DIANE D In The Headlines - Volume 2 - Part 1

by Doris Miller

It is late at night around 1:00 in the morning. Street cameras in Queens and Long Island, NY are being shot down by a mysterious sniper. Police cars are on the scene. Several policemen are standing around looking down at a street camera that has been shot down. “So far, four street cameras had been shot down already!” a male white police officer says.

  “You still don't have any clue who's shooting down these street cameras?” an older male white detective says.

  “No. All we know is that somebody is going around shooting these street cameras down with a high powered rifle! We have no idea who's doing this or why. Thank God no one has been hurt by these fallen street cameras! So far it's gonna cost the city thousands of dollars in damages!” The officer and the detective continue to look down and around the shot down street camera.

  A few miles away, two male white police officers, Officer Silvers and Officer Monroe, are sitting inside their patrol car. They suddenly spot a car a couple of blocks away wobbling and swerving down the street. “That car is wobbling over there,” Officer Silvers says as he sits behind the wheel.

  “Yeah I see,” Officer Monroe says. The officers then see the car ride right into some bushes. “It just rode right into some bushes,” Officer Monroe says.

  “Let's go check it out.” The police officers put on their sirens and start to go after the car.

  A dark blue car pulls out of the bushes, then wobbles and swerves down the street. The police car hurries after the dark blue car! The dark blue car continues to wobble and swerve down the street. The police car soon catches up to the dark blue car. “Pull over to the right!” a voice from the police car blow horn shouts. The dark blue car continues to wobble. “Pull over to the right!” a voice from the police car blow horn shouts again. The dark blue car slowly pulls over to the right and stops. The police car pulls over and stops behind the dark blue car. Officer Silvers and Officer Monroe come out of the police car.

  Inside the dark blue car, Diane D sits in the driver's seat looking sweaty and dreary as she looks in the rearview mirror with her cousin Dana sitting in the passenger seat looking sweaty and dreary also as she has her head turned facing the rear window, looking at the officers.

  Officer Silvers approaches the dark blue car on the driver's side while Officer Monroe approaches the dark blue car on the passenger side. Officer Silvers stands on the driver’s side of the dark blue car. He looks at Diane D. He then asks, “Are you okay Miss?” Diane D gives a dreary look at Officer Silvers. Officer Silvers looks further into the car and sees Dana. He looks back at Diane D and says, “Miss, I asked are you okay. Do you realize how you were driving?” Diane D rolls her eyes away from Officer Silvers and holds her head down on the steering wheel. Officer Silvers then says, “Miss, you don't seem fit to be driving. I'm gonna have to ask you to step out of the car.” Officer Silvers looks further into the car at Dana again and says to her, “I'm gonna have to ask you to step out of the car too Miss. Both of you step out of the car.” Diane D and Dana open their side of the door and slowly step out of the vehicle. Officer Silvers looks at Diane D’s face. He recognizes her and says, “Hey, I know you! You're Diane D, aren't you?”

  “Yes I am,” Diane D says.

  “Wow. Who's the lady with you?”

  “That's my cousin Dana.”

  “Your cousin Dana?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow Diane D. Weren’t you sent away Upstate to a Mental Institution for beating up that little kid inside an elementary school?”

  “Yes as a matter of fact, they did put me away for that.”

  “So what are you doing out here on the streets? You didn’t escape from the Mental Institution, with a little help from your cousin, did you?”

  “No I did not escape from the Mental Institution! I served my time up there and they let me out!”

  “They did?”

  “Yes they did!”

  “How long were you out?”

  “I came out a few months ago.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes I did.”

  “I didn’t hear about it.”

  “What? What do you mean you didn’t hear about it? Were you supposed to hear about it?”

  “Well, when you first got sent to the Mental Institution, everyone heard and read about it. It’s just that I thought whenever you came out of the Mental Institution, everyone would hear and be warned about that also.”

  “Everyone would hear and be warned about that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why would everyone have to know or be warned when I come out? Everybody does not have to know every damn move I make Officer.”

  “No I guess not. By the way, I smell liquor on you Diane D. Were you drinking?”

