Chapter 94

BPOV

It had been over two weeks since I had gotten my body into an asanas position, and rather than dreading it like most exercise I was looking forward to it. Edward had given me the directive to spend two hours a week doing yoga, so I would be pliable. Making any position he wished to contort me in a whole lot easier. I suppose that was an extra benefit however it certainly wasn’t the only one.

I had started taking yoga classes at Dartmouth, as part of my undergrad I needed three credit hour of physical fitness. It could have been anything from intermural completion to speed walking, I choose yoga. I found the stretching to be beneficial in the healing of my body from the evasive back surgery. It not only fulfilled the requirements I needed but also helped rebuild the strength in my neck arms and shoulders. The exercises increased my range of motion while the accompanying mediation allowed me to find a small ounce of inner peace. I enjoyed it so much; even after I had satisfied the prerequisites it was something I continued to do.

The DVD’s I had in my own collection were several years old and I knew the routines fairly well, however going to a class was completely out of the question. Even after I had promised Edward he would get no more interference from me in regards to his request – no scratch that, it was a clear decree – he still seemed leery.

A wave of shame covered me over that because I should be easing his tensions not adding to his stress. There was nothing I could do to rectify the past; we had gotten everything out in the open the night before. I understood Edward’s side and he understood mine, our see-saw was balanced and we could go on from that point. His suspicion of my deviating from the commitment I gave was something that would be taken care of in time. Once he sees how faithful I am in obeying his anxiety will lessen and the overwhelming fear I witnessed in his eyes will hopefully disappear.

As for the time being, it was still there.

We had awoken to a loud clap of thunder, Seth barking and the ringing of the doorbell. Edward let out a curse while he scooted out from underneath my body, which was wrapped around him. I hadn’t slept very well so after checking the time and seeing it was just a few minutes after seven I was kind of miffed and ended up whining.

“Ohhhh…who the hell is that?”

“I don’t know baby, go back to sleep” Edward encouraged patting my bottom.

Pulling the pillow over my head I laid back down, however there was an eminent need to make a trip to the bathroom. It was day two of my period which meant a heavy flow and there was just no putting it off. After freshening myself up, I looked longingly at the bed before deciding to go see who had disrupted our sleep.

The two workmen from the day before were standing in the vestibule talking to Edward. I had no idea why they were there so early but still I offered them coffee while stifling a yawn. Declining the hospitality, I made my way into the kitchen with Seth right behind me. After letting him out the back door I was just getting two mugs out when Edward joined me.

“Why are they here so early?” my voice was still slightly whiney but it had been my understanding they were to start at eight everyday not seven. 

Edward multitasked by pouring the coffee with one hand while rubbing the other through his hair all while letting out a yawn before telling me “They need to have the old floor completely ripped out and the new subfloor in place so the room is ready by nine when the electrician gets here. Larry said they were going to be making a lot of noise so I suggest we get dressed, grab something to eat from the deli and head over to your house. That way we can get everything you need and be back here before the next crew arrives”

Yawning again- because he started it - I answered with a simple “OK”

Edward handed me a mug and chuckled “Ok? You’re very agreeable this morning”

“It’s too early to argue besides, I told you, I’ll do whatever you think is best” assuring him as I cocked open the refrigerator to get out the milk and added a splash into my cup.

“Then I suggest you go get dressed” he said leaning over to kiss my temple

“I’m going…I’m going” not at all enthused while putting the milk back before taking my first sip of morning renewal.

Raising one eyebrow at me Edward smirked “So much for being agreeable”

“I told you I was going…”

“So you did” he chuckled before swatting my bottom and demanding “Now woman!”

Edward was right; the demolition was a noisy job. It sounded like they were using a sledgehammer on the old tile flooring. Each blow sending a jolt of vibration through the floor joist that I could feel all the way in my room. There was no reason to dress in anything other than comfortable clothing, a pair of loose calf length grey yoga pants with a pink sports bra would do. Throwing my dark pink Seahawks hoodie over top and pulling my hair up in a high ponytail. All I needed was my Nike’s and I was ready to go when Edward came in my room carrying the clothing he was going to wear. He too had gone with comfort and by the time I came out of the bathroom – after brushing my teeth - he was dressed in jeans and UW hoodie, sitting on the edge of the bed slipping on his sneakers. While he went into the bathroom I quickly made the bed and we were ready to go when he returned.

