Della stared up at him and threw his words right back at him. “And you didn’t think you should’ve informed me about that?”
“That’s different,” he said.
“Yeah. The difference being, you expect me to be completely forthcoming with you, while you do just the opposite.”
His scowl deepened. “But since you weren’t forthcoming with me, your argument doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.” He ran a hand over his face.
“If he was gone, I’d planned on telling you.”
“Which was too late to do anything,” he seethed.
Della couldn’t argue with that. “How did he leave without setting off the alarm?”
“He didn’t. He called in the middle of the night and said he had to go see an old friend who was in trouble. I believed him. But … considering my suspicions, I had someone follow him.”
“So you didn’t lose him. What’s the issue?” Della asked.
“He got away.”
“He’s fast,” Della said.
Burnett nodded. “When I went to his cabin this morning, his stuff was all gone.” Burnett hesitated. “Did he say anything else?”
“Only that he was looking for someone,” she told him.
“Who?”
“He wouldn’t say,” Della exhaled. “But considering he left, I’m assuming he didn’t find him or her here.”
“Then why stay as long as he did? And why agree to help work this case?”
“I asked that. He said you’re the one who suggested it. And since he was good at what he did, he thought he’d help find a killer. So maybe that was why he stayed.”
“Do you believe him, or do you think he had some ulterior motive for being here?”
She mentally chewed on the question for a couple of seconds. “I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I think I believe him.” She rubbed her temple, which still throbbed. Not sharp shooting pains, but just enough of a dull ache to make her take notice.
When she looked up, Burnett stared at her. “What?” she asked.
“Chris is right, you don’t look well. Are you feeling okay?”
She grinned. “Chris said I looked like shit.”
Burnett arched an eyebrow. “Holiday is on to me about my language. She said too many of the students are cursing, especially the vampires. She says I’m a bad influence on them.” He cut her a direct look as if accusing her of having a potty mouth.
“Well, damn!” Della grinned, finding it funny that the badass vampire got called out for his language. When he didn’t respond to her humor, she sobered. “I’ll watch what I say when I’m around her so you won’t get in trouble.” She paused. “How is she doing?”
“Like you. She looks tired, worn out. But she has a reason. You … I’m not so sure.”
“I’m not pregnant, if that’s what you’re asking.”
He looked appalled. “I wasn’t asking.”
“It was a late night,” Della said. “I’ll be fine.” She dropped her hand from her temple. Out of the blue, an image of Billy filled her head. “I’d bet I’m doing better than Billy.”
“I’d have to agree with you on that. The DNA came back on the hair.”
“And?” Della asked, wanting to rub it in a little that she’d been right. She deserved that. Then she’d tell him about Phillip Lance.
“It’s a match,” Burnett said. “They’ve officially arrested him about five this morning.”
“No!” Doubt reared its head in her chest. “He didn’t … I still don’t—”
“He’s guilty, Della. I know you didn’t want to believe that.” He rested his hand on her shoulder. “And if it makes you feel any better, we’ll go easy on him because … fresh turns don’t always have control. But he’ll spend some time in jail, and hopefully in the next few years we’ll have him rehabilitated.”
“But I have another—”
“It’s a done deal. The report came back positive. I’m supposed to go and finalize the paperwork and set up sentencing. Now go get some breakfast, and if you’re still tired, skip your first classes and take a nap.”
“You don’t understand,” Della demanded. “I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen. I think I’ve found another suspect.”
“You are the one not listening,” he said. The DNA is a match.” He frowned but with empathy. “In this job, second to seeing the victims, the hardest thing is sometimes arresting the guilty—especially the fresh turns. It hurts like hell … heck … to realize that sometimes good people can do terrible things.”
Della swallowed and tried to accept it, but that stupid voice started chanting again in her head, and it came in rhythm with the throb in her temple.
Innocent. Innocent. Innocent.
Chapter Thirty-two
Della skipped campmate hour and went back to her cabin to do an Internet search on Billy Jennings. She was right: He belonged to the school band. And to the chess club. The guy was an honor student. And not even a cool honor student. He was a geek. How could someone so … so perfectly geeky kill Lorraine and John?
Feeling as if she couldn’t do a damn thing to help Billy, she cut the computer off and went to her first class—science. But by the time she sat down, her head pounded so hard it felt as if her eyes were going to pop out.
Mr. Yates, Jenny’s brother as well as their teacher, stood up in front of the class talking about how cell phones and signals worked.
Della didn’t give a rat’s ass. All she could think about was her headache and then Billy. Playing the flute one week, being arrested for murder the next.
“There’s one a couple of miles from here.” Perry spoke up, but his voice sounded distant, as if he were far away. “I never get service there.”
All of a sudden, Mr. Yates’s phone rang. “Well, someone isn’t in the dead zone.” He answered the call. Then the teacher looked right at Della, his gaze almost angry. “Innocent.” His voice echoed like they were in a cave. “Innocent!” he yelled.
“What?” Della asked. But when she blinked Mr. Yates wasn’t looking at her and was back talking into his cell. What in hell’s bells was going on? Had she just imagined…?
She blinked again and the fogginess in her brain increased. The air suddenly changed, and she smelled wet dirt. It had turned night. Her gaze shot around, expecting to see the classroom, but she saw only woods, the trees stared down at her. Sh glanced down at her hands. A diamond ring, an engagement ring, sparkled up at her from her left hand. Engagement ring? What the hell?