Charlie’s POV
402 Cyprus - that was the house directly in front of me.
It stood on the northeast corner at the intersection of Spruce and Cyprus just as Jake had said it would. There didn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary occurring in the single family two story dwelling. The double garage matching the exterior of the house that was composed of wooden shingles and brown siding, fit right in with the rest of homes on the block. It was twice as big as Bella’s so I imagine it cost twice as much. The property was well cared for with its manicured lawn and professional landscaping. Nothing stood out that would draw attention to anything…strange taking place.
Opps I forgot
It’s not strange; according to my wife the politically correct word is…alternative.
Alternative, what exactly does that mean?
Something different, unconventional and out of the norm, that’s what I’m told is the way my daughter is living her life, in that unassuming house. She didn’t tell me, then again Bella never tells me anything. I have to find things out all on my own and usually from a third party in the form of gossip. It would be nice to hear it directly from the horse’s mouth, that way I wouldn’t have to be concerned with the accuracy. I also wouldn’t have to feel like such a dope for not knowing what is going on in the life of my only child.
Over the years my daughter has taken upon herself to force me into being an absent father. The kind that carry a picture in their wallet, showing it to people so they feel better about themselves, yet could care less about their child’s life. Regardless of her efforts, that was something I would never be in Bella’s life – absent.
I had decided that years ago when she left Washington to attend Dartmouth, nearly making a nuisance of myself by calling twice a week. It became a religious ritual, those Wednesday and Sunday phone calls. We seldom talked about anything important, just basic information about classes or new street signs being installed. The guys at the station house teased me about being overbearing but I didn’t care, other than Bella coming home for Christmas it was the only contact we had.
I had begun to worry that she would think I was intruding so one Wednesday I forced myself to not pick up the phone. An hour later Bells called me; she was in a panic worried that something had happened. Reassuring her that I was fine and making up an excuse for the missed call, my heart swelled knowing the little bit of time we shared was just as important to her as it was to me and I never missed another call.
That was one of the reason’s I was there, standing across the street from 402 Cyprus.
There was no movement in the house, no cars in the driveway, nothing to tell me that anyone was home, but I knew they were. It was still early only a few minutes after eight am. They didn’t know I was coming, it was planned that way, and short of being forcibly removed I wasn’t leaving. This was going to be one time that I heard all the information pertaining to Bella, first handed and in its entirety. My plan was simple, I was going in uninvited and staying until I was satisfied that my daughter wasn’t in any danger from anyone.
The previous Sunday we had sat in the diner eating breakfast and talking. That was when I found out about all the stuff that had been going on. It was all news to me because once again my daughter didn’t think it important enough to tell me. When confronted, Bella brushed it off by saying she thought it was kids playing some kind of prank.
Had she brought the happenings to my attention I would have immediately dismissed her prank theory. Maybe the air being left out her tires could have been kids, if not for the fact they did it in such a way that it was a slow leak. Delinquents wouldn’t have taken the time to do that; they would have just sliced the tire with a knife. The same could be said for Seth’s missing collar. If juveniles had taken it they wouldn’t have bothered to return it. And it certainly wasn’t kids investigating her personal information - that was an adult on a mission.
What concerned me was what kind of mission, what did they want? Bella didn’t have anything of value; she wasn’t a movie star or a highfalutin society woman. She had a nice tidy sum of money; enough that if she was smart with it, she’d be comfortable. Yet she would still have to work and make a living for herself. So it made no sense why people would be so interested in her life. Whatever the reason, it must have also concerned Edward enough that he’d take action. After all, from what I gathered he was the one who hired this Weiss fellow in the first place.
Edward
Another thing I had to learn about from someone other than my daughter. That honor went to Mrs. Weaver, Bella’s fifth grade teacher. Sue and I had gone out for dinner at The Lodge, while we were waiting to pay the bill, Estelle stood behind me striking up a conversation with my wife. It didn’t take her long before she came right out and asked what I thought of Edwin living with Bella. I couldn’t even get a word in as she told me how Edwin was thirty-five, unemployed, and losing his home to foreclosure. Estelle had heard it on good authority that this Edwin’s own family turned their back on him due to a drug problem.
Now, I lived in Forks my whole life and I knew that gossip traveled faster than Tony Steward at Daytona. So it didn’t surprise me at all that she had ‘heard’ something, it was the context that had me upset. Bella might be a lot of things but stupid is not one of them. And she would not have a stranger move in with her. When I told Estelle that she was mistaken, the woman stood her ground telling me that she heard the news directly from someone who would know.
How in the world Estelle Weaver could think someone in the town was a better authority on my daughter than her family was another story. Bella had ties to the community only as long as a basic hello and friendly smile when she came to town. The only people she associated socially with were at LaPush and I was fairly certain they would not be spreading rumors about Bella. Yet I questioned Estelle as to who the culprit was that had enlightened her with this information. She refused to give me a name yet she did inform me that Edwin was no stranger as he had been seeing my daughter for over a month.
To say my blood was boiling would have been a lie, I was downright furious. Gossip is a way of life in a small town like Forks. The majority of it is pure bull-shit, however most of it is usually grounded in some kind of truth and that was what had me upset. I didn’t believe that Bella would be with a man who was on drugs, or homeless. Regardless of what Estelle Weaver was trying to insinuate, my daughter was not that desperate to have a man in life. Especially one that came with the baggage she was describing to me. However the story must have originated from somewhere, so I got the feeling that somewhere in amongst all the gossip lied some kind of truth.
On the drive home Sue – who knew nothing about Edwin – phoned Leah, knowing that if anyone knew about Bella dating, it would be her. Judging from the one sided conversation I heard it was clear ‘yes indeed Bella was seeing a man’ and in fact they had just left Jake and Leah’s house after having Tex-Mex night.
That was all I needed to hear.
I can’t say that I felt betrayed yet it was pretty damn close. Sue tried to tell me more of the story but I shut her down, I was going to hear all about Edwin from Bella. Knowing that they had left Jake’s house and only lived a few blocks away, I assumed she would be home. Especially since apparently Edwin no longer had one.
Bella sounded…happy when she picked up the phone. That was a tone in her voice I had not heard for a long time and I have to admit hearing it softened my annoyance. I listened while she told me his name was Edward and they had only just met the week before. She went on to tell me everything that a father wants to know. He was gainfully employed, owned his home, loved his family and was not on drugs. Ten years ago all of that stuff would have been important. At that moment the most essential thing was the glee in my daughter’s voice as she spoke about him.
Hearing a man’s voice in the background I asked to speak with him, I just wanted to say hello and see if I could discern anything from his voice as well. Bella refused to put him on, telling me that I could talk to him when they came to Forks for the graduation.
