Bella studied the deceased through a squint. “The puncture wounds are tiny as fuck. What did those?”
Niyah shook her head. “I can’t be sure right now. But if I had to guess, I would say an icepick or something like it.”
“Hmph,” Bella moaned, perplexed. “Gangbangers don’t die like this.”
Niyah nodded in agreement and looked down at her vibrating phone. It was yet another text from her mother reminding her about dinner. She stuffed the phone in her pocket and turned to Bella. “How are the wedding plans coming along?”
“It’s a fucking nightmare,” Bella grumbled with an eye roll.
Niyah laughed. She’d never been married, but she could only assume planning a wedding was stressful. Not to mention, time-consuming. Being a homicide detective carried enough stress. She definitely didn’t have a lot of downtime. “We’re almost there, Bella. My last dress fitting is Thursday.”
Niyah was a bridesmaid and Bella and Lucas Creed’s wedding. Although she was just as busy as Bella, she was more than happy to stand for her friend.
“Time of death?” Bella asked, getting back to the business at hand.
Niyah shook her head. “Haven’t gotten that far yet.”
Bella raised a brow and twirled her index finger as if to hurry her along. “Well, come on with it, Shorty. I got shit to do.”
Niyah frowned. “You just got here. Don’t be fucking rushing me!”
Bella looked down at the body and pointed at the victim’s genitals. “This is our killer right here,” she concluded, pointing to the dry bodily fluid on his penis.
Niyah shook her head. “Not necessarily. It can also be the victims. I’ll get it tested when I get him back to the morgue.”
After checking the victim’s body temperature and the rigidity of his limps, Niyah theorized that the victim had been killed twelve to fourteen hours before. But she wanted to run a toxicology screening and check his stomach contents before giving Bella a definitive answer.
Niyah stepped back and peeled the gloves from her fingers. “Get him bagged. I’ll have something for you soon.”
Bella pulled her radio out of her back pocket, pressed the call button, and spoke. “2289.”
After a chirp, the dispatcher responded. “Go, 2289.”
“Squad, can you send the wagon to this location to do a removal?”
“Wagon for a removal, I got you. 10-4.”
Niyah stuffed the gloves into a Ziplock bag and into her pocket. “I’ll call you tomorrow. I’m having dinner with my family tonight.”
Bella grimaced because, according to Niyah, dinner with her family never turned out well. “Have fun with that.”
“Yep,” Niyah quipped. “I’ll see you at the party Saturday.”
“Okay.” Bella dropped to a knee and looked under the bed.
Niyah left, leaving Bella to focus on her crime scene. Her autopsy room was her biggest investigative tool. The real work would start when the body hit her table.
CHAPTER 2
NIYAH
Niyah parked near the curb in front of her mother’s Mount Greenwood home and hopped out of the car.
“Hi, Niyah!” shouted the neighbor from across the street.
Niyah turned and waved. “Hey, Mrs. Cleary. How’s it going?”
“Good. Tell your mom hi for me.”
