A Dark Interlude

Night time finally arrived..
 

It started out as a slow ,laid back Friday... but drama follows us..

Our former adversary, Assistant District Attorney Abigail Wilson was a shambles, crying profusely and shaking and holding Olivia for dear life..

Her loud cries and moans brought all of us into the front area..

"What's going on ADA Wilson?" I asked.

''Abby? What are you doing here? What's wrong girl?" asked Beverly...

'Heyyyyy ,it can't be that badd." said Nelson... 

"Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy what's wrong ?" asked a sympathetic Josie.. Hard to believe we were going against her so hard during four trials that we nearly took it personal.

''Why are you crying? what's wrong?" asked Bree..

''Come here, sit down...Let me get you some Ice Tea." said Alfreda.

Rockland, who knew her , helped her to a seat and poured her a glass of Ice Tea..

Once she calmed down, she told us that her fiance,  Attorney Albert Williams

had been shot down in the parking lot just a few hours ago.. He had been shot five times, Three times in the back and two in his front torso... To our surprise..She said he was still alive and in the hospital..

I immediately went into cop mode, asking her who would have a motive to kill him, if he had any known enemies.. perhaps a botched case, somebody went to jail and is blaming him... She kept saying no...That he rarely loses and that he does well by all his clients..

We decided to go to the hospital with her...

At the hospital, we were told that he had lost a lot of blood and was in a medically induced coma.. The only good news was that they had removed all of the shell casings and that there wasn't too much internal damage...but a lot of internal bleeding.. We weren't allowed to see him..

Abigail, so confident, so sure of herself, so tenacious, so ruthless in the courtroom and who came so close to beating us and getting a conviction was reduced to tears, shaking and crying profusely, while Olivia held her and rocked her back and forth..

''It's alright baby...It's alright..He's going to be alright...You wait and see." she said reassuredly...

I was in full cop mode and was determined to visit the scene of the crime... I was never more alive than when we had a murder case, a client accused of murder and I had to investigate that... We did have other clients accused of other things and I had other things to investigate, but a murder or in this case an attempted murder got my juices running.  After all.. long before I became my wife and her niece's investigator.. I was Murder Police in New Orleans..

Beverly was stunned..

''Who would do something like this?" she asked.

"This is Philly baby...A man can catch a bullet for many reasons....ANY REASON!" he said.

"I know that's right.." added Josie..

''Wow...What a way to start the weekend!" said Bresha.

Alfreda brought us all hot tumblers of coffee.

"I'm going to call Gary, see if I can put him on this...Have him co-ordinate with the case detective..

Maybe it's Duke Baylor or Rico Pile.." he said.

I wished it had of been either one of those two or both...We'd find out later..it was neither.

Abigail Wilson was in no state to be alone tonight.. She gave us her address and pass keys..

Josie ,Beverly and Bresha

went to her condo..

and packed an overnight bag for her....She was staying with us...

Inside her condo the girls marveled.

''WOWWWWWW THIS IS SWEEET !" said Josie.,

"Yes indeed..Ole Girl has been ballin..." said Beverly.

"That's why I got into this law thing..I knew it had divedends.." joked Bresha..

All three girls laughed.

II-

We had a semi full house tonight..

Josie and Paris, went home around midnight...They lived across the street and Bresha and Tony also went home, they lived three doors down...

Alfreda and Rockland stayed over...They slept in the sub-basement apartment that used to belong to the b-mechanic, before we lived here..

"I can't believe you all live so close, across the street, down the street...Wowwww! Bev and Nelson live downstairs and you guys live up here..Such togetherness. Thank you soooo much Ms. Olivia, for letting me stay here tonight." said Abby, who was given a sedative and went to sleep in the spare room in our domicile..

"You are sooo welcome..." said Olivia..

"It'll all work out I'm sure." I said..

AN HOUR LATER-

We were in our room with the door locked..

"What a day we had huh?" said Olivia.

''What a week!" I said..

We kissed passionately...