I did get to speak with him once; it was over a week later when I called to ask Bella a question however Edward answered the phone. He said that Bella was in the tub, we had a small conversation where I told him to take good care of my girl. He assured me that wouldn’t be a problem and the call ended with us both saying we were looking forward to meeting each other.
There wasn’t much more to say because by that time I had already done a full check on Edward Cullen, he was clean, no record, no warrant’s not even a traffic ticket. He had an excellent credit score, owned his own home and for the past three years taught Anatomy at the University of Washington. On paper he looked damn near perfect so I was glad he was coming to Forks. It would give me a chance to analyze him closer.
The whole week leading up to their visit, Sue had repeatedly warned me to be nice. I don’t know why she was so worried, I’m always nice.
Besides, my man Jake had already given me the heads up about Edward. He said Bella’s new fellow was a standup guy, who took good care of my little girl. Jake’s exact words were ‘it’s hard to explain Charlie, they are like magnets or something.’ I didn’t know what he meant but he assured me that once I saw them together I would understand.
And I did
There was not a doubt in my mind that Edward was indeed a man of integrity. Even after Paul went and said that Bella was having lots of sex, Edward didn’t shy away. He came right over, introduced himself and shook my hand. I had so much respect for the young man that I blew off Paul’s sarcastic remarks to pretend I hadn’t heard. The whole time we sat at the table talking I could tell that Edward was worried about Bella. And when she finally came out of the bedroom his face lit up like a Christmas tree, all bright and warm. But it was my daughter’s reactions that sealed the deal.
Bella had a gleam in her eye that I hadn’t seen in a long time. There was a genuine smile on her face instead of the fake plastered on one that I was so accustomed to. She ate her meal with gusto rather than forcing down every bite like it was threatening to come back up. But the kicker was her laughter, my baby laughed, full out hold on to your belly, tears in her eyes laughter.
Jake was always good at cheering Bella up, those two were like peas in a pod but Jake held nothing on what Edward had accomplished. The whole town saw the same thing I had, and believe me, I watched, looking for any signs that would indicate something was wrong. A possessiveness, a quick temper, irritability, grabby, bossy, disapproving or any other negative trait that would send up a red flag, and there was none.
In fact it was just the opposite, Edward seemed to get along and fit right in with everyone from LaPush. Letting Bella be with her friends without hovering or demanding her full attention. Hell Jake even told me later that Quil was staying at Edward’s house when they came to the city for the shower the following weekend. Seth was staying there too and from what I understood Emery had made plans to go golfing with Edward and his brother.
Edward seemed damn near perfect to not only me but the whole town. People had witnessed the exchange between him and James outside of the diner. I was told by my deputy that there was trouble and by the time I had gotten there all I found was a happy Bella being carried piggy-back through the streets. The other altercation occurred at Casey’s, James started the problem, and Edward was right by Bella’s side when she ended it.
The thought of her slapping that son-of-a-bitch brought a smile to my face and I wished to god I could have been there to see it. From what I was told it was quite a sight to behold, however Bella was visibly shaken from the situation. Edward didn’t go all macho trying to exert his manliness; no instead he took care of my daughter. Sam told me that when he walked them to the car Bella was scared, rambling and distant.
When she arrived back at the house several hours later – dressed in what I believed was Edward’s clothes - Bella was none of those things. In fact she was the exact opposite, yelling curses at Jake and practically attacking Paul for his brazen attitude. I was told later that Edward had taken Bella to the motel to supposedly ‘talk privately’ I think there was a little more than talking going on because that they could have done in the car.
There was a lot of speculation on what occurred in that motel room and I heard all about it from the townsfolk. However that was the only negative remarks I had to endure and even those were more snickers and innuendos – mostly from my fellow cops. The rest of the people all commented on how happy Bella appeared, how in loved they looked and how attractive they were together. And I had to agree with each and every one of them.
That was until Monday afternoon.
That was when I closed my office door, sat down at the desk and became personally familiar with Officer Jason Hawk. He and his partner were dispatched to Edward’s home the night that someone had broken in. Bella was rather disturbed by his behavior, telling me that he was rude, arrogant and implied that she obtained her restraining orders by illegal means.
It was the last part I didn’t like and was one of the reasons I decided to look into Hawk’s work record. I wanted to make sure that he would not in any way interfere with the process of renewing them. It took years to talk my daughter into filing them and even then it was Carol at the Center who had the most success in getting it done. The last thing I needed was another obstacle that would stop her from following through. Not that those papers truly meant anything if James wanted to get to her. But other than a bullet to his brain it was the only defense available and believe me I often thought about the alternative.
The other reason I did something that made me uncomfortable was because Bella had asked me to. That was something she very seldom did; ask for help from anyone, especially me. Even when she first came to me, an eight year old little girl who has just lost the only thing she could call home. I heard her almost every night cry herself to sleep, call out for her mother in her dreams and wake in the morning with a fake smile on her face. I tried to offer her some solace by going into her room at night, but she just rolled over and pretended to be asleep. Maybe I should have tried harder to get through to her but at the time the rejection was harder to bare than the tears.
As time went on the tears turned to determination and she took it upon herself to prove that she was not a troublesome child by never asking for anything. So for her to seek my help with Officer Hawk, I figured she was either very worried or desperate. Either way I had the ability with a simple phone call or two, to ease her mind and what kind of father would I be to not do it.
The data base itself only gives basic information. When an officer joined a force, who his superiors where, awards or citations he received and any citizen complaints that had been lodged against him. It was a good place to start and acquainted me with Hawk’s record, which looked exemplary to me. It also told me that up until four years ago when he transferred to East Precinct, his immediate supervisor was Ronald Long. I knew Ron we went to the academy together and on occasion he would come out to Forks to do some fishing.
That was where I started.
Earlier in the day I had given my old buddy a call, he was a little surprised to hear from me “Hey Charlie, everything alright out there in nowhere land?”
“Everything’s fine, how about with you?”
“Good, good, are you calling to set up a weekend of R & R?”
“You know me, I’m always up for a few days on the water but that’s not really what I wanted to talk about. I was wondering what you could tell me about one of your men. Actually he no longer is in your precinct, he transferred out several…”
At my uneasy rambling Ron wondered “Who is it Charlie?”
“Hawk, Jason Hawk”
“Is he applying for a job out there?”
“No…it’s nothing like that I was just …”
He cut right to the chase “Is this inquiry, business or personal?”
