Lucinda walked to the front entrance of the emergency room. She looked around for Carter and found him near a water fountain conversating with Neil.
"Did you find out anything from Leilani Randall?" Carter asked her as she approached the two men.
"Yeah. I found out that she went to school with my sister and that they were best friends." Lucinda started to rub her temples.
"And that helps the investigation in what way?" Neil shrugged.
"It doesn't. I just remembered how much of a snob she was. I am not to keen on the aggressive widow back there but Leilani hates her to the tenth power. It's almost unsettling." Lucinda shook her head slowly and frowned.
"Really? Why? The way Natalie spoke of her before finding out that she was Sweet Plumeria, you would have thought they were bosom buddies. That is strange." Carter folded his arms and furrowed his brows.
"Yeah. And she was adamant on the fact that she never slept with Joseph. She also said that Natalie loved to spend his money and that Joseph never hit her, and she knew his mistresses?" Lucinda scratched her head.
"She knew his mistresses? Carter furrowed his brow.
"Yeah, supposedly she is going to reach out to them and contact me with their names. She stated that he called them all his Sweet Plumeria." Mendez narrowed her gaze at Carter.
"A pastor's wife who knows her brother-in-law's mistresses and has their phone numbers is completely insane!" Carter widened his eyes.
"Well, you know this Leilani lady better than any of us. Do you believe her?" Neil asked pressing his glasses back off the bridge of his nose.
Lucinda looked up to the ceiling and twisted her lip. "I honestly don't know what to believe anymore." Lucinda threw her hands up and slapped them on her thighs.
"So, what she said bothered you?" Carter asked.
"Yes. It does." Lucinda answered. I remembered how cruel and twisted she and my sister were to other females back in the day, including myself. I'm leery about Natalie but I also know the type of person Leilani can be." Lucinda stared off into space as if watching a re-run of an old television show of her life.
"Mendez. When it comes to solving a case, you have to learn to take your feelings out of the situation. Your past feelings for Leilani has affected your ability to judge the case." Carter griped.
"No Robert. If anything it has helped me. I know the type of person Leilani can be." Lucinda continued to stare off into space occasionally glancing at Carter.
"Are you sure about that?" Carter looked at Mendez earnestly.
"Of course I am sure." Mendez returned his glare.
"Any information as to why the kid said that she hated him that night and wished he was dead?" Neil wiped the fresh sweat from his brow with a wilted brown tissue.
"No. She didn't give any notion that there was an argument. Maybe the kid heard her wrong. I will ask her. Leilani didn't seem to have a problem divulging tidbits of gossip to me. Mendez looked down at a fresh scuff mark on her shoes. She licked her finger, bent over, and rubbed her thumb along the stain.
"You need to use this to your advantage and manipulate the situation." Carter grinned slightly.
"What do you mean by that?" Mendez knitted her brows at Carter.
"Become her best friend. Get in her head. Let her confide in you. You two have a history it should be very easy for you to do. Do you think that you can handle that?" Carter beamed.
"I see where you are going. I think I can make it happen." Mendez shook her head in agreement with Carter.
"Lucinda Mendez is going to be someone's best friend, a bestie? Oh, this is going to be epic." Neil laughed.
"I do have friends outside of the force you idiot!" Mendez retorted back.
"So you shouldn't have a problem getting close to her. I trust you can do it." Carter smiled warmly.
"Leilani is the type who thinks her shit doesn't stink. I will not have a problem playing in her ego." Mendez smirked.
"Is she the type to murder a rich lawyer who just so happen to be the brother of her husband? Might I add that she was possibly fucking?" Neil smirked.
"Hard to say what type of woman she is now. I'll find out." Mendez glanced at Neil.
"Just be certain you know what you are getting into with this "Leilani" character. Something isn't right with that woman." Neil said.
"We are not going to be able to solve this case if there is uncertainty so it is a necessity that you get inside her head. Chief Windsor in breathing down my neck asking about leads, witnesses, and evidence. Lucinda, I need you to get the coroner's report and spend some quality time with Leilani. Neil, grab any information that may be available from forensics. I am going to pay a visit to Rasheeda Harris. Meet me back at the station around 8 pm tonight." Carter looked at the two detectives for confirmation.
"No problem," Mendez said.
"Sure thing," Neil griped.
"Hopefully you guys gain a grocery list of items to finally solving this case," Carter spoke sternly.
The three detectives headed out the door of the emergency room parting separate ways.
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The color had settled slowly back into Redd's face. His head was slightly spinning. He leaned into the seat glancing toward the front of the truck. He could taste the sourness of cheap beer, pizza, and weed cling to the roof of his mouth and ferment under his tongue. He muddled his hands over his gut watching the two men, hoping fear would not return and erupt what was left in his stomach. He grinned to himself and silently gloated. He was proud to look death in the face and tell it to go fuck itself. As he looked out the front windshield, he caught Akoni's face in the mirror smiling and looking back at him.
"You good Lil' Nigga?" Akoni asked.
"I'm good. Yall Rasta muthafuckas ain't planning shit else for me are you? Redd questioned.
"Don't know. It's still too early." Akoni snickered.
"Let me out this muthafucka then." Redd pulled on the door handle while the vehicle was still moving.
"You leave when I say leave. I want to tell you something young blood. You showed a lot of character back there. Not many niggas can look down a barrel of a gun and keep their mouth shut." Akoni muttered.
"What's that so supposed to mean?" Redd looked out the window and saw Meech and the boys walking down the street towards Akoni's house.
"It means I'm watching you. And so far, I like what I see." Akoni pulled the truck in the yard. He glanced up in the mirror at Romero. "Tonight, I want you out on the corner with Meech."
"Damn for real?" Redd beamed from ear to ear.
"Yeah, but I don't want you slinging yet. I want you to watch Meech." Akoni put the car in park.
"Watch Meech? For what?" Red pinched his brows together.
"Just do as I say. Something ain't sitting right with me and I need your eyes and ears." Akoni looked up in the mirror.
"You want me to be a fucking snitch?. Nigga, I ain't no snitch! Never have been, never will be!" Redd stared at Akoni in the mirror.
"Don't say I ain't never offered you nothing. Now get the fuck out my car!" Akoni unlocked the doors of the truck causing Redd to jump.
"Damn. You just blew your chance nigga." St. James muttered.
Redd stared at St. James briefly and got out of the truck. He noticed Meech and the other young men and made a left around the corner to join them.
"That nigga solid as fuck. Ain't too many dudes out here in these streets like him." St. James said as he watched Redd walk down the street.
"He wants to eat. I'm gonna give him time to come around. Soon enough that belly gonna start growling and he'll come to me." Akoni exited the truck. St. James followed behind him as they went into the house.