The Ides Of March

PRELUDE- Early Morning, Philadelphia's downtown area..

Normally it would be business as usual at the Ides Financial Management Group, except today...

A Team of FBI agents raided the office...led by charismatic Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums.

"WE ARE HERE TO SEE DAVID IDES!" he declared..

"I'm David Ides, what is the meaning of this.." said the CEO...

"Dad...Dad, what is the meaning of this?" said his son, David Ides Jr.  One of his father's Vice presidents.

"You know what this is about ....You ran one of the biggest PONZI schemes in the history of the city of Philadelphia sir..I've got a 25 page indictment..the result of a year long federal investigation that says you bilked your clients to the tune of 64 million dollars.." said Todd Dellums..

"Pop...WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?" said his son, David Jr.

"It's okay son...Everything is alright...Uh listen..Let me uh go to my office  guys...I uh have some paperwork that will clear this all up..." he said.

"Make it snappy!" said Todd Dellums..

"I'm sure this is all a big mistake. My Father will clear this up." said David Jr.

Todd Dellums ignored him..

"Boys, Hook him up also..Read him his rights." he said..

"Heyyyyyy, Come on my dad is going to get some paperwork...It will clear this all up." said David Jr.

"What's taking him so long?" said Todd.

''Sir, his office door is locked." said one of the FBI agents... 

"KNOCK IT DOWN!!" ordered Todd Dellums..

It was already too late.. David Ides Sr. wrote a long letter to his son and placed it in a box with an old photo..

He took the office chair and hurled it at the window with all his might.. It smashed the window completely and before the FBI agents could knock the door down..

He dove out of the window...

Down into the street, to his death!!!

Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Dellums was still young enough to be shocked.. He stared at the gaping hole in the window...Felt the cool breeze and said somberly..."For him, the rat race is over.."

He and his agents arrested his son, David White Jr. and 39 of his father's associates.....

At this very moment in a courtroom just a few blocks away....My wife and her team were awaiting the verdict in a murder trial we had just finished trying..

I'm Donnie Ray Alexander, Their investigator...Once I was a Homicide Cop in New Orleans , who moonlighted as a musician.. A chance meeting with a lonely woman from Philadelphia on vacation in my city at Essence Fest changed my life..In a year..I had quit my job and moved to Philadelphia just as this woman was starting her law firm...a few months later me and that woman were married.. I've been in her employ and in her life, ever since..

That woman, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander is my wife and the Founding Partner of Alexander and West Attorneys at law, along with her pretty niece, younger by nine years..

Mrs. Beverly West -East, who followed her aunt into a career in law..

Her husband, Attorney Nelson East, who had been with Olivia and Beverly as a Public Defender and was now with them in their law firm...

Ms. Josie Boyd, who was there when Olivia and Beverly opened the doors of their law firm... Olivia put Josie through law school and upon graduation and passing the bar, Josie came to work for us as an Attorney.

And new comer, Attorney Mrs. Bresha Billips...who had joined us last year after graduating law school at the top of her class and passing the bar.

The six of us sat with our client..

Lydell Rollins, accused of murdering an UBER driver... He had traveled here from Patterson, New Jersey to visit friends.. He claimed that this was a case of false identity... 

Three so called eye witnesses couldn't identify him after initially identifying him in a line up..Also, the description of the killer varied... Two other people said the killer was at least six feet and lighter in complexion than Lydell, who was five foot ,nine inches..

We were certain we had done a great job of creating reasonable doubt...

Unfortunately...and largely because he was from out of town...We had not been able to get him released on bail...

We didn't have a very favorable Judge... We had the only Judge the girls could find, Judge Herbert Farber. Very Conservative, Very Tough on Crime, especially "Urban Crime" and up for re-election.

We were up against Assistant District Attorney Hayden King, who did a very good job of presenting the state's case...when she wasn't fighting off

Lt. Tragg's advances... His hands kept rubbing her legs and creeping up her dress, and she kept removing his hands....She wore a pants suit the last day of the trial... She just wanted this to be over and to get away from him.

"Mr. Jury Foreman has the jury reached a decision?" asked Judge Farber..

"Yes sir your honor..We have.." said the Foreman..

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

"Yes your honor.. He opened the envelope with the verdict and looked shocked.. he breathed deeply and passed it back to the bailiff..

"Read it!" he said. He looked sternly at us.. He had been amazed how prepared we were.. Knowledge of laws, pertinent cases, predicates...had read all of the witness statements thoroughly and were never rattled by anything.

