CHAPTER 27
NIYAH
Niyah stepped into the dark, dilapidated southside apartment building and looked to the sergeant. He moved to the side hand pointed toward the back of the house. “Last bedroom on the left. Detective Deveraux is back there.”
“Detective Deveraux?” Niyah questioned.
She had talked to Bella earlier that day, and every day of the two weeks since Niyah had returned to work. From her understanding, Bella was doing well but still recovering.
“Yeah. She’s been back there for a while now.”
“Um, okay. Thanks.” Niyah walked down a hall that was dimly lit by a light coming from the room on the left.
She stepped inside and, sure enough, Bella was kneeling over her naked homicide victim.
It was only when Bella looked up to say hello did Niyah realize that Bella wasn’t Bella.
The detective she was looking at was Donatella.
Niyah looked back to make sure no one was standing near them. When she realized the coast was clear, she whipped around to Donna. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“I’m impersonating Bella… duh,” Donna muttered.
“I can see that, Donna! Why are you impersonating your sister?”
“I’m trying to draw out whoever is trying to kill her.”
Niyah’s eyes flew open from shock. “So they can kill you!” she yelled in a whisper.
Donna rolled her eyes. “Come on, Doc,” she said with a huff. “I’ve already been through this with Linc. I don’t wanna go through it again. Now, can we work this case?”
Niyah blinked in disbelief. “You don’t even work homicides! Do you even know what you're doing?”
“I’m a detective, a trained and seasoned investigator. Of course, I know what I’m doing.”
Niyah exhaled a harsh breath. She didn’t like the position Donna was putting her in, but she wasn’t about to blow her cover. “So, what we got here?” she relented with a huff.
Donna sighed with relief. “Okay, we got a male black, probably between 25 and 30, with multiple puncture wounds, concentrated in the center of his torso.”
“Did you get any info from canvasing the neighborhood?” Niyah asked while slipping on a pair of gloves.
“Nothing yet.”
Niyah walked over to the body and noticed right away that the victim had “WWM” tattooed on his left pectoral muscle and dried bodily fluids on his stomach and genitals. “Donna, this is gonna be a problem.”
“Why? What is it?”
“Bella and I were working this case. It’s the fourth homicide with the exact same MO.”
“Damn,” Donna mumbled.
Yeah. So, it can never get out that you are impersonating your sister. Because now, we’re dealing with a serial killer and if we’re lucky enough to catch him, this could blow up in our faces at trial.
“Okay, then, let’s keep it tight. No shortcuts.”
Niyah glared at Donna. “I don’t take shortcuts.”
Donna grinned. “Okay, okay. Do yo’ thang, body lady.”
Niyah grabbed the decedent's arm to check for rigor mortis. But when trying to gauge the flexibility of his joints, the glare from a piece of jewelry pinned under his arm caught her eye. Niyah pressed her lips together and closed her eyes tight before returning her attention to the dead man’s arm on the bed.
“Donna, I just need a second to check his body temp. I’ll be able to give you a time of death. Can you check the canvas info for me?”
“Why do you need canvas info? How does that help you?” Donna inquired.
Niyah made work of looking busy with the body. “It helps with time of death.”
“Mm-kay. Be right back.”
Niyah hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until Donna left the room.
She exhaled and nervous breath, lifted the dead man’s arm, and retrieved the bracelet that was underneath it.
It was a silver Tiffany bracelet, but it was the charm that had caught her eye.
She lifted the bracelet and studied the charm in the shape of half a heart.
Niyah clutched it tight in her fist and closed her eyes.
She was in complete disbelief of what she’d come across at the scene of a serial homicide.
Before a crisis of conscious or belief in civic duty could kick in, Niyah stuffed the bracelet into the pocket of her coveralls.