The Widow Of Magnolia Lane

Part 25

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.