Gray Areas

 THE  NEXT NIGHT-

A Dive Bar in the Little Norway section of the city... A strange place to find a Black man . Seems like I was in places like this a lot.

He was a big guy...taller than me and built.. The perfect type of guy to collect money from someone..or bust somebody up... From looking at video from the bakery, I knew that this guy ,whoever he was was a constant customer of that bakery and not just to buy pastries and coffee..He was one of the few people besides Yuleg who actually talked to Leonid "Sweetie"Teslin. He gave him information and often picked up something from him.. My guess was he was a low level drug dealer and muscle.

I sat next to him... I ordered two beers..

I slid one beer down to him to replace the beer he'd just finished.. He looked at me like I was crazy,popped the cap off of his beer and begam drinking, just as I did.

"I need to ask you some questions.. I'm looking for a guy named Yuleg..Valarie Yuleg..I KNOW YOU KNOW HIM!" I said.

"You a cop?" he asked... "You dress a lot better than most cops I know." he said, eying my tailored suit and my expensive shoes..

''I used to be.. I was a Homicide Detective....Now I'm a Private Investigator..I work for Attorneys..." I said. "I need to talk to Yuleg, I have a deal to offer him." I said.  I knew that this wasn't the best way to find him, but I didn't have many choices.

"Can you at least tell me where I can find him? I'll talk to him myself."  I asked..

"Let's talk outside " he said.

I plunked down a couple of bucks to pay the bill and followed him outside.. He was a head taller than me, and had a muscular , athletic build...I imagine he could be quite a polarizing figure to someone who owed money to anybody.... Seems like I had been in this situation before..

We walked outside and he punched me in the jaw, knocking me into a row of trash cans....Then he hit me in the stomach and in my side... I felt pain like I'd never felt before..

"I don't answer questions...and especially to people like you, American soul man" he said...

Before he could swing again...

I blocked his punch and slugged him hard in his stomach..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUFFFFFF!" he moaned...

I landed 17 lefts and 17 rights to his fat pudgy face, pummelling him and sending him spinning..

He wasn't a boxer  and he couldn't  handle himself.. but he landed six lefts and six rights to my face and a punishing right to my stomach..

I countered with another 10 lefts and 10 rights to his face.. He spun like a top and went crashing to the sidewalk... Both of his eyes were nearly swollen shut...His face was swollen...His lip was bleeding and his nose was bleeding.. He got to his feet and charged me again...

I landed 17 more lefts and 17 more punishing rights to his face...I punched him in his stomach and put his arm behind him and slammed his head into a car several times before he collapsed...

I dragged his bloody body to the door of the bar and slung him through the door....He hit the floor with a thud.

The patrons were surprised to see him fall to the floor and even more surprised to see his face..horribly swollen, his eyes blackened and nearly closed and his nose and lip bleeding profusely.. He was as I suspected, an enforcer...A tough guy... I didn't have a scratch on me and he looked like he had really taken a beating.

I slung him into a booth...Nobody made a move.. They all thought I was a cop!

I ordered the bartender to get him a cold towel for his nose and lip...

I pulled out my .38 smokeless and stuck it in his crotch.....under the table so no one could see it..

"Alright, now cut the crap dumb ass...or you'll be singing soprano the rest of your life....if you sing at all.. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" I snarled.

"YES...YESSSSSSSSSS DON'T HIT ME NO MORE!!! PLEASE!!!" he pleaded in a very high voice..

All of a sudden his swagger was gone..He looked like he was about to cry...I wondered how many guys he had beaten to a pulp, how many bones he had broken...and here he was, beaten to a pulp....I wonder if some of his victims were in this very bar..  No one, Not one person looked as if they felt sorry for him...I could swear some of the guys in here were actually enjoying seeing him get his comeuppance.

"Now where were we? OH YEAH, YULEG...YOU GOT AN ADDRESS FOR HIM BORIS?" I asked.

"NO...NOOOOOO I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM...NOBODY HAS...I SWEAR!" he said.  I didn't believe him, but beating him more would get me nowhere.

I put my gun away...I smiled... 

I gave him the phony card with the phony website and phone number on it.  It read "CYCLOPS INVESTIGATIONS."

"Okay Boris...If you do see him..Give him my card...Tell him to call me..It'll be worth his while." I said.

