Chapter 68


    Chapter 68 – Ethan Stands up for Jane


    3rd Person


    Ethan nced at Jane out of the corner of his eye. She’ been incredibly tense all evening, even with the


    pups. They were currently preparing dinner together, and every time Ethan came near her her little body


    wound up as tight as a spring. He couldn’t keep quiet anymore after she jumpec three feet in the air from


    a light touch on the waist, simply be cause he’d wanted to nudge her out of the way of the silver ware


    drawer.


    “Janey, what’s going on? You’re being as skittish as a star tled rabbit.” He asked, turning her to face him.


    “Nothing.” She uttered, averting her gaze.


    “Eyes.” He ordered, noting the way she squirmed against him rather than obey. “Now, little wolf.” He


    ordered. Jane gradually peeked up at him from beneath hershes, sulking as she caved to his authority.


    “Tell me the truth.”


    “Nothing’s wrong,” She repeated, “I’m just tired.”


    Ethan growled, but before he could ask her anything more, a knock sounded at the door. “This isn’t over.”


    He in formed her sternly, going to answer the knock. When the door swung open, he found the murder


    investigator waiting on the other side.


    “Detective,e in.” The sound of a ss breaking filled the air, and Ethan turned to see Jane staring at


    the door with wide eyes, the wine ss she’d been holding a moment ago now smashed at her feet. “Are


    you okay?” He asked, worriedly, trying to recall whether or not she was wearing anything on


    her feet.


    She recovered quickly, turning to grab a broom, “I’m fine, sorry.”


    “Just give us a sec.” Ethan told the investigator going to help Jane. Rounding the counter he saw a pair


    of house slip pers on her feet, and she held up a hand to him. “I’ve got it, Ethan. Go talk to the


    investigator.”


    “Actually I’m here to speak with you, Ms ckwell.” The detective replied.


    Ethan was so distracted by the way Jane’s shoulders slumped in defeat, that he almost didn’t notice the


    officer call ing her by the correct name – almost. “What’s this about?”


    “Well I came to follow up on our conversation at the funer al.” He exined, baffling Ethan and making


    Jane dete even


    further.


    didn’t realize you spoke at the funeral.” Ethan frowned, thinking that the whole day had been a daze, but


    he felt like he would remember Jane telling him this.


    “Oh really?” The detective questioned slyly, eyeing Jane in a way Ethan didn’t like one bit. “I suppose I


    shouldn’t make anything of that, should I?” He gloats. “Now, I know you want ed to have awyer for our


    next meeting, but -”


    “Wait a minute.” Ethan interrupted. “Why would she need awyer, and why are you interviewing her at


    all. My mother was the victim, not hers.”


    “Because,” Jane announced shakily, “He thinks I killed her.”


    “Excuse me?” Ethan snarled, staring at the investigator in shock. “What the hell is she talking about?”


    “We have evidence, Alpha.” The detective answers, “Very strong evidence.”


    “And why the hell is this the first time I’m hearing about this?” He demanded, looking back and forth


    between them. For a moment he thought this exined Jane’s odd behavior perfectly, but then he


    recalled that the funeral was over a week before, and she’d only started acting oddly in thest day or


    two.


    “I didn’t want to burden you with it when you were mourn ing.” Jane whispered.


    “A likely excuse.” The investigator scoffed.


    Ethan red at the man, before turning back to Jane.


    “You should have told me this, Jane.” He told her simply, “whether I was mourning or not. And you,” He


    snarled, looking at the investigator, “I want a word alone – now.”


    As Ethan led the detective out into the hallway, Jane slumped down, resting her elbows on the counter


    and cradling her head in her hands. She heard the kids running in a momentter and didn’t even have


    time to feel exasperated about their knack for terrible timing. “Careful!” She called, stopping them in their


    tracks, “don’te into the kitchen kids, there’s broken ss.”


    They scrambled up onto the stools in front of the bar in stead, the boys helping Paisley and Riley with a


    lift, before mbering up the poles like monkeys themselves. “Mommy, why was that tective being mean


    to you?” Riley asked as Jane swept the ss into a dustpan.


    Jane wasn’t surprised that the pups had overheard. They were master eavesdroppers after all. “It’s a


    littleplicated, sweetheart.”