He made no secret that he was biased toward the prosecution..He sustained her every objection, while checking out her sexy legs and cleavage..

"THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA VS LYDELL ROLLINS, COUNT ONE, MANSLAUGHTER,

NOT GUILTY, COUNT TWO, SECOND DEGREE MURDER, NOT GUILTY...COUNT THREE ,USE OF AN INSTRUMENT OF CRIME TO DO BODILY HARM, NOT GUILTY and the most serious crime, FIRST DEGREE MURDER, NOT GUILTY!

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" bellowed Lt. Tragg...

ADA Hayden King grabbed her briefcase roller and exited the courtroom as quickly as possible..

Lydell happily grabbed Olivia and Beverly and hugged them for a long while.. 

"Thank You...Thank You both.." he said. "I'll be so glad to wear my regular clothes and to walk the streets as a free man." he said.

He was the son of one of the men who was a deacon at the church..

Eddie C. , The Husband of Lt. Sissy Van Buren..A community organizer who also worked at the church's rehabilitation center got us involved and spearheaded a drive that raised money for his legal defense fund... They raised more than enough money.

"We are just so glad we kept you from going to prison.." said Olivia.

"I know you'll be glad to get a shower and a shave and eat some decent food." said Beverly.

"Oh you know it...Thank you guys so much for believing in me." said Lydell..He shook Me and Nelson's hands..

"Man...I'm an old homicide detective....The more I looked at your alibi and your case, the more I knew they had the wrong man." I said..

''And when he says it's the wrong man, We tend to believe him." said Nelson, smiling and giving him dap..

He smiled at Josie and Bresha and hugged them both...

"I'm going to miss you two the most...Your care packages , Your visits, keeping me up with my dad and my cousins...Thank you both." he said.

"Oh you're welcome...You're welcome..."said Josie..

Bresha passed him a suit in a suit bag...

"Get out of that orange jumpsuit...You're a free man now!" said Bresha...

Lt. Tragg walked over to us...

"Once again ,once again you guys used your legal stunts and got a guilty man off." he scoffed.

''A Jury says he's innocent."said Josie ,softly.

Bresha breathed deeply and sucked her teeth....She had had her fill of Lt. Tragg.

He stared at her....

"You know something little girl.. I don't like your attitude.." he snarled.

"I'm not your little girl." Bresha snapped back..

"It's okay Bresha...Just ignore him...The Case is over...It'll take him a week to get that through his thick skull."said Beverly, pulling her away..

"Donnie Ray, toss me the keys...Let's go get something to eat." said Nelson.. "Lydell can we drop you off somewhere/" asked Nelson.

"Nah Nels...I'm good, there go my people over there." said Lydell as he headed towards his Father, His girlfriend and some of his cousins , who had all been at the trial.

We said nothing more to Lt. Tragg, we all exited the courthouse 

We piled into our SUV and pulled off..

Leaving him standing there, fuming and alone...

And at the same time at the federal building..

David White Jr. walked out of the Federal Building a free man...Of the 40 people arrested today, He was the only one who had been released from custody....

"Nate, Nate ,Thank you sooo much for getting me out of there.. I swear...I'll pay you back.."said a relieved David White Jr.

"That was on the house Dave... I can't rep you any further.. I am due back in New York City in two days."said Attorney Nathan Jones. He was once a Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney... he resigned and moved to New York City, then he took a job with the Innocence Project for a year...Now he was with a prestigious private firm...

"You gotta help me...You know a lot of defense attorneys...I need some killers...Real good ,hard nose defense attorneys...Who do you know?" asked David White Jr.

"I know just the team you need." said Nathan Jones. 

II-

A few hours later in his condo...

Attorney Nathan Jones looked around...

''Nice Digs...How long you figure on keeping these?" he laughed.

''Oh you got jokes eh? You're not facing disbarrment and 25 years in a federal prison..." said David White Jr.

They had met in law school and had been fast friends... Dave had graduated, passed the bar and went to work as chief counsel and a vice president in his father's huge investment company...

"Relax, I brought some dossiers...These are the attorneys you should hire..They're damn good..They're the best...I know em...." he said and laid the dossiers on the table.

  

Olivia Marissa Bennett-Alexander

Graduated , Philadelphia High School for Girls

B.A. Administration of Justice, Pre-Law, Trial Advocacy -Temple University..

