Monday, July 18, 2022

Midnight Cruise To Murder


 PRELUDE-

We had just finished a grueling two week  Wrongly convicted case....


It involved a man who had been in prison for twenty years for something he didn't do..A Murder.  Lester Foster. His previous attorney had died and he had asked the Innocence project to look into the case just before he died. he hadn't had the resources to give him a proper defense when he had originally taken it on 20 years before., he said.

Convicted of a Murder, he says he didn't commit.. Claiming his "Confession" was beaten out of him by arresting officer, Captain John "Jack" Tragg.. 

The Late Uncle of our favorite nemesis, Lieutenant Arthur Tragg.. Not the first time his late uncle 's name came up in a shady hearing or case.
Naturally, Lt. Tragg was livid and made it known to the press..

''These attorneys in particular, they hop on anything..any case that even looks controversial and if they can't find one, They dig up some decades old case and make a controversial case out of it.. Lester Foster confessed and was found guilty by  a jury....he deserved Lethal Injection!" he snarled at a press confrence.




Our neighbors and building mates ,


INNOCENCE PROJECT ATTORNEY JESSICA SANCHEZ-BURROWS
INNOCENCE PROJECT ATTORNEY, CHARLES "CHIP" BURROWS

were very passionate about it and were throwing a lot of time and attention to the case...So much that our boss, Managing partner, Yvette Jones -Lockwood became interested and thus..We wound up involved in it.. By "We" I meant my boss

MANAGING PARTNER, MCCLUSKEY/ COZEN/CONNOR & PRATT , YVETTE JONES -LOCKWOOD
MYSELF-ATTORNEY KEITH JONES
MY WIFE, ATTORNEY BEATRICE EVANS-JONES
OUR FRIENDS, ATTORNEY SOFIA GARCIA-AHMED
HER HUSBAND-ATTORNEY KAHLIL AHMED
AND OUR INVESTIGATOR, JADE LEE-HO..

As the case dragged on...We were joined by our neighbors and contemporaries,

ATTORNEY OLIVIA BENNETT-ALEXANDER
HER NEICE AND FOUNDING PARTNER- ATTORNEY BEVERLY WEST-EAST
HER HUSBAND-ATTORNEY NELSON EAST
ATTORNEY JOSIE BOYD
ATTORNEY  BRESHA BILLIPS
AND INVESTIGATOR , DONNIE RAY ALEXANDER

We worked hard on this case..... Our two teams had always worked together well and we had worked a number of cases for the Innocence Project, which was paying us...before we had met Jessica and Chip.. and now with them involved...We worked together even more coherently...


Remotely at Olivia and Beverly's Office/Duplex on Monday/Wednesday/ Friday and even Saturday Morning The First week, 

Then Monday /Wednesday/Friday at our office and Tuesday /Thursday and Saturday with Olivia and Beverly the second week. 

We had the time and resources to work this case...and we used them. 12 Attorneys , 2 Investigators....More than he could have afforded some 20 years before.




We brought it before Assistant District Attorney Karen Page of the WRONGFUL CONVICTION UNIT.


And got Judge Jetty Dukes to oversee it..


He was tickled Pink , because after each days event, he made a bee line to our suite, a few floors up..


So he could see his sweetie pie, our  Office manager, Virginia Shaw..
"Ouuu Jetty, you're going to see me tonight....Ouuuuuuuuuuu..Ummmmmm, save some of this for tonight honey,." moaned Virginia in between sweet ,slow ,sensuous kisses...






We did our research...We uncovered witnesses who were too afraid and were intimidated the first time around.. Who were now willing to speak up. 






We found buried Forensic evidence that could have cleared him that the jury never saw..



We challenged the sloppy paperwork filed by arresting case 


Detective Dominick Evans, Lt. Tragg's old partner who was now in prison , serving life for murder himself.

All new and compelling evidence the jury never heard....


We were successful...We got Lester's conviction vacated and he was ordered released from custody immediately....after 20 years....

We also worked it out where the State of Pennsylvania would compensate him for his time served...


Of course Lt. Tragg was as usual livid.. but he didn't know where any of us worked...and we weren't about to eat at Sam Mother's Diner or go to Curley's Bar to celebrate and chance running into him..



