“Yeah.” Roy grinned. “I got a sister that’s a whore and a right-hand man who likes to pillow talk.”
“And what’s the right-hand man talking about?” Donna asked.
“Yuoko Kon.”
“Tell me about him.”
Donna listened as the dealer gave her the rundown on everything Kon. Once he had spilled all the tea, she smiled and completed their hand-to-hand transaction. Though Donna had no need for the heroin he was holding, she slid Kenzo’s confidential informant a couple hundred dollars and took it anyway.
Roy tilted his head and looked at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. “You need anything else?” he asked while checking her out through a squint. “Anything at all?” His voice had turned strangely deep and lustful. Donna laughed at the sudden change.
“No, thanks. I’m good.” She turned and jogged down the street before he could drop his next line.
NIYAH
Niyah stood out of the way while two orderlies placed a body on her examination table. “Thank you,” she told them when they were done.
“No, problem, Doc,” Christian, the tall one, responded. That was all she knew about him; his name and that he was tall.
With PPE in place, she walked over to the table and did a quick scan of the decedent. “Subject is a 47-year-old white female,” she began while using a foot-operated digital device to record. “Visual identification was made by a family member.” Niyah lifted the decedent's arm and examined the abrasions on her wrist. “Ligature marks found around both wrists indicate that the subject was restrained. Broken fingernails indicate the possibility of a struggle.”
Niyah stood on a stool for an overhead view. “There’s a penetrating wound to the left thigh... about 10 millimeters. Because of injury to femoral artery, cause of death is more than likely hemorrhagic shock. But that’s still to be determined.” Niyah leaned in to get a closer look. “Stippling around the wound, indicating a gunshot at close range.”
“Fucked up world we live in.”
Niyah looked up, startled by the sound of Bella’s voice. She hadn’t even heard her enter the room. “Tell me about it,” she agreed. “Life’s a bitch.”
“And then you die.” Bella finished the saying. “But… I have good news.”
Something about Bella’s tone warned that the news might not be so good. Niyah stepped off the stool, removed her PPE, and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. “Good news?”
“Yes. I have a suspect.”
Niyah used a paper towel to dry her hands. “Well, thatisgood news.” She knew her tone was dry, but she was tired of thecat-and-mouse of it all. Bella was a better detective than Niyah was a liar.
“And you know what else, friend?
Niyah sighed. “What’s that, friend?”
Bella pulled an evidence bag from her pocket. “I got something to test that unknown male DNA against.”
Niyah tossed the paper towel in the trash and turned to face Bella. “Now, how did you manage that?”
“I followed my suspect around until she disposed of this little guy.” Bella held up an evidence bag containing a popsicle stick.”
“Bomb Pop...” Niyah whispered. They were Naomi’s new addiction. “You gonna run that popsicle stick to match the DNA of an unknown male?
Bella nodded. “I am.”
Niyah exhaled a harsh breath. “So, you clocked my sister’s tea?”
“I did.”
Niyah crossed her arms. “What did my sister ever do to make you suspect her of committing multiple homicides.”
“Not a thing. It wasyourbehavior that made me suspicious. From the very beginning, I knew you were hiding something.”
Niyah sighed. “Not from the very beginning...”
