The Widow Of Magnolia Lane

Part 16

Akoni handed the car keys to St. James.

"I'm coming. Let me holla at this nigga real quick". He walked toward Detective Carter.

"Alright. Bet". St. James nodded to Akoni and walked to the car.

"Akoni James. You've been good? Staying out of trouble, I hope?". Detective Carter shook Akoni's reluctant hand.

"I'm always good. Why what's up?" Akoni said with agitation.

"You've heard about what happened to your daughter's stepfather? I presume". Carter pulled off his cigar.

"Yeah. I just heard about it". Akoni watched Carter's face.

"How well did you know him?" Carter asked.

"Well enough". Akoni looked over at the other two detectives standing near the entrance of the hospital.

"I heard the two of you had a dispute a couple of weeks ago. You mind telling me what happened?" Carter pulled off the cigar again.

"He wanted me to help him with something. I did what he asked. He didn't pay. End of story." Akoni's face had begun to scowl.

"So there was an altercation over you not getting paid? Am I correct?" Carter bent down to put the cigar out on the ground.

"I mean if somebody employed you to do something and didn't pay you, wouldn't there be some sort of altercation?" He folded his arms defiantly at Carter.

"True. But it wouldn't have ended up in murder." Carter looked up at Akoni and smiled.

"Look bruh'. I see where this is going. I ain't had shit to do with what happened to that nigga. If you want to talk about this some other time, we can meet up but I ain't doing this shit here. Instead of talking to me, yall need to find out who killed that nigga. You know where to find me. I holla at you later". Akoni walked away from Carter and got into his car and drove off.

Lucinda and Neil walked over to Carter.

"That looks like it went well". Neil said jokingly.

"He's definitely hiding something. I'll find out soon enough. You guys get the report back about the surveillance cameras?" Carter looked over at Akoni's SUV leaving the parking lot.

"Yeah. We saw Mr. Randall's vehicle pull in at the ice cream shop. A woman parked on the other end of the parking lot and got in his car. We ran her plates. Her name is Leilani Randall." Neil scrunched his nose to keep his glasses from falling as he read off the small notepad.

"Leilani Randall? Is she an ex-wife or something?" Carter pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We don't know yet. I'm about to go back inside and talk to the victim. She should be awake now. I'm going to see if that name rings a bell". Mendez said as she walked back to the emergency room entrance.

"There's another thing. A car sat about a half a block from the church. We got the plates from the camera at the ice cream shop. The car belongs to a Rasheeda Harris". Neil looked up at Carter. "It sat for about 2 hours and left."

"No one got out of the car?" Carter asked Neil.

"Nope." Neil put his notepad in his pocket.

"Call whoever Rasheeda Harris is and find out the deal with her. I hope Natalie is awake. I need to know who gave Joseph the black eye." Carter and Neil walked back into the hospital.