  “No I wasn't.”

  “How about your cousin here?” Officer Monroe says. He looks at Dana and says, “Were you drinking Miss?”

  “No I wasn't,” Dana says.

  “Yes you were. I smell alcohol on you.”

  “Miss Diane D,” Officer Silvers says. “You know it's against the law to be drinking and driving?”

  “We weren't drinking Officer,” Diane D says.

  “Don't play games with me. I'm gonna have to ask you two to step over here.”

  “Why?”

  “Don't ask questions Miss, just do as I say. Step over this way.” Officer Silvers looks at Dana and says, “You too miss. Step over here.” Diane D and Dana look at Officer Silvers. They slowly step to the side near each other. Officer Silvers then says, “I'm going to search your vehicle to see if I see any liquor in there.”

  “What!” Dana shouts. She becomes hysterical. She is about to head towards the car but Diane D pulls her back. Dana shouts to Officer Silvers, “You can't search our vehicle Officer! There's no liquor in there!”

  “I'll believe it if I don't see it! Just step back over there Miss!” Officer Silvers goes into the car and takes the keys out of the ignition as Officer Monroe stand on the side guarding Diane D and Dana. Officer Silvers holds a flashlight inside the car interior looking around it. He comes out of the car. He turns to Officer Monroe and says, “I don't see anything in there.”

  “No?” Officer Monroe says. “Check the trunk.”

  Dana becomes hysterical again. She is about to head towards the trunk but Diane D pulls her back again. Dana shouts to the officers, “There's nothing in the trunk Officers! You don't need to go in there!”

  “Let me be the judge of that Miss,” Officer Silvers says. “Just stay back, alright!”

  Diane D holds onto Dana as Officer Silvers goes to the trunk with the car keys. Officer Silvers unlocks the trunk. Dana is about to head for the trunk again, but Diane D pulls Dana back again and says to her, “Let him check the trunk Dana! We have nothing to hide. Let him check the trunk.” Dana glares at Diane D as Diane D turns to Officer Silvers and shouts, “Go ahead and check the trunk Officer!”

  “Diane!” Dana shouts.

  Diane D turns back to Dana and shouts, “We have nothing to hide Dana!” Diane D turns back at Officer Silvers and shouts, “Go ahead and check the trunk Officer!”

  “If you say so,” Officer Silvers says.

  Dana glares at Diane D. She and Diane D then look at Officer Silvers as Officer Silvers opens the trunk. Dana is about to go to the trunk again but Diane D pulls her back again.

  Officer Silvers looks into the trunk.

  “See officer?!” Diane D shouts. “I told you we have nothing to hide! There's nothing suspicious inside the trunk!”

  “Oh yes there is!” Officer Silvers shouts. “You have a couple of rifles in here!”

  “What! A couple of rifles?! What do you mean we have a couple of rifles in there?!” Diane D hurries to the trunk as Officer Monroe hurries behind her.

  “Just like I said Ma'am!” Officer Silvers shouts. “There are two rifles inside this trunk!” Diane D looks in the trunk. She becomes shocked and stunned
to see two long rifles inside the trunk. She stares at the rifles. She puzzled looks at Officer Silvers as he says to her, “You care to explain this Diane D?”

  “Officer, I don't understand. I don't know what's going on. I don't know anything about these rifles! I've never seen these rifles before in my life!”

  “No? Well how did they get in this trunk?”

  “I have no idea!” Diane D looks towards Dana and shouts, “Dana do you know anything about these rifles?!”

  “No I don't,” Dana says.

  Diane D puzzled looks at Dana. Diane D turns back to Officer Silvers and says, “Officer, someone had to have plant these rifles inside this trunk without us knowing it!”

  “Does this someone have the keys to your trunk?” Officer Silvers asks.

  “I don't know.”

  “Well I'm gonna have to take you two in.”

  “What! What do you mean take us in?”

  “First of all, for drunk driving! Second of all, for reckless driving and third, for having possession of fire arms!”

  “Possession of fire arms? These aren't our rifles officer! I have no idea where these rifles came from!”

  “Yeah tell it to the judge! You two are under arrest!”

