Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2021 0:08:40 GMT -5
US Marshal Detachment
Outside Houston, Texas
April 23rd, 2021
Meghan Kelser has been sitting in her cell for a week now, no make-up, no boots, no signature red lipstick, but her icy blue eyes are as vibrant as ever as she stares at the wall, or one could say she is staring through it. It was a week ago at Jackson’s Birthday Bash in Uprising where the Cowgirls were celebrating their father's career and announcing the return of the tag team turned trifecta Cowgirls From Hell. Things were obviously not going as planned for the now eldest active Strader. She had become the family matriarch, but she felt this was a limbo period to truly make her appreciate what she will have when she gets out of this situation. She wasn’t guilty of murdering her father, and she was going to have to prove it. A tap on her cell door causes her raven head to turn and face whoever is there. Standing before is another attractive dark-haired woman, dressed in a grey pinstripe power suit that would make Hillary Clinton erect. Her green eyes smile at the incarcerated Cowgirl.
“Miss Strader?” the woman asks.
“Mrs. Kelser. Strader is my maiden and stage name,” Meghan replies. “You can call me Meghan, as long as you aren’t one of these IDIOTS!” she raises her voice at the end, hoping the federal agents hear her. “Who are you?”
“My name is Felicia Scorpio, and I am a criminal defence attorney. I was referred to your sister, Mrs. Kalis, and she filled my retainer, so here I am, ” she says with a sweetness that Meghan picks up on, and she can’t pinpoint when and where, but she has seen those eyes before.
“Tamika hired you, huh? Well, you must be good then. You’ll get lots of work out of this family,” she says with a chuckle. “Well, I hope you are more competent than the last guy hired.”
“Oh, I promise, I am worth more than I am paid,” Felicia says with a confidence that also seems strikingly familiar. “The guard will take us to the meeting room, and we can go over the details in your case.”
“Well, good luck, they found AB+ blood at the scene, which is extremely rare, and of course, it’s my type,” Meghan says quietly.
“Yes, that’s true, but it was also contaminated with your father’s own blood. At best, it’s circumstantial evidence and conjecture. Plus, it shows there was a struggle, and by all accounts, you don’t have any wounds,” Felicia responds.
Meghan looks up from the spot on the wall she had been studying for the past week. Suddenly, she feels a little better about her odds.
Hilton Hotel
Houston, Texas
April 23rd, 2021
Tamika sits with her niece Cara and Maxine, Meghan’s former protégé, as they all sit on the king-size bed eating stuffed crust cheese lover pizza. Tamika had always been the reserved one of the Strader Girls duo, Meghan was a good leader and mouthpiece, but she had to take the reigns with her sitting in jail. Luckily she wasn’t the same Tamika she was ten years ago; being married to one of the biggest crime bosses in the province of Quebec in Canada has taught her a few things, as well as her father, who had been an outlaw for thirty-eight years. She could see Cara was nervous but was doing a hell of a job of hiding it. Meeks lays back against the headboard, takes a bite of her pizza, and is courteous enough to swallow before speaking.
“Nervous, Care Bear?”
“Nervous? About what?” she asks, trying to mask it.
“Your professional debut in le ring,” Max replies in her French Canadian accent.
Cara looks back and forth between the women and sighs.
“Of course I am nervous. Training for a year is a lot different than actually stepping through the ropes to compete,” she says.
“Well, I know I felt the same way when your mom and I made our debut under the ‘cFh’ banner, and I know Max here was nervous before her debut,” Tamika points out.
“Oui, that is true.”
“Yeah, ok, maybe a little. I just want to represent the group well,” the young Strader replies.
Tamika reaches forward and touches Cara’s knee.
“Cowgirls have each other's backs, always. Never forget that,” she replies, trying to soothe her niece’s nerves. She leans back and shrugs. “Plus, I am going to go kick a big dog right in the junk; the heat will be on me. Just gotta make sure we roll by the Home Depot for anyone that purchases the Bronze Package.”
Max’s French accent cuts in with a question she isn’t even sure why she needs to ask because she knows the answer.
“So we are doing that, eh?”
She gets a finger pistol cocking its invisible hammer from the interim leader.
“Hey, people need the work, and we got the money, honey,” Tamika replies with a wink.
“When are you going to see mom?” Cara asks after a few minutes of silence while they ate.
“We are scheduled to see her tomorrow,” Tamika says, taking a bite out of her slice of pizza. “Her new lawyer will have been by today, and she is worth the money she’s being paid.”
Cara seems to be satisfied with her answer, but even Tamika has her doubts. She knows Meghan didn’t kill their father, but the feds need the PR that everyone matters, including outlaws, even if it isn’t really the case.
US Marshals Detachment
Outside Houston, Texas
April 24th, 2021
Tamika stood with her nieces outside of the detachment for the US Marshals holding Meghan until her bail hearing was finally set. Felicia is with them, explaining a bit before they head into the building to see the incarcerated Strader.
“So the bail hearing is set for May 18th,” the counsel to Meghan says to the three Strader women.
“Wait, mom is stuck in there for her birthday?!” Victoria is bordering livid, but Cara grabs her hand and squeezes it out of her.
“I am sorry, Victoria. I tried to get set earlier, but they are gonna stretch this as long as they can. I believe their hope is she will just admit it to at least be able to get an idea of what her future will be, but your mother and your sister,” she says, looking from the twins to Tamika, “is the strongest woman I have defended. She has said absolutely nothing to them at all.”
“Megz is a vault,” Tamika quietly replies, knowing all the secrets her sister held close. “I know it’s your job but thank you for doing all this.”
Felicia gives a sweet smile to is a slight offsetting to Tamika, but she can’t pinpoint where from.
“Oh, it’s what I am paid to do, and I love to do my job well,” Felicia responds, keeping a bit of a distance between attorney and client relationships. “Girls, go see your mom; she only ever wants to talk about you and the babies.”
Victoria looks lost in thought when Cara pulls her forward as she heads inside.
“Thanks, we will. Come on, we'll tell her how little Lizzy smacked Clay with your keys,” Cara replies. Tamika waits for the girls to be out of hearing distance before motioning to Felicia to spit out what she was holding back.
“Alright, what has my money found out?” She asks, and Felicia sighs.
“Your father is being considered a capital murder with all his public relation investments in the Houston Community. They want to nail someone to the cross to show they care about every citizen, criminal or upstanding.”
“Besides the blood at the scene, what do they have?”
“Motive, Tamika. It’s well documented across multiple company libraries of the issues between your sister and father. We may need to find his real killer before this heads to trial because I am telling you, they are going to hang her out to dry to close this case they don’t want in the first place.”
“Fuck,” the uncharacteristic swear leaves the interim Cowgirl leader’s lips. “Ok, thanks, Felicia. Keep doing what you are doing.”
Tamika puts her left hand on Miss Scorpio’s shoulder in thanks before heading inside. Felicia pulls out her cell phone and hits a speed dial contact.
“Hey, it’s me. Yeah, everything is going to plan, you could say. Yea, don’t worry. I will get her cleared. Yes, see you soon.”
She disconnects and heads to her car.