on the planet. Her brown skin was effervescent and was paired with stark, black hair and those amber eyes. She could have graced the cover of any magazine and sold a bazillion copies.
I lifted the toddler bundle of love and set her on my lap facing the room. Sitting in various positions, on the chairs, the floor, and standing close were every single one of my sisters. Except freakin’ Tabby.
“No Tabby?” I asked the room.
Each sister looked away, gave a pissed-off face, or just sighed.
“I stopped by her apartment when I left work,” Genesis said. “Her place was quiet. I’m thinking next time I need to touch base with the manager and see if we can’t get in. I’m starting to worry about her safety. That rat-infested place is scary and I’m certain there are drug dealers sitting on the stoop. It was so bad, I went there before I picked up Rory because I don’t want her there.”
“I’ll go, I have a key,” Mama said as she came in with a tray filled with meats, cheeses, jams, and crackers.
“Not alone you won’t.” Charlie threw her two cents in. “Drug dealers, nut-uh. Not happenin’, Mama.” My sister shrugged and then put her hand out to Blessing who gave her a fist bump that exploded after they touched.
I grinned at the two.
“Now that you’re all here, Agent Fontaine has some news he needs to share. However…” Mama held out her loving, eager arms to her grandbaby, wiggling the fingers and all. “This conversation is not for little ears! You want to help Grammy frost some cupcakes, my lovely?”
Rory bounced up and into her grandmother’s arms. “I wike pink cupcakes!” she exclaimed.
“Oh, I know, my girl. I’ve got pink with sprinkles ready!”
Rory raised her little arms into the air and cheered. “Yay!”
Genesis patted her daughter’s back as they walked by and Charlie kissed the girl’s cheek as they passed the threshold of the room where she was leaning against the jamb.
“Ladies, this is not good news so I’m going to get straight to the point. You are aware of what happened to Simone and me last night?”
Each of them gave their own nod or soft reply. He took the time to look each one of them directly in the eye. I appreciated that about him instantly. Wanting to ensure he had everyone’s attention, no one left out.
“Today my partner and I took Simone to her place to gather some of her things. Since the perpetrator took off with her car, ID, house keys, etc., it wasn’t safe for her to go alone and I’m very glad that we did. When we got there, we found a body…”
“A body!” Blessing blurted out. “Excuse me, sir. I do not think I heard you correctly.” She placed a hand to her hip, the other held in a cup shape behind her ear. There was nothing but sass in every ounce of her form. “Say that one more time?”
He licked his lips and sighed. “When we arrived, the location had been trashed.”
“Oh my god!” Genesis covered her mouth.
“No shit!” Charlie blinked staring at Jonah with her mouth hanging open.
“Dios mio. No!” Liliana added.
“That’s it. You’re outta there. Permanently.” My sister Sonia stood up, phone in her hand, buttons already being pressed.
Jonah stood up and put his hands out in front of him and waved the air in a calm down gesture as though the air itself were pressurized.
Me, I just brought my legs up and curled my form around my knees and waited for this to blow up.
“Let’s just settle down so I can explain everything without having to repeat myself.” Jonah’s FBI authoritative voice came out and was stern, demanding, and held no room for defiance.
A little thrill of excitement shimmered down my chest to settle low in my belly, warming me from the inside out.
“The body had been strangled, defaced, and left for Simone to find on her bed.”
Another round of gasps from the peanut gallery and some curses. Fear filled the room. I could practically feel the desperation and anxiety pumping off my sisters in a collective rush, battering my soul like a choppy ocean wave against the shore.
“Who was killed?” Sonia crossed her arms over her chest, her phone tapping against her bicep.
“The building manager, Katrina,” I answered, her face ghosting past my vision. I held back the tears but only just. The roller coaster that had been my life the last two days was not one I’d like to ever ride