"Ummmmm girl you feel so good.."I moaned.

"And you...you are so hard and so damn biggg...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuu." Olivia exclaimed.

I slipped her black lacey thong down and off...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" I said.

"You like this huh?" Olivia laughed..

"YESSSSS!" I said..

Olivia giggled as we continued to kiss...

"I got them from Bridget's store. LADY CHATTERLIES LOVER, PANTIES AND BRAS FOR THE DISCRIMINATING WOMAN! " she said.

"I'll have to thank Bridget." I said.

"You are soooo nasty." laughed Olivia.

She giggled as we continued to kiss.

"Ummmmm I like this..even better "I said entering her warm ,wet center slowly and softly...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...UMMMMMMMMMMMM! I DO TOO!" Olivia squealed loudly...

I sat her petite body on the dresser drawer and thrusted into her mightily for awhile...I felt so good, I couldn't stop myself..

Olivia eased herself down on me on the side of the bed, giving me butter soft kisses..

and rode me softly .......

For the NEXT THREE TO FOUR HOURS, we made sweet love..

The next morning...Abby was treated to one of our breakfasts.

Olivia, Beverly and Alfreda fixed breakfast...

Pancakes, Hash browns, Sausages, Orange Juice and Hot coffee..and Eggs to order...

In addition to Nelson ,Rockland and me.

 Additional guests were

Josie and Bresha and their husbands, Paris and Tony... and our neighbors, Jasmine Jenkins-Coley and her husband, Dabnis.. And Kayla Bennett-St. Jacques and her husband, Ray St. Jacques.

''WOW, I didn't know you guys live right across the street and a few doors down... That's incredible.. Jazzy, I remember when you lived right around the corner from my condo." said Abby, sad that the two of them spoke when they saw each other on the street, but never talked and never visited and never socialized..

''Yeah I remember.. We've been married and living here going on three years now." said Jazzy...Who also felt some remorse that the two of them never really socialized after law school..They were the only Black girls in the immediate area at the time.

Jazzy was Sitting with her husband, Dabnis.

''About the same for me and Ray. About two or three years now."said Kayla.

who was sitting with her husband, Ray...

"WOWWWWWWW! You guys are so close...Do you always have breakfast like this...Together?" asked Abby..

''Not everyday but enough..."said Olivia.

III-

After Breakfast was over and everyone had gone, it was just Olivia , Abby and me...and we addressed the elephant in the room...

"Abby...first off, Albert isn't your fiance...He's married. We checked." said Olivia.

"Legally seperated, but married just the same.." I said.

"I know his divorce lawyer...She helped me divorce my first husband and she helped me broker the deal that gave me all this...This building, this office and what have you...We are good friends... His divorce was just one week from being done...Would his ex-wife be crazy enough to try and delay it"  I have to ask." said Olivia.

"Well , she's no fan of mine... She egged my car once and she was stalking Albert to the point he had to take out a restraining order against her..but I just can't see her doing something violent like this...Killing him?? Oh my god...that's a bit much.." said Abby.

"ADA Rockland Cambridge ,who was here is planning to have him removed and have his room number kept a secret..He thinks that whoever tried to kill him screwed it up and may try to finish the deal." I said.

"Oh My God... Maybe it's just not in the cards for me to be happy... I was involved with another guy...For five years..He was in law school and living with me, but not working...We broke up and I put him out a year after he graduated and passed the bar... We got back together again a year later, and he discovered he'd gotten another girl pregnant...So that was it for us.  I met Albert and he was everything I liked in a man, Consistant, He did what he said and he didn't lie to me..He told me he was married ,but legally seperated from his ex... I had acheieved my educational and professional goals..All I needed was a man in my life and I was determined to make this work. He found a good divorce attorney and we were almost there and now this." said Abby.

"Abby, you're a young, pretty woman and you're smart and have a great career..There is still a lot of living for you...Don't give up hope..I told the same thing to my niece, my cousin, Jazzy and my two girls and they found great guys who adore them, who complete them... It just takes time...And even if this doesn't work out for you...You're still complete, you still have a lot going on for yourself."said Olivia.

