One woman stepped forward and said, “I was walking my dog when I first heard the arguing. Then, about five minutes later, I heard boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. They were very quick.”
The officer thanked her for her time. In the house, crime scene investigators went to work on the details of what happened as one detective tried talking to Kendra. Kendra relived the very moment eighteen years ago when her father had killed his best friend. She cried even more when she thought about all the time she would get if the judge found her guilty. The detectives cuffed Kendra and hauled her off to the Culver City Police Department. There, they asked Kendra a gang of questions.
“Okay, Ms. LaSalle. You say that you didn’t know that your fiance Donavon Davis was also known as Gabriel Sutton or Wiz, and you say you were engaged to him. Well, that’s funny. Who’s ever heard of a woman getting engaged to a person she doesn’t know?”
The detective laughed in her face. Kendra was disgusted. She wanted to vomit, but she kept her composure and answered every question that came her way.
“No, sir. I didn’t know that Mr. Davis was Mr. Sutton. Look. What does that have to do with me being abused?” Kendra asked.
“So, you’re one of those smart, fancy talking gals, thinking since their boyfriend is a street thug with money that you can talk to us any kind of way, don’t cha, gal?” the officer asked.
Kendra became irritated and was ready to curse the detective until she remembered Wiz’s dead body.
The detective smirked as he walked out the office. Kendra was somewhat relieved that he was gone, but now it seemed as if she faced a bigger problem. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong but protect herself.
“Ms. LaSalle, my name is Agent Reinger, and I’ve been watching the Sutton family for quite a while now. We know about the murder of his cousin that your ex-boyfriend Trenton Moore and his accomplice committed. We know all about that. We knew when they fled the country and when Wiz returned to the states. What I need to know is who shot and killed Mr. Marquise Williams and left Trenton Moore brain dead?” Agent Reinger placed the two pictures in front of Kendra, so she could get a good view.
Kendra dropped to her knees, crying and dry heaving. All this was new to her. She stayed on the floor until Agent Reinger and his partner picked her up.
“We don’t care about Mr. Sutton being dead. Hell! We wanted him dead or alive, so you just made it a little bit easier for us. I can see from the bruises on your face and body that he was very abusive. Since you were his fiance, I’m sure you know where he kept the drugs and his connects?”
Kendra shook her head and said, “No, sir. I don’t know anything. I swear.”
Kendra held her head down in her arms and sighed heavily. She thought she would be answering questions about Wiz’s murder, but, instead, they wanted to get a hold of Wiz’s empire.
“Since this is a self-defense case, we’re going to dismiss the murder charges that are against you, but…”
Kendra raised her head and sat up straight, so she could listen closely. She knew if she was able to walk away from this that they would try to hold her on something else.
“But, what?” she asked sternly.
“We’re going have to hold you on a weapons charge. And that can run you five to ten,” Agent Reinger said.
He, then, took Kendra down to the holding cell where she was booked and her pictures were taken. She waited in the holding cell with at least seven other women. She didn’t care to be buddy-buddy with any of them. She kept a mean mug until a bus took her to Lynwood Station. She was left in a holding cell for a week without being able to make a call. Finally, the officer opened the cell and yelled, “Ladies’ court!” He startled everyone in the cell.
Kendra was the first one to her feet. She was ready to get out of the cold cell. All the women lined up to be escorted to the bus. They made it to CCB where each of them waited for their names to be called. Kendra made a collect call to her sister while she waited to be seen by the magistrate. The operator connected the call, saying, “This is the Los Angeles County Jail with a collect call from ‘Kendra’. If you would like to accept charges, please press five now, if you-”
The operator was cut off by Nia pressing the button to accept the call.
“What the fuck? Jail, nigga? I thought you had married that nigga and was not sticking to the plan?” Nia asked, confused.
Kendra had to remind her sister that the calls were being recorded.
“Nia, Wiz is dead, but, before you say another word, they got me on a gun charge. The feds came talking to me about Trent being brain dead and Marquise being dead,” Kendra explained.
“Well, fuck them. We ain’t worried about them niggas no way. So, look, I’ll be at the bail bondsman trying to bail you out. Hopefully, they will let you go by the end of court today.
Kendra hung up the phone feeling a little more relieved that her sister wouldn’t let her stay in jail. Kendra rubbed her hands on her pants, trying to knock the sweat out. Anyone could tell she was nervous. She talked to a few of the girls. They helped her to ease her mind by telling jokes. One girl got real serious and said, “Fuck that! It’s best to fight your case in the streets with a real lawyer instead of using a public pretender that has tons of other cases and don’t give a damn.”
Kendra understood and thanked the women for their information.
“Shit! Does it take this long to see the damn judge?” Kendra asked, becoming antsy. She wanted to know what the judge was going to do with her, being that this was her first time behind bars and she had no criminal background.
“You might as well get comfortable, honey. Some of us don’t make it to see the judge,” another said, sensing Kendra’s aggravation.
Nicole had been up all night counting money. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She had gone back to Trent’s spot. This time, she took all the money and the dope. She had tried to count the money by hand, but she soon learned that it was too tiring. After she’d counted five g’s, Nicole went to a pawn shop and bought a money counter machine and a scale. When she got back to the room, she had a visitor. It was the same visitor from the hospital. Her hair was still pulled back in a ponytail. Her earrings still sparkled, and the perfume that lit up the room contained notes of jasmine and lavender. The stranger said to Nicole, “I hope you’re not trying to run. If so, I will find you and kill you myself.” She never took her eyes off of Nicole.
“Look. I’m not afraid of dying. Shit! I been beating death my whole life. The child I was carrying was stomped out of me. I’m tired. Besides, I don’t have anywhere to run.” The two women were now standing face-to-face.
“After you finish counting this money, start counting the money in the safe over there. I’ll be back,” the woman said.
Then, she left the room. Nicole couldn’t wait for all this to be over. Then, she wouldn’t have to live in seclusion anymore. She wanted to come out from hiding.
Nicole tested out the money counter to see if it worked. Once she was satisfied with its performance, she inserted hundreds, fifties, and twenties to be counted. By the time the sun rose, Nicole had counted over ten million dollars. She was so excited. She gathered all the money and arranged it nicely in the safe. Then, she waited. While she waited, she watched movie after movie and ordered room service. She stuffed her face until she passed out.
Unfortunately, Kendra never made it to see the judge. All hopes of her getting out soon faded, and fear took over her. Kendra had been transferred to Lynwood Station for women. Kendra wanted to cry, but she sucked it up. She didn’t want to show any kind of weakness.
“Nia, I need you to hurry please,” Kendra whispered to herself. Kendra tried calling her sister collect again, but her call was never accepted. Feeling alone, Kendra didn’t know what to do. Just when she was about to give up. Her name was called. After filing some paper work, Kendra was now released on a hundred thousand dollar