“A little bit of both I guess” I told him with a sigh while sitting back in my chair “He was dispatched on an attempted burglary at my daughter boyfriend’s house and she was concerned with his attitude”
Ron laughed “Yes I can imagine she might have been”
“I didn’t see any disciplinary actions in his record has there been…” Trailing off because the words didn’t really need to be said.
It was not something that any police force wanted to acknowledge yet it occurred fairly regular. Complaints against one its members handled internally, rather than through the ‘official’ chain of command. It’s like a second chance reprieve, letting the officer know that his superior is monitoring his actions but not bringing full charges against him. Usually if there is a real problem the offending officer will straighten up, if not it is suggested that he might find a new line of work.
Ron knew exactly what I was referring to “No, what you see in his file is all there is, at least while he was here at this house. It’s just Hawk can be rather…abrasive. He’s Army…” meaning that Hawk received his training while in service to our country “…came here straight from being discharged so he has that ‘do as I say mentality’ but he’s a good man.”
“Do you know why he transferred houses?” That could be a telling sign that something was amiss. After eight years in one precinct, community ties as well as partnerships are forged and so to leave that behind without receiving any kind of a promotion caused me to wonder.
“Ah…I believe it was personal reasons, divorce…”
Oh…the cops personal albatross
“…plus given that the East sector is smaller with a higher residential presence, it was a smart move.”
Ron went on to tell me things that an internal data base held that a statewide would not. Hawk headed the Police Athletic League Basketball Organization and personally coached the ten-to-twelve year old squad. He was also the police advisor and liaison for the past two years to Garfield High School’s DARE program. He resided - with a second wife of two years - in the sector he worked in, which might have been another reason for the transfer. All in all the report I received led me to believe that Officer Jason Hawk was a decent guy. He lacked tact and social graces but he was a fine man who got along well with his fellow officers and he respected his superiors.
After making plans for Ron to come to Forks for a weekend I hung up and decided it would be best to call Hawk myself and see what his concerns were. Not that I didn’t already have an idea. Any cop worth a damn could play connects the dots with the circumstances surrounding the legal papers and the rape that occurred. It’s not that the restraining order was obtained through dishonest means; it was just that the timing was a bit too convenient. Judge Crawford was not happy signing them especially since Bella had refused to name a perpetrator. She wholeheartedly denied any memory of the events and half a dozen people from Casey’s swore that James had been there all night.
The only reason Crawford even entertained the notion of signing them at all was because I shoved the pictures of Bella under his nose and he felt sorry for me.
For me?
My daughter, my sweet, goodhearted, beautiful girl was lying in a hospital bed lucky to be alive and he had the nerve to feel sorry for me. Her body was bruised, violated and damaged beyond repair and he felt sorry for me? Well I would accept his pity just as long as he signed the damn papers and kept signing them.
Hawk was working the overlap shift two-to-twelve, I wanted to try and get him before he went out on patrol. I had left him a message saying I would be calling so he wasn’t surprised to hear from me. “Chief Swan, what can I do for you?”
Not wanting to come right out an accuse him of anything I beat around the bush “I was wondering if there have been any new developments with the break-in that occurred at the Cullen house a few weeks back?”
“No Sir…” the sir was not meant to sound insolent even though that was the way it came out “…there were no prints, the perp was unrecognizable on the video and there has been no other incidences. So unless something surfaces, this case will remain unsolved.” After a brief pause he added “That seems to be a pattern where your daughter is concerned”
“What are you insinuating son?”
“I’m not your son, Sir” Again the sir was said strictly due to his military training.
“It was a figure of speech, no offence implied.”
“None taken” The arrogance I had been warned about coming through loud and clear.
“…and I’m not implying anything. When I’m called to a home where the victim tells me that he has a female living with him, I like to cover my bases. Especially once we had taken a walk through the house, then it became imperative that I see the female.”
Hawk wasn’t making any sense “Did you find something illegal on the premises? Was there something in Cullen’s story that made you doubt his word?”
“No. The only thing that struck me as odd was the …room in the basement, which once seeing it, I insisted on interviewing the woman who lived there.”
“Bella doesn’t live there”
“She has her own room”
That was news to me.
Even if Bella stayed over from time to time, I would assume that she slept with Edward, not in her own room. Then again I certainly wouldn’t complain about that.
“Is it a problem that she would have her own space?” Even as I said the words they sounded …odd and suspicious. A woman who had her own home wouldn’t go to her boyfriend’s house to have alone time. He was right it didn’t make any sense and was certainly out of the ordinary; enough that it would have made me question the motives too.
“Not per-say Chief Swan, it just seemed abnormal and raising a few questions that I wouldn’t have felt right leaving unanswered. It was completely possible that other than the time your daughter spent with Mr. Cullen in the basement, they remained platonic.”
In the basement?
Holding my question I listened as Hawk went on. “However I thought that seemed highly unlikely. Then once I received the 10-27 and had a better understanding of your daughter’s background, I insisted on Mr. Cullen bringing her back to the house. I want you to know Sir that I was not leaving the premises until I ascertained that your daughter was not only alright; but that she was there of her own free will.”
What does that mean? Own free will
That time I did interrupt “Why wouldn’t Bella want to be there?”
“Chief…”giving a resound sigh“…I would never dare to pass judgment on what two adults do to or with each other behind closed doors. And under normal circumstances I would have established that the involved female was safe and that everything was consensual. However given the history that surrounds your daughter I took extra caution in making sure that she was not being coerced into participating out of fear or intimidation. It’s very easy for women with a history of abuse to become involved in another abusive relationship. I want you to know Sir that I questioned her several times to see if there was any wavering of her story.”
Words started sticking out in my mind, safe, consensual, but I wondered to what story he was thinking she would wavier on. “And was there?”
“No Sir, there was not. The only time that your daughter seemed to be uncomfortable was when the questioning got around to her ex-husband and the SRO against him”
SRO - standing restraining order
I knew that’s what had raised a red flag. I was expecting Hawk to accuse me of influencing the judge – which I fully admit doing – however his next statement caught me completely off guard. “She became agitated and defensive, and frankly I find it extremely hard to believe that your daughter doesn’t know who sexually assaulted her. Because she will not say it leaves me to think that she is protecting someone. And then I began to wonder if it was an actual assault or a scene that had gone wrong.”
Scene? What does he mean by that?
Hawk continued “That perhaps it had started out normal but then something happened, either accidentally or intentionally leaving your daughter injured. In order to cover-up her participation she then concocted the assault and obtained the restraining order as a ploy to cover up for her Dom.”
Dom?