J.D.-University of Pennsylvania Law School

Passed the Bar, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Deleware, Texas, California

 Speaks French and Spanish Fluently...

Worked as a Public Defender, 

Worked for Bach and Roach LLC, as Associate Attorney

Founding partner-Alexander & West , Attorneys at law..

Divorced- Elwood Barnes..,Corporate Attorney 

No Children, two miscarriages..

Married-Donnie Ray Alexander

Beverly Cheryl West-East

Graduated , Philadelphia High School for Girls

B.A. Administration of Justice, Pre-Law-Trial Advocay, Temple University..

J.D.-University of Pennsylvania Law School

Passed the Bar, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Deleware, Texas, California

 Speaks French and Spanish Fluently...

Worked as a Public Defender,

 Founding Partner-Alexander & West Attorney's at Law.

Daughter of Olivia's Older Half Brother, James West... Olivia's Niece

Married to Nelson East.

Nelson Sean East

Graduated, West Catholic High School-Philadelphia PA.

B.A. Administration of Justice, Pre-Law- St. Johns University, New York City
Psychology Minor...

J.D. -St. Johns Univeristy Law School, New York City..

Passed The Bar , New York, Pennsylvania, Deleware, New Jersey, Texas, California 

Speaks Spanish , French and Russian Fluently...

Worked as Public Defender, 

 Associate Attorney at Robert Foxworth and Associates.

Associate Attorney at Alexander and West , Attorneys at law.

Married to Beverly West

Donnie Ray Alexander

Born and Raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Educated in New Orleans Public Schools..

Associates Degree- New Orleans Community College-Administration of Justice, Pre Law

Homicide Detective, New Orleans Police Department, Retired.

Principal Investigator, Alexander and West Attorneys at law-Philadelphia PA.

Married to Olivia Bennett

Also a semi-professional musician

Josephine Boyd

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Raised in Red Hook Section of New York City 

Bachelors of Science, Architecture from Fisk University

Master in Business Administration- University of Pennsylvania.

Para -Legal -Alexander & West Attorneys at law.

JD- Drexel  University Law School..

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

Associate Attorney-Alexander & West, Attorneys at Law, Philadelphia.

Married to Paris Boyd

Bresha Billips

Graduated from Philadelphia High School For Girls

B.A. Administration of Justice,/ Trial advocacy /Pre Law- Lasalle University, Philadelphia PA.

J.D.- Middleton Law School, Bayside ,Pennsylvania.

Passed the bar, Pennsylvania, Deleware, New Jersey, New York

Speaks Spanish and French Fluently...

Associate Attorney at Alexander and West , Attorneys at law...

Married to Attorney Tony Billips

"I've heard of them...They are good...You know them?  Set up a meet!" said David White Jr.

"I'm going to text Olivia and take you to see them tomorrow...You are going to make your case.." said Nathan Jones.

Today however was not a good time to call us.. Olivia had closed the office , as she usually did after we won a big case..

Josie, Bresha and Alfreda had all gone home for the day...

Olivia gave me a very slow and soft kiss.

"Ummmmmmmmmmm come here hero, let me give you what you've been dreaming of all morning."said Olivia.

She was right about that.... We continued kissing in a small corner..

while we were all still in the conference room.

"I uh think they want to be alone.."said Nelson, blushing..

''Why don't we go upstairs to our place and do a little of that?" asked Beverly.. They left and walked upstairs to their floor.

Olivia and I dimmed the lights and walked upstairs to our domicile...

I had Olivia's dress and blouse off in minutes  and we continued kissing....

I had her bent over the kitchen sink in minutes and was going to town...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU......MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

OH MY GOD, DONNIE RAYYYYYY!" she moaned..

With No guests tonight...Beverly and Nelson retreated to their living room couch...

Beverly could see that his trousers were standing out like a circus tent...She softly rubbed his erection and continued deep throat kissing him....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Nelson...We need to take this to the bedroom..."she moaned...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I know...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh but I'm losing my mind over here...Ohhhhhhh.. Nobody is here but us."he moaned and lifted her top 

and began unbuckling her bra...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..Husband.....Ohhhhhhhhh" she moaned as Nelson sucked on her breasts and kissed her breasts, her neck and her cheekbones and finally her lips....She moaned and leaned her head back........She was giddy with excitement....Nelson started by kissing Beverly from her mouth down to her breasts,  He began giving her french kisses,He moved his lips slowly across her breasts down to her body, He kept kissing her body as he lowered himself to her waist and hips. Beverly was wearing a short skirt and Nelson lifted it..

