Only Her Hairdresser Knows For Sure

Olivia, Beverly ,Nelson ,Josie and I sat in a beautiful little open air bistro, drinking and talking... The girls had spent the day unsuccessfully trying to get Kevin McCray's newspaper to put up one tenth of the 100K needed for his bail..but they wouldn't do that....

''I wonder how much bail they were planning to put up for Kevin?" asked Beverly..

"My Guess is they never planned to put up any money...They were just posturing.. "said Olivia..

"It takes a situation like this to know who your real friends are huh?" mused Nelson...

''I'll say...If nothing else this should be an eye opener.." said Josie..

''Funny thing...When Bev and I told him they weren't putting up the bail, he laughed....Like he already knew they weren't.." said Olivia.

''For the first time, I felt sorry for him.." said Beverly...

"Me too." said Josie...

Our drinks arrived.....

"Livy, Bev...I'm a beer drinker....but you've got me hooked on these Citris Martinis.." I said...

"They are good....Aren't they?  The Preliminary hearing is tomorrow...This is to determine if this should even go to trial...You got anything more we can use?" asked Olivia..

"Well, I interviewed the hooker he was with that night...She said she saw him with Danielle...earlier in the night and she said she told the cops that Danielle left at least an hour before she and Kevin left....Strangely, she didn't recall the tall Blond Surfer dude...But she said...She was drunk....she said they drove to the motel...The Motel manager confirms that...At around 2:45 they arrived...She said they made love for about an hour and a half or more and both passed out...The Police kicked the door in around a quarter to five...Both of them were nude and asleep in the bed... Now time of death for that girl is between 12:30 and 2:00 am....He couldn't have killed that girl and been with the hooker..." I said..

"If only we could find this guy, this tall Blond surfer guy." said Beverly..

"I was getting to him shortcake...All of you take a look at my tablet..." I said.

"This is footage from the bar that night....Taken from someone's Iphone I found...Now look...There is Kevin...There is Danielle leaving him...and Bingo...There is our guy....Tall ,Blond.....Athletic build...Tan suit...."I said..

"I can understand why she left Kevin for him..."said Josie, laughing..

"I know righttttttttt?" said Beverly who high fived her...

"Okay,so now we know what he looks like..."said Olivia..

"There is More... This footage taken from the street cam....She walked out with this guy and look at the time.. 12:45 am.....Kevin is still in the bar trying to get a hook up...They walk down the street and into the darkness...That's the last footage of her alive...So I got footage from the street cam, an hour later...There is our guy, same guy...Walking back...and look, he's alone...He lights a cigarette and the lapel of his jacket is torn...It is now a quarter to two...Where is Danielle?? She was found just blocks from the bar in an alley...I was in the area....Nothing but abandoned beach houses...burnt out cars...So there was no witnesses...Look, he gets in a car...I got a partial plate...but that's very grainy....and that's all we have of him..."I said.

''Wow! That's good Donnie Ray, More than enough for Reasonable doubt , You agree Liv?" asked Nelson..

"Yes...We should work on strategy and how we are going to spin this.." said Olivia...

"It's time for me to call our friend in the FBI...Deputy Special Agent in Charge of The Philadelphia Region, Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins....

and see if she can run this guy through facial recognition." I said.

"Sharon and I were in Penn Law School together...She was very bright...She would have made a brilliant attorney..."said Olivia..

''Did she pass the bar?" asked Beverly.

"She Did!  We passed it the same day...And while I went on to clerk for Judge Stevens and start working at the Public Defenders office..She went to Work for Bonner and Coughlin for about 6 months and then the next thing I heard, she left and was down in Quantico training to be a Federal Agent...I was blown away..." said Olivia..

''When I knew her in New Orleans, She told me she was from Philly and that she was an Attorney.."I said.

'' Small World isn't it?" said Olivia..