“If I could have gotten her to admit that the SRO was in some way a maneuver to draw attention away from the real culprit, than an open case could have been closed. Valuable time and resources could be spent investigating real crimes…”
I am a patient man however the arrogance coming out of him was obnoxiously insulting. ‘You’re suggesting that my daughter committed a crime by filing a false police report. And then followed it up with lying under oath in a Judicial proceeding. I don’t know how you are raising your children but I take personal offence at the suggestion…”
“I meant no offence…” I cut him off, because he was one of those kinds of people who needed to be reminded that he wasn’t the head honcho.
“You know …Son…” emphasizing the word “…I don’t doubt for a second that you did mean it offensively. I believe in your mind you think I’m some hick cop who’s biggest worry is what color sprinkles to get on his dounut. So let me be perfectly clear on a few items. I might only be the Chief of Police from a small town, but I am the man in charge, and I significantly outrank you. Another thing, we small town crime fighters take things such as perjury and false reports very serious and I highly doubt the town would keep me in my position if I so liberally evaded the law.
“Again Sir, I didn’t mean to imply…” He tried to interject but I wasn’t having it.
“And yet without any personal knowledge of what my daughter had endured or what she had to go through in the aftermath you take it upon yourself to imply the worst. You’re major concern is her inability to name a suspect; have you never heard of a phenomena called victims regression, where the mind in an attempt to defend itself blocks all memory of the event. I will tell you now Officer Hawk my daughter was attacked and raped by a person or persons who at this time she is unable to identify. “
That was stretching the truth yet it was not a lie, because I didn’t say Bella didn’t know who it was I said she was ‘unable’ to identify him. And to be completely honest, Bella never came right out and told me who it was. She kept her mouth shut when I was around because as an officer of the law I would have been duty bound to arrest him or at the very least bring him in for questioning.
“She spent ten days in the hospital three of those in the Acute Care Unit, two years in therapy and lost a full semester of school. Does that sound like something she made up?”
“Sir all I meant by my statement was that my original concern was for the welfare of your daughter. If I overstepped the boundaries I’m truly sorry. In our line of work we see all kinds of people and I should have known better then to judge your daughters relationship with Mr. Cullen simply by my own preconception. I want you to know that the only impact their lifestyle had on this investigation was the establishing of Ms. Swans willing participation. Especially after learning of the difficulties she had with her ex-husband and the extra care was simply to ensure her safety. Please tell Mr. Cullen that if anything should come up in his case I will contact him and as for your daughter. She has my number; if she remembers anything about the person who attacked her any other detail about the incident I would be more than happy to assist her. Again I’m very sorry if I made her at all uncomfortable or caused her more stress but the dungeon in the basement took me by surprise.”
“Dungeon? You mean it’s dark and unfinished?”
“Ah…” he stalled “…yeah, it’s very …dark down there and kind of scary” there was a trace of humor in his voice that made me wonder what he found amusing “Anyway Chief Swan, if there is nothing else I need to get out on patrol”
“No that’s all, thank you for your time”
“Chief, I truly didn’t mean any disrespect to you or your daughter and I have Mr. Cullen’s case in my active files. Be assured that I take the words serve and protect very seriously and will do everything I can to help them. In the meantime if they can think of anything they forgot or if I can be of any service to them or you, please do not hesitate to contact me”
The call ended on a much better note then it had started with and I got the feeling that everyone was right about Officer Hawk. He was abrupt, ill-mannered and egotistical yet I also believed he was a good cop and that was what I was going to tell Bella.
Sitting back in my chair I ran the conversation we just had over in my head. Hawk had said a few things that hadn’t made any sense and he used words that once I had a moment to think about began to come together.
Hawk was under the impression that Bella lived with Edward and something about that made him suspicious of what was going on in the house.
What was going on inside that house?
Nothing illegal, that I was absolutely sure of but there must be something.
What did Hawk say about the basement?
He called it odd, dark, scary and a…dungeon.
Dungeon?
Hawk also said something about Bella spending time with Edward down there. Why would they spend time in a dark, dreary, dungeon? Other phrases he used came to me consensual, own free will, a scene gone wrong and Dom.
Holy Hell
Those were all phrases I knew, they were words that I had read on page after page of Bella’s Thesis. It was an eight hundred page in-depth study into the world of sexual domination. That was not a topic I was especially fond of her studying but she was twenty-two years old and didn’t ask me. Then once I read it, I was more than proud of the professional way she presented such an immoral topic. There was nothing dirty or illicit in the subject matter she presented. In fact to the best I could understand a Dominant-submissive relationship was very much like a marriage.
Albeit more of the kind of marriage my parents or grandparents had. One where the man was head of the household and the wife was respected yet subservient to him. She sought his guidance, answered for her actions and held him in high regard. In return he saw to her needs, treated her with the utmost admiration and protected her with his life.
Those kinds of ideas about a marriage went out the window with the emergence of the woman’s movement. Gone are the days of holding a door open for a woman, taking a heavy package from her and forget about scolding your wife for her bad behavior. Those things are all from the past now we have equal rights and empowerment, so that women can be happier and more fulfilled. Yet I can’t help but wonder if everyone is so happy, why is the divorce rate so high. It seems to me maybe past generations had it right.
Those were the ideas brought forth in Bella’s book, along with a lot of psychological jargon that even once I read it, made very little sense to me. But those phrases Officer Hawk used were predominant throughout the whole book. Did that mean that Bella was involved in that kind of thing with Edward?
Is that what Hawk was suggesting?
No…that couldn’t be
The questions were on my mind for the rest of the day and by the time I got home there was no way for me to shake the feeling like something was awry. I wanted to know what was happening in Bella’s life yet I didn’t really want to know – everything.
Jake and Leah were staying in Forks for another night and were at the house when I got there. Jake was lying on the couch with Seth watching EPSN while the women were in the dining room making something out of green and white checkered material. After kissing my wife and finding out they were making curtains I went straight to the book shelf pulling the bound copy of Bella’s thesis off. I had only read it once before but something told me I should read it again. Holding the black hard covered book with brilliant gold wording felt almost ominous.
Power Exchange and the Human Psyche
Sitting in my chair, I opened the book and started paging through until the title ‘The mental mind of a submissive and the traits they exhibit’ caught my attention.
The ability to accept who they are, which includes knowing personal limitations.
The ability to communicate openly and honestly
The ability to show proper courtesy and general respect.
The ability to humble themselves before others.
The ability to make informed intelligent decisions.
The ability to remain loyal when difficulties arise.
The ability to be obedient with an intense need to please.
The ability to view things without preset prejudice.
The ability to be open to trying something new or different.
The ability to remain patient.
The ability to take pride in their accomplishments.
The ability to maintain and show respect.
The ability to willingly complete assigned task.
The ability to fully give of themselves in all areas of their life.
The ability to trust without question or reserve and to be trustworthy in return.
