was in communication with these guys and giving them logistics and information..."said Olivia...

She and Nelson presented Federal documents, Unclassified documents to back up their arguments..

They presented a photo of fugitive 

Former Inspector General, James McChristy..His office is right down the hall from U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums... When you found out that he called a juror in the last trial and wired money into his account.. Dellums immediately wiretapped his office and began a quiet investigation of him , not just for obstruction of justice and jury tampering, but possibly for the murders of both Agent McClintock and Robert Phillips..." they said..

U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums argued vigourously to have this stricken from the record.. He argued that McChristy was part of a seperate investigation and had not been apprehended yet and that there was no proof he murdered either man yet..

Olivia, Nelson , Beverly and Josie argued vehemently that this had to be included because it proved their client's story that McClintock was investigating something big that was worrying him and had called him to that abandoned bar because it was the only place he felt free to talk plainly..

The Judge agreed to allow the first part of the argument to remain, but ordered all mention of McChristy stricken from the record...

It didn't matter...The Jury had heard it!

Olivia gave a blistering  twenty five minute closing speech, one of her longest and closed..

U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums bowed to her..

"Liv...Regardless of the outcome...You guys are incredible...It was an honor going up against you...You're great attorneys all of you and you have an incredible investigator...I could use him on my team...Incredible job guys.." he said..

"Thank You...You were one of the toughest attorneys I have ever faced.."said Olivia..

"Phew, Four trials...One case...Don't take it personal...But I don't want to see you again...Not in court.."said Beverly, laughing..

"Ditto That." I laughed.

I still thought he was somewhat of an arrogant jerk....He knew that we had proven our client was innocent...Any reasonable prosecutor would have dropped the charges at this point, especially after three trials..three trials that ended in hung juries. He couldn't admit he was wrong and he didn't want it said that he backed down to Olivia and Beverly...

"Same Here." laughed Nelson...

''Wowwww,I'm exhausted.."said Josie.

"You can't imagine how I feel." said our client, Jerome Glenn..

THIRTY MINUTES LATER!

The Judge walked back to us...

"You won't believe this...but the jury is back!... It's only been thirty minutes...Come on guys...back in the courtroom " he said.

Back in the courtroom the Judge breathed heavily...

"Has the Jury come to a conclusion ?" he asked..

"Yes sir ,we have come to a conclusion."said the Jury foreman...

He sighed..

"Thank God..." he said.. He was tired of hung juries..

"Bailiff pass me the verdict.." he said.

He read it then passed it back... "Read it." he said.

"WE THE JURY IN THE MATTER OF UNITED STATES VS. JEROME K. GLENN FIND THE DEFENDENT  NOT GUILTY OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER, NOT GUILTY OF USING AN INSTRUMENT OF CRIME IN THE COMMISSION OF A MURDER AND NOT GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SAID MURDER!" SAID THE FOREMAN...

The Judge sighed relief...There would be no fifth trial...

"Mr. Glenn....You are free to go and you are re-instated as a United States Marshall.." he said.

"OH MY GOD!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!  I'M FREE....I'M GOIN OUT AND HAVE A BEER!" he said.

"You deserve it pal, you deserve it.. Have one on me." I said..

He hugged Olivia, Beverly and Josie..

"Thank you soooooo much ." he said.

"Awww you're welcome Jerome.."said Olivia..

"You're welcome...We are just glad to be finished with this trial.."said Beverly..

"Yessssssss.." said Josie..

Nelson was smiling...He was watching how U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums was acting..

He wasn't accustomed to losing and he was livid... He tossed his suit jacket in the air...he flung his fists in the air..He stomped his foot and grabbed his suit jacket and stormed out of the courthouse...

The Judge shook his head..

"That fella needs a shrink or a drink or maybe both" he said..

We all laughed out loud!

Nightfall came... 

Penns Landing...

After losing the case...U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums  called Aida...He told her he just wanted to be alone tonight..

He walked the pier alone..

Lt. Tragg had just got off duty on the Marine Boat.

He was drunk as usual... He had one more week to go before he was back at Homicide and back on the streets...

He had read the papers and heard that Olivia and Beverly and crew 

had won their big federal case finally, soundly defeating him by getting an acquittal of the U.S. Marshall accused of murder.

.For once...He was happy for his old adversaries... He happened to see the defeated U.S. Attorney walking by himself on the pier..

He pulled his glock.. He hated that stuttering peacock... Now was his chance to get even...No one would know.. He cocked his weapon..

An old Ford Torino drove in front of him ,just when he was getting ready to shoot... A man got out of his car and aimed his weapon..Aimed his weapon at Todd Dellums..

A gun with a silencer...

Both men fired at the same time...

The man with the silencer missed..

U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums ducked behind a car...

The man with the silencer..

James McChrystal was hit in the shoulder of the hand he was holding his gun with ...

"OHHHHH GOOOOD LORDDDD! I DON'T BELIEVE IT....I'VE BEEN SHOT!" he screamed and tossed his gun to the side and collapsed in the street..

Fugitive James McCrystal was now in custody...Thanks to Lt. Tragg..They loaded him onto a gurney and sped him to the hospital....He didn't have a life threatening gunshot wound.

The Gun he was going to use to kill U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums was linked to the murder of Robert Phillips...