As he got to her panties, He placed a hand on both of her shapely legs and slowly spread them, Instead he kissed her vagina through her panties and even squeezed it slightly with his lips,

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ,OHHHHHHHHHH

MY GODDDD!!! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, NELSONNN!" she moaned.She was shaking furiously and sweating...

Beverly was near delirium.. Nelson  ran his tongue softly over her panties... He kissed  her through her panties for a few minutes  He moved slightly lower, kissing along her inner thigh. He licked & kissed her inner thigh... Then he began deep throat kissing her again...She was breathing heavily and her body was shaking..

"OH MY GODDDDD NELSON....UMMMMMMM!" she cooed.

"OHHHHHHHHHHH BEVERLY....OHHHHHHHHHHH!" Nelson moaned.

"Ouuu husband...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"Beverly moaned...She was very close to having a very intense orgasm....So was Nelson..

"OH MY GOD BEVERLY...OUUUUUUU!" he moaned..He was getting very excited and she could tell...

She unzippered his trousers..She was good and wet and majorly turned on...

and eased herself down on him slowly...

"OUUUU...WOUUUUUUUUUUUUU...OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!"she moaned loudly..

Her window was open and she was certain she could be heard in the street...

Nelson was near delirium..Beverly kissing him softly and moving up and down on him...

They wound up making love on the couch...,slowly...

Beverly was having an intense orgasm...and holding Nelson for dear life...

Upstairs...

Olivia and I had moved to our couch also , where we were wearing it out.. She was moving up and down on me in a nice rhythm...and kissing me softly and slowly... Neither of us knew if we were coming or going..

We wound up on the living room floor..

"OH MY GODDDDDDD! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU DONNIE RAYYY!" she screamed....She was shaking and trembling....

We eventually wound up in our bedroom ,making sweet love...

No. Today, this afternoon was not the time to bother us.

III-

The next morning..

We all sat in our conference room...It was always like this, the day after a major case...

Olivia sat in my lap with her head buried in my chest... Likewise, Beverly sat in Nelson's lap ....

Josie and Bresha sat at the table, talking quietly...

Alfreda poured us all hot steaming cups of coffee

and added

pastries that she picked up on her way to work this morning..

It was a nice lazy morning...

Then the doorbell rang.

"Oh My God! Please don't let that be Lt. Tragg." said Beverly...

"You're getting paranoid Niecey Poo!  It's not him, It's an old friend, who sent me a text yesterday that he was coming by, with a potential client."said Olivia.

"I'll get it." said Alfreda.

It was Attorney Nathan Jones...We hadn't seen him in close to two years... He had a White man with him..

''Hello Nathan...How are you?" said Olivia.

"Nathan, how is New York treating you?" said Beverly....

''What's up man?" I said

"Heyyyy Nathan." said Nelson.

"Ouuu he's attractive." said Bresha, smiling.. She hadn't been with us when we met Nathan Jones the last time.

"I hear you MARRIED LADY!" joked Josie.

"I'm just stating a fact." whispered Bresha.

Alfreda heard the two and smiled.

"New York is good.. I have a nice loft in Manhattan and I live walking distance from my job." said Nathan Jones.

"You're not with the Innocence Project anymore?" asked Beverly.

"No..I'm with a small boutique law firm, much like this one. I was with the Innocence Project for about a year before I left them for this new firm.... I'm here with David Ides Jr. , an old Law School chum of mine.. I don't know if you heard about his father and the tragedy of yesterday."he said.

"I saw it on the news... The Feds indicted 40 people along with Mr. Ides senior on charges of running a major Ponzi scam that bilked clients out of 60 million dollars....Wowww..Sorry about your dad man." said Nelson.

"That's okay...Look...I don't know about those 39 associates of his who got arrested ...I was arrested also and I didn't know anything about what my dad was doing...I swear..." said David Ides Jr.

"Come on man, you were your father's chief counsel and his vice president..You didn't know anything?

Nothing at all?" I asked.. The cop in me going into full swing,

"No Sir... I swear...Look, I handled his legal issues..The company's legal issues and I was one of five Vice Presidents... The other five are all in custody and probably lawyering up right now..but I didn't part in any Ponzi scheme.. I didn't handle any investments.. Dad kept me away from that..." he said.

''Soooooooo what do you want from us?" asked Olivia.