He did however know where we all lived...but he didn't dare come by our homes or risk being arrested for violating a restraining order we all had out on him.... He was left to fume and whine on his own.


Ms. Yvette stopped by Bridget Jone's store, LADY CHATTERLIES LOVER, PANTIES AND BRAS FOR THE DISCRIMINATING WOMAN

''Vettie girl, you're going to give Gary a heart attack when he sees you in these pieces..." giggled Bridget.


as she wrapped up eight pairs of panties  



and matching bras that Yvette purchased..


"I told him after this case was over we'd go on this weekend cruise at Penn's landing.... It has dinner.. an overnight stay and Breakfast....as well as entertainment." said Ms. Yvette.


''Awwwww that sounds soooo nice. I gotta get me a husband one of these days." gushed Bridget.


''All in due time Bridget...All in Due Time." said Yvette, hugging her good friend.


II-
FRIDAY NIGHT-

Yvette and her husband, Gary embarked on their weekend cruise.....
''Vettie you are gorgeous...I-I can't take my eyes off of you." exclaimed Gary as the cruise took off.

"Why Thank you husband...and you're not so bad yourself." laughed Yvette...


They had had dinner and drinks...

The D.J. was spinning and all of the couples on the ship were dancing.... 

and at around midnight...Gary and Yvette retreated to their room..


A beautiful almost suite like room with a bedroom , a small living room, a bath and shower room and a great view of the river...

Virginia had told her about this cruise... She and Jetty had already been on one.. She raved about it...


''I know you're glad to be done with that big case...huh?" said Gary...
"I'm glad we won....That poor guy had been in prison for 20 years for a murder he didn't committ..and it took 12 attorneys and 2 investigators to sift through all of that mess and pull out a victory...Justice shouldn't be that complicated." said Yvette..

Gary took her in his arms..

"Justice is messy, sometimes.." he whispered..

"It is...but enough shop talk...This is about me and you..."said Yvette..


They kissed passionately...

under the moonlight..

"Hold that thought." whispered Yvette...who vanished into the small room to the side and returned..

They had a great room...


Yvette returned in a playboy bunny suit...She'd worn this at a Halloween Party in Josie's years ago and drove the guys crazy....She had more free drinks ordered for her than she could drink...Guys were asking for her number, begging to go home with her...Chief amongst those guys was Gary... He wasn't her boyfriend then... Just a horny cop ,who had the hots for her she thought...She had no idea they'd be married one day and be on this weekend cruise..and that she'd still have this Bunny suit.

She had kept this Playboy bunny suit because she knew it still drove him wild and he liked it so much...She knew she was never going to wear it in public again...Only at home for her husband..

Bee Bee had a dress so short, you could practically see her panties..


Yvette and Sofia pulled her aside and told her she should only wear that dress at home, for me.. It attracted far too much male attention...The wrong kind of attention... Yvette told her about the Playboy Bunny suit..Showed it to both girls ..Bee Bee Thanked them and now only wears that skirt in the house for me..

I love it!!!


Yvette walked around the room in the Playboy Bunny suit.... It was driving Gary crazy...



Gary had already undressed.... His eyes popped out of his head when he saw her...

Yvette giggled...

He scooped her up..


and they began kissing passionately....

"Vettie....Vettie Girl, I love you.." said Gary...

"I know you do and I love you too! That's why I keep this kookie outfit." laughed Yvette.

"Aint nothin kookie about it...It turns me on..." said Gary..

''Obviously..." said Yvette, stroking his engorged and erect penis softly....

Moaning as they continued kissing...

Gary slipped her panties down....

"UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he moaned..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....Husband....OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...MEOWWWW!" cooed Yvette.

Gary tossed her on the bed and entered her gently and slowly...He wanted to savor Yvette,like a diner savors a fine steak..
They began to make sweet ,sweet love for the next NINE TO TEN HOURS....




Just a deck above them, another drama was un folding.....
"Oh My God......I can't believe it...

"Oh My God.....That ring is beautiful..... You don't know how long I've waited for this night...You finally made the right choice....Oh I'm gonna make you soooooo happy.... Oh I could just die for this ....Put it on my finger.." said the woman.