  Diane D and Dana shockingly look at Officer Silvers.

  Inside the police station, Officer Silvers walks to Officer Monroe who is sitting behind a desk and says to him, “We tested the ballistics of the rifles. Those ballistics match the bullets that have been found at all of the traffic camera shoot outs!”

  “What!” Officer Monroe says.

  “Yes!”

  “You mean to tell me that Diane D and her cousin Dana are the ones who might have been shooting down all those traffic cameras?”

  “Yes! Either both of them or one of them or someone who had the rifles. Either way, the rifles were caught in their possession.”

  “Why would they do something like that?”

  “I don't know. Diane D says she has nothing to do with the traffic cameras being shot down. The other one isn't talking at all.”

  “You mean her cousin Dana?”

  “Yeah. Well, I put a trace on those rifles and ballistics. I found out who the rifles belong to! Those rifles belong to an uncle of theirs!”

  “An uncle of Diane D and her cousin Dana?”

  “Yeah. An uncle of theirs named Willie Brown. I called him up. He claims either his niece Diane D or his other niece Dana took his rifles without his knowledge or his permission! I told him that his nieces are suspected of shooting down the traffic cameras. He was real upset when he heard about it and he was real furious when he found out that his nieces stole his rifles and that his rifles were used in the traffic camera shoot outs! He's threatening to press charges against his nieces himself!”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah!”

  “But I don't think Diane D really had anything to do with those rifles being inside the trunk of that car or even knew that those rifles were in there. I think it was the other one who putted those rifles in there without Diane D even knowing about it. Think about it. Why was Diane D the one willing for us to check the trunk of that car, saying that they had nothing to hide while the other one was the one against us even looking inside the trunk? The other one knew those rifles were inside that trunk and didn't want to be caught with them.”

  “I told their uncle that. He believes the exact same thing that it was Dana who stole his rifles out of his house and not Diane D. He did say that Dana was at his house the other night asking about his rifles. He said he never knew she was planning to steal and use them. He says he keeps his rifles hidden and locked away. He says he doesn't know how Dana found out where his rifles were or how she got the rifles while they were locked up.”

  “Well obvious she was casing his house while she was there. She was searching for those rifles and was searching for the keys to unlock those rifles. But still, why did she shoot down the traffic cameras, if she's the one who did it?”

  “Her Uncle Willie says he thinks Dana got angry about all the moving violations she's gotten because she's always speeding. When she goes through a red light, the camera would snap pictures of the license plate of whatever car she's driving. The owner of the car would be one of her family members or relatives. They would end up with getting the traffic ticket. They would get angry and confront Dana about the traffic ticket. Dana would get furious about the traffic ticket, so I think she decided to take care of those traffic cameras by shooting them down.”

  “Has she been taught how to use rifles?”

  “I asked her uncle that. He says he never taught her. He told me Dana's always been fascinated with guns and rifles since she was a kid back in Jamaica.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  Inside the Women’s Detention lobby, Diane D's entire family and relatives, her husband Michael and Dana's boyfriend Tony are all angry and upset as they question Diane D and Dana's friend Teresa who's with her boyfriend Joseph as Diane D’s mom Mary says, “So Teresa, what did Diane and Dana say to you when you called them?”

  “I asked them were they still planning to pick me up because they were taking a long time to show up at my house,” Teresa says. “Then Diane told me to just cool out and be patient that she and Dana are on their way over, so I waited another long time for them to show up. That's when Michael and Tony called me and Joseph and told us Diane and Dana both just got arrested on drunk driving and weapons possession charge and stolen properties.”

  “Y'all didn't know anything about them drinking or having rifles on them?” Barry asks.

  “No,” Joseph says. “Not until Michael and Tony told us about it.”

  “That's it!” Uncle Willie angrily shouts. “I'm going to press charges against Dana!”

  “Calm down Willie,” Diane D and Dana’s paternal grandmother Gracy says. “I'm sure there's some explanation to all of this!”

  “There is no explanation Mom! Dana stole my rifles! She stole them out of my closet point blank, right under my nose! I don't appreciate that! I'm definitely going to press charges against her!”