It was a Tuesday morning, pouring down rain and the deli was full with morning customers stopping on their way to work. We ordered two large coffees, Edward got the ham, egg and cheese sandwich while I ordered mine with sausage and giving me a wink he added a chocolate croissant.

God I loved that man

Edward backed into my driveway pulling the car as close to the patio as possible. Normally I would wait for him to open my car door – because he spoiled me – but it was raining so damn hard I held onto the coffee cups and ran for the back porch. Edward had the bag of food as we both hit the cover of the patio at the same time, laughing at how soaked we were.

I hadn’t been to my house in several weeks and opening the door the first thing I noticed was the smell of stale air. Not that it stank or was dirty, just like it had been closed up for so long and in sore need of some fresh air. Setting the coffee’s down on the table I stripped off the wet hoodie and hung it on the peg of the coat rack. Edward followed suit, leaving him in a white t-shirt and leering at my pink sports bra.

“I thought you wanted to be back before the new men got there?” I asking knowing exactly what was going through his mind.

“Alright nâhtötse I’ll behave” he said sitting down on a stool and pulling out the contents from the bag of food.

Getting the ketchup along with a few napkins I placed them in the center of the table as I sat in the stool opposite him. Opening the foil on my sandwich, Edward took the lids off the coffee cups handing me mine. He took a large gulp and started opening up his own breakfast as he asked “How much stuff do you need to take from here?”  

Using the plastic knife we got at the deli I started cutting the sandwich into small bite size pieces while thinking over the mental list I had made “I need to take a few work outfits and definitely need more underwear, some books, throw blankets, and little personal items…”

I could feel Edward watching me as I squirted a bunch of ketchup on the corner of the foil wrap while I continued rambling “…and I need to make of list for the grocery store. Sue will bring some things with her but there aren’t even the basics here. I definitely need to get bread, milk, eggs, and cereal...those kinds of thing. Plus I’m not sure how much sugar is left or coffee…” using the knife to spread the ketchup on one of the bites I was just about to pop it in my mouth when I snickered “…hell I don’t even remember if there’s toilet paper.”

Edward shook his head chuckling and as he took a bite of sandwich his expression turned serious, taking another drink he wiped his mouth on the napkin before saying  “So…”

The uncharacteristic hesitation had me halting the progress of eating another ketchup coated piece of food.  He had only ever wavered in his speech a few times – two to be exact – all of which were subject matters that centered on a crucial topic. The fact he had done it again sent me high alert.

“So…what?” 

“Well…” he said pausing once again “…I was sort of wondering what your plans are with the house?”

Green eyes stared into mine waiting for an answer, when it didn’t come – because I wasn’t exactly sure what he was referring to or how to answer  – Edward elaborated “I know we had only talked about you living with me until all this mess was straightened out. But I was sort of thinking you would stay and I didn’t know what your thoughts were”

Was he asking me to permanently move in with him?

“What about my house, what would I do with it?”

“I was thinking …you could sell it”

I got a funny feeling in my chest and could feel my face warm up but that time it wasn’t from blushing. It was pure anxiety. Taking a few deep breaths it must have been obvious to Edward that I wasn’t very comfortable with his suggestion.

His face lost what little bit of joy he had as he stated gravely “You don’t want to”

He wasn’t asking me because it fairly clear I had reservations which I quickly voiced “It’s not that I don’t 

want to be with you or stay with you.”

That was truth; in fact I hadn’t given any thought of what would happen once this cloud hanging over us was removed. The notion of being away from Edward was not something I wanted to dwell on; still I needed to be cautious “It’s just that…”

God I didn’t even want to think about it, none the less voice it and I could feel my eyes fill with tears at just the idea. “What happens if …”

Geez it killed me to say it “…we don’t work out?”

Edward’s head tilted just the slightest fraction of an inch as he regarded me for a moment in a way that made me think it was the most asinine remark he had ever heard “Do you really believe that is going to happen?”

I hope not

Yet no matter how much I hoped it was still a possibility. We hadn’t really engaged in any meaningful conversation about a future together. The extent of the exchange was a passing comment about how droopy my boobs would be in thirty years. Other than a collar around my neck we had made no true commitment to each other. I was young and dumb once, no matter how much I loved Edward and it nearly killed me to think of not being with him, I couldn’t afford to be stupid again. Yet I couldn’t stand the obvious disappointment on his face either.