As I re-read the list words jumped off the page at me. Courtesy, honesty, humble, intelligent, loyal, open-minded, patient, respectful and trustworthy – those all described Bella.
At my sigh Jake spoke up “Something wrong Charlie?”
“You tell me Jake, is something wrong?”
Sitting up he eyed the book in my hand before meeting my stare “You in the mood for a good read?”
“You’re not answering my question.”
He shrugged “What would you like me to say”
There it was, Jakes dismissal telling me everything I really didn’t want to know. I sat there staring at him waiting to see if he was going to say anything else when he didn’t, I let the truth sink in and then got angry that I was once again left out in the cold.
“It’s true! And you knew!” I accused while getting to my feet. Sue came in from the kitchen to see what I was yelling about “What’s going on?”
“Bella is involved in some kind of sick, twisted, strange goings on and your son-in-law knew”
My wife had the nerve to stand there and laugh “My son-in-law?”
“That’s right. Because if he was mine, he would have told me and he certainly wouldn’t have allowed Bella to be anywhere near that …that …pervert” The word was out of mouth as I headed towards the kitchen.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m calling my daughter and asking her what the heck she thinks she’s doing and telling her she can’t see him anymore”
It was the laughter that stopped me. It wasn’t a small giggle or even a chuckle it was full out laughing “Can I listen on the other line when you tell your adult daughter that she can’t do something?”
Sue stood with her hands on her hips, the piece of material she had been working on still clasped in her fingers while I stood there dumbfounded. “You listen here Charlie, Bella is a grown woman who can make her own decisions”
“She’s still my child; I have a right to tell her what I think!”
“And she has a right to tell you to go to hell!”
“I don’t care! You have no idea what she’s doing, what he got her involved in and Jake knew it!”
“Charlie…” Jake tried to be reasonable, but I wasn’t ready for that yet. Holding up my hand I cut him off “I don’t want to hear it, I just want to know how long you knew”
“We’ve always known Charlie, we told you Jake was with Bella the night she met Edward at New Moon”
I glared at Leah “Wha…wha..what about New Moon? I was told they met at a nightspot, not at some deviate sex club” and then turned on Jake “Why would you take my daughter there?”
He shrugged “She asked me to” while Leah came to his defense “Would it have been better if she went by herself?”
“She shouldn’t have gone there at all”
Sue was more democratic “Charlie, last I checked this was still America and Bella is a grown woman who can go anywhere she wants”
Anywhere she wants? Was she out of her mind?
“You don’t know what you’re talking about woman!” Sue’s eyes widened but I didn’t care, she had no idea what New Moon was or what went on there and she certainly didn’t know what I was talking about Bella being involved in. “Ed…” I was so mad I couldn’t even say his name “…He’s going to hurt her, if he hasn’t already!”
“That boy will never hurt her. You saw the way he looks at Bella, how he dotes on her and takes care of her. Edward loves her”
Leah agreed with her mother “He won’t hurt her and she told me that he hasn’t ever hurt her”
“She told you? Bella told you the strange stuff that goes on?” at the shrug I questioned “Well tell me…what goes on?”
“Charlie that is none of your business”
That was the second time my wife said that to me and I didn’t like it anymore then the first one “I’m her father, I have a right to know”
“Fine” Sue said firmly “You can ask your daughter what goes on in her privacy of her bedroom right after you tell her what goes on in yours”
I gasped in shock and even though I knew she was right I couldn’t stop arguing “Sue you don’t understand what Bella is involved in. The things that…those people do to each other. The …strange way they live”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. Bella is a grown woman, who is happier now then I have ever seen her been. I love her enough to not care about anything except her happiness and that is all you should care about too.”
With that last statement my wife took the wind right out of my sails, because she was right. I had never seen Bella happier and it was clear that Edward loved her. Besides hadn’t I earlier described a Dominant-submissive relationship in the same terms as an old fashioned marriage? I could be content with that thought, knowledgeable enough to watch for signs of abuse yet still in that state of ignorant bliss about all the gory details.
I was just about to tell Sue she was right when she shut me up again “Besides their life style isn’t strange, it’s alternative”
That was the first time she said the word, but it wasn’t the last. That night at the dinner table we planned our quick visit to Seattle. Sue could get the curtains up, pick out the crib and I could sit in on the meeting with Mr. Weiss. I asked that my arrival be kept from Bella and Edward for several reasons. The first I didn’t want an argument about me coming out. The second, I wanted to see where my daughter was supposedly living. And third I thought that a surprise visit would catch them off guard so I could observe them in their natural element.
I’ll admit it was sneaky but I had to resort to those kinds of things if I wanted to know the full truth. They wouldn’t have time to hide anything incriminating or stage the house to appear normal. Sue tried all week to talk me into telling Bella that I was coming, she was sure that they wouldn’t have cared. I even almost took her suggestion, yet decided the original plan would be better. The main reason I chose not to inform Bella was because I was afraid if I spoke with her I would not be able to keep my mouth shut. As it was, it took four days of Sue constant reassurance and a speed course in reading through Bella’s book to get me in the frame of mind I was in while standing across the street looking at 402 Cyprus.
“Charlie?” Edward’s breathless voice called from the corner. He was standing there in jogging pants and a sweat covered t-shirt with a look of disbelief on his face. As I crossed the street to join him, Seth started to feverishly wag his tail.
I had to acknowledge him “Edward”
There that came out normally.
“Did Bella know you were coming?” He sounded slightly irritated but I couldn’t imagine why unless he wasn’t happy to see me.
“No, Sue needed to come to the city, so I came along”
“Oh…well” he looked up at the window on the second floor of the house then back to me “Bella was still sleeping when I left, but come on in.”
After pressing the combination for the door lock Edward stepped aside so I could enter. The first thing I noticed stepping in the house was the smell of bacon cooking. “I guess she’s up” Edward chuckled while pressing the code into the alarm system that looked rather new.
“Did you just get that?” I asked as he bent down to let Seth off his leash
“Yes, about a month ago when Bella started staying here. I didn’t like her being in the house alone without a security system”
Ok, that just earned him some brownie points
“Come on, it smells and sounds like Bella is in the kitchen”
Following him through the house I took a look around, the white living room held comfy looking brown leather furniture with dark wood end tables over a white and brown oriental area rug. The dining room was decorated the same shade of white with dark wooden table and chairs. The matching sideboard sat against the wall that housed the steps which separated the two rooms. It was a nice home with modest furnishings and art work on the wall. The only thing that appeared out of place was a few packages and three rocks that sat on the dining room.
