Burnett looked at Holiday, then at Kylie. "It won't change what happened. But right now, we need all the information we can get on this creep to be able to catch him. To stop him before he does this again."
Burnett's words shifted around inside her head and pulled at her conscience.
Two girls had died. Violently died. Was it too much to ask for Kylie to suffer through a few more minutes of questions? No, it wasn't. Taking in a breath, she sat up straighter.
Holiday stiffened. "For a vampire, your hearing is really bad. I said she's had enough."
"It's okay." Kylie turned her palm over and gave the camp leader's hand a squeeze. "If it helps stop this guy, I can do it." But she didn't let go of Holiday's hand.
Ten minutes later, apparently when Burnett felt he'd drawn every detail about the incident he could out of her, he stood up and looked down at her. "Thank you, Kylie. I know this wasn't easy."
She nodded and after she let herself breathe in and out a couple of times, she decided it was her turn to ask the questions. "Do you think he wanted it to look as if we'd killed these girls? Like they tried to frame someone at the camp for killing the animals?"
Burnett shook his head. "No. There's nothing to lead us to conclude that."
"Do you think ... do you think he followed us into town?"
He considered her question for a second. "No, I don't. I think it was a coincidence that he ran across you."
Holiday squeezed Kylie's hand. "I told you, this isn't your fault."
"No, it isn't," Burnett said. "This has nothing to do with you, Kylie."
"Then how come it feels so ... personal?" Kylie asked. "I mean, he keeps showing back up. At the park and then last Friday. I didn't actually see him then, but I'm assuming it was him. And even after that I ... I've felt as if someone was following me."
"When did you feel this?" Burnett asked.
"Yesterday morning when I came to the office before breakfast. At first, I thought it was the wolf but-"
"Wolf?" both Burnett and Selynn said at the same time. While Burnett looked concerned, Selynn immediately started twitching, trying to read Kylie again. It took everything Kylie had not to reach up and cover her forehead. Maybe even give the woman the finger.
"When was this?" Burnett asked.
"A couple of days ago," Holiday answered. "It wasn't a werewolf. Kylie said it appeared to be semi-tame. Nonthreatening."
"Was it a shifter?" Burnett asked.
"I'm ... not sure. But I know it wasn't Perry." Kylie hesitated and then recalled what this conversation was really about. "But the wolf isn't important. Two girls are dead and I ... I feel as if it's somehow my fault. I think he was after me, not them."
Burnett dropped back down in the chair facing her. "I can understand how you might feel that way. But if he was out to hurt you, he could have done so the other night in the woods. I don't think this is personal. Not toward you. To the camp as a whole ... maybe."
"Then why does he keep coming to see me? It doesn't sound like a coincidence."
Burnett frowned. "It's not a coincidence. You put yourself in situations that offered him the best opportunity with the least of amount of risk. And the first time, he didn't come to you. You had gone to the wildlife park where the Blood Brothers were. And if he was here the other night, and we're not sure it was him, then he probably spotted you when you ran off in the woods and saw it as an opportunity. And today, he was probably ... hunting when he sensed other supernaturals in town.
Again, you were the one alone in the dressing room. He took advantage of it."
And got himself an eyeful, Kylie thought. "But you even said that if he'd wanted to kill me the other night, he could have but he didn't even try. So what did he want with me then?"
Burnett hesitated. "I think he wanted to send a message to the camp. To let us know that the gang hasn't moved on. I'm sure the arrest of several of their gang members has dented their egos. If they pulled out right away, it would appear as if they lacked courage. If they stay around, they at least save face. I'm sure he realized that killing you would have brought too much trouble down on the gang."
Kylie tried to grasp exactly what Burnett was saying. "But he killed those girls. Are you saying that didn't cause trouble? That doesn't make sense."
Burnett looked at Holiday as if asking for her help.
Holiday squeezed Kylie's hand. "When a supernatural kills another supernatural, it's easier to deal with the offense. We have our own justice system."
"And when they kill a human? What happens?" Don't let them say "nothing," Kylie thought. Please God, don't let them say "nothing." She might be part supernatural, but she was still part human.
"That's part of the FRU's job," Burnett said. "But as you might guess, it can make getting justice tricky."
Kylie felt her shoulders getting tighter. "Are you telling me that he's actually going to get away with this?"
"No." Burnett said in a deeper tone. "You have my word, Kylie, I will do everything I can to make sure this guy pays for this."
Exactly how Burnett intended to make him pay wasn't clear. Nor was Kylie sure she even wanted to know. But something about the way he said those words told her this wasn't a promise he made lightly. And for that, she was grateful.
That night, the camp leaders held a meeting of all the campers at the dining hall and served up both pizza and sage advice. Burnett spoke about being extra careful. "Stay on the main paths and trails and don't go through the woods without having someone with you," he explained. "Depending on how dense the trees are or how the wind is blowing, an intruder's scent could go undetected."
Della shot a grin at Kylie and then turned back to Burnett. "Maybe you should cancel parents weekend," she suggested.
Burnett looked at Della. "That's over two weeks away. I hope to have this problem resolved by then."
"Hey, can't blame a girl for trying," Della muttered.
"I have a meeting with the High Council next week," Burnett said. "I'm hoping I'll get some assistance to deal with what happened here."
Kylie leaned in closer to Della. "Who are the High Council?"
"Sort of like the Senate, made up of a bunch of elders from the different species." Della smiled. "I just learned about it this afternoon. Chris did a talk about it in our vamp meeting."
"A Senate? I didn't think all the species got along," Kylie said. "They don't. But neither do the Democrats and Republicans and they still meet."