"YOU COULD JUST DIE FOR THIS KATHY? FUNNY YOU WOULD SAY THAT" came the voice of the man she was talking to.

"YOU HAD NO BUSINESS CONTACTING MY FIANCE!!! NO BUSINESS" came the man's voice..

"NO!!! NO PLEASE!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed the woman named Kathy...


"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" a woman's scream was heard around two in the morning and a large splash was heard in the water...

Most of the people on the ship were like Yvette and Gary...


"UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he moaned..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....Husband....OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...MEOWWWW!" cooed Yvette.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YOU ARE MY SWEET SWEET GIRRRRRRRRL" moaned Gary.




SATURDAY MORNING-







The next morning at breakfast on the ship..

"You know...I don't know if I was dreaming this or not!  but  I swear I heard a woman scream sometime this morning and a big splash....Did you hear it?" asked Gary as they ate their breakfast...
"Noooooooooo, but I heard you screaming and moaning.." said Yvette ,laughing...


''Vettie you drive me crazy, I think you always have...I don't know another woman who has had this effect on me." confessed Gary..

"Not even Angie Belton?" asked Yvette...

"No...Not even Angie Belton...You...You're the one.." said Gary...

''Welllll, let's go back to our room...Let's see if I can make you scream a little louder.." joked Yvette.

"Ummmmmm check please!" laughed Gary...


Back in their room.......Yvette and Gary wasted no time getting undressed....

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU GARY!!! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! OH MY GODDDDD!" moaned Yvette as Gary bent her over the sink in the bathroom...
"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! UMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" she moaned..
"OUUUUUUU HOOO HOO ...OUUUUUUUU HOOO HOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OUUUUUUU GARY, YOU'RE ALL UP IN THIS!" she screamed as Gary lifted her up and long stroked her... Yvette was now having an intense orgasm....Her head was turning from side to side and tears were flowing down her face...
"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MY SWEET SWEET HUSBAND! OUUUUUUUUUU!" Yvette screamed..



Gary had her on the bathroom sink....He was going in on her and she was experiencing another intense orgasm.....

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYY GOOODNESS...OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU MANNNNNNNNNNN HANDLE ALL OF THIS BUSINESSS...OUUUUUUUU!" she screamed...
"WHO'S MOANING NOW DARLING?" asked Gary, with a raffish laugh...

"Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU SWEET .SWEET MANNNNNNNNNNNNN,
OHHHHH MY GODDDD! I LOVE YOUUUUUU! OUUUUUUUUUU" moaned Yvette...She was having another orgasm!

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY GOD!!!! IT'S SOOO GOOOOD!" moaned Gary....
"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMM VETTIE, YOU ARE MY SWEET , SWEET GIRRRRRRL...OUUUUUUUUUUU!" Gary moaned.
"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM" he moaned, humping her across the bed...
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYY GOOODNESS...OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU MANNNNNNNNNNN HANDLE ALL OF THIS BUSINESSS...OUUUUUUUU!" she screamed...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY GOD!!!! IT'S SOOO GOOOOD!" moaned Gary....
"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMM VETTIE, YOU ARE MY SWEET , SWEET GIRRRRRRL...OUUUUUUUUUUU!" Gary moaned.

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU GARY!!! OUUUUUUUUUUU!" Yvette moaned.


As the bed squeaked something terrible... People walking by their cabin smiled sheepishly and looked at each other.

As the ship continued to cruise the waters...


III-

SUNDAY MORNING-

The Body of a 27 year old woman was discovered floating in the river, early the next morning...She was clad in a Pink Sheer Baby doll with matching bikini panties and a bra...she also had a $2000.00 bracelet around her neck and a ring worth $5000.00 on her finger...
"Boy, she's stacked aint she?" said one Crime Scene Investigator to a Marine Policeman....

''What a waste...Why would someone kill her?"asked another policeman..

"My god...She's built and pretty as a picture.....but she pissed someone off..." said a Crime Scene Investigator...

"A Broad built like this  couldn't have pissed me off." said another Crime Scene Investigator, snapping photos of the dead girl..

"Me neither." said another police officer, shaking his head.

"WOW!" said another man.
Dr. Hazel Baylor, Deputy  Coroner , worked in a mostly male environment and was used to these types of comments from the men she worked with...

