Bad Moonlight (3 page)

“I'm sure he'll be able to help,” Caroline told her. “Just stick with him.”

“Don't worry,” Danielle said. “I'm not going to quit him. He asks too many questions, but I guess he has to. And he's smart. He was the one who said the band would be good for me. He was right. If I didn't have the band, I'd really go off the deep end!”

Caroline laughed. “The Deep End. How's that for a name?”

“Hey—that's not bad,” Danielle replied.

A few minutes later Joey pulled the van into the hotel parking lot. “Last stop!” he announced. “The luxurious Midland Hotel. And across the street—the Rocket Club. Appearing nightly—the No-Name Band. Step lively, folks!”

Yawning and stretching, the group climbed out of the van.

Danielle followed Caroline down. The moonlight painted the street in a shimmering glow.

Her smile faded. She pulled her duffel bag against her chest and shivered.

Something is wrong, Danielle thought.

My body—it feels so weird.

The cold. I can feel the cold sweeping down over me.

Something strange is happening to me. Something . . . terrible.

She turned to see Caroline staring at her, her blue eyes wide with shock.

Caroline sees it too! Danielle realized.

“Caroline!” Danielle cried, shivering violently. “What is happening to me? What
is
it?”

Chapter 3

I'M WARNING YOU!

“W
hat is it?” Danielle demanded. “Tell me!”

Caroline raised her eyes. “It's your hair, Danny. It's standing straight up!”

“Huh? Standing up?” Danielle dropped her duffel bag and lifted her hands to her head.

She wore her brown hair in a blunt, chin-length cut. Fine and straight, it usually hung like a smooth helmet.

But not now.

Now every strand stuck straight up, as if a powerful fan were blowing from beneath her.

It felt different, too. Not fine and silky, but thick. Rough and bristly.

“It—it must be the wind,” Caroline stammered,
still staring. Her own hair, long and blond, lay motionless on her shoulders.

“There isn't any wind!” Danielle cried. Frantically she tugged at her hair, trying to make it lie flat again. “It won't come down! This is
so weird!”

“Please, Danielle, calm down,” Caroline insisted. “It's kind of funny. I mean. It isn't a tragedy—you know. Come on, let's go inside.”

Funny? Danielle thought. No. It's not too funny. I feel too strange for it to be funny.

Danielle groaned. A low, guttural noise that didn't even sound like her own voice.

“Come on, let's go into the hotel,” Caroline urged. She handed Danielle her duffel bag and guitar. “It's been a long drive. You'll feel better inside.”

The Midland Hotel wasn't exactly luxurious. A small lobby contained three chairs arranged around a low chipped table. Plastic plants. A worn rug.

But it was clean. And warm, Danielle thought gratefully as she followed Caroline inside. A ceiling fan spun lazily overhead. The warm draft stirred her hair and blew a strand across her cheek.

She tucked the strand behind her ear and realized that her hair had fallen back to normal.

The strange feeling of cold seemed to seep out of her skin. She wasn't shivering anymore.

She took a deep breath and felt her muscles relax.

“It feels like a sauna in here!” Dee complained, setting her bag down with a thump. “I sure hope the rooms are air-conditioned or I'll never get any sleep.”

A drowsy, bald-headed clerk eyed her from behind the check-in desk. “You want air-conditioning, go to the Hilton,” he informed her dryly. “You want cheap, you're in the right place.”

Dee frowned, but Caroline laughed. “We're definitely in the right place,” she told the clerk. “Until we're famous, that is.”

“You must be the band.” The clerk frowned. “Going to be famous, huh?”

“Yes, we are,” Mary Beth assured him seriously. “Just keep reading the newspapers.”

“How can he?” Dee muttered. “We don't have a name for him to watch for.”

“Okay, everybody, listen up!” Billy strode into the lobby, rubbing his hands together energetically. “Kit and Joey went over to the club. Why don't you unpack, then come on over and check the place out?”

“Good idea,” Dee said. “Maybe the club has air-conditioning.”

Caroline exchanged a glance with Danielle. “That's Dee. Gripe, gripe, gripe,” she whispered.

Danielle grinned. At least she wasn't sharing a room with Dee, she thought. The way Dee feels about me, she'd probably be at my throat before the night's over.

The room resembled the lobby. Small, faded, and cheap. But clean and warm.

“Hey, the mattress isn't lumpy!” Caroline announced, flinging herself onto one of the twin beds. “Remember the last place we stayed at?”

Danielle groaned as she set her guitar down. “I felt as if I were lying on a bunch of golf balls.”

“Maybe our luck's changing.” Caroline scooted off the bed and tossed her bag onto it. “Let's hurry and go check out the Rocket Club.”

The two girls quickly unpacked their bags, then took the slow-motion elevator down to the lobby.

Mary Beth and Dee waited for them impatiently. Caroline and Mary Beth hurried toward the door. But Dee hung back a second, grabbing Danielle by the arm.

“I have to talk to you,” Dee whispered urgently.

Danielle flinched as Dee's nails dug into her bare skin. “Hey, you're hurting me! Let go!”

But Dee's fingers tightened even harder. “You'll be sorry,” she whispered, bringing her face close to Danielle's. “You'll be sorry.”

Chapter 4

FIRST KISS

“W
hat do you mean?” Danielle demanded.

Dee's golden brown eyes narrowed to slits. She opened her mouth to reply. But Caroline's voice interrupted.

“Get a move on, guys!” Caroline called over her shoulder. “You coming?”

