Taken at Dusk (Page 88)

"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.

She stopped abruptly. Burnett bumped into her from behind.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"You mean other than the fact that we just broke into someone’s house?" She knew he didn’t want to know they had company.

"It’s fine," he said.

"Right." She moved into the bedroom. Jane Doe, aka Heidi Summers, sat on the bed, staring at the photos on the bedside table.

Kylie studied the woman’s face behind the frame. "It’s you."

"What’s … Never mind, I’ll wait out here." Burnett must have realized she wasn’t talking to him and wanted nothing to do with the ghost.

Considering what had happened to him the last time, Kylie didn’t blame him.

"Me and Malcolm." Heidi said the name with so much love. "I remember."

Kylie picked up the picture. She recalled feeling something odd when she’d seen the man’s face in the vision. The same thing hit her again. Then chills shot down her spine. Not from the cold this time, but from the realization.

"Burnett?"

"What?" He barged into the bedroom as if ready to fight.

She held out the picture. "That’s him."

He took the picture. "Who?"

"That’s the same man who came to the camp. The one who claimed to be my grandfather."

Burnett scanned the photo. "Are you sure?"

"Completely."

Heidi stood up. "It was him, wasn’t it? I remember. And that was my sister, too."

Her sister? Kylie remembered the woman, remembered feeling a connection. "Why would they come to the camp and pretend to be my adoptive grandparents?" Kylie asked, and she meant the question for both Burnett and Heidi.

"I don’t know," Burnett answered.

Heidi stood there as if trying to think. "Wait. They were from Ireland. And the neighbor said-"

"Who was from Ireland?" Kylie asked, and saw Burnett leave again.

"The people who adopted my boy. I gave him up for adoption. I went to a doctor who placed children with good parents. The doctor was human, but he knew about supernaturals. I remember there were complications, I had to have a C-section, and the doctor didn’t want to do it because he didn’t have the supplies to put me under; I made him do it anyway. I couldn’t let my baby die. I knew whatever pain I experienced would be better than knowing I’d robbed my son of his chance at life. Then I made sure he would go to a good family." She sat up straighter. "Malcolm’s looking for our son."

Tears filled Kylie’s eyes as the truth swirled around her heart, making her dizzy. Heidi Summers was Daniel’s birth mother. She was Kylie’s grandmother. And Malcolm Summers, her real grandfather, and her grandmother’s sister had posed as Daniel’s adoptive parents. Why? Why not just tell her? More questions.