In The Name Of Love

 COURTROOM B- 10:00 AM

We were so used to Lt. Tragg's badly investigated cases that had been ending in the preliminary hearings and not held over for trial that we had gotten a little spoiled..  Today was the end of a long and grueling trial in which he was NOT the arresting detective,.

We and by  "we ",I meant my wife, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander , her niece, Attorney, Beverly West-East, Her neice's husband, Attorney Nelson East and attorneys, Josie Boyd and Bresha Billips, backed up by myself, Former Homicide Detective and Investigator for the defense, Donnie Ray Alexander were standing with our client, Daniel Abiola, a recent Nigerian Immigrant, who had just got his citizenship accused of murdering a rival merchant..

"That Jury sure came back fast...I sometimes wonder if them coming back this fast is good or bad."whispered Olivia to her niece, Beverly..

"It's been my experience it can go either way."said Beverly.

"I think we got this."said Nelson. "I got 7 out of 12 jurors....My 7 were all very intelligent, young and strongly opinionated...What we wanted...I'm confident we got this, "said Nelson.

"You always say that." said Josie, smiling..

"That's a good way to be....Confident." said Bresha.

"Nelson hasn't steered us wrong yet." I said, Still being just a little skeptical, but maintaining faith in the team's overall performance..

Our client, Daniel Abiola didn't say a word...

We were in Judge Tad Thornton's courtroom once again...

Assistant District Attorney Chris Garcetti, son of the District Attorney stood stoically, He had given as good a prosecution as he could..he had afterall gotten to trial which was better than the last two ADA's we had faced.. He was certain he'd won this time..

The Arresting detective, Sgt. Daniel Green was certain he was getting a conviction too..  He was an upgrade from Lt. Tragg, but not by much... He definitely had a condescending attitude towards women in general and I didn't get the impression he cared too much for African-Americans in general.. I had told him I was a former Homicide Detective myself and tried to share information with him during the trial...He had not been the least responsive or co-operative...He acted as if I was some kind of "traitor " for working for lawyers...even though a lot of detectives retired and wound up working for lawyers..

"Has the Jury come back with a verdict?" he asked.

"Yes Your honor, we have" said the Foreman, who was not one of the jurors ,Nelson had picked.

The Bailiff brought the verdict to the Judge who read it...His face betraying no emotion..

''Alright, Read it." he said.

"WE THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA VS. DANIEL ABIOLA  ,ON THE COUNT OF MANSLAUGHTER, WE FIND THE DEFENDENT, NOT GUILTY..

ON THE COUNT OF USING AN INSTRUMENT OF CRIME TO COMMIT MAYHEM, WE FIND THE DEFENDENT, NOT GUILTY...

ON THE COUNT OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER, WE FIND THE DEFENDEENT, NOT GUILTY.

ON THE MOST SERIOUS COUNT, MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE...WE FIND THE DEFENDENT, NOT GUILTY!"

"I'd like to thank the jurors...You'll receive your checks at the door...You are dismissed." said Judge Thornton.

Olivia and Beverly leaped exuberantly into the air and high fived each other...

"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" they yelled...

Daniel Abiola hugged them both and tearfully thanked them....

"THANK YOU BOTH....YOU SAVED MY LIFE!!!" he said..

He vigourously shook my hand and Nelson's Hand...

"OHHHH AND THANK YOU BOTH TOO!" he said.

"You are sooooo welcome." I said.. 

"Heyyyyy, four years of college and three years of law school have given me some skills."joked Nelson..

"It has given skills to you all..." he said and hugged Josie and Bresha..

"THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!" he said.

"You are so welcome...Now go out and have some fun..." said Josie..

"Sorry we couldn't get you out on bail...but you're free now."said Bresha...

Chris Garcetti was livid...He tossed his suit jacket up in the air...He kicked the table..

"Stupid Jury...Stupid stupid, stupid  jury, what trial were they listening to and watching..??" he snarled..

"And there goes the suit jacket!" said Beverly...

"You were right on the money." said Josie, passing Beverly a dollar from her purse...