  “You can't do that Willie!” Diane D and Dana’s paternal grandfather Mike shouts. “Dana is your niece! She's your family! You're going to press charges against your own family?!”

  “Dad, did Dana think about family values when she took my rifles to shoot those traffic cameras down?!”

  “Dana didn't mean to get you into trouble Willie!”

  “I'm not the one in trouble Dad, she is! She's the one who's sitting in jail and she winds up bringing Diane with her! Man she's gonna have to deal with me whenever she and Diane get out of jail! Wait till I get a hold of her!”

  “I'm sure Dana and Diane didn't mean to get caught Willie,” Gracy says. “They were both drunk and didn't know what they were doing! I'm sure they didn't expect the police to see or catch them driving recklessly! Don't press charges against Dana Willie, please don't!”

  “I am gonna press charges against her Mom! If I let her get away with this once, she's gonna do it again!”

  “Willie!” Grandpa Mike shouts. “You're just gonna have to find another place to lock up your rifles where Dana can't find them, that's all! Don't worry, I'm gonna see that Diane and Dana both can get bailed out, then we'll handle it from there, okay? Come on. Let's go see if we can bail them out.” Grandpa Mike takes Willie by the shoulder and leads him away. The rest of the family follow behind Grandpa Mike and Uncle Willie.

  The following day, a man and woman in the street who are around their late twenties are reading a couple of different newspaper articles with two different headlines that read: DIANE D AND HER COUSIN DANA ARRESTED ON DRUNK DRIVING AND WEAPONS POSSESSION CHARGES AND STOLEN PROPERTIESS: DIANE D AND HER COUSIN DANA ARE SUSPECTED OF SHOOTING DOWN TRAFFIC CAMERAS: “My God can you believe it?” the woman says. “Diane D and her cousin Dana were arrested on drunk driv
ing and weapons possession charges and stolen properties last night! They were the ones who were shooting down all those traffic cameras for the past two months!”

  “Yeah I see it,” the man says. “Why would they go around doing that? Why would anybody shoot down traffic cameras?”

  “I don't know. I guess we'll probably have to wait and find out in tomorrow's paper.” The man and woman continue to read the newspaper articles.

  Outside the Women’s Detention, a large heavy crowd appears outside the jail. Hundreds and hundreds of people are out there. There are reporters all over the place. Tons of Diane D fans are outside the jail. They are protesting, holding up large signs that say 'RELEASE DIANE D', 'STAY STRONG DIANE D'. A lot of them are wearing T-shirts that read, 'DIANE D'.

  Inside the Women’s Detention lobby, Diane D’s entire family and relatives are all angry and upset surrounding Grandpa Mike as Barry asks, “So what happened last night Dad? Diane and Dana couldn't get any bail?”

  “No!” Grandpa Mike shouts. “They weren't allowed any bail!”

  “What!” the entire family shouts.

  “I'm gonna hire a lawyer for them.”

  “Mike,” Gracy says. “We're gonna have to call up David and Christine in Jamaica and tell them that Dana and Diane are both in jail.”

  “No Gracy, let's not get David and Christine upset right now. Let me get a lawyer and see if we can get the girls out of jail as soon as possible before we call up David and Christine. Come on let's go.” Mike turns and walks away as they all follow behind him.

  A few days later, Diane D’s entire family and relatives are inside the lawyer’s office all angry and upset. They surround a couple of white male lawyers James Koffman, a gentleman with dark hair, and his partner Jerry Hutchinson who are both around their late 40's. James Koffman speaks to Grandpa Mike and says, “I went to see and speak with both your granddaughters the other day. I told them they were still denied bail. They were pretty upset about it.”

  “I don't blame them!” Grandpa Mike shouts. “Why can't you get my granddaughters bail?”

  “The district attorney wants them to stay locked up until their court date.”

  “When is that?” Mary asks.

  “In three months.”

  “Three months!” Grandpa Mike and his family shout.

  “You mean the district attorney is gonna keep them locked up for three whole months?!” Barry shouts

  “I'm afraid so,” James Koffman says. He looks at Gracy and asks, “Did you call your granddaughter Dana's parents down in Jamaica?”