The music got louder as we got closer to the closed door which I assumed lead into the kitchen. Edward put his hand on the door and turned to me with a snicker “You know how Bella likes to sing and dance while she’s cooking”
I smiled but in my heart I just couldn’t muster up any joy because I didn’t know that cooking caused that kind of reaction in her. My solemnness only latest as long as it took him to push open the door. The music grew louder and Bella stood with her back to us flipping pancakes, shaking hips and bobbing her head while she sang along. She was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt with matching shorts that I assumed were pajamas. Seth ran over to her and when she turned to pet him I caught the smile on her face before shock took over at the sight of us standing there.
She was still dazed to see me when Edward asked if she was alright and I pretended to be upset by her asking why I was there, but in all honesty I expected nothing less. Edward got me a cup of coffee and I watched as he helped Bella finish breakfast. The three of us sat at the table in the uncluttered modern kitchen eating and making small talk.
Bella wondered how I knew where the house was and even accused me of doing a back ground check on Edward. At first I was annoyed that she would ask me such a question but then I couldn’t stay that way because she was right – I did check out Edward. Once the initial conversation was out if the way I told them the real reason I was there – well most of the real reason anyway.
“Sue wanted to bring the curtains up for the baby’s room and take Leah to buy a crib. She wants it all done before the shower next week.” I didn’t know if Edward had any experience with women and baby showers so I thought I’d enlighten him. “That way all the woman can ‘ohh’ and ‘ahh’ over tiny little socks and re-closeable diapers”
While he chuckled at how silly women could be I told Bella “I came along to keep Sue company on the drive and to see where you moved into.”
“I haven’t exactly moved in dad, I still have my house”
“Are you planning to ever go back there?” while I asked Bella I kept an eye on Edward to see what his reaction would be. He seemed to be as intent on hearing Bella’s response as I was, appearing relieved and rather happy by her answer “Not in the foreseeable future”
I wasn’t at all surprised “That’s what I thought and since I wasn’t given an invitation, I decided to just crash the party.”
“You’re always welcomed Charlie, you don’t need an invitation”
Well that was a good thing especially since he had my only daughter here doing god only knows what to her.
No, don’t go there
Taking a drink of coffee I thanked Edward for the open invitation and Bella once again brought up my appearance in the city, wondering when I was going home and if we could have dinner. That was out of the question because in order to have off next weekend I needed to switch shifts with one of my men and that meant I was on midnights for the week. I figured the small talk was over and I would tell them the main reason for my visit.
“And I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind me sitting in while this Weiss fellow is here. I would really like to know what he has to say.”
“I was going to call you dad, after Mr. Weiss left”
Yeah sure she was
“Uh…I would prefer to hear it first hand and in full rather than the edited version”
Bella didn’t like that response and didn’t say anything as Edward answered with a shrug “You’re more than welcome to stay Charlie”
After breakfast Bella gave me a tour of the house –everything except the basement - it was a basic two story three bedroom house. There was nothing in it that would have told me there was something strange…no alternative, occurring there. As we went upstairs the door to the front room was closed and Bella led me to the one at the end of the hall announcing “This is my room”
She did have her own room
It was clearly hers, framed family photos sat on the dresser, books on the shelves, perfume, hairspray, and brushes on the dresser all said it was Bella’s space. The kicker was when I opened the top drawer to see clothing in there. If she just put her stuff out for merely decorative reasons but didn’t really use the room, her clothing wouldn’t be there, they would be where she slept. I was kind of happy about that fact “This really is your room”
“Yeah, it is”
Maybe they were all wrong. Maybe it was like my grandparents marriage only instead of having separate beds they had separate rooms.
“Then there’s no…” I wasn’t sure what phrase to use “…funny business, going on”
That summed it up
Bella sighed “Dad, Edward and I love each other and this is my room, but I also have things in Edward’s room because that’s where I sleep”
Oh
At first the disappointment nearly crowded out the joy of what she had just said. Sue told me lots of times, Jake, Leah Billy and even my deputy said it at least half a dozen times over the past week, yet it was the first time I heard it from Bella’s mouth – They loved each other.
My daughter found a man who she could love and be loved in return and Edward – the chuckle came out as I thought about what he out of the deal. “Poor Edward, I’ll bet he didn’t know that having you here would mean you took over his house”
“I didn’t take over his house” she said leading me back down the hall towards the last bedroom. Just as we got there Edward came out freshly showered and dressed casually in jeans and a shirt. Bella didn’t take me in the room she just motioned with her hand and let me peek my head through the door. I have to say, there was a bit of disappointment, it was just a room. A nice room with a very large four poster bed but nothing …strange.
Oops…alternative
Bella needed to dress so I went downstairs with Edward “This is a nice house, how long do you live here?”
I actually knew the answer to that question however it seemed like a proper thing to ask. Edward picked up one of the wrapped packages off the dining room table and gave me a smirk. “Almost three years”
“Oh…you must have moved in right after Bella” again that was something I knew, so I asked something I didn’t know “What is she going to do with her house?”
“I don’t know Charlie, we haven’t talked about it yet” He said while placing the wrapped package in the corner and leaning it up against the wall.
“What have you talked about?” There that was good question, direct without being too nosey.
“Well actually…” pausing as picked up the second package to look at me “…I suppose maybe I should talk to you first. I know that Bella was already married and all so I’m not sure if I need your…” Before he could finish the doorbell rang.
Edward leaned the package up against the other one and excused himself to answer the door. When he came back he had two very attractive women with him. “Charlie Swan, this is my mother Esme Cullen and my Aunt Didyme Volturi”
Mother?
Just as I shook her hand Bella reappeared and both women seemed to fawn all over her and it was clear that my daughter was thoroughly accepted in the Cullen household. The women stayed long enough hand Bella an envelope and to suggest that we get together for a meal. That way we could get to ‘know each other better’. After they left Bella and Edward left me alone for a few minutes while they got stuff from the kitchen. It gave me a chance to collect my thoughts.
I wasn’t exactly sure what I was expecting to find when I came here, ropes hanging from wall, shackles drilled into the floor. There was none of that; it was just an ordinary house with two ordinary people who clearly cared about one another. Of course I hadn’t been into the basement and I had no intention of ever going down there.
Ignorance is bliss and that I could accept.
I did however wonder just what the nature of their …alternative relationship was. After reading Bella’s book I realized that there are many …levels…to how they live. After all, how much authority could Edward have, he helped with making breakfast, cleaning it up and then cleared off the table. That was something my grandfather never would have done – women’s work. It all seemed so confusing, like I was missing something very important.