I put my gun back in my shoulder holster and quietly walked out...

The Next Day..

Olivia and Beverly walked in Sweetie's Bakery...

Olivia bought a dozen Bagels and multiple spreads

Beverly bought a box of Kureig K-Cups...She and Nelson loved the coffee..

Josie walked up to the proprieter..

"Heyyyyyyyyy do you know Valary Yuleg?" she asked.

"Nah I don't know no Yuleg." he said.

"Yes you do..He's in here a lot and we know he was in here two days ago.. You talk to him a lot."said Olivia.

Beverly gave him the card, the same card with the phone number and the phony website.

"When he comes in the next time.. Tell him to call this number and look up this website.  We are Attorneys..We want to talk to him about a deal.A deal he'd be foolish to turn down." said Beverly.

"Tell Him it's extremely important." said Josie.

"I don't know no Yuleg and a word of advice..Don't buy from here anymore.. Buy from somewhere in your own neighborhood." said the man, who was Yuri Magslovokich, the owner of the Bakery and the silent partner of Leonid ''Sweetie" Teslin...

''With Pleasure." said Bresha. "Cakeman Raven's Bakery is better than this dump on any day." said Bresha as the four women left.

Sometime later we met with Bill Strong and Bonnie Shay.

"You think they'll bite?" he asked.

"Oh I think he will...He was scared to death."said Olivia.

"He said. "I don't know no Yuleg."said Beverly..

"My guy said he hadn't seen Yuleg and that nobody has.. He was lying through his teeth...This is how much they fear the man.. but you can bet one or both of those guys is going to bite." I said.

''When one or both of them does make contact with him through this website or this phone number.. My Malware will be loaded into their computer or their phones and I can track him by whatever burner phone he is using..They won't jump right away...but they will eventually warn him.."said Bonnie.

"And when they do...We pounce." said a jubilant Bill Strong.

''We'd better head up to the prison." said Nelson.

II-

THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY JOANN STARK..

She hated getting this case.. Damnit.. She defended enough Russian , Italian and Asian Gangsters when she was a Federal Public Defender..Her first case for her new law firm and she gets this loser, Leonid "Sweetie" Teslin..a killer, a sociopath.. and to make matters worse.. she was going up against Olivia and Beverly, who were working for Bill Strong, a man she despised... Considering they had mopped the floor with him   twice, she wondered why they were now working with him?  The money..That fat government check.. It had to be.. They couldn't possibly like the man. He was a droll boy scout devoid of personality..

Never the less she looked at the dossiers on the attorneys she would be facing.

  

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

She liked them...She wished she wasn't going up against them...

Then she looked at the Lead Attorney- Who she didn't like!

WILLIAM "Bill" STRONG

Born in Tulsa ,Oklahoma...

Educated in Tulsa Public Schools.

BA- Trial Advocacy, Administration of Justice, Pre Law, Trial Science- University of Tulsa.

Served as a Captain in the United States Army.. Iraq War...

After he resigned his commission he received his JD from the University of Tulsa School of  Law,

Passed the Bar in Oklahoma, Alabama, Washington D.C. , Maryland, Pensylvania, Deleware, New Jersey, New York.

Senior Associate Attorney- Bells and Wiggins , Washington, D.C.

Senior Associate Attorney- Shitz and Loggins, Washington. D.C.

Taught Constitutional Law at Georgetown University.

Assistant U.S. Attorney - Specializes in Bribery  and Extortion cases..

He had handed her two crushing defeats in court, when she was a young attorney. He had not been nice about it.. He had tried to humiliate her..She was going to do her best to humiliate him this time..Even though she hated being handed this case.

III-

Bill Strong and Nelson went up to the Federal Holding Center to meet with Former DEA Agent ,Nick Lanier.

Nick Lanier walked into the vistor room.. He was Nelson's age...He was 6'4..had an athletic build and that cocky attitude a lot of jocks had in high school.. He knew Assistant U.S. Attorney William Strong.