  “Yes I did,” Gracy says. “We called her parents up last night. They're on their way up here. Her mother Christine is bringing her entire family up here with her.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Just please get my granddaughters out of jail Mr. Koffman,” Grandpa Mike says.

  “I will,” James Koffman says. “I'm gonna speak to the district attorney again tomorrow and try to get bail for your granddaughters.”

  “Yes please do.”

  “Okay.” James Koffman and Diane D's family and relatives get up from their chairs. They turn and walk towards the doorway and leave the office.

  It is one week later. Outside the Women’s Detention, a large heavy crowd appears outside the jail again. Hundreds and hundreds of people are out there. There are reporters all over the place. Tons of Diane D fans are outside the jail. They're still holding up large signs that say 'RELEASE DIANE D', 'STAY STRONG DIANE D'. A lot of them are wearing T-shirts that read, 'DIANE D'.

  Inside the Women’s Detention lobby, Diane D’s entire family and relatives, Dana's family from Jamaica and the beautiful and gorgeous Dianettes are all angry and upset as they surround James Koffman and Jerry Hutchinson as James Koffman says to them, “We still couldn't get the district attorney to give Diane D and Dana any bail. He says they still have to remain in jail until their court date!”

  “What!” Diane D and Dana’s family say.

  “Come on!” Grandpa Mike shouts. “They've been in jail for an entire week already! Why can't the district attorney just let them go!”

  “He doesn't want to,” James Koffman says.

  “We tried to get your granddaughters out Mr. Brown,” Jerry Hutchinson says.

  “Well you didn't try hard enough!” Grandpa Mike shouts.

  “We did the best we could.”

  “I'm just gonna have to call your granddaughters on the phone and tell them the bad news,” James Koffman says.

  “Ah man,” Diane D and Dana’s family say.

  James Koffman gets on a jail phone and dials a number. He speaks into the phone and says, “Hello, I need to speak to two inmates up there, Diane Denise Brown and her cousin Dana Jean Brown. Send them to the phone please, thank you.” James Koffman waits for a while. He then speaks into the phone and says, “Hello? Is this, Diane D? ..... Hello Diane D, it's me James Koffman.” Diane D and Dana's family and relatives excitingly look on. The Dianettes anxiously approach James Koffman and try to take the phone receiver out of his hand.

  “Cool it girls,” Mary says to the Dianettes as she tries to stop them. “Let him speak to Diane. Step over here.” The Dianettes step to the side next to Mary. Everyone turns towards James Koffman as he speaks into the phone receiver and says, “Yeah Diane D, how are you doing today?”

  On the other end of the phone, Diane D, who is wearing an orange prison suit, is Upstairs in the Women’s Detention lounge standing as she talks into a telephone receiver and says, “I'm doing okay.”

  “Good,” James Koffman says. “How's your cousin Dana doing?”

  “She's holding up. Were you able to get bail for us Mister Koffman?”

  “No I wasn't.”

  “No? Well why not?”

  “The district attorney wants you and your cousin Dana to stay in jail until your court date.”

  “What! The district attorney wants us to stay in jail until our court date?!”

  “Yes.”

  Diane D frustratingly looks across the lounge. She then shouts across the lounge, “He says the district attorney wants us to stay in jail until our court date?!”

  “What the hell he means the district attorney wants us to stay in jail until our court date?!” Dana’s voice shouts.

  “I don't know!” Diane D speaks back into the phone receiver and says. “Why does the district attorney wants us to stay in jail until our court date?!”

  “He wants you two to serve some time in jail,” James Koffman says.

  “We've already been here a week! That means we have to stay in here for another eleven weeks?!”

  “I'm afraid so.”

  “You told us you would definitely get bail for us today!”

  “I know I said that, but what can I tell you?”

  “Tell us you're gonna get us bail!”

  “I can't do that!”

  Diane D looks across the lounge and hollers to Dana, “He says he can't get us bail!”

  “Why not?!” Dana’s voice shouts.

