Reborn (Page 64)

“Have you seen him again?” Kylie asked.

Della hesitated, half thinking Kylie knew about Steve. “Seen who?”

“Chan? Have any more feathers appeared? I mean, it seems that he might be the ghost. Don’t you think?”

Della nodded. “Yeah, I’ve seen him. Remember I told you I saw him at the gate last week? And then when Burnett and I were leaving the park, I saw him again.”

Miranda’s eyes widened. “You actually saw a ghost? Isn’t that unheard of for vampires?”

“Not all vampires,” Kylie answered Miranda. “Burnett sees them sometimes.” Then the chameleon looked back at Della. “So, he’s shown himself. Did he say what he wants?”

She shook her head, feeling the emotion tighten her throat. “No. He was like there one second and gone the next. And someone was with him.” And he’d looked at Della with the saddest eyes.

“Maybe he just wanted to say good-bye,” Miranda said. “Not that it makes it okay. It’s spookier than hell.”

“It is okay.” Kylie placed her hand over Della’s. “But chances are it’s more than just him saying good-bye. So he didn’t say anything at all?”

Della shook her head. “He probably wants to tell me I let him down.” And it was going to hurt like hell hearing it, but she deserved it. She had let him down.

“I can’t believe that,” Kylie said. “You didn’t let him down.”

“Yeah, well everyone keeps saying that, but I don’t see it that way.”

“Then you’re not seeing it right,” Miranda said in a stern voice. “Della Tsang doesn’t let people down. I mean, look at us. We fight all the time. I know you can’t stand me sometimes, and yet you’ve never let me down. Even when you’re mad at me, you always come through. That’s why I love you.” Tears filled the witch’s eyes.

The emotion in Della’s chest made it hard to breathe. “Thanks.” But she wasn’t sure Chan would see it that way.

Miranda wiped the tears from her face. “Maybe your cousin knows about your uncle and wanted to tell you.”

“That could be it,” Kylie said, and then she looked at Della. “Did you tell Holiday about seeing Chan?”

“No,” Della said. “I haven’t told her anything about the ghost. Not yet.”

“You should,” Kylie said. “She can help you deal with the whole ghost thing.”

“First I have to deal with Chan’s death,” Della said.

“I know,” Kylie said, and reached over and put her hand over Della’s. “I know how hard it is. When I lost Nana, it nearly killed me.”

“I haven’t lost anyone, but I can imagine how it hurts,” Miranda said. “And both Kylie and I are here for you. I won’t even get mad at you when you get pissy. You’ve got an it’s-okay-to-be-pissy pass from me.”

“A pissy pass?” Della repeated, and while it sounded so funny she felt the air in her lungs shudder with emotion.

“Yes,” Miranda said with conviction.

“Oh,” Kylie said. “I brought you your uncle’s file.” She pulled it out of her bag sitting beside the table and handed it to Della. “Have you told Derek about this? It might help him find something.”

“No, not yet.” I’ve been too busy breaking up with Steve. Della opened it and stared down at the writing. Guilt for worrying more about finding her uncle than staying in touch with her cousin did another tug on her heart.

“You look exhausted,” Kylie said. “Have you slept any?”

“Not yet.” Della massaged her temple again. Her headache returning like a bad penny. Boy was she a mess. Her life falling apart piece by piece. Her dad hated her. She was getting clobbered on the head by either a murderer or the death angels. Steve was kissing Jessie. Her cousin was dead. And she was seeing ghosts. Could anything else happen?

Yup, it could. She found out Monday afternoon. Burnett had called and asked Della to meet him at his office. He started out telling her that Chan’s autopsy had been delayed and it would be a week before they could place Chan in the grave site that held his marker from when he faked his death.

“Why so long?” The thought of Chan’s body being in some cold morgue hurt.

“Because there were no signs of foul play, the autopsy is going to take a little longer than I’d hoped.”

Della nodded. “I want to be there.” Her chest grew heavy.

“At the autopsy?” he asked, confused.

“No, at the burial,” she said.

He exhaled as if in disagreement. “It’s going to be done in the middle of the night and quickly.”

“I don’t care. I don’t want him to be buried alone.” She hadn’t seen Chan’s ghost again, and thought maybe he’d passed on, but at the very least, she was going to be there when his body was put in the earth. She could remember the crowd that had been at Lorraine’s funeral. The people who had been there to show their love for her. Della couldn’t live with the thought that Chan would be dropped in a grave and not have anyone—not one person there to mourn for him.

Burnett stared at her with defiance and she suspected what he was about to say. “With all you have been through, don’t you think it would be wise to forgo working on the recent murder case?”

Her suspicions were on the mark. “No! And don’t use this as an excuse to stop me.”

He held up his hand, his eyes tightening. “I just think you’ve had too much on your plate.”

Of course it was too much. She felt like she was dying inside, but not doing anything would make it worse. “It doesn’t matter. Not only do I want to do this, I need something else to think about other than my cousin’s death.” Other than her father’s hatred of her and losing all hope of her and Steve. “Please. Didn’t I, with Kylie and Miranda’s help, do well at the funeral home yesterday? We caught that guy.”

“You did. But I still don’t think you three going to the funeral home alone was a good idea.”

“And yet it turned out okay,” she insisted.

She saw in the way his shoulders slumped that he’d given in. “Fine. Then you start tonight. I’ve got some information about a local gang hangout. I want you and Chase there to see if you—”

“Chase?” Della asked, panic forming in a tight ball in the pit of her stomach. “I’m working with Chase?”