He didn't like him...He thought he was pompous and self righteous...(Which he was) He felt as though guys like him were in the field, putting their lives in danger on the street, day by day , dancing with the most dangerous elements and people like him got to take all of the credit for these people's incarceration and pass judgement on everybody...brave federal agents like him as well as the criminals.. He was looking at 5-10 , years in federal prison, plus the loss of his pension for stealing that money from the bust....Over 100K in cash...Tax free cash...It was possibly money from drug sales or some dirty gangster's money that they wanted cleaned and laundered through the Bakery...

"Mr. Lanier, As you know...I am Assistant U.S. Attorney William Strong. This is one of the Attorneys who will be working with me , Mr. Nelson East.... We are here to ask you to reconsider testifying against  Leonid Testin.. You were an eyewitness to his murder of Mr. Rodusky.." he said.

Nelson said Nothing.

''So make me an offer." said Former Agent Lanier.

Bill Strong laughed.. "WHAT? MaKE YOU AN OFFER? MAKE YOU AN OFFER?? YOU SOUND LIKE ONE OF THE GUYS WE USED TO BUST AND PUT AWAY..HAHaHAHAH MAKE YOU AN OFFER! PUH LEASE!" he said.

"I'm in the same boat as them now aren't I?" said Former Agent Lanier.

"YOU STOLE 100 LARGE from the damn crime scene...We caught you!" said Bill Strong.

"Yeah ,I did... I work hard.. I was a cop for years...A Narcotics and Vice Detective...I joined the DEA...In my time I've put away a lot of bad guys... Guys who make more in one lunch sitting than I make a year...That poor guy who got shot brought this briefcase to Leonid Testin.. It had about 500 Large in it.. I took 100....I felt I deserved it..It was dirty money...Either money from drug profits or some gangster wanting his money washed and cleaned...Everybody knows that Bakery is a front for a money laundering outfit...We've been on that place for a month.. Come on..Who was going to miss that small amount of cash?" he said.

"THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULD THAT'S WHO!  YOU WERE A GOOD AGENT, YOU BROUGHT DOWN A WHOLE LOT OF BAD GUYS, IT'S TRUE...BUT YOU CROSSED THE LINE.. YOU BROKE THE LAW!" proclaimed Bill Strong.

"And you never crossed a line? " asked Nick Lanier...Then he looked at him..."Nah, you probably never did..You never jaywalked or crossed on a red light did you?" Agent Lanier snarled.

Nelson could see this was going nowhere...

"You said to make you an offer, You're facing 5-10 with no chance for parole until at least serving 5.

How about we make it a straight 5 years and you can be paroled anytime after serving 1 year?" said Nelson.

"You came to play didn't you counselor?" laughed Nick Lanier.

Bill Strong was visibly angry at Nelson's offer....but he sighed and relented..

"Alright...One year in Federal Prison...One year and you're a free man..That's as low as I'll go.." he said.

"Uh Uh...I want Out...Out completely.."said Agent Lanier..

"OUT??? Completely?? You're crazy...You broke the law..."said Bill Strong.

"I won't last a year in here...They'll kill me...I'm a former Federal Agent...I put some of these guys away... They are already taking bets on how long I will live, right now....I want out or you can find yourself another witness to testify..." said Nick Lanier.

"Good Day Mr. Lanier...Have a nice life." said Bill Strong..."Let's Go Mr. East.." he said as they got up..

Nelson remembered a conversation they were having in the office just a few nights ago...

" He wants to win... He wants to win badly...but he doesn't realize the world isn't a neat tapestry of Black and White.. It's Messy and full of Gray areas." I said.

"And this is the mess we've inherited ....From My days as a Public Defender, when a dirty cop wants a deal, You want to take a guess at what Agent Lanier wants?" said Nelson.

''A Reduced sentence?" asked Bresha.

"No Baby, He wants out completely...He's an ex DEA Agent.. He's put a lot of bad guys away... He's going to be going to a federal prison where there will be guys in there that he's put away..They'll kill him in there..."said Beverly..

"One morning, somebody pays a guard to turn the other way and he winds up dead in his cell with his throat slit or hanging from the ceiling....I imagine he's scared to death right now." said Olivia.

As an ex- Homicide Detective, I knew that everything, Nelson and Beverly said was true..They were Public Defenders once, they represented the bottom of the barrell, I arrested the bottom of the barrell, including a few dirty cops. I knew this to be true, just like they did.