So did Bresha

And Nelson...Beverly had bet them all that Chris Garcetti would toss his suit jacket up in the air and kick the table...

"SON OF A BITCH!!!" snarled Detective Sgt, Daniel Green... He was furious at the verdict. "They got that damn punk off...Those people...whether they are American or Immigrant...they all stick together...Gotdamnit!" he snarled.

"I know how you feel Danny....They've done the same thing to me...They know every law, every damn loop hole...They've thwarted me several times..."said Lt. Tragg..

"DAMN LAWYERS...DAMN LADY LAWYERS...ARGHHHHHHHHH!" Detective Sgt. Green mumbled..

"Hey didn't you get married again recently? Wife number three isn't it? Aint she a lawyer?" asked Lt. Tragg.

"Yeah.... She works at the Women's Law Center, down by PENN'S LANDING along with  that chick that used to be an Assistant District Attorney, Nina uh Nina Rios, the Puerto Rican chick." he said.

"Come on Danny...I'll buy you a beer at Curleys....You look like you could use one.." laughed Lt. Tragg..

They both watched us..

"Let's get out of here."said Nelson..

I tossed him the keys..

Olivia hung on to my shoulder...

Beverly, Josie and Bresha followed us out...

II-

HOURS LATER-

"It's been a long time since I could go shoe shopping with my girls." said former ADA ,Now Staff Attorney with The Women's Law Center, Nina Rios.

The women were at a downtown shoe store..Each had purchased a new and expensive pair of shoes.

"I remember..We used to have so much fun, dreaming out the shoes we really wanted and buying the cheaper shoes."said Olivia.

Yvette spied Beverly looking at an expensive pair of shoes..

"Go for it girlfriend...You can afford it." she laughed.

"I can, can't I?" laughed Beverly purchasing the shoes..

"You guys won a case against Chris Garcetti this morning...The arresting officer was Detective Sgt. Danny Green.."said Nina.

"Yes, a rather unpleasent and unco-operative man...A slight upgrade from Lt. Tragg, but no one I'd like to sit down and have coffee with,."said Olivia.

"He is married to one of my colleagues at the Women's Law Project ...He's a Misogynist as well as a Racist among other things and has a Neanderthal view of Women Attorneys in general...What bothers me is I think he's a wife beater... His wife, Nancy has come to work with Black eyes  and brusises on her face... discoloration...She always say she tripped and fell or she ran into a door or something..but I think he hits her..."said Nina.

"I can have Donnie Ray look into him."said Olivia.

"You paid for those shoes Beverly? Come on guys, let's go to my building and eat."said Yvette.

They walked from the shoe store to the Bridge Building...

Most of us were already there dining...

"Heyyyy guys." said Ms. Yvette.

"Hi Guys." said Nina Rios, waving.

Olivia gave me a big juicy kiss upon seeing me.

"Heyyy baby!" she said.

''Well Helllllloooo." I said.

Beverly and Nelson kissed a little longer..

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm hello husband.."she cooed..

"Awwwwwwwww lawwwwd, hellllllllooo" moaned Nelson.

"Heyyyyyy guys, let me see your shoes." said Jazzy.

"Somebody's been shopping." said Dabnis, smiling.

"Ouuuuuuuu what did you get Beverly?" asked her cousin, Kayla.

"That's right, Kiss those husbands, before you tell em how much those shoes cost."joked Ray...

"Ouuuuu Beverly, let me see." asked Josie..

Paris just laughed, Josie had told him she was having lunch here today and he had joined her. he like us had a building pass.

"Those shoes look sharp." said Jessica ,gushing...

"We've got some extra seats and room over here." said Chip.

"Ouuuuu tell us the next time you guys goe shoe shopping." said Sofia..

Kahlil smiled.

"Ouuuuu Yesssss!" said Bee Bee.

"Come to think of it , I need some new runs myself."said Keith Jones..

"I've got a closet full of shoes...I have to get rid of some."said Jade.

Bresha and her husband, Tony barely noticed...They were busy kissing.

"Ummmmm Ummmmmm, those two need a room" laughed Virginia looking at how passionately Bresha and Tony were kissing and smiling.

