Unspoken (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3)(111)

“You knew Mr. and Mrs. Chi, right?” the other officer asked.

“Yes,” Della said. “They were my neighbors and I pet sit for them.”

“And where were you Friday night?”

All the air in Della’s lungs came out. “You think … you think—?”

“Just answer our questions, Miss Tsang,” the ugly officer snapped.

“I was out … with a friend. I saw Mrs. Chi at a restaurant.”

“What restaurant?”

Della was about to answer when she heard a loud thump on the office porch. The door swung open, and she caught Burnett’s scent.

He stormed into the room, holding his badge out.

“Hello. I’m Burnett James, part owner of Shadow Falls Academy, and I’m with the Federal Research Unit. I was recently assigned to the Chi case and just picked up the killers tonight.”

The sneering uniformed cop stood up. “You’re with who?”

“FRU,” said the detective. “They’re an offshoot of the FBI.” He looked back at Burnett. “I didn’t know the case had been reassigned.”

“It wasn’t.” Burnett gazed at Della, almost as if he were checking on her. “We were asked to assist. One of my students”—he motioned to Della—“was friends with the victims.”

“We haven’t seen anything about the killer being caught,” the uniformed cop said.

“We just brought them in tonight, haven’t done the paperwork yet. If you’d like I’d be happy to see you out.” From his tone it wasn’t a suggestion. Burnett waved at the door.

“Wait!” Della said.

Everyone looked back her. “Why did you think that I…?”

“We should just let them go.” Holiday put another hand on Della’s shoulder.

“No,” Della said. “Who … who said I was involved?”

“Someone named you as a suspect,” the detective said.

Things suddenly became clear. And damn, it hurt. “My dad?” she asked. “He said I did this, didn’t he?”

Tears filled her eyes. The memory of how he’d looked at her before she left walked across her heart.

“Why would your dad say you did this?” the fat cop asked.

“Because he thinks I’m a monster.” Della looked at Holiday and remembered the call she’d made to Burnett.

“You knew, didn’t you? You knew he told the cops I did this!”

Della stormed out of the room before everyone got to see her cry. Before they got to witness her heart breaking.

As she ran, her feet pounding on the cold hard ground, the absurdity of it hit. She was trying to get her father off for murder while her father was trying to get her convicted. Maybe it was justice. It was her fault he’d been arrested.

She had to stop and catch her breath when she realized that her father actually thought she’d killed someone. Even with all of the evidence pointing to him, she’d never believed he could have done that. What had she done to make him hate her so much?

The answer came, with clarity. She was a monster.

She was almost to her porch when she saw Kylie standing at the window, phone to her ear. Holiday had probably called her.

Della didn’t want anyone trying to make her feel better. They couldn’t.

“Della,” someone called her name.

Recognizing his voice, she swung around and faced Chase. “Go away. Go! I don’t want to see you. I don’t want to see anyone!”

“You’re hurting,” Chase said. “I know. I just want to sit with you. Hold you.”

“I don’t want you to sit with me. I don’t want you to ever hold me again! My uncle told me, Chase. You knew he said he would come forward and wouldn’t let my dad go to jail. Why didn’t you tell me that?”

He ran a hand over the back of his head and guilt filled his eyes. “Because I wasn’t going to let that happen. He didn’t kill his sister.”

“Neither did my father!” Admitting it aloud made all this hurt so much more.

She shook her head. “And you purposely forbade him from getting in touch with you. Because you knew if he did call, you would lie. Lie to me, just like you always lie! And whatever Kirk told you, you are keeping that from me too.”

He shook his head. “Della?”

“No!” she screamed and lurched forward, knocking him on his ass. “Leave! You excel at doing it, so do it one more time. And this time, don’t come back.”

“You don’t mean that,” he said, but he didn’t get up. “You’re just upset.”

She shook her head and went and stood over him. “Listen to my heart, Chase. Hear the truth.” She wiped her tears away. “You said it was my choice if this bond lasted. I’m choosing, Chase. It’s over. Leave me the hell alone!”

She shot up the stairs, past Kylie, who stood in the doorway, and went to her bedroom.





Chapter Forty-six

Chase stood up. Della’s words sliced through him like a dull knife. But it was her pain that he felt the most.

He started up the porch, but Kylie stepped into the doorway.

“I think it might be best if you let her be alone for a while.”