  Diane D gets back on the phone and shouts, “Why not?!”

  “I don't know,” James Koffman says.

  Diane D looks back across the lounge and hollers to Dana, “He says he doesn't know!”

  “He doesn't know?!” Dana’s voice shouts. “What the hell means he doesn't know?!”

  Diane D speaks back into phone and shouts, “What do you mean you don't know?!”

  “Like I said, I don't know,” James Koffman says.

  Diane D looks back across the lounge and hollers back to Dana, “He said it again, he doesn't know!”

  “He still don't know?!” Dana’s voice shouts.

  “No! That's all he could say, he doesn't know!”

  Dana, also dressed in a orange prison suit, angrily gets up from a chair. She walks towards Diane D, points her hand at the telephone receiver and shouts, “I swear THAT useless motherfucka!”
Dana turns and angrily walks away from Diane D.

  Back downstairs in the lobby, James Koffman overhears Dana and shouts into the receiver, “Hey! I overheard what your cousin Dana just called me!” The entire crowd puzzled looks at James Koffman as he shouts into the receiver, “Yes I did! I'm not gonna have any client of mines disrespecting me like that! Put your cousin Dana on the phone now! Let me have a word with her!”

  “What's going on Mr. Koffman?” Dana’s dad David shouts.

  James Koffman ignores David and continues to shout into the receiver, “Oh she doesn't want to come to the phone?! She has nothing to say to me?! Well I can still hear her yelling and cursing about me in the background! ...... What! I just overheard her yelling and screaming that your grandfather should fire me?!” The entire crowd puzzled look at each other. They then back at James Koffman as he continues to shout into the phone, “What did she say?! ….. I just overheard her yelling and screaming something else about me! ...... What! ...... Oh yeah?! ...... Is that right?! ...... Really! ...... Is that right?! ...... What! Oh she thinks that about me too! ..... Is that right?! Well you know what you can tell her?! ...... What! She really believes that, huh! ...... Is that right?!”

  The entire crowd puzzled looks at James Koffman as they say, “What are they saying to him?”

  “Well if your cousin Dana is gonna go around disrespecting me like that and feels all that stuff about me, she could go find herself another lawyer!”

  “What in the world is going on?!” Mary shouts.

  “I don't know!” Grandpa Mike shouts, “but I'm gonna find out!” Grandpa Mike walks up to James Koffman and shouts, “Hand me the phone!” Mike snatches the receiver out of James Koffman's hand and speaks into it shouting, “Diane! Diane! Diane! Diane!” Grandpa Mike looks at the telephone receiver. He then turns to his family and says, “She's not there.” Grandpa Mike hangs up the telephone. He turns to James Koffman and shouts, “Do you mind telling us what the hell was that all about!”

  “I just overheard your other granddaughter Dana calling me a useless motherf.....!” James Koffman shouts. “Then I heard her calling me every name in the book! She disrespected me! I'm not going to have any client of mines disrespecting me! I'm not gonna tolerate that! Let her go find herself another lawyer!”

  “Wait a minute! I hired you to represent both my granddaughters!”

  “Oh I'll represent Diane D, but I won't represent the other one!”

  “Now wait a cotton picking minute! Either you represent both my granddaughters, or you represent none of them!”

  “What are you talking about?! Did you hear what I just told you?! I said your other granddaughter Dana disrespected me! She called me a useless motherf.... and everything else! I'm supposed to put up with that?!”

  “I'm sure she wouldn't have disrespected you if you were able to get them bail! Now take them both or take none of them and pay me back my money! The choice is yours!”

  “I can't believe you expect me to tolerate that. I cannot believe that you condone her behavior! How can you expect me to represent her?! How can you?! Especially representing someone who calls me names like that?! I'm sorry I can't represent her! I won't!”

  “Fine, don't represent either of them! Just pay me my money back and I'll get another lawyer for my granddaughters!” Grandpa Mike turns to his family and tells them, “Stay here everybody! I'll be right back!” Grandpa Mike and James Koffman turn and angrily walk away with each other as the entire family, relatives and the Dianettes look on.