"Thank You! Thank you Olivia." said Abbey.

A FEW DAYS LATER-

"I haven't eaten here much since we were all in law school.." said Abby..

"We eat here, I mean Auntay and I when we have court.." said Beverly..

"Kayla and I work at the "Bridge Building" near Penns Landing, we have a nice cafeteria there where we eat most of our meals.." said Jazzy.

"You oughta visit us Abby... Remember Hortense? She dropped in just the other day." said Kayla.

"You Know...I didn't care for you guys much in law school and I know you guys hated me too...Shame of it..We could have all been friends.. I'd like to be your friends now....We are too old to hold petty grudges." said Abby.

"You're right...Friends..."said Beverly..

"Friends...We are too fine and fly not to be friends." said Kayla.

"I know that's right..Friends.." said Jazzy..

While they had lunch together...

Olivia, Nelson, Josie and Bresha sat around our conference table..

I showed them all a breakdown I did on both of our players..

Abigail Wilson

born in Philadelphia PA.

Graduated from North Catholic High School

B.A. -Trial Advocacy, Administration of Justice, Pre Law- Villinova University, Philadelphia PA.

J.D.- University of Pennsylvania School of Law

Passed the Bar in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Deleware, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Fluent in Spanish and French

Worked as a Clerk for Judge Percy Reynolds

Practiced Anti-Trust and Consumer Protection law for the Federal Trade Commission

Currently employed as an Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney's office.

Has prosecuted 200 cases (196 wins, 3 hung juries , 1 loss)

Albert Lancaster Williams

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Graduated from Central High School, Philadelphia PA.

BA- Trial Advocacy, Administration of Justice, Pre Law-  Temple University, Philadelphia PA.

JD- Temple University Law School , Philadelphia PA.

Fluent in Spanish and French

Passed the Bar in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Deleware, Texas and California.

Associate Attorney- Bach and Roach

Sr. Associate Attorney- Smith ,Barney and Associates, Wilmington, Deleware

Sr. Associate Attorney- Daniels, Tabor & Phillips , Attorneys at Law, Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Sr. Associate Attorney- The Tobin Group, Philadelphia PA.

Married to Attorney Nancy Tobin, Philadelphia PA.

"Nancy Tobin? Attorney Nancy Tobin is his wife? She lectured at Middleton while I was a second year student.. She seemed so nice.." said Bresha.

"That's her...Her Uncle, Lance Tobin is the founding partner of the firm..."I said.

"Is her father an attorney too?" asked Olivia.

"Far from it... Frank Tobin is her dad. He owns a bottling company...They have a fleet of trucks that deliver soda and other products around town... His money paid for daughter Nancy's college and law school." said Nelson.

"And his brother hired her as soon as she passed the bar...must be nice..." said Josie.

"I'm going to talk to her at some time this week." I said.

"Let's not get too deep into this..I mean, she's not our client...We don't really have any skin in this game." said Olivia.

She didn't know how wrong she was.

At Sam Mothers Diner, Beverly, Abby, Kayla and Jazzy were finishing up their lunch..

Beverly yawned..."Well I'm going back to work...I suppose you guys are going back to work too huh?" said Beverly.

"Oh Bev, I've got to stop by your place and pick up my overnite bags.....Thank you guys so much for letting me stay with you..I needed the fellowship and the relaxation..I really did."said Abby.

"Don't be a stranger.. We have Laundry Tours ever so often."said Kayla.

''Laundry tours? what is that?"asked Abby, incredulous..

"In addition to her law firm, Olivia owns a small bus service...Two buses,,,, Beverly organizes a laundry tour to a real tony laundromat in town...We kind of take it over...We bring food and drink and even our husbands join us.. We wash and dry and dish and the guys do the same and we have sandwiches and sodas... It's a good time.. You should join us sometimes." said Jazzy.

"That sounds like fun. Let me know...I think I'll join you guys." said Abby.