“Here’s the thing Edward…” swallowing hard I didn’t know how to voice my concerns; the last thing I wanted was to come off sounding like I was in some way trying to trap him. Yet I couldn’t just go along blindly, pretending to play house with him for the rest of my life either. And there was no way in hell I was selling my home and moving in with him lock, stock and barrel without a clear view of where our relationship was heading. When it came right down to it I just had to plainly state my misgivings.  “…the only commitment we have to each other is a non-binding, unenforceable contract. If something was to happen…”

He tried to interject but holding up my hand cut him off “Just hear me out…please” at his nod I went on

“…if I sold my house and something did happen. It wouldn’t even have to be between us, but if say 

something happened to you I would have no legal standing and your family could force me out onto the street.”

“They wouldn’t do that Bella” he was so sure

“But they could and where would that leave me. This house might not be much but it’s mine and although I’ve not even considered returning here once everything settles down, I still am not willing to get rid of it either at least not at this point in time.”

Letting out a sigh Edward continued to gaze at me until his eyes narrowed like a thought had occurred to him. “Have you thought of renting it out? That way it’s not sitting empty, you can earn a small income that would pay for taxes and the sewage bill yet still retain ownership”

“Who would I rent it to?”

He shrugged “Call the housing office at UW; tell them you have a furnished two bedroom for rent. You want upperclassmen with a good GPA, so you know they aren’t only here for the parties. They need deposits, good credit and references. Try it for one semester, see how those five months play out and take it from there.”

It sounded like Edward had either put some thought into it or he knew a thing or two about student rentals. Since he and Emmett leased a home at Dartmouth I assumed it to be the later.

“I’ll think about it” picking up the piece of sandwich I had dropped my eyes wondered to his. Edward was still watching me with tension in his features and I had to say something to take it away “I’m sorry it’s just I …”

“There’s no reason to be sorry Bella, you told me how you feel and I actually agree you. But really consider leasing the house. The longer it sits uninhabited the more susceptible it is to some kind of vandalism.”

I hadn’t really thought of that possibility either

Taking another bite I nodded in agreement which seemed to bring the smile back on Edward’s face. Changing the subject we spoke at length about all I needed to do for the upcoming weekend. Edward was also very busy on Thursday, which was the only day I had to do all the shopping. Kim was going to come over that evening to help put together favors so it all had to be done by then. We were at a stalemate because he was strongly sticking to the whole male escort stipulation.

Crumbling the wrap from his breakfast into a ball he took out the chocolate croissant before throwing the wad of foil into the bag and told me with no uncertainty “Don’t worry, I’ll get someone for you”

“Who are you going to get?” I wondered in total disbelief then pictured me going to the bakery, florist, and craft store with Emmett.  The prospect of having to deal with all the teasing that would surely be taking place not exactly something to look forward to.

“I said don’t worry about it. I got connections to keep you covered”

Sighing I rolled the last few bites of own food inside the foil adding the garbage to the bag with Edward’s and cut the croissant in half. Getting to my feet I picked up the flaky treat and kissed him on the cheek before making my way into the bedroom moaning at the goodness of the chocolate filling. Fifteen minutes later I was zipping up the first suitcase when Edward came in talking to someone on his phone. From the one-sided conversation I gathered it to be his mother. Between the two of them they had come up with a plan for me to still attend a lunch with her. While I went around filling up the other suitcase with all the things I would need he hung up and informed me of the details.

“Mom said she’ll make reservations at The Tower for noon”

My eyes widened at the mention of the private club. It was rather intimidating to think that me, little Isabella Swan from Forks was going to be having lunch at one of Seattle’s elusive private restaurants. Never in a million years would I have ever thought it possible, yet there it was coming to pass and then a thought occurred to me.

“Wh…what do I wear?”

“It’s only lunch Bella, so the dress code is lax but still no jeans or t-shirts are allowed.”

“Oh…” something else came to my mind “...and you’re ok with me being there alone?”

He shrugged “Only members can enter and my father will be there at the same time having lunch with some colleagues. Afterwards he will drive you to Leah’s and I’ll pick you up there”

Putting my grandmothers hand mirror into the suitcase I grimaced “Carlisle shouldn’t have to do that”

Edward cleared his throat, glancing up I was met with a glare “What happened to cooperating?”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t cooperating, just that …” Edward raised one eyebrow waiting for me to complain.

