Under the Moon's Shadow Read Online Free PDF

studied the widespread destruction.
    “I don’t like this,” Jason said. “Why didn’t they take anything?”
    Ethan didn’t have a ready answer. “Who has Beth pissed off lately?”
    Jason raised an eyebrow. “You mean besides you? I don’t know, but I don’t think I’d put the question to her quite like that, if I were you. Not unless you want your eye blackened. Don’t blame the victim, Ethan.”
    He held his hands up, apologetic. “I didn’t mean it like that. Seems like all I’ve done this evening is apologize to one Hudson or another.” At Jason’s questioning look, he shook his head. “Never mind. It’s not important.”
    They walked over to talk to Bert, who was finishing up with the fingerprinting kit. As he was showing them what he had so far, Beth came back in, talking on her cell phone. She had changed out of the dress and into the casual clothes, her hair pulled into a ponytail.
    “No, Mom, I’m okay. The apartment’s a mess and I don’t feel like cleaning it up now. I just need some place to sleep tonight, that’s all.” She fell silent, listening to her mother’s response. After telling Jackie she would call her if it was going to be much longer, she hung up and rubbed her forehead. “Mom’s ready to come down here and stand guard tonight. She’ll be calling you before long, Jason. What else do we need to do to finish up here tonight?”
    “Not much more. As a matter of fact, if you want to head on out to the farm, I can lock up here when we’re finished.”
    Ethan took a couple of steps closer to her. “I’ll walk you downstairs, and take your statement. Once we get that taken care of, I’ll follow you out to the farm. I’m ready to head home, anyhow.” He owned a small house on a few acres of land just a couple of miles down the road from her parents’ farm.
    “That works for me,” Jason said. “I can catch a ride back to the Lighthouse with Bert when he’s done.”
    “Sounds like a plan, then. You sure you don’t mind locking up?” Beth asked as Jason’s cell phone rang. She shot him a tired smile. “Right on time.”
    “Hi, Mom, hang on a sec.”  He held the phone away from his mouth and told Beth to go on ahead. “What time you think you’ll be over in the morning to clean up? I’ll grab Chase, and we’ll come help.”
    “Probably around nine or ten.” She gave him a quick hug and turned, going into the office. Ethan trailed close behind, his eyes following her movements as she bent down to pull her briefcase out from under the desk.
    “Need anything else before we go?”
    “Just this. Bert’s already dusted it.” She glanced inside the briefcase to check its contents.
    “Don’t you need your purse?”
    She shook her head. “I’ve got my phone, keys, and ID in my pockets. All the rest can wait. I left the dress at Raven’s, and I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”
    He gestured for her to lead the way out of the apartment. At the elevator, she pushed the button, and as they stood there waiting for the car, he took in her tired posture.
    “The statement won’t take long, but you probably know that already,” he said as the doors opened. They went over her movements that evening after she left the Lighthouse, and he made notes in the small notebook he always carried. By the time they reached the ground floor and were walking out into the parking lot, she had filled him in on everything up until the point where he and Jason had arrived.
    “And that’s pretty much that. What else do you need?”
    They walked toward the Beast, and Ethan carefully asked about recent issues that might have arisen.
    “You mean who all have I ticked off lately, right?” The question startled him, and he stared at her, his mouth slightly agape.
    She shot him a funny look. “What?”
    He chuckled at the irony of her choice of words. “Nothing,” he muttered. “Yeah, if you want to put it that way, I guess that’s what I’m asking.”
    Opening the driver’s door,