Who’s there?
***
“So, how’s Naomi? What has she been up to?”
“Girl, she’s good, full of surprises, though,” Bella noted with a chuckle. “She showed up at my job and took me to lunch. For one, I don’t think she’s ever been to my job. And get this, the heffa actually paid for lunch.”
Bella laughed. “She wants something.”
“For fucking sure, she does. She was even asking about my work. Since when does she give two shits about what I do?”
Niyah frowned. Bella’s strained laughter was cause for concern. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She’d only been awake for a few hours. Niyah was so excited when her number had popped up on the caller ID. But the moment she heard her voice she could tell that she was not well.
“I’m okay. I’m beat the fuck up, but I feel okay. How are you? I heard you had a little bit of excitement down in the morgue.”
“To put it mildly,” Niyah scoffed, pushing through the double doors to walk into the hospital.
“I’m sorry about your intern, but I am so happy that you weren’t there when the killer came looking for that body.”
“You and me both,” Niyah admitted with a sigh.
She turned the corner to enter the hall that led to her office and froze. After a big step back, Niyah shielded herself behind the wall and peeped around the corner. The handsome Asian doctor from the night before was peering into her office.
“Bella, he’s here,” she whispered into the phone.
“Who’s there?”
“The dude from last night, the Asian guy who I bumped into right before Mario was murdered.”
“Oh, shit! What’s he doing?”
“He’s trying to get into my office.” Niyah eyes flew open when the maybe doctor pulled a handgun from the pocket of his white coat and turned the doorknob. “He’s got a gun!” Niyah blurted in a whisper.
“Get out of there! Get out of there now, Niyah!”
Niyah turned and took off down the hall. She tore through the double doors and ran toward the parking lot.
“Niyah, don’t go to your car! Go to that diner across the street.”
Niyah changed course and ran across the street.
“You there yet?” Bella asked.
Niyah caught her breath and responded. “Yeah.”
“Look around for an exit sign. When you find it, go and sit near it.”
Niyah found the exit and took a seat as close to it as possible. “Should I call the police?”
“No. They’ll just show up all ignorant to what’s going on, asking a bunch of dumb questions, only to create a useless police report.”
“What do I do?”
“Stay there. I’m gonna find out who’s handling the case now that I’m down. I’ll send somebody for you.”
“Okay.” Niyah sighed.
***
Twenty minutes and four cups of coffee later, Xander Creed entered the diner.
Niyah sighed with relief as the fear instantly melted away.
There was a seriousness in his expression as he stalked through the restaurant clad in a dark, custom-fit suit that did nothing to hide his strong torso and thick, muscular thighs.
Niyah looked around and as expected, every feminine eye was trained on Xander. By the time he made it to her, his icy blue eyes were clouded with anger.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Niyah nodded. “I’m okay.”
Xander pulled his wallet from inside his jacket. He assembled some cash and tossed it on the table. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Niyah reluctantly stood and looked out of the window. Xander grabbed her doctor’s coat and pulled it off. He folded it over his and placed his hand to the small of her back. “You’re okay, sweetheart. Let’s go.”
Niyah allowed him to escort her out of the diner.
He loaded her into a waiting SUV and climbed in beside her.
Xander looked down at her hands and frowned.
Both were fisted so tight that her knuckles had turned white.
His warm hands covered hers. He massaged her fingers, prying them from the palm of her hands. “Let’s get you home.”
Niyah nodded and leaned back against the leather seat. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
Xander lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. “I’ll always come for you, sweet lady.”
Niyah smiled and relaxed in the safety of his presence. Soon, they pulled up in front of her building. Xander got out and walked around the vehicle to open her door. He held his hand out to assist her out of the SUV. “I’ll take you up.”
Niyah placed her hand in his and climbed out. With her small hand securely encased in his large fingers, they made their way to the door.
“Good afternoon, Dr. Reed,” greeted the daytime doorman as he opened the door.
“Good afternoon, Leon. Thank you.”
Niyah and Xander crossed the lobby and took the elevator up to her floor.
As soon as the elevator doors separated, the delicious aroma of creole seasonings invaded her senses.
Suddenly, remembering India’s promise to make a seafood feast, she turned to Xander.
“My friend is here. She’s cooking dinner for me. You’re welcome to stay.”
Xander smiled. “Is her cooking as good as mine?”
“Of course, not,” she responded facetiously.
Niyah typed in the code to unlock the door and called for India once they were inside.
When she didn’t get an answer, she walked into the kitchen.
There were live lobsters in the sink and food cooking on the stove.
Maybe India was in her favorite but forbidden spot in the condo.
So, Niyah headed to her bedroom to drag her out of her closet.
But when she stepped inside, there was no sign of India.
She must have gone back to her condo for something.
Niyah placed her bag on the floor by the dresser and went to pee. When she went into the bathroom, the sensor activated the light. After a quick glance in the mirror to see what Xander had been looking at for the last twenty minutes, she concluded that she didn’t look half bad.
Niyah pee-pee danced over to the toilet and pulled her scrubs down. But before her ass could meet the seat, her eyes landed on India’s bloody body curled up in her bathtub. An instinctive scream escaped her throat and bounced off the bathroom walls.
Niyah fell back, landing between the toilet and the wall. She pulled her knees to her chest and tucked her face inside.
“Niyah!” Xander yelled. “Niyah, I’m coming in!” After the door opened, he shouted, “Oh, shit!”
“That’s my friend!” Niyah sobbed with tears saturating her face.
“Okay, sweetie.” Xander walked over and sat on the edge of the bathtub. He placed two fingers on India’s neck and dropped his head. Judging from the solemn look on his face, India was dead.
“Oh, my God,” Niyah sobbed.
Xander stood and walked over to Niyah. He picked her up from the corner and wrapped his arm around her. “Come on.”
He led her out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. Since her scrubs were down around her ankle, walking was difficult. Niyah thought he was going to sit her on the bed, but he leaned her against a wall instead. Warm tears saturated her face as she pictured her sweet friend’s bloody corpse.
“Niyah, we need to call the police. But, first, I gotta get you out of these clothes.”
When Xander lifted her legs so that she could step out of the scrubs, Niyah caught his hand.
She reached to pull them back up, only to discover that they were wet.
With a gasp, Niyah realized that she’d pissed herself.
Unable to imagine herself being any more embarrassed, Niyah lifted her leg and allowed him to peel away her urine-soaked clothes.
Xander returned to the bathroom, leaving her naked, humiliated, and horrified. He came out with a large bath towel. “You go to the guest bath and get cleaned up,” he said as he wrapped her in the towel. “I’ll call the police and bring you something clean to wear.”
Niyah swiped a tear from her cheek and nodded.
She pushed off the wall and left the bedroom, headed for the guest bath.
Once inside, she sat on the toilet and inhaled a deep breath.
Death didn’t affect her like it did most. Niyah saw the dead body as a vehicle, merely a vessel that carried the soul, much like a car that was absent a passenger.
But India was her friend. She didn’t see a vessel in her bathtub.
It was India, her drinking buddy, sounding board, travel partner, and fellow foodie.
Niyah stood, clutching the towel and walked over to the mirror. “Get yourself together!” she scolded. She needed to get over the humiliation of being stripped naked by Xander Creed because she’d peed her pants. It was almost certain that he’d never look at her the same again.
Niyah turned around and prepared the shower. Maybe she could scrub away the shame. ?