"Cause of death was blunt force trauma... She was bashed in the head with a heavy object and then tossed over the side of a boat or something..." said Hazel... 
"Considering how she's dressed and looking around.... She definitely wasn't on the street....and no one carried her here...She fell overboard on some cruise ship or Yacht or something.."said Deputy Coroner, Dr. Marcy Martin..


"There are a lot of those Weekend cruises out on the water this weekend.." said One CSI man..

"Nah, just three...My wife wants me to take her on one of them....I check...They only run three and two are back... We checked with the Harbor Master...This girl wasn't a passenger on those two... There is one coming in soon, in about a half hour... The last one." said a Marine Policeman.

Lt. Tragg and Sgt. Brice of Homicide arrived and were given the entire lowdown....

"You guys think she fell off of one of those weekend cruise ships huh?   She got a name?" asked Lt. Tragg.

"Lieutenant...She hardly has on a  stitch of clothing...How would they determine that?" asked Sgt. Brice.

"I'm glad somebody here has some common sense." whispered Hazel under her breath...

Marcy giggled....


''Alright, that boat's coming in....I want it impounded and everybody questioned." said Lt. Tragg. He looked around and saw five familiar faces.. Me, my wife, Bee Bee, Sofia and her husband, Kahlil and Jade.






or as he referred to us... "Yvette's snot nosed kids."


"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING AT MY CRIME SCENE?" he snarled.

''Crime, Scene?? We don't know nothin about any crime scene...We are here to pick up our Boss Lady and her husband." I said.


"Yeah, They went on that Weekend Cruise...They should be docking in about a half an hour." said Bee Bee.


"Ohhh Really? This ought to be interesting.." said Lt. Tragg...

"You ought to take ADA Jill Jones

on one of these cruises... I hear they are really romantic...They have Dinner.. A D.J. a midnight party and Breakfast in the morning.."said Sofia.
"YOU KNOW ABOUT ME AND ADA JILL JONES?" he asked, incredulous...

''Awwww man come on....Everybody knows!" said Kahlil..

"She hasn't slapped you yet, We figure she must like you." said Jade..

We all laughed...including Lt. Tragg


It was a rare moment of a truce between us....



Ms. Yvette and Gary's Boat docked at the Marina...

They were met by police officers and told to stay put... A Photo of the dead girl was shown and she was identified as Kathy Palmer.. An Investment Banker from the firm WeFleecum and Howe... She was one of the few people who booked a room by herself..but people felt as though she was expecting someone.. She ordered an expensive bottle of Champaigne...and chocolate covered strawberries ,all found in her room, untouched.




Her room was unusual...There were no prints or DNA... not even the victims...and a lamp was missing..
A Heavy lamp that might have been used as a murder weapon.. There was blood by the balcony...The victims blood it would turn out...but nothing more...



Lt. Tragg and Sgt. Brice and their men interviewed the ship's staff and practically everybody that was on the ship...Everybody was in couples except..the victim, Kathy Palmer..

He saved Ms. Yvette and Gary for last.

''We spent most of the time on this cruise in our room.. We only came out for Dinner and Breakfast the next morning.. We were at the Midnight Party the first night...but I don't recall seeing this girl.. I'd like to help you Lieutenant, but we weren't really paying attention to anybody.." said Yvette..
Gary whispered to Lt. Tragg...

''Artie...Look..you don't bring a girl on a cruise like this to people watch...You know what I'm sayin?  After that party... We were back in our cabin and it was non-stop bedroom business...if you get my drift and I know you do....WOWWWW!  My head is still spinnin." explained Gary..


Lt. Tragg looked at Yvette, who he'd known since she was a young Attorney, just starting out..She was a beautiful woman, with a great body, shapely legs...huge bountiful breasts... He understood the spell she had Gary under...

"I'm tellin you Artie...You ought to take ADA Jill Jones on this cruise.. They are really romantic...They have Dinner.. A D.J. a midnight party and Breakfast in the morning.."said Gary

"YOU KNOW ABOUT ME AND ADA JILL JONES?" he asked, incredulous...

''Come On Artie...Everybody Knows.." said Gary...


They were released 

Yvette was glad to see us... She hugged  Jade, Sofia and Bee Bee...