Remember his point of view Bella…help to ease his mind…keep him calm

Chanting the words in my head like some form of transcendental meditation I smiled warmly “That’s fine, whatever you think is best”

Eyeing me his lips twitched as he stepped towards me placing one hand on the small of my back and holding my chin with the other “Good answer”

Unlike the fear induced frenzy from the previous evening, the kiss that followed was full of passion and promise. His mouth was still claiming mine, not in desperation but in authority and my body responded. Our tongues moved together as I molded against the contours of his frame and he kissed me until the wanton desire made my legs weak. Moaning into his mouth he let out a growl that only fueled my need. I was shamelessly panting when Edward pulled back, opening my eyes I was met with the dark intense stare that made my stomach clench.

“God what you do to me”

I could have repeated the same lines right back at him, instead my face heated with a blush making Edward chuckle “That doesn’t help you know?”

Cocking my head to the side I asked innocently “What doesn’t help?”

Releasing my chin Edward ran the back of his fingers over my flushed cheeks “That blush, every time you do it – it makes my dick throb”

As if to prove his point he took my hand resting against his chest bringing it down to the steel bulge protruding against his jeans. The feel of his warm hard erection sent another surge of desire through me. Squeezing the firmness in my hand, Edward hissed telling me how every uncomfortable he must be.

Looking at him through my lashes I gave a sly smile “I can take care of that”

His eyes hooded over as his nostrils flared and his glanced over his shoulder at the clock “Quickly?”

Taking a step back I smiled broadly “Time me”

Dropping to my knees I had Edward’s pants open with my mouth wrapped around him in three seconds flat, it wasn’t pleasure I was seeking to bring, only relief. Less than four minutes later Edward was spilling ropes of cum down my throat. I knew he wasn’t holding back still it was rather satisfying to know I could bring him off so quickly and I wondered how fast I could make him lose control when he was really trying.

Sitting back on my heels, I gazed up at Edward licking the corners of my uplifted mouth. Closing his pants he smirked at me “Rather proud of yourself, uh?”

Giving a shrug I feigned nonchalance “Not really, it doesn’t count when you just let go. It’d be a different story if you were trying to resist”

“If I was resisting we would have been her all damn day” He said holding his hand out to help me up.

“Oh I don’t know about that, in fact…I would say if I was really trying…” giving my serious look I told him with absolute certainty “…you could resist all you wanted to....and I’d still have you cuming in less than ten minutes”

Edward chuckled in disbelief “Are you challenging me Ms. Swan?”

“No…I’m stating a simple fact”

Edward laughed “It sounds like a bet to me”

“I’m not betting” I said turning back to the bed taking stock of what I still wanted to take with me and Edward wrapped his hands around my waist. Pulling my back against his chest he rested his chin on my shoulder.

“Come on Bella, you’re so sure of yourself. Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is…literally” he added with a growl against my ear before tugging lobe with his teeth.   

Wrenching my neck back to see his face I wondered “You want to bet me money?”

“Nope” moving his head from side-to-side “We’ll set agreeable terms then see who wins”

“What kind of terms”

Straightening back up Edward shrugged “I don’t know, but I’m sure I can think of something”

What the hell was I thinking? At the time there wasn’t a doubt in my mind, yet as I gathered up the rest of the belonging I wanted to take with me I wasn’t so sure anymore. Edward had an amazing amount of control when it came to his sexual release. Yet I knew there were a few tricks I hadn’t used on him and by the time we had left my house the bargain had been struck. The specifics would need to be worked out but it was already done and I wasn’t backing down.

The rain had slowed from a down pour to a misty drizzle when we got back home making it easier to unload the car. We had just closed the door when the two workers came down saying they were finished. I let Edward to deal with the inspection of their work while placed the baggie with the  other half of the croissant on the counter, and threw the bag of garbage from our breakfast away. Stripping off my wet hoodie I threw it in the dryer and went down into the small workout room in the basement with the yoga DVD. I was just finishing the last stretch went Edward came into the room. He watched me while I centered myself into a lotus position and I could feel his gaze while I closed my eyes letting all the tension disappear through the deep cleansing breaths.

Opening my eyes I found his leaning with his shoulder against the door frame smiling at me “I hate to interrupt you babe but there’s two members of Seattle’s finest here to see you.”

Great

Holding out his hand Edward helped me to my feet asking what position I was in when he arrived.

“Ah…it’s called oosh-TRAHS-anna or the camel…” glancing at him through the corner of my eye I wondered “…why?”