"But you know a straight arrow like Bill Strong will never make a deal like that...Never..." said Josie.

"He will if he wants to win!" said Olivia. "He's got to play the hand he's dealt!" she said.

That entire conversation had been on point.. Everything had went down exactly as they said. Exactly as he knew it was going to go down..

He was so thankful for Olivia...She had been at the Public Defenders Office for awhile when he first met her..

He remembered how he had come to her fresh out of law school, had recently passed the bar, all idealistic, ready to change the world ,with a clear view of right and wrong..

He saw it in Beverly and Jazzy , who came to the Public Defenders Office  a year after him..All bright eyed and Bushy tailed.. ready to save the world..

Olivia was patient..but she showed tough love to the three of them, taught them about gray areas, taught them about how to function in the real world as an attorney...Taught them what law school couldn't ever teach them. About people, About the nature of Good and Evil and about those gray areas.

She was doing the same thing with Josie and Bresha...

And in the same way....Both Ms. Yvette and She

were doing the same thing with our friends,  Keith Jones, Beatrice Evans-Jones, Sofia Garcia-Ahmed and Kahlil Ahmed. All bright Attorneys

who surprisingly had a little street in them already, a little edge.

Jessica, Chip and Dabnis had all served their time in The Public Defender's Office, They had had their baptism in fire..

Bill Strong had missed all of that... Nelson was amazed that he had gotten as far as he had without understanding.. Those funky Gray Areas.

IV-

NIGHTFALL CAME!

Olivia and I were home ,upstairs in our domicile.

"I saw Nelson...he said it didn't go so well at the Prison..Bill Strong and Nick Lanier were in two opposite camps and neither budged an inch.. He said he tried to make an offer, a compromise offer, but it was no good." I said.

''Bill Strong gets in his own way too much...and I have a feeling we are just window dressing.. He wants to run this entire case himself.. Run it into the ground..."said Olivia , who was wearing my favorite lace baby doll.. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop...

"Beverly found out who the defense attorney is we'll be facing..She knows her...

"She was in Girls High with her and Temple.but she appears to have taken a year off.. She graduated from law school a little after Bev."said Olivia.

JOANNE STARK

Graduated , Philadelphia High School for Girls

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

J.D.-University Of Pennsylvania School of Law

Studied  Trial Science- Middleton Law School

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

 Speaks French, Russian and Spanish Fluently...

Worked as a Federal  Public Defender,

Senior Associate Attorney -Robert Foxworth and Associates.

"Beverly says she's good.. 200 defenses and she only lost two cases and guess to who?" asked Olivia.

"Assistant U.S. Attorney William Strong." I said, shaking my head.,

"You sir are correct... She hates him....word is both defeats were very brutal and he humiliated her in court.  I hate it when Attorneys take cases personal."said Olivia.

"I'm sure she's done her due dilligence and has the 411 on us too!"I said.

"Oh No doubt." said Olivia. She closed her laptop up and unplugged it.. Both of our phones were on the chargers..

She looked at me alluringly..

"Bouncy Bouncy Time?" she asked..

"You mam are correct!" I said as we dimmed the lights and began kissing...

''And you sir are erect...OUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she moaned.

We both laughed..I was soon undressed and was lifting her babydoll up...

I held her in my arms and slowly..

slipped her panties down...

and lifted her up.....entering her slowly....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"  she cooed loudly, bouncing up and down on my penis..which was throbbing....

Downstairs ,after the day he'd had, Nelson was glad to see his wife, Beverly...

"Come here..." he said softly and pulled her to him...

This take charge Nelson was a turn on for Beverly, She was highly aroused, but felt safe in his arms..

Kissing him...

allowing him to slip her panties down and slip her dress off..while undressing him and 

while sitting on the side of the bed, kissing him passionately and moving up and down on him..

and making love to him th rest of the night,.. This was the release they both needed..

And as for AUSA Bill Strong..He was at Curley's Bar.

"LAST CALL COUSELOR!" said Curley..

Bill Strong had just polished off a bottle of Tequilla.. He was soused.. He felt as if his case was falling apart around him...

"I'm Drunk!" he said.

"Yeah, I know..I can't allow you to drive...I'm calling an UBER...You can pick up your car tomorrow." said Curley.

(TO BE CONTINUED)