"Before we turn in....I have an address....This is Kevin's ex-wife....The one who hired the Private Investigator...She frequents this Hair Salon and I happen to know she has an appointment today...I think you and Shortcake and Josie should have a little girl talk with her..." I said..

''You are an amazing man...I'd hate to have you on my trail..." laughed Olivia..

"I was on your trail...I followed you from New Orleans to Philly and found you....and married you...That was some of my best work!" I said..

"He's got a point Auntay..."laughed Beverly...

"Yes he does..."said Olivia, giggling like a school girl.

II-

Millicent rented a car for us....in her name, since we were in Miami and staying at a hotel under assumed names...

Olivia ,Beverly and Josie ventured out to find Belinda McCray...Recently divorced from Kevin McCray and possibly the key to this entire mystery...

Meanwhile I made a call to Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins in Philadelphia..

''Donnie Ray Alexander, you call me from some of the most exotic places...Wasn't you,Livy and Bev just in New Orleans?" she asked.

"Yeah we had a case there...Now we are in Miami..." I said..

"Nice, you're doing good for yourself.....You hooked up with my girl and you guys travel everywhere...What can I and the FBI do for you?" she asked...

"I'm gonna send you a photo of a guy,  a possible suspect....I need a name and an address and if possible a  rap sheet..." I said..

"For this I should drink free at Aqua Bar or Josies next time I'm there right?" she laughed...

"You Got it babe!" I said...

"Give me an hour...I'll call you back..." she said...

''You're a doll." I said..

"I know.." laughed Sharon...

Nelson walked into the room....

''Donnie Ray ,I did a work up on our murder victim like you asked me to." he said.

''What did you find out?" I asked.

"She was born Danielle Richardson in Hialeah ,Florida...She's the same age as Bev and I... Her Father and Mother divorced when she was three....Her Mother and her moved to Miami...She was educated in Miami Public schools..She and her mother both took jobs as waitresses....andddd.. Exotic dancers and Strippers for awhile...She's got three arrests for pandering, no convictions...One arrest in Tampa for Solicitation..Charges dropped..No jail time....One arrest last year for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute...Six months in county lock up...Released , charges pending....She married a guy named Lance Ricard.....Shortly afterwords....They separated in December of last year...." said Nelson....

"Hmmmm we need to look him up.." I said...

Just then, Sharon called me...

"Hi ya Handsome...." said Sharon...

"That was fast..." I said..

"Because I got a hit...Your boy's name is Lance Ricard...." said Sharon...

 Upon hearing that name ,I stared at Nelson..

"WOWW!" was all Nelson would say...

''He's an ex-con..He did a nickel in the Florida State Penn for distribution of a controlled substance, namely Heroin....He got out...got married...To a woman named Danielle Richardson..A waitress and sometime stripper...He seems to have no known means of support, and yet he lives in a flashy condo in South Beach...
I called the Narcotics Detectives there in Miami...They have never been able to actually catch any drugs on him or find any on his person in his condo or his car...but they suspect he finances a package and sells to many dealers in the area...Which is how he maintains his flashy lifestyle...Is that enough?" asked Sharon...

"That's a plenty doll and it explains so much..." I said....'You got a local address for him?" I asked.

''Sure Do...Wait for it.." said Sharon.

"Sharon...When we get back ,I'm running a tab for you at both Josies and Aqua Bar.." I said..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu, you need to know anything else?" joked Sharon..

III-

Olivia, Beverly and Josie entered the stylish Hair Salon in South Beach...There were Black and White Hair Stylists working...and Cuban women, washing and setting hair..Most of the clientele was white, but there was sprinkling of Black women in the shop...

''Ouu Auntay this puts Bernadette's salon to shame back home.." said Beverly..

''She's Opening up a second Salon in Chris and Chess's shopping center...but it still doesn't hold a candle to this one.." said Olivia..

"I feel like making an appointment now.."laughed Josie...