“It’d be a perfect ‘offering position” starting up the stairs he added “only your thighs would need to be spread wider so I could get to the good parts”

I burst out laughing “Leave it to you to try and get to my good parts”

“Mmmm…they’re all good baby” he said swatting my bottom as I reached the top of the steps. 

Stopping his progress by turning around with my hands on hip hips I gave him my best sarcastic smile “And here I thought you wanted me for my brilliant mind”

“Brains, beauty, body…” he smirked placing his hands on my hips and moving up one more step so our eyes were level “It’s the whole package and I want it all”

“Mmmm…” I hummed wrapping my arm around his neck “…it’s already yours”

“And I intend to keep it” he said just before placing a quick kiss on my lips.

I would have liked to have deepened it however Edward pulled back giving me a sad smile “We have guest nâhtötse”

Officer Hawk and his partner - I believed his name was Miller - were standing in the kitchen going through the envelope of pictures. They must have already examined the car hose because it was out of the bag, sitting on the table. As I came into the room their eyes raked over my body, not in a lecherous way but rather methodical. I felt like I was a crime scene and they were looking for evidence. At any minute I expected one of them to pull out a pair of latex gloves and some specimen bags.

Hawk was the first one to talk; tipping his chin he spoke with absolutely no emotion “Ms. Swan sorry to interrupt your…exercise”

I didn’t know if Edward had told him that’s what I was doing or if he had just surmised it from the yoga pants and sports bra I was wearing.

“It’s alright, I was done anyway”

“We were just looking at your pictures, with the circles drawn around you, it’s fairly clear that you are indeed the target. Mr. Cullen had already told me how these came into you possession, but I would like to hear it in your own words, if you don’t mine”  

“No that would be fine, but can I get a cup of coffee first”

“I’ll get it Bella” Edward said from beside me, asking the two officers if they would like a cup also. At their refusal began to move and I stopped him “Edward?”

Glancing at me with a raised eyebrow I was beseeching him with my eyes “You know that other half of the croissant?”

He smirked “I’ll bring it”

“Thank you”

Chuckling to himself went to the coffee pot while I was faced with the two policemen who were staring at me with bemused expressions. It was the first time I had ever seen officer Hawk without a scowl on his face and I had to admit it did him justice.

Sitting down I offered them a spot at the table as well and once we were all comfortably seated I started telling them the events of the previous day. Starting with the shopping trip, then the car overheating, my being stranded with Demetri, Edward coming to get me finally ending with Jake bringing over the evidence they were so content on. By the time I was done Edward had rejoined us, taking the seat next to me just in time for the in-depth questioning to begin.

How long was I in the store? Did I notice anybody suspicious? Why was I on the phone with Edward the whole time? How do I know Demetri? Did I recognize anybody on the street? Why didn’t I wait for tow truck? How long was Edward gone before he got back to my car? Does anybody else have a set of keys? Did Demetri see anyone around my car? Over what course of time were the pictures taken? How do I know Karen? What did she say to me? Did I have any other contact with her? Were there any previous problems with her?

The questions went on and on, each time one was answered there seem to be something else one of them thought to ask. By the time the story was retold and gone over and over again I was beginning to feel like I had been through the Spanish Inquisition.  The whole time I stayed as calmed as I could and gave clear truthful answers while sipping coffee and eating small bites of the flakey chocolate pastry.

Looking up from the note pad he had been writing in Office Hawk’s face was back to the solemn expression I was so used to seeing on him “I spoke with your father this morning Ms. Swan”

Tilting my head slightly I waited for the rest with amped curiosity. I knew Charlie had said Hawk was a good policeman; however I didn’t know they had become comrades in arm.

“You should probably be aware that one of his deputies will be bringing James Cummings in for questioning this afternoon.”

Fear shot through me, I could feel the blood racing through my face as my anxiety level went from zero-to- hundred and all I could think was “Why?”

Why would Charlie do this to me? Why would he stir up a hornets nest? Why couldn’t they just leave well enough alone? Why bring James into all this? Why was this happening now?

“Because Ms. Swan you have a standing restraining order against your ex-husband, which means he has at some point either already threatened, harassed or harmed you. Now as I told Mr. Cullen over the phone yesterday, the note attached to the pictures is not a clear threat. Because it could be anything from see how easy it is to watch you, to see how easy it is to get to you and a list of anything in between. So until it is established what the person or persons meant, there is nothing we can do about that. However as you so clearly pointed out these pictures were taken over the course of at least a month or more and that Ms. Swan is stalking, which in the state of Washington is a class ‘C’ felony. And one of the first people we are going to look at is someone who has already established animosity towards you.”   

