Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4)(53)

"Was that Hannah?" Derek whispered.

"Yeah," Kylie said, still trying to wrap her head around what Holiday's sister had meant by not again.

"You really okay?" he asked.

She touched her throat. "Yeah. I just don't know what it is that she needs me to do."

"I don't know if this helps, but I think I know where Cara M. worked."

"Where?" Kylie asked.

"When you told me that she could possibly be from around here, I Googled all the diners and cafes in the area. I found some photos and this old newspaper article about some place called Cookie's Cafe, right outside of Fallen. Have you ever been there?"

"No, I don't ... Wait. Yes, my mom took me to this restaurant that was really just an old house. That must have been how I recognized the uniform."

"That's it. The house was built in the eighteen hundreds." He smiled as if proud he'd found the answer to at least part of the puzzle.

Kylie almost smiled herself, but then it hit her. What now? Even if all Kylie needed to do was find the bodies, how was knowing where one of the dead girls worked going to help her? Ordinarily, she could talk to Holiday about this but ... she couldn't do that until she knew exactly what was going on. It would be unbearably cruel to tell Holiday her sister was dead when there was a chance Kylie was misinterpreting the visions.

Then another realization washed over her. She should probably go to the police. But she didn't have a freaking clue how to explain any of this. Which meant it might be up to her to try to solve the murders.

Not again. Not again. Hannah's words rang in her head. What was Hannah trying to say?

Oh, holy hell, Kylie didn't have a clue how to move forward. She wasn't an investigator. She didn't even enjoy watching TV shows about detectives. She glanced back up at Derek. "What should I do now?"

"I called the diner, just to ask if there had been a Cara M. working there, but it's a tourist place and they're only open on the weekends."

Kylie's mind continued to whirl with what she needed to do. "Oh, hell, I'm so out of my league on this."

"Don't worry," Derek said. "I'll help you. And besides, we have until Saturday to decide what to do next."

She looked up at him with complete appreciation. "How can I thank you?"

He grinned with pure sex appeal, the gold flecks in his eyes brightening. "I could think of a few ways."

She frowned.

He held up a hand. "Fine. Just smile a little more. That'll be payment enough."

* * *

Thursday morning, Kylie woke up when Socks bumped her chin with his nose. As she blinked away the fogginess of sleep, she stroked Socks's soft feline fur. The sun spilled through the window and she watched as the day's brightness and shadows flickered on the ceiling, fighting for space-a war of sorts between light and darkness.

As the battle took place, she felt her mood host a similar conflict. Her life seemed to be a melee of so many problems and yet so many possibilities. She'd lost Derek, but gained Lucas. She'd lost the bond with her stepdad but found Daniel. She'd lost being human, but was now supernatural.

And today was the day she was supposed to meet her grandfather and discover just what it all meant, but she doubted that would happen. A frown pulled at her lips and the darker side of her mood tried to take over.

Not that she'd let it win. She closed her eyes and tried to think positive thoughts. But her mind went to Hannah and the fact that Kylie shouldn't postpone telling Holiday any longer that her sister was dead. Just thinking about how that conversation would go took another bite out of Kylie's disposition.

Then her heart reminded her that Lucas hadn't shown up last night, despite the fact he'd told her he would. That pretty much made it official. The dark side, the bad mood, had won. Glancing back up at the ceiling, she couldn't help but notice there were indeed more shadows than sunlight.

For some crazy reason, she remembered Nana telling her to enjoy her childhood because soon enough she'd be an adult. Was this adulthood? To wake up every day and know it would bring both good and bad? To do things you had to do, even if you wished you didn't have to do them?

Then she recalled another piece of Nana's advice. Just remember, sweetie, sometimes we can't change what happens, but we can change how we let those things affect us.

"Easier said than done, Nana." Kylie inhaled a big gulp of frustration and the sweet smell of roses tickled her senses. Turning her head, she saw the single pink rose on her nightstand. The memory of Lucas having robbed his grandmother's rose garden and filling Kylie's room with roses sent her bad mood on time-out. Then, seeing the note beside the rose, she sat up and reached for the slip of paper.

Kylie,

Sorry I was late. Something came up and I had to go visit my dad. You were out like a light when I got here. But damn, you are so beautiful when you sleep. If Della hadn't heard me opening your window and poked her head in and shot me the bird for waking her up-she's impossible-I would have climbed in bed with you just to feel you next to me.

You have no idea how much I'd like that. To feel you against me. All of you.

Sweet dreams,

Lucas

Kylie reached for the rose and placed it to her nose. The sweet scent made her smile. Maybe the bad mood wasn't going to win after all.