Before Weiss arrived we looked through the pictures Edward’s mother had dropped off. Bella pointed out who everyone was and I came to the conclusion that the whole family had struck gold in the gene pool. Looking through the photos I came to another conclusion, Sue had pointed it out earlier in the week but I was still too much in denial to admit it. There was no denying what was so obvious, Bella was happy. In the seventeen years that she has been with me, I have never seen her express so much genuine joy and my wife’s words came back to me.
‘Bella is happy and that is all that matters’ and as usual she was right. With that realization I decided that whatever Edward was doing to make my little girl happy, I hoped he kept on doing it.
My intention with sitting in while Weiss gave his report was to be quiet, I only wanted to listen and observe, and for the most part I accomplished that mission. However when he opened up with ‘can I answer any questions’, I had to know the most important thing.
“Is my daughter in danger?”
“I can’t say that for sure, nor can I deny it. You are a police officer Chief Swan, you know as well as I do that anyone is capable of anything. My job is to inform you of what I found and then let you make the decision on what to do with that information.”
That was not the answer I was looking for but I understood what he was saying “Fair enough”
Weiss went on with the report talking about some Caius fellow who was an antique dealer that made a hell of a lot more money than I did. Then again with his lifestyle he was going to need it.
Two twenty year old woman had to be expensive and the man was begging for an early grave
My only problem with him was his interest in Bella, what would a fifty-two year old man with two twenty year olds on his arms want with my daughter? The answer I got brought to mind something I had read in Bella’s book.
“It is the responsibility of a Dominant to insure the submissive grows and develops
under the Dominant’s ownership.”
This Caius person likes to shape and mold young women into his perfect creature and that’s what he wanted Bella for. A plaything, there was no love it was purely sex and the question came out before I could stop it.
“Is he into S&M?”
I suppose I must have shocked Bella with my knowledge of the subject as she nearly choked to death on a sip of coffee and I wondered how much personal knowledge she had with S&M. Weiss took that thought right out of my head with his response “Actually Chief Swan, once I ascertained that Caius Salvador was not a threat to my clients his sexual appetite was no longer my concern.”
That wasn’t a no so I figured my assumptions were correct as I sat back in the chair with my arms folded over my chest “Yeah, that’s what I thought”
Weiss didn’t bat an eye as he turned back to Edward “As I said I don’t think Mr. Salvador is any threat to you, and in all actually Bella you are a little older than he prefers. So I believe that his interest in you is simply due to your friendship with Mr. Volturi….”
Volturi?
Even when Edward had introduced his aunt the name sounded familiar to me. I wasn’t surprised at the word uncle, after all they usually go with an aunt. It was more the situation around what was not being said that made me suspicious.
Volturi?
Watching Bella my eyes went to the necklace around her neck. It was the same one she had worn last week …Volturi? …staring at silver trinket the name kept popping in my head and then it clicked. Volturi was the name of that guy who Bella contacted to help her with the dissertation – Aro Volturi. He owned and operated New Moon, they had become very close and even though I wasn’t initially happy about the association he had been a big help to her.
That was Edward’s uncle
And that necklace around my daughter’s neck was not an ordinary piece of silver jewelry, it was a collar.
What did that mean?
As if sensing my gaze Bella’s hand went to the small blue stone that hung from the silver choker and her fingers stroke the round charm in an almost reverently way.
It definitely meant something to her
Shifting my eyes to Edward he was mid conversation with Weiss but his body language scream ‘protection’. His body was shifted in such a way that he was practically hovering over Bella while his arm rested against the back of her chair keeping her close to him. From the corner of my eye I saw Bella fidget and as she moved he adjusted himself to accommodate, it was like watching…magnets.
Jake was right I saw it.
“So there’s no one…” Edward’s voice bringing me back to the conversation at hand.
“I didn’t say that” Weiss replied placing a picture of a familiar dark haired young woman on the table.
“Do you know this woman Bella?”
“That’s Heather…”
Heather?
“She looks like…Karen, with dark hair?”
Bella argued “No that’s Heather Kohner, one of the women from the center”
“Actually you are both right…” Mr. Weiss commented “...however I’m surprised that you don’t recognize her Bella since she grew up – for the most part – in Forks.”
“See that is Karen. She left a while back to attend Washington Academy of Performing Arts.” I tried to remember the last time I had seen her “She was home for a visit this past fall…I saw her at a football game with a tall blond haired fellow that I didn’t know”
“Bella you said her name was Heather?” Edward wondered
“Yes. That’s what told us at The Center”
Mr. Weiss spoke up “Her full name is Karen Heather Kohn”
“Kohn” Bella spoke the name like it was her last breath
“Yes, she has three sisters Debra, Patricia and Victoria; her parents are Katherine and Alfred”
Bella was acting as if it was a shock to her system while Edward stated the obvious “You know them”
“Of course she knows them, we all do. Hell she graduated with Karen’s oldest sister Victoria” they have lived in Forks their whole life, hell I went to school with Al, we played football together.
“Victoria? ...as in the woman with James…that Victoria?” Bella nodded and he became more animated “And this Heather came into The Center and you don’t recognize her as Karen?”
“No S…she’s a lot younger than me. When I left for Dartmouth Karen was just a kid and …I avoided that family as much as possible. So when Heather…Karen…came to The Center, she kept asking to talk to me, like she knew me but I never…I didn’t know who she was…”
Why would Karen tell Bella her name was Heather? And if she wanted to talk to Bella why not just come up to her and say ‘hey Bella, remember me?’ that would be a whole lot easier than all the skirting around she was doing. Besides Bella was right Karen was young when she left they would have nothing in common so I had to wonder. “What could Karen Kohn possibly want with Bella?”
Edward glared at me “Well she wants something”
I let it go, after all I was sitting in his house and I’ve been known to get angry when I’m frustrated. What surprised me was the way he spoke to Bella. The anger was gone or at least masked as his tone softened while he clasped her hand “Baby what did she say to you?”
When she didn’t answer he became insistent “Isabella think”
Bella stared at him as if he was the only person on the room “I…I don’t know…she said…something about wanting to talk to me, she thought I would understand better because…her husband…no her boyfriend was a cop…”
He was?
That was suspicious as usually a fellow officer makes his presence known. Edward asked her if there was anything else she remembered. Bella seemed to think for a minute and when she spoke I was even more confused by the answer she gave “She said… ‘I want what’s rightfully mine’.
What does that mean?
Edward asked what I was thinking and as Bella said she didn’t know I could see her eyes fill up with tears. Edward pulled her against his body holding her to him while stroking her back and hair in long gentle motions. I felt like we were intruding on a private moment yet I couldn’t look away from the tender scene either.
“It’s ok nâhtötse, we’ll figure it out”
Nâhtötse?
