Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(79)

“All of them,” he answered, but looked unhappy about her inquisitiveness.

She suspected there were things he wasn’t telling her, but if she continued to pursue this line of questioning, he might decide she shouldn’t work the case at all. The last thing she wanted was to get this yanked from her.

He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his desk. “If you’re not comfortable—”

“I’m fine,” she said before he could say it.

“But if you don’t trust him—”

“The best way for me to start trusting him is to work with him, right?” Her gut knotted at the thought of Burnett pulling her from the case.

He continued to stare at her. Hard. He didn’t say anything. She could see the debate going on in his eyes. To give her this case or pull her off. And it didn’t look as if it was going in her favor.

“I want to catch this creep,” she said. “It’s the least I can do.”

Burnett’s frown deepened. “Della, there is a fine line agents have to follow. It lies between wanting justice and somehow feeling responsible for the horrible things we see. There are cases that never get solved. People die. People we love die, like Chan, and I know you feel responsible, but…”

“I know I didn’t cause his death,” Della said.

“But you still feel responsible, don’t you?” he said adamantly.

It was a direct question. She couldn’t lie. “If I’d answered his call, or called him back, I might have been able to prevent it. But Chan’s death doesn’t have anything to do with me working this case.”

“The emotional state of an agent always affects their ability to work a case.”

“I can do this, Burnett.”

He set his hands on his desk. The light from the window shined through and made his black hair look almost blue. He picked up a pen and rolled it in his hands.

He continued to study her. “When I was fourteen, there was a girl I liked. Half human, half fae. We used to go to the lake and swim all the time.”

He paused and set the pen down as if the memory took him back to the past. “One afternoon she called and wanted me to go to the lake with her. I had another friend ask me to go running with him earlier, and I didn’t want to let him down. She went to the lake with a few other friends. She drowned that day. I was horrified, and for about a year I blamed myself. If I’d been there, I could have saved her. It took a long time to realize that sometimes bad things happen, and it’s not anyone’s fault.”

Della glanced up at him. “Maybe in time I’ll come to the same conclusion. But only if I stay busy with other things.” Like catching a killer.

“Fine. You can work the case with Chase, but don’t make me regret this decision.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

His gaze filled with empathy. “Time is always our friend,” he said. “But in the meantime, try to ease up on yourself. Our hearts get too heavy if we carry too much guilt and grief around all the time.”

She felt the weight in her chest right now. She nodded. “You’re beginning to sound like Holiday.”

“She does have a way of rubbing off on me.” His concerned expression changed to something softer.

Love, Della thought. Burnett and Holiday were still crazy about each other. Just like Kylie and Lucas, Miranda and Perry. Even her parents. Would she ever be able to let herself go there again?

Della’s thoughts jumped from love to the case. “Do you suspect the vampire gang of the murders?”

“We don’t have a firm lead, yet,” he said. “The morgue report is a bit confusing. The killer fed on the victims, was more physically violent than normal, which almost says the killer had motive, anger issues. The male victim was worse than the female.”

“You think the vampire knew them?”

“It’s a possibility, but it’s more likely that he was a fresh turn and he was simply overzealous.”

“He?” she asked, wondering how he knew it wasn’t a female.

“Usually males will go easier on a female. And the size of the bite marks puts the jaw size more consistent with a male. There was also a hair found. DNA hasn’t come back yet, but it was black and short.”

“Could it have been some random hair?”

“It had both victims’ blood on it,” he said matter-of-factly. “So it’s unlikely. But still possible.”

She almost shivered at the thought. “So a male with short, dark hair.”

Burnett nodded. “Perhaps a fresh turn.” He hesitated. “We’re hoping if you and Chase hang out with a few gang members you will hear something that could help. And since both you and Chase got a trace of the killer, if he’s there, you’ll know. That said, my main concern is that if you got his trace, he might have gotten both of yours.”

“I don’t think so,” Della said, having already thought about it. “He was escaping, running. I don’t think his senses were on alert. The only reason I got his scent was because it was late and I knew he had to be an intruder.”

“Maybe,” he said. “But I still want you to be on high alert. And while you’re out in the field, under no circumstances are you to leave Chase’s side.” He pointed a finger at her, and his expression went stern. “If you disobey this rule, your chances of ever working another case for the FRU are nil. Is that clear?”