They were three of only ten Black women in the salon...The woman they were looking for, Belinda McCray was a busty, bleach blonde woman...about Olivia's age who was just finishing up...She gave her hairdresser her credit card  for payment...

The Hairdresser , who was African-American looked at the slip...

"Belinda...I've uh been doing your hair for two years now...Exclusively.." she said.

"Yeah and?" said Belinda..

''Well you've always seemed satisfied..." she said.

''And what?"asked Belinda..

"You've never left a tip..." she said softly and smiled..

''Oh...Well Yvonne, why didn't you say so? Here's a tip, don't take any wooden nickels.." she said and laughed..

Her Hairdresser didn't find that humorous at all...She glared at Belinda with murder in her eyes...A fact that wasn't lost on Liv, Bev or Josie...

Olivia walked up to her...

''Excuse me...Are you Belinda McCray?" she asked..

"Who wants to know?" she asked...Then she eyed Beverly and Josie..

They looked at her...

"Look, my job donates to the NAACP!" she said..

The Hairdresser, who was Black grimaced at that remark....

Olivia smiled..

''We aren't from the NAACP...I am an Attorney and this is my niece Beverly...She's also an Attorney and this is Josie Boyd, a Para Legal who works for us.." she explained.

She was not impressed...

''Well Laaaaaaaaaaaaaa dee dah, Lawyers eh? What you want with me?" she asked..

''We are representing you ex-husband, Kevin in his murder trial..The Preliminaries start tomorrow.."said Beverly..

She looked Beverly up and down....

"Like I told your Auntie...what has that got to do with me?" she snarled..

''We know you hired a Private Investigator to follow him and see where he goes , who he met...And we know , we know your ex-husband is a piece of work, a stone cold womanizer...Much like my first husband..My niece will tell you, I used to find panties, other women's panties and bras in my car , in his car and finally in our house....I had two miscarriages because of him...I divorced him for my sanity...I know how you feel..I understand how you feel...but he didn't kill that girl...You had your guy call the police and make a false statement that he left the bar with that girl and then you had him call the police and lead them to the motel you knew he was in with that hooker...I understand your need for revenge...but please...he could spend the rest of his life behind bars or possibly get the death penalty....and meanwhile the real killer is out there...free..Don't do this Belinda...Make this right.."said Olivia..

Belinda didn't say a word....She looked at Beverly and Josie..

''Sounds Like you gals hired a pretty good investigator." she said.

 ''We did! My Husband is an ex-cop..Homicide Detective.." said Olivia.

"Ha, that explains so much...That bum I hired  was a cop for three years and got kicked off the force...He's a drunken bum..but he was cheap, what can I say?" she laughed.

"We know a lot more about this case and what actually happened that night, but we could use your help to put the icing on the cake." said Beverly..

 "Your ex-husband...However much a dog he is...Is no murderer..He didn't kill that girl." said Josie.

She laughed...

"You all must really be desperate, coming to me for help..Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha...I want to know where that bum of an ex-husband got money to pay for you three pretty lawyers...You sound like you're from up North.." she said.

''We are from Philadelphia.."said Beverly...

"We thought if we talked to you woman to woman...you might..."said Josie..

"I might what? Admit to the cops that I had someone make a false statement?/And put myself behind the 8 ball?? You're off your nut...No way!" she said..

"He could get the Death Penalty, Nothing he did to you is worth all of that.."said Olivia.

"Talk what you know...Maybe you forgave your first Husband....But I'm not so forgiving...Screw Him...Now if you'll excuse me...I got a hot date..Oh.....Nice Dresses....All three of you...Whoever is paying your girls are paying you well..." she said and walked out...

Beverly looked at Olivia...

''Wow, what a class A Bitch!!!..Maybe Donnie Ray should have come himself and acted like a tough Homicide Detective grilling a suspect...He might have gotten more out of her.." said Beverly...

'''Yeah.." said Josie..

Just then the Hairdresser called us to the side..