Olivia and I watched the whole thing on the news..

"Wow..Lt. Tragg actually caught the killer and saved U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums's life..Imagine that." said Olivia..

"Yeah...Imagine that!" I said, Holding her in between my legs and laughing myself while watching the news..I smiled at the irony of it all.

EPILOUGE-

James McChrystal was convicted of Jury Tampering, Wire Fraud and Obstruction of Justice and Also of the murders of both Agent McClintock and Robert Phillips.. He was sentenced to Life plus 25 years... He's now in Leavenworth.

He became Aida Jackson's first successful federal prosecution..

Instead of Todd Dellums being happy for her..He was sullen and did not celebrate with her at all.

In her presence, he made light of her accomplishment, saying it wasn't that major of a prosecution..

Aida was hurt by his sulleness and downright cruelty since losing his big case and having his life saved by Lt. Tragg.

Lt. Tragg addressed the Press Conference..

"I was getting off work...Walking down the pier and I noticed a suspicious car just creeping along. The man got out and aimed a gun at U.S. Attorney Dellums.. I acted fast and pulled my service weapon and took the bad actor out!" he said.

For once he faced a press conference that was not hostile...Ironically enough, he was a hero at U.S. Attorney Dellums expense..

Aida moved into her new Condo, a few blocks from us... And she had a huge housewarming party...It was at this time she decided to have that Spades Tournament she had asked for..

She had plenty of space. Plenty of food and drink..

Mexican Food

Asian Food

and Soul Food...

Sodas

and Beers...

Several serious card games, Pinnocle, Spades etc. going on...

"Aida your place is beautiful..."said Kayla.

"Mannn and this view."said Ray...

"Thank you..Thank You, glad you like it.. Glad everybody came.."she said.

"I love it..We wouldn't have missed it Aida!"said Beverly..

"This is great...and the food!"said Nelson..

Josie cracked up laughing..

"I know you and my boyfriend would love the food." she said.

"Yesss" was all Paris would say...He had a piece of Fried Chicken in his mouth!

"Aida ,I love your place.."said Olivia..

"So do I...Good Job Young Lady.."I said.

Todd Dellums stood off to himself.. He didn't talk to anyone, or eat anything..He was pissed that he lost the case, jealous that his girlfriend successfully prosecuted the actual killer...A suspect he had been chasing.. Furious that Lt. Tragg, that bumbling idiot had ruined his investigation, arrested him and wound up saving his life and capturing the real killer ...He was beside himself with anger...So Much so that he couldn't enjoy himself. Everybody noticed how sullen he was acting!

Aida noticed it and was mildly annoyed with him and his childish behavior...She was having second thoughts about being his girlfriend for the first time.

Aida ignored him...

"Thank You Ms. Alfreda for the use of your caterer.." said Aida.

"No Problem baby...None at all."said Alfreda..

"Hmmmph...My place is larger and I know a gourmet caterer...."snarled Todd Dellums..

Alfreda heard him and gave him a side eye..

Aida heard him, but chose to ignore him..

''Don't mind him Ms. Alfreda. I appreciate everything you and your caterer did today...The food is great."said Aida,.

"It's Okay Baby...This is your party...As Long as you're happy that's all that matter."said Alfreda, smiling and giving Todd a serious side eye.

"As my woman, we should present a united front baby...You shouldn't openly go against me." whispered Todd.

"I'm seriously having second thoughts about being your woman."said Aida, walking away from him..

Yvette, Gary, Bee Bee, Keith, Kahlil, Sofia, Rockland, Jade and Danny Ho were engaged in the card games..and enjoying the food and drink as was..

As were Jazzy, Jessica, Chip and Dabnis..They were all having a fabulous time....

Aida walked over to Todd...

"Stop sulking...Come on get some food, there is plenty to drink...Don't you play cards? Rockland is looking for another partner." she said.

"I don't want anything to eat..I don't want anything to drink and I don't play cards...WHAT I WANT IS FOR YOU TO MOVE IN WITH ME...MY PLACE IS BIGGER AND BETTER!" he yelled..

People were turning around..

"Look, we talked about that....And I told you I wanted my own place and to get to know you better , Now let's table this for now okay?  Get some food...Socialize..."said Aida.

Bee Bee was in ear shot... She felt sorry for Aida...She was seeing that other side of Todd, that dark side of him that never compromised, that never backed down or admitted being wrong , that part that sulked like a baby when things didn't go his way or he didn't get his way....She knew he was mad about losing that big case.. and she knew that Aida prosecuting the man who almost killed him and being saved by Lt. Tragg was all weighing in on his sour mood... These were all the reasons she and Todd broke up..He couldn't mold her , force her to be the woman he wanted.. This was why she was so glad to not be with him and why she didn't envy Aida one bit.

"Look if you're going to be my woman you're going to live with me and that's all there is to it.!" he snarled.

''Well then I'm not going to be your woman then...You can go....Go home...and lose my number, please." she said sternly...

"Your loss baby!" he said and stormed out...slamming the door!

He had embarrassed Aida. That was unforgivable!

Bee Bee walked over and hugged Aida.

"His loss Aida...You can have any man you want.You don't need that in your life!"said Bee Bee..

"I'm not worried ...Come on girl...Let's play some Spades."said Aida...

And the two sat down at the card table.