“James didn’t this”

Officer Hawk glowered at me “How can you be so certain?”

Scoffing my mouth spoke before my brain could stop it “Because if James really wanted to do something to me, he would just come and do it”

“Is that something he has done before Ms. Swan?”

Officer Hawk’s question along with the intensity of his gaze caused a shiver to run through me and could no longer stand the force of his stare. Shifting my focus over his shoulder to the falling rain outside the patio door, I could feel the weight of his glare burning into my face. Moving my eyes back to his I was met with his knowing scrutiny and out of habit I bit my lip before quickly diverting my attention back to the wall of glass. 

The tension in my chest started to build as I kept altering my gaze from the wall to his unwavering stare.

Wrinkling my nose I sniffled as tears started to fill my eyes. It felt like the weight of the world was pushing down on me as I swallowed hard to keep from hyperventilating. I knew damn well what Officer Hawk was referring to. Part of me wanted to end the whole thing by screaming out the words he wanted to hear. But the bigger part of me was so damn scared and ashamed and accustomed to living in a world of denial that there was no way the words would come out of my mouth.  

Blinking caused the tears to roll down my checks, taking a staggering breath I sniffled again as the anxiety caused my heart to hammer in my chest. Each beat sounding in my ears like a thumping drum while my hands started to tremble in my lap. My stomach started doing flip flops and I knew I was only a few seconds away from a full fledged panic attack.

“That’s enough” Edward said putting one arm around my shoulder while his other hand grasped my trembling ones.  The close contact was enough to pull me from the brink as my mind focused on the feel of the pressure he used to keep my fingers steady while he addressed Officer Hawk.

“Are you in the habit of blaming victims or causing them more suffering then what they already live with?”

At his sigh my eyes once again came back to the policemen sitting across the table from me, gone was the deep fixation for truth. In its place was a look of total condemnation that only served as another reminder of utterly cowardly I was. All it would have taken was three little words, the same phrase I had spoken to Edward the night before. The whole thing would have ended; James would never again be able to hurt me or anyone else. All I had to say was – He raped me.

But I just couldn’t, it was hard enough admitting it to myself, none the less anyone else, so instead I pushed it to the back of my mind to deal with later.

“I’m sorry Ms. Swan…”his mouth said sorry, his eyes said something else “…but if you would allow me to be blunt”

My senses must have been coming back to me because I laughed humorlessly “Gee…you being blunt, what a change that’ll be”

Officer – stone face- Hawk actually smiled, it was so shocking I half expected his face to crack “I know I’m a hard man Ms. Swan, it comes with the job. I can’t afford to be soft because it could cost people their lives. I see a lot of things on the streets of our fair city, most of it makes me sick. Descent people shouldn’t have to live with the vile creatures out there preying on others. So they set laws and a system of justice where by people can seek help to protect themselves. They can go before a judge to get a restraining order or a protection from abuse order; however that piece of paper is only as reassuring as the threat to prosecute. If there is no fear of prosecution from the victim what respect does the criminal give to the law?”

Giving me a pointed look he answered is own question “None, why have a healthy dose of fear about something you know will have no consequences.”

His statement hung in the air for a moment before his brow furrowed and his expression once again became serious critical “Now I know, and you know…” His eyes glanced over at Edward who still had me tucked in against his side “…and judging from how protective Mr. Cullen is of you, I believe it is safe to say he also knows…what happened to you in your home that day. What I don’t know and cannot for the life of me understand is why you claim to continue to have some sort of amnesia about who it was. I don’t begrudge you the RO or blame your father for going through…unconventional channels to get it, if it was my daughter I’d of done the same thing.”

Taking a deep breath officer Hawk seemed to gather his thoughts before continuing with the same tone of voice he had been using.

“Still as I said if you are going to continue to look the other way, then there are no repercussions for scoffing at the law, rendering that piece of paper completely worthless. It means nothing to you, it means nothing to your ex-husband and it means nothing to the courts except for the space it takes up in a filing cabinet. You are a smart lady Ms. Swan, so one day I’m hoping you’ll look past my gruff exterior and you’ll call me…it wouldn’t even hurt my feelings if you were to bypass me and call my partner Officer Miller here…” inclining his head towards the man sitting next to him “…with a sudden revelations of a repressed memory…” narrowing his eyes while he nodded in encouragement he added “…those things happen all the time. You’re doing the dishes and suddenly …wham!...your memory returns. Or you wake up in the middle of the night from a dream that pieced together all the missing parts giving you total recall. It could even be something sketchy…not a hundred percent sure…but just enough to force action against the person who so brutally raped you.

