Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3)(109)

"I have an address, too. She lived a couple of miles from here. I thought you'd want to go there."

"Yes," Kylie said. "Is her family still there?"

Burnett started walking, and Kylie followed him. She saw Derek and Della waiting for them by the gate.

"The house is listed to Malcolm Summers," Burnett said. "So I'm assuming it's her family."

Kylie caught her breath when a hundred or more souls lined up on each side of the path. They all reached out for her and started talking at once. Her head started to pound. The icy feel of their touches stung like thousands of needles.

She felt herself being pulled in a thousand different directions.

"Help me."

"No, help me."

"Stop it!" the spirit of the old man's wife screamed. "If you're not nice, she won't come back."

The jabbering stopped. They brought their hands to their sides, but they didn't leave. They stood completely still and watched her with soulless eyes-all wanting, needing her to do something for them so they could cross over.

But there were too many to help. Guilt filled her chest. She breathed in the frigid air and forced herself to concentrate on the one she could help. Jane Doe.

"The Summers family. They're supernaturals, right?" Kylie asked, unsure what she would say to them. But if they were supernaturals, perhaps it wouldn't be so hard.

Burnett frowned. "They aren't registered supernaturals."

"You think they're rogue?"

"Not everyone unregistered is rogue. But they could be."

Derek moved in beside Kylie, appearing concerned. He brushed the top of his hand against hers. She felt the calm he offered and appreciated the assistance.

Burnett turned to Derek and Della as soon as they walked out of the gate. "I called Holiday and asked her to pick you two up. I'll bring Kylie by later."

Kylie and Burnett got into his Mustang. As she watched Della and Derek get smaller in the rearview mirror, the craziest thought struck. What if Burnett took her to the FRU to get tested? What if Jane was right? What if he wasn't a good guy?

Chapter Thirty-seven

Neither of them spoke during the ride. The silence seemed heavy, but not that unusual, or so Kylie reminded herself. Burnett had never been Mr. Chatty.

But with every roll of the tires, Kylie's uncertainty rose. She glanced at Burnett, again sitting silent in the driver's seat.

"You seem nervous," he said.

"Should I be?"

He appeared confused. "I thought you wanted to see them."

She nodded, but the memory of Jane and her surgery hit harder. Oh sure, Kylie's heart told her Burnett was a good guy, but she could also remember Holiday saying that the FRU weren't above sacrificing one person if they thought it was for a good cause.

When Burnett parked his Mustang in front of a small white-framed house, the same house Kylie had seen in her visions, a wave of shame hit for ever doubting Burnett.

"I tried to call them, but no one answered," Burnett said. "Of course, I'm going to go in with you, but I'll let you explain things however you see fit."

Two minutes later, after receiving no answer to their knock, a woman, looking all of ninety years old, stepped out of the house next door.

"Can I help ya?" She came toward them, moving amazingly fast for someone her age.

Kylie, thinking she felt a whisper of cold, immediately checked the woman's pattern. Burnett did the same. The woman was human.

"We're looking for Mr. Summers," Burnett said.

"Well, you're too late. He and his sister-in-law flew out this morning. Went to Ireland."

Ireland? Was it a coincidence that the Brightens were there now? Kylie looked at Burnett and saw the same question in his eyes.

"Why did they go there?" Burnett asked.

The neighbor grinned. "Said he was looking for something he lost a long time ago. Said it was more valuable than gold and he figured it might be there."

"Do you know when he plans to return?" Kylie asked.

"I'm supposed to water the plants and feed the cat for a week."

Burnett started moving back to the car. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Did you want to leave a message?" the neighbor asked.

"We'll come back." Burnett smiled and waved.

Kylie got into the car, sank into the seat, and wanted to kick and scream with frustration. More questions and zero answers. She was friggin' tired of this.

Burnett started the car. "Let's drive over to the next block and come back on foot."

"Come back for what?" Kylie asked.

"I figured you'd like to go inside," he said. "See if we can learn anything."

"Isn't that against the law?" Kylie asked.

His eyes widened. "Only if we get caught."

She bit down on her lip so hard, she tasted blood. "Do you, like, have any 'get out of jail free' cards if we do get caught? I wouldn't look good in prison garb."

He patted his pocket. "I think I brought two with me."

* * *

The house smelled like herbs. Rosemary. Maybe a little thyme. The furnishings were old. Lots of antiques, expensive-looking things, but nothing too showy. When Kylie stepped into the hall, she spotted the closet Jane had pulled her suitcase from. Right then, she felt the cold come down on her.