"Mamasita...Bee Bee.. Jade." she said....


"I know you had a good time...I can see it on your face...You're glowing." said jade, smiling.

"You've got to tell us all about it.." said Sofia..
"The  PG Rated Parts." said Bee Bee...
 
"Oh That's no Fun." laughed Ms. Yvette.. All three women laughed.

"Let's grab some breakfast...Anyplace around here?" asked Gary,.
''Yeah, there's a little Coffee shop a few blocks from where we work." I said.
"That's right...You guys are down here all the time." said Gary, smiling..
"Ms. Jade, can I drive?" asked Kahlil..
She tossed the keys to Kahlil...

"Let's go...I'm Hungry.." she said..


We all got in and pulled off....


As the Body of the dead girl who had been aboard our cruise was  wheeled away on a gurney in a white body bag.


IV-

We all went to a small coffee shop about two blocks from our office building..

We had Panckes and Sausage.
Hash browns
Orange Juice

and good hot steaming coffee..

"This is the best coffee I've had in ages..." said Gary..
"I order my coffee from here every morning before I leave for work." said Ms. Yvette.
''Sorry your cruise was ruined by a murder." said Bee Bee.
''Yeah bummer."said Sofia.
"Our trip wasn't ruined.. We never saw the girl they say was thrown from the ship... We didn't see her at the party...and based with uh what she didn't have on in the line of clothes...I'm guessing she wasn't at the party.." said Yvette.
''She was in her room waiting for somebody...Unfortunately, it was somebody who killed her." said Kahlil..
''Well..we aint involved..." I said.
"I could swear that sometime during the night...I heard a woman scream and then a big splash, but I didn't tell Lt. Tragg that...We would've never gotten away from him." said Gary..
"And knowing him like I know him...He would've charged YOU with the murder." said Jade..

We all had a big laugh...


As we enjoyed our breakfast.




TWO DAYS LATER-


Yvette and Virginia were laughing about her recent cruise..


"I told you it was all that....I told Olivia about it...She said she and Donnie Ray might go on the next one." laughed Virginia.

"Oh my god...It was the bomb....Midnight dance party with D.J.'s spinning ...cheap drinks, finger sandwiches...the works...And Breakfast in the morning...Fabulous..." said Yvette...

''And Non-stop sex all night long..." added Virginia, laughing..

"Girrrrrrrrrrllll Yesssssssssssssss...Oh my god.....I felt like I was on my honeymoon..." laughed Yvette..


Attorney Brenda Jordan walked in the office just then....

"Hi Yvette." she said..

"Heyyyyyy Brenda." said a smiling Yvette.
"Heyyy Ms. Lady." said Virgnia.


"Yvette...I need your help!" said Brenda.


We all just happened to be in the  conference room/law library at the time talking...
"Assistant District Attorney Karen Page has been talking about pulling more of Former Detective Dominick Evans and Captain Jack Tragg's cases up and giving them another look..." said Jade.
"This last one we all looked at is like the what , the eighth or ninth case of theirs?" I said.
''Yes...Bresha's auntie , who was murdered several years ago was one... And that case where a confession was beat out of a suspect was another." said Bee Bee.
"You know it's a wonder Dominick is still alive....In the State Prison system with a few guys he sent up."said Sofia.
"He's at Stanga, the honor prison....and even there he's in protective custody....You know he's a marked man with a bullseye on his back." said Kahlil.

Ms. Yvette and Brenda Jordan walked in just then...
"Okay Brenda...what's the problem?" asked Yvette...


"It's my niece...Well she's my ex-husband's sister's daughter...but we've always been close... She's about to begin her third and final year of law school at you all's alma mater, University of Penn...Only problem is...She's been arrested....by Lt. Tragg, for first degree murder of some girl, Kathy Palmer...who was murdered on  a Weekend Cruise Ship a few days ago and found floating in the river.. She didn't do this...She's no killer...She needs your help!" said Brenda.

(TO BE CONTINUED)


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Standing and Applauding and throwing my panties!

Toni said...

Very romantic...Well at first...Then you added a murder.

Sunflower said...

Wouldn't be Escapades without sex and a murder!

Angie B. said...

Loved it...Nice way to begin a caper!