"Newlyweds...They can't keep their hands off of each other."laughed ADA Karen Page.

We loved this building and the warmth and safety it provided...

III-

In another part of town , something else is going on.... The doorbell rang..

"Nancy" came the voice of a much younger man...

"Hi Zack...I've got the whole afternoon off..My husband is at that trial and then if I know right ,he'll probably be off boozing...especially if his side loses..which from what I've seen of the trial transcripts they surely are." said Attorney Nancy Green..

"He hit you again, didn't he?"said  Zack. He softly touched her face...She grimaced...

''Let's not go there Zack, forget about him..It's me and you now..." said Nancy...

He hits you because he's uptight about the trial. He's accused of being a racist, Which I believe he is.. He's accused by NAACP, THE ACLU and The Innocence Project of targeting African, Haitian, Dominican Immigrats for damn near any crime, He hits you because you praise the

 defendent's attorneys,Olivia Bennett-Alexander, Beverly West and team, who I think are aces...

and he's going to come home drunk and hit you again because they got an acquittal...." said Zack.

"THEY GOT AN ACQUITTAL???" she asked in horror.

"Yeah...I was in court this morning...Covering it for my Podcast...Daniel Abiola was acquitted on all counts... Your husband was there with that other keystone copper, Lt. Tragg

...you know , the one always on TV,preening for the media and then winds up having arrested the wrong suspect?  Him... I imagine those two are at the bar, crying in their beer about how the world is sooooooo wrong to them...

he's going to come home wanting sex, all drunk...and wind up cumming in like two minutes..."said Zack..

"Ha...He cums faster than that."laughed Nancy.

"Yeah and then hit you again... I'm sick of it.." said Zack..

"Yeah well stop getting yourself all steamed up over him... I'm , I'm going to leave him eventually..."said  Nancy...

"WHEN?? WHEN?? You keep saying that...You're a lawyer...Leave his ass."said Zack.

"A Lawyer who represents themself has a fool for a client... I'm going to find a good divorce lawyer and leave him...I am...When the time is right,." said Nancy...

"If Not now then when?  When?" asked Zack...

"Soon Baby, Soon... Now look..I have the afternoon off.. I had a court appearence and an interview with a client...My boss gave me the rest of the afternoon off...Let's make the most of it..." she said..

She began kissing him, deep throat kissing him......

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" she moaned..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" he moaned....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" he moaned....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Zackkkkk!" she cooed..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" he moaned....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Zackkkkk!" she cooed..

"OHHHHHHHH NANCY, LEAVE HIM..I LOVE YOU.....STAY WITH ME!" he begged...

"ZACKKKKKKKKKK, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT ANOTHER TIMMMMME!" she cooed softly...berween kisses as he slipped her panties down...

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" he moaned..

She eased herself down on his massive penis and began to move up and down...her body trembling...

Zack was definitely not a two minute lover...he acted like he didn't want to get off of her...

They wound up making love a lot longer than she suspected... EIGHT TO NINE HOURS....Zack couldn't get enough and didn't want to stop.. she had THREE intense orgasms..

She rode him like a surfer rides the blue waves...

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWW ...AWWWWWWWWW LAWDDDDD!" he cried out as the bed squeaked and the head board rattled....

"UMMMMMMMM!" he cried out...

Zack finally came like a gusher.....

Nancy showered , got dressed, fixed her make up...

"Bye Zack." she whispered...

She left a lipstick kiss on his cheek as he slept...

CURLEY'S BAR-

Detective Sgt Daniel Green and Lt. Tragg were having beers...

"I'm tellin ya Artie...I brought in a solid case...A solid case... The D.A.'s son, Chris.. He's a good kid..but he was no match for ...for those damn lawyers...I swear , That Olivia Bennett...I'd like to rip her clothes off, give her the high hard one...That would settle her down...Her niece too...They've got a bunch of pussy whipped guys with em...Guys that don't know how to handle women....Guys that do their bidding.

by damn.." snarled.. Detective Sgt. Eddie Green

He couldn't get his mind off the trial and how his side had lost...

