She wasn’t sorry.
Niyah’s eyes widened with fear. She looked at Bella like a woman who’d been caught with her skirt around her ankles.
Why so guilty?Bella wondered. “Everything okay?”
“Y-yes. It’s… um… It’s fine,” Niyah stuttered.
Bella studied her friend with a wrinkled brow. Niyah was behaving like a guilty person, but what was she guilty of? What the fuck was wrong with her? Why was she acting all weird? And who the fuck is this?
Bella watched as Niyah tried to pull herself together. She straightened her spine and pretended to act normal. Only Bella wasn’t buying it. “What’s wrong?” she finally asked.
Niyah forced a smile. “Nothing. Just fighting with my sister.”
Bella knew Niyah had a sister, but she’d never met her. From her understanding, her sister had spent a lot of time in and out of rehab. “Hi. It’s Naomi, right?”
Naomi smiled. “Yes. Hi.”
Niyah’s sister was beautiful. If she was a drug addict, you couldn’t tell by looking at her. With her curvy body and long limbs, she looked more like a supermodel. “I’m sorry for interrupting. But it’s really nice to meet you.”
Niyah cleared her throat. “Naomi, this is Bella.”
Naomi’s eyes widened as if she recognized the name. “Oh, Bella... the big-time detective. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
“Likewise.” Bella stared with a squint. Other than sharing the same complexion, the sisters didn’t look much alike. Both were pretty, but with completely different features. The soft lines of Niyah’s full face and pronounced dimples were a noticeable contrast to Naomi’s sharp jawline and high cheekbones. Naomi was athletically lean, whereas Niyah was voluptuous and curvy.
“Bella?”
Niyah’s voice snatched her out of her thoughts.
“We were kind of in the middle of something.”
“Oh, shit! I’m sorry. I just stopped by to see if you got anything back from the crime lab.”
Niyah shook her head. “Not yet.”
Bella pursed her lips. She knew for a fact, Niyah had been cc’d on the email from Sheila. Either she hadn’t checked her mail or she was lying. Niyah’s demeanor caused Bella to suspect the latter. Something wasn’t right. Bella couldn’t put her finger on it, but she trusted her instincts. “Okay, I’ma let y’all get back to what you were doing. Naomi, it was nice meeting you.”
“Nice meeting you too,” she replied with a smile.
Bella knew she was looking at the woman a little too long, so she cleared her throat and turned to leave.
“See you later, Bella,” Niyah called.
“All right,” Bella responded over her shoulder.
She entered the hall, grabbed her phone from her back pocket, and scrolled until she found the email from Sheila. A little voice in the back of her head told Bella to take another look at the DNA profile.
CHAPTER 43
DONNA
Donna crossed the quiet parking lot and checked out her appearance in the mirrored elevator doors. The long hair draping her shoulders made her look like Bella, but the short skirt and bustier gave Victoria vibes during her track-walking days.
Donna pulled the black keycard from her bosom and activated the garage door. The doors separated. She stepped in and pushed the button for the fourth floor. When the doors opened, mellow house music poured into the elevator.
Donna stepped off the elevator and walked up to a reception desk where she was greeted by a pretty receptionist with a big afro and perfect white teeth. “Welcome to The Cage. May I have your keycard?”
Donna handed the woman her card. The woman slid the card in a machine. She smiled and returned the card. “I hope you enjoy your time with us, Ms. Bell.”