“Danielle—” Dee started.

“Give me a break, Dee,” Danielle snapped. “I don't know what your problem is. But I'm really sick of your attitude.”

She wrenched her arm loose and strode across the lobby. Unfortunately, she
did
know what Dee's problem was.

Dee hated her.

“What was
that
about?” Caroline asked as she pushed open the door.

“Dee's ego,” Danielle replied.

“She's still can't handle your being in the group?”

Danielle nodded. “But I've decided to ignore her little outbursts from now on. Let's forget it, okay?”

As they crossed the street, Danielle began to shiver again. She picked up her pace, anxious to get inside.

Billy was waiting for them inside the Rocket Club. “This place is fantastic!” he shouted over the blare of music from the jukebox. “And it holds over a hundred people. Biggest club we've ever played!”

Dee grabbed his hand. “Come on! Let's dance!” She pulled Billy into the middle of the crowded dance floor. Caroline and Mary Beth headed to the bar to get Cokes.

Danielle hung back, gazing around. The Rocket was jammed with laughing, sweating, dancing bodies. Ribbons of green and purple neon light snaked across the ceiling and up and down the walls. Music thundered in her ears.

Danielle skirted the crowd and found an empty table about the size of a quarter. She sat on a wobbly chair and gazed at the low stage.

Couples were dancing to CDs tonight. But tomorrow we'll be up there, she thought. She smiled eagerly.

“Wow, I like that smile,” a voice purred in her ear.

Danielle jumped.

Joey leaned over her. His long, curly black hair brushed her cheek.

“Joey!” She edged away. “Sneak up on me, why don't you?”

He chuckled and sat astride the other chair. “How come you never smile like that for me?” he asked.

Danielle wasn't in the mood to flirt. Not with Joey, anyway. “You drive too fast,” she told him. “You deliberately try to scare me. I know you do.”

Joey stuck his dark glasses on top of his head and peered at her with gray eyes. “How about if I slow down?” he offered.

Danielle shook her head.

“Oh, give me a break.” Joey shifted his chair closer. “Let's dance, okay? I'm not a bad guy. Really.”

“Thanks, but I don't think so, Joey. I'm kind of tired from the drive.”

“You didn't look tired a minute ago,” Joey commented. His arm snaked around the back of her chair. His fingertips brushed her bare shoulder.

“I was thinking about tomorrow,” Danielle explained. “You know. Playing in front of a crowd like this.”

Joey kept rubbing her shoulder. “How about playing for an audience of one?” he suggested softly. “We could go to my room. You could sing for me.”

Annoyed, Danielle shrugged his hand off her shoulder. “Give it up, Joey. Okay?” She faked a yawn. “I think I'll go back to the hotel and go to sleep.”

Danielle scooted her chair back and stood up.

Joey grabbed her arm. “You know what I think?” he asked. “I think you're scared.” He grinned and wiggled
his eyebrows. “Nothing to be scared of, Danny. I don't bite. Come on. Take a chance.”

“I'm not scared, Joey,” Danielle replied sharply. “But I'm starting to get really angry.”

Billy suddenly appeared across the table. “Something wrong?” he demanded.

Joey quickly let go of Danielle's arm. “Nothing's wrong,” he told Billy. “Everything's cool.”

“Good.” Billy jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Kit needs some help backstage,” he informed Joey. “Something about the wiring.”

Joey nodded unhappily. “Right.” He pointed a finger at Danielle. “Save a dance for me, okay? When you're not so
tired.”

“Right.” Danielle let out a sigh of relief as Joey left.

“He comes on kind of strong, doesn't he?” Billy remarked, taking Joey's chair.

“Strong
isn't the word,” Danielle replied, shaking her head. “He comes on like an animal.”

“Yeah. I guess,” Billy agreed. “I'll talk to him about it.”

“No, don't,” Danielle told him. “I can handle Joey.”

But could she handle Dee? Danielle wondered.

Billy frowned. “If he bothers you again, let me know. Joey knows not to mess with me.”

“No one would ever mess with you, Billy,” Danielle teased.

“Enough about Joey,” Billy replied, tapping the tabletop. “What do you think of the club?”

“It's great!” Danielle exclaimed. “Before Joey came over, I was imagining standing on the stage in front of a crowd like this.”

“Nervous?” Billy asked. His dimple flashed in his cheek.

“Always,” she confessed. “I try not to be, but I can't help it.”

“It doesn't show,” he assured her, leaning close to make himself heard over the music. “You've got great energy on the stage. And you're a terrific singer. The band's lucky to have you.”

“Thanks, but I'm the lucky one,” Danielle said. “I never thought I'd get a chance like this.” She gazed around the crowded room, smiling.

Then she saw Dee.

Even from across the room, Danielle could see the angry glitter in Dee's eyes.

Dee's glance shifted to Billy, then back to Danielle.

Oh, great, Danielle thought. Does Dee have something going with Billy?

“Hey, guys,” a voice interrupted Danielle's thoughts. She glanced up and into the pale blue eyes of Kit Kragen, the band's equipment manager.

Kit was definitely one of the best-looking guys around, Danielle thought, smiling at him. Tall, with high cheekbones and a strong jaw. Dark, dark hair. And those ice-blue eyes, ringed with long black lashes.

“Hey, Kit,” Billy said. “Got the amps up?”

Kit nodded. “I was worried about power for the bass amp. That sucker takes a lot of juice. But it checked out okay. Now I can relax.”