"I had that spook dead to rights...I had him... and that bunch twisted and turned the law around...used every loop hole, every stunt....and confused the jury...DAMN IT!! DAMN IT!! DAMN IT TO HELL!" he said, slamming his hands down on the bar...

Guzzling his fourth beer...

"Take it easy Danny, Take it easy.....You were one hell of a cop...My dad and my Uncle always spoke highly of you... Come on....I'll drive you home."said Lt. Tragg, surprisingly the voice of reason tonight.

"Nah, I'll drive myself home..." he said.

THE NEXT MORNING!

THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY NINA RIOS, WOMEN'S LAW CENTER

"Oh MY GOD!!!! NANCY!! WHAT HAPPENEND?" asked Nina Rios....Both of Nancy's eyes were black and her face was discolored...her lip was busted...

"I-I was mugged..." said Nancy Green..

Nina was silent for a moment...Then she sighed..

"It's time to stop the lying...Two weeks ago you walked into a door, then you fell down the steps...Now you were mugged... Your husband...Your husband hit you didn't he?  Nancy you're an attorney, you work at the Woman's Law Center...We represent women like you every day, we put them in shelters...We can help you....You know that...."said Nina, hugging her as she sobbed..

And at our Office/Duplex which we call home.. We were having breakfast... We had the day off...We had just finished a big trial and we were relaxing.. Everyone was at Olivia and my domicile...

"I sure love to watch you season those shrimp, Tall dark and Southern"said Alfreda as we both prepared the Cheese Grits with Shrimp, Louisianna style..

I smiled..

As plates of grits were served....

Olivia relaxed this morning.. Alfreda and I were doing the cooking...

Beverly sat in her husband, Nelson's lap eagerly awaiting the food that was being prepared.

Josie yawned..."Excuse me....I'm just a little tired." she said..

"Me too!" said Bresha..

We had a guest this morning...Cousin Kayla, who was taking the day off...She too had had a court case yesterday and she was exhausted...She was joining us for breakfast..

"Everything looks delish and smells so good.. I think I should take more days off." she said,laughing.

As Omelettes made to order, Hash Browns and Sausage were served.

IV-

SOME HOURS LATER-

Nina Rios dropped by our humble abode....

"Nina what brings you here today? Though you are always welcome." said Olivia hugging her.

Nina showed us a photo of the battered Nancy Green...

"This is one of the staff Attorneys at the Women's law center I supervise...Nancy Green. That monster, That monster who made the arrest in your last case did this... She tried to lie and say she was mugged..I know that that isn't true. She finally admitted that she came home later than he husband...he was drunk, He wanted sex...She wasn't in the mood and he beat the crap out of her...."

I looked at the photos.....she had been beaten up pretty bad.

''She's wife number three..I'm bettin he's done this before.." I said.

"Geeez , He really pasted her...." said Nelson.

"This is disgusting..."said Beverly...

"She should file a police complaint...but he is the police."said Kayla.

''Doesn't matter, she should still file a complaint."said Josie.

"I know I would , in a heartbeat..."said Bresha,.

Alfreda had been a victim of an abusive man once before...She knew how this went..How afraid and uncertain the young lady must be.

"Where is she now?  Is she at work?" asked Alfreda,

"She's at work."said Nina.

"Let me talk to her. I was involved with an abusive man once..a long time ago."said Alfreda, remembering..

"Maybe...Maybe that's a good idea."said Olivia.

Beverly stared at her mother...

The doorbell rings to a row home in the Mayfair Section....

Detective Sgt. Daniel Green answered the door...He was off today also,,,and drunk....

A Bottle of Jameson's Irish Whiskey and a cup of coffee were on his dining room table..

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT??" he snarled.

He saw a gun with a silencer..

He saw the gun and he placed his hands up..

"OH NO....NO....NOOOOOOOOOOOOO...OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed..

The first bullet went through the palm of his hand..  The second and third bullets hit him in the chest...and the final bullet hit him in the forehead ,right between the eyes and exited out of the back of his head.. He stumbled backwards and hit the floor with a crash and loud thud...Dead as a doorknob...

The killer walked away, leaving his front door wide open..

(TO BE CONTINUED)