  A few men in the street are giggling as they read an article in the paper with a headline that reads: DIANE D'S LAWYER QUITS HER CASE AFTER HER COUSIN DANA IS OVERHEARD CALLING HIM A USELESS MOTHERF....! One of the men turns to the others and says, “Did y'all read this, where it says Diane D's cousin Dana called their lawyer a useless motherfucka?”

  “Yeah I saw it,” the second man giggles. “Unbelievable.”

  “Oh I believable it,” the third man giggles, “knowing how Diane D's cousin Dana is.” The men continue to giggle as they read the article.

  A few months has past. It is now court day. Diane D and Dana's entire family and relatives are all sitting down in the spectators' seats. Mary and Christine come out of the front room, followed by Diane D and Dana, who are both dressed in identical sweater shirts and identical slacks and their long black hair flowing down their sides and backs. They are followed by two other male white lawyers around their late 40's. Mary and Christine approach the front benches and stop as everyone else in the courtroom look on. Mary and Christine turn around to Diane D and Dana and gestures for Diane D and Dana to go in first and take a seat. Dana moves in first followed by Diane D, then by Mary as Christine waits aside.

  Dana and Diane D's family and relatives wave to them from the spectator seats. Dana and Diane D stand there looking towards the back of the courtroom at their family and relatives. Christine looks at Dana and Diane D and says, “Dana! Diane!” Dana and Diane turn and look at Christine as Christine says to them, “Look forward and take your seats please.” Dana and Diane look forward and angrily plot down into their seats. “Thank you,” Christine says to them. Mary sits down besides Diane D as Christine sits at the edge next to Mary. Dana sits there frustrated as she looks forward. Diane D turns to Dana and tells her, “Be cool Dana. It's gonna be alright.” One of the lawyers, Ken Murrell gets ready to take the case.

  Around an hour later, Diane D and Dana's families, relatives, Michael, Tony, Joseph and Teresa stand outside the courtroom surrounding Diane D and Dana cheering. Christine and David then pull Willie to the side.

  Christine, David and Willie stand at the side as Christine says, “Thanks for deciding not to press charges against Dana Willie.”

  “Yeah, I'm still pissed off at what she did,” Willie says.

  “It won't happen again Willie,” David says. “Promise.”

  “Yeah I hope not.” Willie, Christine and David turn their heads and look down the hall towards Diane D and Dana.

  Diane D holds Dana by the arm and says to her family and relatives, “Excuse us for a minute everybody.” Diane D pulls Dana from the crowd and goes to the side.

  Diane D and Dana stand at the side as Diane D tells Dana, “Now Dana, you know Uncle Willie is gonna keep his rifles hidden somewhere else every time you come over to his place.”

  “I won't take his rifles again Diane,” Dana says.

  “I hope not. Look Dana, since Michael's family is coming in from Virginia again, they’re gonna stay at our place for a couple of months. Since they‘re gonna stay at our place, I decided to stay at Aunt Mindy and Uncle Charles' house again.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah. Too much of Michael's family is gonna be at our place, so I decided to just stay somewhere else and just let Michael and his family have the place for a while.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why don’t you stay with me and Tony at his place.”

  “Let me try Aunt Mindy first. Could you call up Aunt Mindy and Uncle Charles for me and let them know I'm coming to stay with them? Tell them I want to stay in the same room I stayed in before.”

  “Okay. I'm gonna go outside and call them.”

  “Okay Dana.”

  Dana turns and walks towards the exit as Diane D turns and walks back towards her family and relatives.

  The following day, several people in the street are reading a newspaper article with a headline that reads: DIANE D AND HER COUSIN DANA HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM JAIL! JUDGE CONSIDERS TIME SERVED FOR DRUNK DRIVING AND WEAPONS POSSESSION CHARGE AND STOLEN PROPERTIES! “Look!” a woman says. “It says right here that Diane D and her cousin Dana went to court yesterday and the judge released them from jail for time served.”

  “Oh that's good,” one of the men say. “They don't have to stay in jail any longer.” The people continue to look at the article.


  Chapter 2

  Dana Bully’s Her Aunt’s Tenants