Only By Moonlight Read Free Page B

tucked into a knit hat,” Savannah
said.
    “Can’t say I blame her with all the
sensational talk going around the parish,” LaShaun replied.
    “Luckily, M.J. has kept details from leaking
to the media, but we have a short window of opportunity before the
hounds are released.” Savannah got up and went to the fridge. She
found a bottle of cream soda and then turned to her husband.
“Honey, you want something to drink?”
    “If LaShaun doesn’t mind, a beer would be
nice,” Paul called back.
    “She’s fine with it,” Savannah replied and
found a bottle of a locally brewed beer. She talked as she found
tortilla chips and poured them into a large bowl. She filled a
smaller bowl for herself.
    “No problem, Paul. Obviously your wife knows
where everything is in my kitchen,” LaShaun quipped as Savannah
took a wooden tray and carried him the snacks.
    “Shush, I’m going to keep him happy so I can
tell you this story,” Savannah whispered as she walked past
LaShaun. “There you go. We’ll be ready to leave in a bit.”
    “Um-hum,” Paul answered without taking his
gaze from the television. When Savannah put the tray on the end
table near his elbow, he picked up the beer. “Thanks, ladies.”
    Savannah sat down next to LaShaun again.
“Anyway, Mrs. Graham is afraid Greg got involved in some kind of
Goth group at school. They started off playing one of those spooky
role-playing games, Wizards and Witches or something. She’s not
even sure what it’s called. The kids made it up.”
    “Lovely. Violent video games got boring I
suppose,” LaShaun blurted out. When Savannah gave her a mean look,
she raised a hand. “Sorry, sorry. Keep going.”
    “Mrs. Graham wants to know if you and Chase
have been investigating any... Ahem, demonic activity or something
equally silly. I told her I would ask, but honestly, I thought
you’d get a kick out of this. Ha, ha.” Savannah gave a weak laugh
and studied LaShaun as though looking for a sign. “Please laugh
this off with me and tell me it’s absurd.”
    “Hmm.” LaShaun frowned.
    “Oh hell,” Savannah muttered and glanced over
at her husband. “Paul is talking about us moving out of the parish,
not just the town. I mean, serial killers, gossip about loup garou,
and now this.”
    “Ah c’mon, he won’t insist on moving. Would
he? Your father and aunt are getting on in years,” LaShaun said.
Not to mention LaShaun would miss her friend.
    “He’s worried the girls could get sucked into
some crazy peer group. I can’t argue with his reasoning. Look at
what Allison Graham and her husband are going through. They’re an
upper-class family. One day her blonde-haired boy next door is
playing little league baseball. Then he’s a teenager hanging out in
the woods at night dressed in black from head to toe.”
    “Being a parent can be scary, huh?” LaShaun
blinked hard at Savannah.
    “You best believe it. So...” Savannah gazed
back at LaShaun.
    “The last three or four crimes were plain old
human sin. Maybe these kids got carried away with this role
playing. The news reports say there were possibly other kids
involved. What did Mrs. Graham say about that?” LaShaun asked.
    “She’s talked to the sheriff’s deputies for
sure, one of Chase’s guys on the criminal investigation team.
They’re also talking to the kids at school,” Savannah said and
munched on a chip.
    “Chase hasn’t said anything to me, but then,
he doesn’t routinely bring his work home. We’ve got more stuff to
talk about,” LaShaun replied and ate a chip from Savannah’s
bowl.
    “Sure, like the wedding plans and which house
you’re going to live in.” Savannah smiled at the more pleasant
topics.
    “Yes, and how his mother probably won’t be at
the wedding. She’ll probably try to guilt the rest of the family to
boycott.” LaShaun shook her head.
    “Well, at least you know which house to pick;
whichever one is farther away from her,” Savannah wisecracked in a
graveyard