My stiffening at the word ‘raped’ caused Edward to once again respond to the severity of officer Hawks straight forwardness.   “I thought we were here to file a report about what a stalker, not a…not an attack that occurred years ago”

Hawk looked to Edward but it was his partner that spoke “It’s a warning Mr. Cullen for Ms. Swan to be extra alert in the event that James Cummings becomes agitated at being brought in for questioning.  It is very possible that the man will take that aggression out on the person who he feels is responsible…” nodding once in my direction he told me something I already knew “…that would be you Ms. Swan. It would be very irresponsible of us to leave you without the warning. You have the restraining order in place, you need to use it to its full advantage and not hesitate to prosecute should it become necessary.”

Fucking great

These two men were sitting there basically telling me that they were going to be pissing off James and 

because of that he would more than likely be coming to take it out on me.

Just fucking great  

Officer Hawk wasn’t done with his subtle persuasion “If your memory is still not clear then I urge you to take extra precautions Ms. Swan. Your father is also going to be keeping an extra eye out for your ex-husbands whereabouts for the next few days. However he can’t stop him from coming to Seattle again…”

“Again?” James was free to go where he wanted – thanks to me – yet the way he said ‘again’ made it sound as if a visit to the city was a regular occurrence.

“It seems your ex-husband comes to Seattle at least once a week to visit his girlfriend’s aunt and uncle”

Jesus Christ

Why the hell would he…

It hit me like a ton a bricks James and Vickie are not coming to see her family; he was coming to see his son. Karen’s little boy – Evan- lived with her aunt and uncle, they had custody of the child so he would be there, did that also mean that Karen was there? Was Jake right was James paying Karen to get to me?

“How do you know this?” Edward wondered while I was still reeling from the revelation I just had.

“As I said I spoke with Chief Swan this morning, he informed me that after talking with his daughter last night he went over to speak with…” flipping through the little note book Officer Hawk found what he was looking for before looking up at us “…Mr. and Mrs. Kohn.”

Charlie went to see Vickie’s parents?

“He wanted to know if they have had any contact with their daughter Karen or if they knew where she was or how to get a hold of her”

Edward’s brain must have been working faster than mine as he jumped to the conclusion “She’s missing too?”

Officer Miller answered Edward’s anxious question with calmness “Karen Kohn’s last known address here in the city is Graham Place Apartments. However she hasn’t lived there for quite some time. According to her parents last summer, Karen moved in with her boyfriend” glancing back down at the pad in his hand he said the name I already knew “Michal Newton who resides in the same apartment building. This morning when we were running a check on him, we found a warrant for his arrest and there has been no answer at his home, which just so happens to be the same apartment complex Karen use to live in.”

Oh…that’s where Karen met Mike, they lived in the same building

Rather proud of my intuition it shocked me when Edward nearly shouted “Fucking Newton is missing too?”

“I wouldn’t say he was missing Mr. Cullen…” Officer Miller’s calm demeanor not helping the anxiety that was building in me or Edward “…it’s more that at the moment he seems to be unattainable”

“So basically he could be hiding in the bushes, on a plane to Mexico or for all you know hanging out in Iowa with Jessica Stanley?”

Not answering his question officer hawk interjected “Well that is another thing you should be aware of. Miss. Stanley will also be brought in for questioning by the Merrill police department this afternoon. It has been set up for one pm, our time, as a video conference”

Edward became rather livid “You know Hawk had you listened to me on Friday and acted accordingly Jess never would have left the city and Newton who I told you put her up to breaking in my house wouldn’t have gotten away.”

“There is a process to this Mr. Cullen that I cannot supersede. There was no proof that Mr. Newton had anything to do with what happened here at your home. There still is no proof. The only reason his name was even brought into this whole thing is because of his involvement with Karen Kohn. The arrest warrant issued for him is a completely different matter.”

“So his charter doesn’t come into question?” Edward was incensed and at the two officers questioning gazes he clarified “The warrant is for theft or at least in some kind of larceny, so breaking into my house seems a whole lot more likely. If he can steal from his place of employment, then he can surely steal from me”

“How do you know what the arrest warrant is for?” officer Miller asked with a furrowed brow

“My uncle filled the complaint…”

“Aro Vulturi is your uncle?”