''I want you....Rather I NEED YOU guys to represent me.. I'm innocent...I had nothing to do with those 39 other people, I swear..If they were making money, I wasn't getting any of it.. I swear...I can pay you but..look I wasn't getting rich at my father's company...I just need this to go away." said David Ides Jr.

"Who is the AUSA?" asked Josie.

"Todd Dellums..." said David.

''We know him." said Beverly.

"I know you do...You guys faced him in four long trials a few months ago , three ended in hung juries and the final one , you finally managed to carve out an acquittal." said David.

"Ouuuuuuuu, a fan!" joked Bresha.

Olivia cracked up.

"I did my research or rather I got Nate to do some research....That's how I knew you guys were the killers I needed."said David.

''So Nate are you going to be involved in this with us?" asked Nelson.

''Although I would be honored..I unfortunately can not.. I have urgent business in New York... I'll be leaving tomorrow morning in fact... I was home ,visiting my family, when I saw the news.. His father doing a header off the top floor of their building...Sorry Dave and I saw Dave doing the perp walk with those other 39 people..  I went to the federal courthouse, got him arraigned in front of a judge and got him bailed out.." said Nathan Jones.

"That was Herculean...Wow Mr. Jones...You are good!"Laughed Olivia..

"Look..Let's meet tomorrow morning in his office..Todd Dellums's office..We do know him, we do have a relationship with him..Perhaps we won't have to go to trial.. We could talk with him, get him to drop charges against you..." said Olivia.

"You've got drag like that? With the U.S. Attorney?" asked David.

"No...We do not..but we do know him..We are somewhat friendly with him...Don't get your hopes up too high...but it is something we can try.." said Olivia.

"Okay...I'll meet you guys at the Federal Building tomorrow morning.. I'll have hot coffee for everybody." said David.

"Ouuu, I like him already." said Beverly, laughing.

''We are gonna go now, let you guys get back to your day...Heard you guys won a big murder case yesterday.. Next time I'm in town...We gotta hang out..Okay?" said Nate.

"That's a bet Nate.."said Nelson..

"Take Care Nate, Nice Meeting you David."said Beverly..

"Take Care Nate, Nice Meeting you David."said Josie.

"Byyyyye! Nice Meeting you." said Bresha.

Olivia looked at me..

"What do you think?" she asked.

"He said he was not making any money during all of this..That he was an outsider...Did you see that shirt he was wearing? It retails for $500.00. Those shoes he was wearing.. They  go for $750.00 dollars.

If he dresses like that..There is no jury we can find in Philadelphia who will believe he didn't know about it." I said.

`

Alfreda and Olivia looked at me and smiled in agreement.

IV-

Going in Curleys was like Masochism with Lt. Tragg back...and yet we did... Wednesday Night was Couples  Drink Special Night for any young lady with a fella.. Buy one drink, get two free... Who could knock that?

Jazzy and Dabnis, Kayla and Ray, Jessica and Chip and Bresha and Tony were seated at seperate tables...We couldn't all get a section together tonight...Which made it better..Perhaps if Lt. Tragg did come in, He would have too many targets and not be able to zero in on us all as a group.

"This is so cool, you buy one drink and I get two free, tee hee." laughed Jazzy.

"That's cool for you..."laughed her husband, Dabnis.

"Awwww this is romantic!" said Kayla.

"This is a stroke of genius for Curley, Financially...This placed is packed."Observed Ray.

"It is...Ouuuu buy me a Margarita papi." cooed Jessica.

"Anything you want baby."said her husband, Chip, who simply adored her.

"This is so nice...I hope you know who doesn't come in here and ruin it."said Bresha.

"Don't talk him up bae."said her husband, Tony.

Keith Jones, Bee Bee Jones, Sofia Garcia-Ahmed , Kahlil Ahmed, Josie and Paris Boyd found a big round table that they were all sitting at...

"Wow..buy one drink, get two free....This is great." said Keith.

"They should have done this promotion on Valentines day." said Bee Bee.

"Yesssssssssssssss!" said Sofia.

"Yeah this would have been the perfect promotion." said Kahlil.

"I knowww right? We need to talk to Gus and Honey Brown about doing this in Josie's."said Josie.

''So we won't have to come here and risk running into Lt. Tragg right?" laughed Paris.

At another big table was Me and Olivia,  Beverly and Nelson, Yvette and Gary, Jade and Virginia.

"You know, this would have been a great Valentines Day promotion." I said.

"Yeah it would have been. Guess Curley didn't think of this until after."laughed Olivia.

