CHAPTER NINE
BELLA
Bella pulled to the curb in front of Kara Edward’s house. It was 3:45 in the afternoon and Bella hadn’t heard a word from her. She’d tried several times to reach her by phone, but she was unsuccessful. The woman had a knack for blowing Bella off. A squad car occupied by two uniformed officers pulled behind her. She stepped out of her unmarked Chevy and walked toward Kara’s townhouse. She had been able to secure the warrant for her arrest based on Kara’s cell phone records, a combination of her own false statements, and hearsay statements from a confidential informant—Rosemary.
With the uniformed officers behind her, Bella jogged up the steps. As she reached the landing, Bella could see that one of the French doors was open. She and the officers shared a look before approaching the door. Bella knocked hard and called out Kara’s name. When there was no answer, she stepped inside the townhouse. She eased her .45 out of its holster and began to search the house. One of the officers veered toward the living room. The other headed up the stairs. Bella crept, weapon drawn, down the main hall. She took quiet, careful steps to the kitchen where she found nothing. Then she turned and headed back down the hall. There were two closed doors. She slowly opened the first door. It was the hall closet. Bella cleared it, closed it, and walked toward the second door. Since she’d been at the house the day before, Bella knew that room to be Kara’s office. Still holding her pistol, Bella turned the knob and stepped inside Kara’s office.
The search for Kara was over.
Bella gasped in horror at the gruesome scene. She inhaled a deep breath and blew it out while struggling to hold on to her lunch. The carnage before her was ungodly. It was an absolute bloodbath. There was blood covering almost every inch of the office. Kara’s bloody body was lying on the desk. She would’ve been facing the ceilingifshe’d had a head. Her head had been completely severed from her body and placed on top of her stomach. It had been positioned to face whoever entered the room.
“Oh, shit!” exclaimed one of the officers behind her.
Bella groaned and pulled her radio out of her back pocket. She placed it to her mouth and pressed the key. “5813,” she announced into the radio.
“Go ahead, 5813,” the dispatcher prompted.
“Oh, my God,” mumbled the other officer as he did the sign of the cross.
Bella turned from the officer and spoke into the radio. “Squad, I got 110 at 1301 North State Parkway.”
“5813, do you need me to roll you an ambulance just to be sure?”
“There is no need for an ambulance, squad. Please notify the coroner, the crime lab, and my supervisor. I believe her beat number is 5810.”
“10-4, 5813. You okay? You need backup?” the dispatcher asked.
“Naw, I got a beat car on scene. But can you roll me a couple of cars to secure the crime scene.”
“10-4, 5813. Stand by.”
Bella stuffed the radio back inside her pocket and looked up to the ceiling.
“Fuck!” she shouted, furious that she’d just caught another goddamned homicide.
****
After several calls, Bella was finally able to get in contact with Taylor. She was hoping that Taylor was home, but of course, she wasn’t. So, Bella found herself riding the elevator to Victor’s apartment in Storm Tower. It had been a week since she’d seen Victor’s brother and she didn’t feel like fighting with her feminine parts like she always did whenever he was near.
For the life of her, Bella couldn’t understand why her blood heated, her skin tingled, and her pussy throbbed every time Lucas was in the room. The last time he was near, her nipples stayed hard from the warmth of his suggestive gaze.
Bella took a breath and wiped all thoughts of Lucas Creed from her head. Truthfully, folks were dropping like flies around her. She had too much shit to do to be worried about a man who she had no possible future with.
“Hello, Detective,” Gregor greeted.
“Hello. Taylor and the governor are expecting me.”
“I’m aware of that, Detective. I need to hold your weapon.”
“Ugh!” Bella grumbled, rolling her eyes. “Look, dude, Governor Creed has already allowed me to keep my weapon in his presence before.”
“Yes, but, that was before we had a discussion that culminated in the governor allowing me to do my job. Now, you are more than welcome to enter, but not with a weapon.”
“Look, Gregor. Your nameisGregor, right?”
“It is,” Gregor responded with a nod.
“Well, Gregor, I’m on duty. It’s my right to hold on to my weapon.”
