Part 15 (1/2)
He chuckled again. ”Try not to move too much.”
Could someone die of embarra.s.sment? Della wondered. And after a couple of seconds, she asked, ”You're not lying, are you?”
”About what?”
”About my dad still being on the freeway.”
”No. I'm not lying. He's about to pull off. I'll tell you when it's clear.” He paused one second. ”Clear.”
She raised up. And with no other option, she looked at him. He burst out laughing.
”Your face is so red,” he said between gulps of laughter.
She growled at him, and then for reasons she couldn't explain, it all of a sudden seemed funny to her, too. The chuckle leaked out and she couldn't stop it.
They laughed practically all the way to the second address.
They made it back at 7:59. One minute before curfew. Burnett sat outside on the office porch, his phone in his hand, when they walked up. Della hadn't reached the office yet when it hit her. The whole Steve leaving issue.
”I was just about to call you,” Burnett said, and stood up to open the cabin door. Chase and Della followed him into Holiday's office.
”Anything?” he asked as he moved toward the desk.
Della suddenly wished she'd told Chase not to mention the near disaster of almost running into her dad. Knowing Burnett, the least little thing would put him back into protective mode where she was concerned.
”The Owen family wasn't home,” Chase said.
Della held her breath, hoping and praying he didn't bring it up, and ready to intervene with some other subject if he did.
”We did drop in on the Brian family,” Della added.
”Did you get anything there?” Burnett leaned against Holiday's desk.
”Yeah. Both the parents are white.” Della filled Burnett in about knocking on their door trying to sell magazines.
”I knew that,” Burnett added. ”Right after you left, the DMV finally sent me over copies of their driver's licenses. I also got both Mr. and Mrs. Owen's. White as well.”
Della nodded. ”But as you said...”
”It could just mean they aren't her biological parents,” Burnett finished her sentence for her.
”I still believe it's one of them,” Della said. ”Actually, I think she's Natasha Owen.” The moment she said it, she felt certain. ”If we'd had time, we would have gone back by their house.” She'd almost called Burnett and asked for an extended curfew, but being her first night to work the case, she knew he'd balk. ”But if we left now-”
”No, it's late. You need rest. You can go tomorrow evening.” Burnett ran a hand through his hair and looked over at the door. Della could hear someone coming up the office steps outside. Then she heard a baby's coo.
”Why do you think her name is Owen?” Burnett asked, cutting his eyes to the door, obviously waiting for his wife and child to walk in.
Della looked at Chase. She hadn't asked him earlier. Probably because she hadn't wanted to think about it. ”I felt something at her house. A sadness. I think the ghost was there. I didn't feel that at the Brians' house.”
Chase's brow tightened.
”Did you feel it, too?” she asked him.
”Yeah,” he said. ”But I was hoping I imagined it.”
Me, too, Della thought, but didn't say it.
”Fine,” Burnett said. ”You can go back tomorrow. Maybe you'll find something out.”
”Not so fast,” Holiday said, standing in the door with a baby on her hip. ”I'm a little worried about this.”
Hannah Rose started flapping her hands at the sight of her father. Burnett reached for her, pulling the little bundle close to his chest. ”I've checked with the local authorities on both the Brian family and the Owens. Neither have any criminal history. I don't think they pose any danger.”
Holiday frowned. ”It's not them I'm worried about.” The red-haired fae's gaze went from Della to Chase.
”Then who?” Della asked, almost certain the woman was going to say something about Chase. Chase's shoulders tightened as if he had the same thought.
”The ghost,” Holiday said.
”Why would the ghost hurt us?” Della asked. ”All she wants is for us to find Natasha.”
”I agree,” Chase said.
”Maybe.” Holiday reached for a strand of hair and twirled it. ”But she managed to bring both of you into a vision, and if she did what Burnett told me, with those names on the back of the picture, then she's pretty powerful. A ghost with that kind of power, and that desperate, can be dangerous. Even if their intentions aren't evil. Spirits have been known to cause mud slides, tornados. The last twenty-car pileup that happened in L.A. was because of a spirit.”
Della thought of the near accident on the freeway. That wasn't the ghost, was it? Why would she attempt to hurt them if they were trying to help her?
”I'm not going to stop looking for Natasha,” Della insisted, and shot Chase a glance hoping to communicate to him not to mention the near accident. If Holiday or Burnett thought the ghost was dangerous, they'd be even more out to put a stop to this.
Chase's eyes widened as if he recalled the accident. Della shook her head so slightly.
Holiday spoke up again. ”I'm not suggesting you stop. Just make her give you a little more information before she sends you off on more wild-goose chases.”
Della appreciated Holiday's concern but ... ”You said ghosts do what they want, when they want. It's not like I can text her to send me some info.”
”But if you stop following her leads, she'll be forced to give you something else. The more she gives you, the more able you'll be to figure this out.”
”I don't want to stop,” Della said, and the ghost didn't want her to stop, either. She felt it, didn't like feeling it, but she did. ”Natasha and Liam are going to die if we don't find them. And fast.”
Della saw it in Holiday's eyes again. She didn't think they were alive. ”Don't say it,” Della said, tilting up her chin in defiance.
”Don't say what?” Chase asked.
Della glanced at him. ”I told you, she thinks they're already dead.”
”They're not dead,” Chase said, with the same conviction as Della.
Find Natasha!