“Yes, my mother’s brother.”

Officer Miller sighed while Hawk gave his own conclusion “Well it seems we have come full circle”

“I thought you were aware of that.”

At Edward’s statement officer Hawk shook his head “No I wasn’t but the connections seem to continue to pile up and it makes me wonder what else I’m not aware of”

I was thinking to make it known that James was the father of Karen’s son but Edward squeezed me hand and I kept my mouth shut.

“Well, one way or another Mr. Newton will be found and once we have spoken with Miss. Stanley this afternoon there will more than likely be an added charge to his indictment. I can only assume that Miss. Kohn is with him so until they are found please be very mindful of your surroundings Ms. Swan. If they or your ex-husband should contact you or if you have a sudden memory recall, you should call us immediately.”

Stacking the photos’ and sliding them back into the envelope Officer Hawk said “I’m going to take these with me along with the hose, so I have them for evidence”    

“Take them” Edward said dismissively and taking his arm from my shoulder straightened in his chair “So basically what you’re telling us is to be on the lookout for…”

“Anything unusual we will keep you informed on our end and you do the same, hopefully we will know more this afternoon after we’ve spoken with Miss. Stanley. Perhaps she has been in contact with Mr. Newton or at the very least might have an idea of where he might be. And as I said once we find him, I’m sure we’ll also fine Miss Kohn. ”

That was the best we could hope for especially since before walking out the door we got what appeared to be the staple response ‘change your normal routine, don’t go out alone and be mindful of your surroundings’.

Wonderful

That’s the same advice I heard from everyone and something that had I not any common sense to know myself – I could have googled.

Edward saw them to the door while I let Seth out and made a much needed visit into the bathroom. Coming out I found Edward rinsing the cups we had used and stacking them into the dishwasher. He seemed deep in thought yet as I approached his head turned in my direction giving me a slight smile. “The electrician is going to be turning off the power soon. He said it should only be out for about fifteen minutes and then he’ll be done for the day”

“Wow…that was fast”

“Yeah”

The smile was still there yet the tension was thick in the air, laying my hand on his forearm got his full attention “I know you’re upset about what Officer Hawk said but I told you, I won’t fight you on …”

He let out a deep sigh “I’m so sorry Bella, I fucked up…”

What was he talking about? 

Seeing my confusion Edward finished his thoughts “…I never should have told Jess I was calling the police. I just thought it might coerce her into saying something else. Anything that would help us to make sense of all this, perhaps give us some answers or a direction to move in.”

“It’s not your fault Edward”

“It is Bella…I was just being an arrogant ass, had I just kept my mouth shout about calling the police she wouldn’t have ran. The police would have already spoken to her; they would have found out about Mike and picked him up and probably Karen too. This whole thing could have been over if I’d only kept my freaking mouth shut. Now everything’s even more fucked up…”

That wasn’t true and I didn’t like the thought of him taking the blame for something so ridiculous “Edward, how were you suppose to know she would take off like that. All you did was tell Jessica you knew what she did and was not going to allow to get away with it. Besides I wasn’t exactly quiet in that store, I was taking just as much pride in making Jessica uncomfortable as you were. She was relying on your…past relationship to protect her. She did it Edward, Jessica Stanley put herself in the position she’s in, not you. You can’t take responsibility for things you have no control over.”

His eyes narrowed “That’s the point Bella, I have control over myself and had I just remained quiet about that one point…but no…I just had to rub it in. Now she’s in Iowa, Newton, Karen both are in hiding someplace and for all we know the three of them are conspiring with that asshole.”

The asshole was Edward’s name for James and the mention of him and Karen in the same sentence reminded me “I was going to say something to officer Hawk about Evan…”

Shutting the dishwasher with a sigh Edward admitted “I know you were, I was hoping you would stop”

“Why?” It seemed like a good thing for the police to know, the little boy was the link between Karen and James and explained why he was in Seattle all the time. Not for me but for the child, at least I hoped that was the reason.

“Are you ready for that Bella?” Edward’s voice was harsh “For the implication of what happens when they run a paternity test. When they have a sample of James’ DNA to compare with another that is just sitting there waiting to be matched.”

My eyes filled with tears as I thought about what would have happened and Edward was right there was no way I wanted to deal with that. “So you were protecting me?”

“Always Bella…first and foremost in my mind and heart is your welfare…always.”