"You gals want the skinny on her? I can give it to ya...So that this won't be a total wasted trip.." she said..

"You have information?" asked Olivia..

"Honeyyy, the hair dresser always knows...I'm Yvonne, Yvonne Riggins...I know who you two are!!"she said.. "Gurrrrrrrrrl, your dress is fierce....you buy that here?" asked Yvonne.

Olivia smiled..."My husband bought this for me in town a few days ago....and Thank You!" she said.

"Ummph!, your husband loves you..."said Yvonne..

And so the four women sat around the Bistro after the Hair dresser got off , drinking and talking..

 It was an overcast, but balmy afternoon...

"Look Kevin is your client and I know he's got a wandering eye and is a bit of a charactor, but his wife...She's a bitch on wheels...I used to feel sorry for him...The only reason he was attracted to her is because he loves blondes...As you see she's blonde, has big boobies and a thin waist...That's what gets them all...But she likes money...She was driving the poor guy to the poor house...He is the Editor ,One of the Editor of the paper and he appears as a guest consultant on our Fox News affiliate...He's got a little dough,but not enough for her..He had a car, She had a car and they had a second morgtage on their house..The poor guy is strapped...He clearly over extended himself with that one.."said the Hair dresser...

"He beat her up didn't he?" asked Beverly...

"Nahhh, he never laid a finger on her...Those three battery charges were from Wife number two...he married her because he got her pregnant and two months after his twins were born...She divorced him and left the state...He's paying child support and for two cars and a house..."said the Hair dresser....

"He's a serial cheater.." said Olivia, who sipped her drink....

The Hairdresser smiled and continued..

"Yeah...he aint perfect, but being married to her..Who can blame him?" she said..

"Wow Yvonne, you've told us a lot..Why did you tell us this?" asked Beverly...

"Because that bitch never tips...I hope you get her husband off...I really do...Just to spite her..Thanks for the drinks..." she said.

Beverly smiled..

So Did Olivia..

IV-

Since Olivia, Beverly and Josie had the rental...I called Millicent...She drove Nelson and I to the address of our mysterious Blonde suspect...Lance Ricard.

We were all stunned by how nice the waterfront condo was...

"Oh Myyy and this is the waterfront condo he lives in?" asked Millicent..

"Yes and he's definitely the man who left that bar with Danielle Richardson Ricard that night...He's her husband...Estranged husband...Suspected Drug Trafficker..."I said..

''Was she a junkie?" asked Millicent..

"Nope...Bev and I saw the Autopsy report...She was clean....She didn't have semen in her...Her killer was wearing a condom with a spermicide ...but the panties were soiled with semen...." said Nelson...

"The lab is back with the results ..we can pick it up in the morning.."said Millie..

We walked in and walked up to his floor...Immediately entering his condo ,I smelled a horrid smell, A smell that as a Homicide detective I recognized...The smell of death..

"Oh My god...What is that smell?" said Millicent..

"Oh My damn...I know what it is.."said Nelson...

"You two stand back..."I said and kicked the door in...

There , hanging from the ceiling and wearing the same suit he was last seen in was Blond haired, blue eyed Lance Ricard.

From the setting in of rigor and the fact that his body was nearly blue... I'd say he'd been dead for close to two weeks...He may have died the same night his estranged wife died...

''What are you going to do Donnie Ray?" asked Nelson..

"I'm calling the police.." I said..

V-

I called the police and I called the girls...They met us at the crime scene..

"Well Husband...You found your guy..You always do!" said Olivia, smiling..

"Yeah, but he's dead...an apparent suicide..."I said.

"We can get DNA...find out if that's his semen in the panties or at least rule out Kevin..."said Beverly...

''That's got to mean something, doesn't it?" asked Nelson..

"It means guys that you might have just won my case for me.." said Millicent..

"Hope Springs Eternal." said Josie, smiling.


(CONCLUSION NEXT)