"Yeah if Aqua Bar or Josies had something like this, it would be great."said Beverly.

"I think Stoleys does do a promotion like this." said Nelson.

''Stoleys is for you youngins."laughed Gary.

"Listen at my old, old mannnnnnnnnnnn." cooed Yvette.

Virginia laughed..She was still tickled pink to be in our company...to have friends, a little money in her pocketbook and be free.

Jade hugged her.

Drinks were abundant tonight!

"I gave my guys off, They just finished a slew of individual cases and we both had that Tanya Mosely case/" said Yvette to Olivia.

"Monday, we wrapped up that murder case and I was going to close up shop, but we picked up another case."said Olivia.

"You did? Wowww, the volume you guys do is something else." said Yvette.

"You heard about that Ides Ponzi Scheme case? , The Old man and 40 people were taken down by the FBI and the old man took a header out the window, killing himself...Leaving the rest holding the bag." I said.

"Yeahhh that's all over the news..That's a big federal case.. 40 people indicted..They hired you guys?" asked Gary.

"Nooooooo not all of em..Just his son..He says he knew nothing about it at all and had nothing to do with the others." said Beverly.

"We have a meeting with Todd Dellums, the AUSA tomorrow." said Nelson.

"Good Luck with that...I don't envy you guys..He can be rough." said Yvette.

"Can we take Bee Bee with us to soften him up?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah...Take her down there in a Neglige' that'll soften him up.."said Yvette.

"I don't think that would SOFTEN him up." joked Beverly.

Our entire table exploded in laughter.

Bee Bee was at our table.

"I heard my name being called, what's up?" she asked ,laughing..

"Oh Nothing Baby girl , Liv and her team have a meeting with AUSA Todd Dellums tomorrow they'd like to take you to uh soften him up...So wear something comfortable..Like that Baby Doll and matching panties you bought from PANTY'S GALORE last Saturday." joked Virginia.

"YEAHHHHH RIGHT!! MY HUSBAND WOULD KILL ME! HE HASN'T EVEN SEEN ME IN THAT YET!!" laughed Bee Bee.

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"laughed Ms. Yvette.

''Well by all means make sure he does first."laughed Olivia.

"Oh My God! I just love her!!"laughed Beverly.

 Virginia and Jade cracked up laughing.

 "You know I love you guys, but Liv, Bev, you're on your own with this one."joked Bee Bee. As our table exploded with laughter again.

She looked up.. "Uh Oh. Heads up, trouble just walked in." she said as she walked back to her table.

Lt. Tragg walked in..

"Damn and the night was going so well." said Beverly.

"I know right?" said Virginia.

He saw us and immediately headed our way.

Olivia sighed. "You would think we could come in here one time and not have to put up with his harrassment." she said.

"I know Auntay..I know." said Beverly, rubbing Olivia's hands.

"Just ignore him." I said.

"That never works, he just stands there glaring,looking  dumb." said Nelson.

"For him, that's not hard." said Gary, who like me ,was tiring of the whole thing.

Yvette sighed too...She was weary... C& D and actually getting locked up didn't deter him, nor did getting the snot beat out of him a few times.

"One day we are just going to have to kill him." Jade joked.

"Chillle don't even joke like that"laughed  Virginia. as he walked up to their table and scanned the room.

He hadn't seen any of us in weeks.

"Well Olivia, you and your associates once again employed your legal stunts and magic tricks and poof , you let a guilty man go free." he said.

"I wish I could employ a magic trick and make you go poof!" said Olivia.

Beverly cracked up!

"Good One Auntay!" she said.

Jade and Virginia spit their drinks out ,laughing!

Yvette, Gary, Nelson and I smiled.

"I expect that kind of talk from your bratty niece Liv, not you." said Lt. Tragg, miffed at being made the butt of the joke. It was amazing how thin skinned he was.

"And we expect to be able to have drinks and conversation and not have to hear you whine and pontificate about yet another case that YOU goofed up.. You goofed up the Toby Tyler case and you goofed up the Lydell Rollins case. That's not their faults, they're just better attorneys than you are a detective." said Virginia.

We all got silent... We knew an explosion was coming.

But before it did Curley appeared.

"You buying a drink Artie? This is couples drink night. Where is your plus one?" asked Curley.

Livid, Lt. Tragg stomped his foot and stormed out of the bar without buying anything..

"Well,it's a good night after all." said Olivia, raising her glass to us..

But this was the calm before the storm!

(TO BE CONTINUED)