Bradley stiffens. “You’re letting her go? She attacked me. She probably killed Darryl. You’re arresting me, and you’re letting her go?”

Williams waves a hand. “About now, I’d be worrying about saving my own ass, Special Agent Bradley. As we speak, the DA is contacting the Feds. They’ll be examining your financial records. And Darryl’s. I bet the two of you weren’t as clever as you think.”

One of the cops produces a pair of cuffs. Bradley pulls away, but the other cop closes in on him and he sees he has no choice. When he’s secured, they prod Bradley toward the door. Donovan follows, holding the laptop.

Neither says good-bye.

Williams waits until they’re gone to turn his attention to me. “Are you all right? You look a little pale.”

I start to say of course I’m all right. It’s a reflex action. But Frey’s eyes stop me. In an instant, I’m watching what happened with Darryl, and then with Bradley. He’s projecting it into my head exactly the way he showed me Trish in the park. And I’m overcome with the same rage and desire to kill that renders everything else inconsequential. I would have killed both of them. I wanted to.

I wanted to.

Williams touches my arm. He is sitting beside me on the couch. I realize then that I was seeing through Williams, not Frey.

You saw it?

Frey showed me, I showed you.

The broken psychic connection. I pass a hand over my face.What is happening to me?

Nothing that you can’t learn to control. But you have to start now. What you did to Bradley will take some explaining. I’ll take care of it, but it can’t happen again.

I exposed myself as a vampire.

He nods.You have great powers, Anna. You can use those powers for good. But it takes training to learn to control the hunger. You have fought so hard to retain your humanity. You must fight to control the other side of your nature, too, or it will turn you into what you fear most.

I thought I could control it.

Frey saw. He stopped you from killing. Twice.

Then he killed. Darryl.

In his animal form. He feared he could not stop you with Darryl. The fire was in your blood. He did it so that you would not.

And what if I had killed him?

Then you would have been lost.

I don’t understand.

Williams stands and takes a step away. When he turns to look at me, his eyes are flat, cold.Settle things with Trish. And your parents. It’s time your training began. Don’t wait too long, Anna.

He looks at Frey. Frey takes my arm. “The medical examiner is here. We’ll leave through the back.”

I push myself off the couch. When I glance back at Williams, he’s already heading for the front door.

“Wait.”

He turns.

“What about Trish and the videos on those computers? What will happen to them?”

“They’re evidence, Anna. I can’t promise they won’t be used in court.”

He must read the distress on my face because he adds, “If we can get Bradley and those two outside to deal, it’s possible there’ll be no trial. I’ll speak to the DA. It’s all I can do.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Frey and I slip over the fence into the neighbor’s yard. The presence of police cars assures us that even if the neighbor is at home, he isn’t likely to come outside to see what’s going on. We wait until we see the crime scene techs and medical examiner disappear into Darryl’s house, and then we quietly make our way to the car. He takes the keys from me and opens the passenger side door.

“I’ll drive. You look beat.”

I don’t argue. I feel as if I’m at the end of an endurance race, too tired to care if I make it to the finish line. I just want it to be over. I know that in spite of everything, I may not be able to protect Trish if the videos are used in court. And Williams’s words about me have left me shaken and confused. They remind me what Casper told me. Twice. I’m losing the human Anna to the vampire.

“Do you want me to take you to your apartment?”

I shake my head. “We need to get Ryan home and take Trish to my parents.”

“What about Trish’s grandmother?”

“We’ll deal with her tomorrow. I promised my mother I would take Trish home tonight. It’s a promise I intend to keep.”

Frey is silent for a moment, eyes on the road as he drives. “What will you tell Trish?”

I don’t know. “I won’t have DNA results back until tomorrow.” I let a stream of consciousness flow. “I’ll just tell her my mother offered to put her up for the night. That the press will be watching her grandmother after news of Bradley’s arrest, and we thought it would be best to shield her from that.”

Frey nods.

“Can we swing by the office? I’ll pick up my car.”

Frey does as I ask. David’s Hummer is in its spot in front. I really want to go inside, touch the face of my very human partner and tell him I’ll be back at work tomorrow.

But I don’t because I’m not sure I will be.

I follow Frey to the park. On the way, I call my mother and tell her to expect us. I give her a quick rundown of all that’s happened. I remind her that the DNA test results will be in tomorrow. It’s a subtle hint not to give anything away to Trish until we know.

To that, she doesn’t respond. Her excitement at having Trish safe and in her home is all that’s important to her. But she’s angry with me; it’s evident in her tone. When she thanks me before saying good-bye, it’s with a rigid formality.

When we get the kids, in spite of the circumstances that brought them here, both are hesitant to end what they see as a great adventure. It is a testimonial to the resilience of teenagers. Only Frey’s promise that he will bring them back again assuages their reluctance.

Frey offers to take Ryan home, so Trish and I leave together.

“Where are we going?” she asks. Now that she and I are alone, her voice has lost its sparkle. The haunted, scared little girl is back.

I reach out a hand and touch her shoulder. “We’re going to somewhere you’ll be safe. My parents have offered to put you up for the night.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Well, actually it was my mother’s idea. She knows the press will be looking for you. They’ll want your reaction to all that’s happened. They won’t think to look for you at the home of your school principal.”

Trish blinks. “Your mother is that Mrs. Strong?”

I laugh at her expression. “You’ll get to see another side of her. She’s a great mom.”

As soon as I say that, I wish I hadn’t. The mention of my mother makes Trish think of hers. She slumps down on the seat. “You haven’t told me what happened to my mom.”

I pause, thinking of what Darryl said, and knowing that what I tell Trish now will be forever how she remembers her mother. I begin haltingly.

“Your mother died protecting you, Trish. The man who killed her thought she knew where you had gone.”

“Because he was looking for the computer.”

I nod. “Yes. But your mother wouldn’t tell him anything.”

Trish hiccoughs a bitter little laugh. “That’s because she didn’t know anything.”

From the corner of my eye, I see her wipe the back of her hand across her eyes. She draws a shaky breath and asks, “Who was it?”

“His name is Darryl Goodman.”

“Darryl?” She sits up straighter in the seat. “That creep? He wasn’t part of the video thing. Was he?”

“He was the one who set it all up. It’s not surprising that you didn’t know. He was careful to stay away when those other men…” I don’t know how to say it so I finish with a lame, “…were with you.”

There’s a long moment of silence. “What will happen to him?” Her voice is small and afraid.

“He can’t hurt you, Trish, if that’s what you’re worried about. He’s dead.”

She lowers her head and looks at me. “Did you kill him?”