    “Why? Parker asked, cocking his head to the side.


    “Because,” Jane sighed, “He thinks I did something bad.”


    The pups exchanged worried nces. “Something to Granny?” Paisley asked.


    Jane scanned their faces, struggling with how much to tell


    them. She didn’t want to confuse or frighten them, but she


    didn’t want to lie to them either. “Yes.”


    Out in the hall, Ethan was listening as the detective de scribed the status of the investigation, rting the


    evidence about Jane’s dress, as well as a few others he hadn’t revealed to Jane: her bloody footprints


    around the body, a few of her


    hairs in Petra’s clenched fist.


    “Listen to me.” Ethan ordered. “The killer could easily have


    taken a dress from Jane’s closet and hair from her hairbrush,


    she lives here.” He stated, forcing the words out through


    clenched teeth. “And Jane didn’t have blood anywhere on her


    body, under her nails or flecked on her skin, which she would


    have if she’d killed a woman with her bare ws. Not to men


    tion she didn’t have any motive.”


    “She’s attacked your mother once already.” The detective


    reminds me.


    “That isn’t urate, for more than one reason. As far as I’


    m concerned those early reports were fraudulent.” Ethan rum bled, “A cruel scheme engineered by the


    woman you should actually be looking for right now – Eve.”


    —


    “Alpha, whether or not those reports were valid, it’s a well known fact that Eve doesn’t have a wolf –


    whoever killed your mother did.” The man argued, “the very fact that Jane lives here is further proof,


    because Eve no longer has keys. Whoev er did this had ess to the penthouse.”


    “My mother loved Eve, even with the new locks we put on the doors after I kicked Eve out, she might


    have invited Eve in. Eve is very maniptive and my mother believed she owed her her life, no matter


    what happened with Paisley.” Ethan had been thinking about this more than he’d like to admit. His mind


    had been terribly preupied with discovering exactly what happened that night. “And I’m not sure I


    believe Eve doesn’t have a wolf either, that was probably just an excuse to move in here”


    The detective was getting more frustrated with the Alpha every moment. The man seemed determined to


    refute every bit of evidence his team had found. “Fine, then tell me this Why did Jane lie about where


    she was that night?”


    “What?” Ethan blinked.


    —


    “Her alibi for that evening didn’t hold up. She was sup posed to be having a business dinner, but when


    we verified it, her colleague said they never had any such ns and he hadn’ t seen her since that


    afternoon.” The investigator shared. “All in all, we have more than enough evidence to arrest her, I’ve


    already got the prosecutor preparing a warrant.”


    Ethan grimaced. He had to admit the situation sounded very bad, but he’d fallen for one of Eve’s


    scheme’s to discredit Jane once already. He couldn’t fail her again, not when he knew in his heart that


    Jane was innocent. “If you arrest Jane, I will have your badge.” Ethan growled, making the detective


    flinch. “Eve tried to kill my daughter, she set up my mate years ago and I warned you someone would get


    hurt. As far as I’m


    concerned, my mother’s death is on your hands. If you’d done your job and brought Eve in, this never


    would have hap pened.”


    “But Alpha, the evidence


    “Is circumstantial at best.” He interrupted, jabbing a furi ous finger back towards the apartment. “So help


    me, I don’t care if the people want to call me corrupt or challenge me for control, you will noty a hand


    on the she-wolf in there.”


    It took a moment for the detective to submit, ring at the Alpha and slowly tucking his tail between his


    legs. “Yes


    sir.” The man slunk off with his tail between his legs, and Ethan


    counted to ten before he allowed himself to re-enter the


    apartment.


    Once inside, he found Jane getting the pups settled with a puzzle. She looked up when he entered,


    scanning the empty doorway behind him. “Is he…?


    “He’s gone.” Ethan informed her, pulling her down the hall


    into his bedroom. He shut the door behind him. “Where were


    you the night my mother died, Jane?”


    “A business dinner, I told you.” She stammered, shifting nervously from foot to foot.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    “No you weren’t. The police tried to verify your alibi and couldn’t.” Ethan corrected her sharply, “Soe


    on, out with it – where were you?”