"Yeah, You and Al can join us..It'll be a good time." said Beverly.

No one had thought about Lt. Tragg all this time and as soon as the girls had paid their bills and were on their way out...There he was, standing in their way.

"ADA Wilson...I uh don't know how to say this...but you need to come down town with me..." he said.

''What is this about? Is it Al?? He didn't take a turn for the worst did he?" she asked frantically..

"No...He's still in surgery...but I need to know where you were the afternoon he got shot.." said Lt. Tragg.

''Where I was? I was in court and then I was home, all afternoon. What are you trying to say?" asked Abby Wilson.

"I don't want to have to do this...I like you kid..but I have to go where the evidence leads me.. My men found a gun with a silencer in a dumpster behind your condo...We checked it and it's a ballistics match for the gun that shot your MARRIED boyfriend.. and we found an email Williams sent his estranged wife, saying he was coming back to her and interested in a reconciliation... One hour after he sends this email..He's gunned down in the parking lot.... We have another email sent to his divorce attorney saying to call off the proceedings. You got any witnesses who can place you at your condo?" asked Lt. Tragg.

"No, I was alone.....and Albert would have never sent those emails...Never...I don't believe that...We spent the night together , the night before he was shot....Doing something like that was the farthest thing from his mind.."said Abby , once again in tears..

 

''We need for Williams to wake up and say that!  How do you explain the gun?" asked Lt. Tragg.

"Are you really that stupid? Do you think I'm that stupid?  I'm an Assistant District Attorney for god sakes..I know about evidence.. You think I'd toss a gun in a dumpster of my condo that I'd just shot somebody with?? Come onnnnnnnnnn!" said Abby.

"Abby don't say anything else..You sit tight.. I'm going home.. I'll get Auntay and the guys."said Beverly..

Lt, Tragg put handcuffs on Abby.

"Abigail Wilson, you are under arrest for suspicion of the attempted homicide of Albert Williams..

You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

You have the right to an attorney, if you can not afford one, one will be provided to you. Since you are an attorney...I know you understand these rights as I'm reading them to you...I hate to do this kid." he said as he walked her out to the waiting police car.

The three young attorneys watched as the police cruiser and the unmarked police cars pulled off.

"I told you eating here today was a mistake." said Jazzy.

"You aint never lied girl." said Kayla.

"We should've ate at your building's cafeteria...That clown can ruin the best day of anyone." said Beverly.

IV-

Beverly returned to the office with shocking news..

"Lt. Tragg just arrested Abby, charged her with the attempted Murder of Albert Williams." said Beverly.

"WHATTTTTTTTTT? How could he? On what grounds?" said a shocked Olivia.

"He said his men found the gun in the dumpster behind her condo...It has a silencer and it passed ballistics.. It's the same gun used in the shooting.. And he has emails sent from Albert to his wife, asking for a reconciliation as well as an email sent to Zoey, saying to end the divorce proceedings."said Beverly.

"Hmmm sounds like a neat frame to me..If I know right, an anonymous caller led him to the emails and the gun in the dumpster.." I said.

''He never looks deeper into something than what's on the surface..He always jumps to conclusions." scoffed Olivia.

''Which is why we beat him so many times...Which is why hardly none of the Assistant District Attorneys want to work a case he's involved in." said Nelson.

"Al Williams would be killer messed up..He's still alive and he can wake up and begin talking and dispell all of this." said Josie.

"The question is when is he going to wake up?" said Bresha.

''What are we going to do Liv?" asked Nelson.

Olivia looked around the room.

At Josie

At her niece, Beverly

at Bresha...

At Nelson

and even me...

"We go get her!" She said.  "Beverly, Josie, Bree, find me a Judge and charactor witnesses for arraignment. "Nelson, you come with me... Get her some coffee and doughnuts and bagels...Donnie Ray, you uh do what it is you do." she said.

Meanwhile, Albert Williams was still unconscious and just  coming out of surgery...

(TO BE CONTINUED)