He spoke the phrase ‘my pet’ so softly that I was sure it was only meant for Bella’s ears, however I heard it. Staring at them I wondered if Edward knew the meaning of what he had just said. He had spoken the phrase in a loving almost reverent way and I realized it was his term of endearment to Bella. Some women are referred to as dear, honey, sweetheart; my daughter is called ‘pet’. I didn’t even want to begin to think about what that meant.
The sweet tones in Edward’s voice changed as he looked to Weiss “Is there more?”
There was indeed more, a lot more. The things I learned in that hour made my head spin. I always knew my ex-son-in-law was a piece of work, but I never would have dreamed he was so diabolical. To molest a fourteen year old girl, impregnate her and then hide the child, I was astounded. And to be honest I didn’t want to believe that the man who sat next to my daughter at my dinner table was capable of such atrocities. If he could be so callus to a young girl, what did he do to my daughter? The worst part was there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
Weiss had clearly pointed out that without DNA there was no absolute proof James fathered the child and I knew damn well he wasn’t giving that up without a court order. The only other way to hold him responsible was for Karen to come forward and name him. That seemed an impossibility or she would have already done so. Besides I’m sure that would endanger the six-hundred dollar monthly payment she receives. At one point while Weiss and I were discussing the rape of a fourteen year old girl Edward excused himself. When he came back he had brought Bella two caplets and a fresh glass of water. She took them gladly and thanked him.
And that simple act was the point where I knew without a doubt that Edward would never hurt Bella.
They could play their games and do whatever they wanted. They were two grown adults who share an intimate relationship the same as anyone else. I didn’t want to know about it anymore then I wanted to know about Leah and Jake. Sue was right it was none of my business what goes on behind closed doors. I could leave there and sleep peacefully because I was absolutely sure that my daughter was safe with that man.
Now, keeping Bella safe from herself, that’s another story.
After learning of Karen’s Bipolar Disorder and her boyfriend’s illegal activities, Bella made me proud by putting all the pieces together. It seemed all neat and tidy yet still so many unanswered questions which Bella decided the best way to answer them was to be ‘proactive’
“Proactive?”
I was as stunned as Edward
“Yeah, I assume that Mr. Weiss knows where she lives I can go there and….”
“The fuck you will!” Edward practically growled. It was the first time I heard him loose his composer and instead of being upset at his yelling I agreed whole heartily “No way in hell!”
I was going to chastise her myself but Edward beat me to it and did a damn good job at it too.
“Isabella you are not to go anywhere near them. In fact you are not to be out on the streets alone until we know what this Karen wants from you. Do I make myself clear?”
Damn right she wasn’t to be out alone. Karen was unstable; she had already tried to fraudulently get in contact with Bella. I didn’t know the Mike person at all and there was no reason for me to. We would have no problems just as long as he didn’t cause my daughter any trouble.
Bella narrowed her eyes at Edward and then turned to me - I think for support. She was barking up the wrong tree with that one. I was totally on Edward’s side “Isabella Marie, Are You Clear On That?”
Oh yeah that shocked her.
Bella’s mouth dropped open in stunned silence and yet I didn’t care. If Edward had to Duct Tape her to a wall to make her comply – then so be it.
Weiss was a little more liberal with his warning which Bella took to heart. He then went on to talk about someone named Jessica who I got the feeling from the way Bella was acting was more than Edward’s friend. The only thing that I cared about Jessica was what she had to do with the things that were happening with Bella. Other than that I didn’t care if they had a three-way tag-team or a total battle royal, just so they didn’t harm my child.
Before Weiss left he gave Edward a thick folder with what I assumed were copies of all the information he had just given us. Weiss also asked if there were questions I needed to know “I was just wondering how much of this information was obtained through illegal means.”
Weiss smirked “Are you planning on arresting me Chief Swan?”
“No, not exactly. I was more curious about how much of this stuff I need to be forgetting about”
“Remember all of it Chief, it just might be important one day. But don’t go around repeating it to people you don’t trust”
“Wasn’t planning on doing that anyway”
Edward walked Weiss to the door and I used the bathroom before coming back to find Bella gathering the dishes off the table. I used the alone time to ask her about my suspicions of Jessica and Edward. When she answered affirmatively I took the time to let her know what I thought. “I don’t know everything about your …private life and I don’t think I want to know. But one thing I’m sure of is that boy loves you. I just want to know that you are happy, safe and with someone who cares for you and I can see that.”
She gave me a hug and told me what I already knew “I have never been happier daddy.”
“That’s all that matter’s Bells” and it truly was
Once Edward was back, I asked them to sit down so I could tell them about Officer Hawk. The two of them sat across from me sitting as closes as the chairs would allow with their clasped hands resting on the table. I gave them all the information I had, explaining Hawks motives as delicately as I possibly could. The ruff exterior he displayed is his natural character and they shouldn’t take it personally. They needed to understand that Hawk was only doing his job and working with the information he had in front of him. I also wanted them to realize his main objective was to ensure Bella’s safety and that was something I couldn’t fault anyone for.
After I was done my eyes dropped down to the silver band around Bella’s neck. I was going to have to explore what that meant for the time being I was giving it the benefit of the doubt that a …collar was a good thing.
Lifting my eyes I was met with wide brown ones “Dad”
There was nothing she had to explain to me, it took me all week until I could confidently say “You are a grown woman Bella and what goes on behind closed doors is nobody’s business. The only reason I’m saying anything at all is because I want you to know that Officer Hawk was only doing what he felt was best at the time.”
And Edward had to understand “It was nothing personal. He knew Bella’s history and unfortunately that is a history that often repeats itself. He is a good man and was just making sure that you were a good man too.”
Once all the embarrassingly personal talk was over I felt like I could relax “So that’s all I have to say”
Edward was the first to speak “Well thank you Charlie” and I waited for Bella to respond “Thank you dad”
Feeling like I had just given my blessing I shrugged and Bella seemed to have come back to reality “Really dad…I know that talking to Officer Hawk was not something you really wanted to do and I know what that means to you. But we…really appreciate it”
“You don’t ask for much Bells, you never have and I like to see you happy. Hell I just want to see you”
That was the truth, I would like to see my daughter a whole lot more than I have been. Her tear filled eyes made me hopeful that she felt the same way. We’ve lost too much time, between her early marriage and then all the bullshit that surrounded it, so many lost years because of James.
Just thinking the name made my blood boil, something had to be done about him and there was only one person who could do it.
“Would you do your old man a favor?”
“Anything”
I should have made her promise
Pushing the business card with Hawks information on it towards her I said as calmly as possible “You call Officer Hawk, tell him what happened in your kitchen and you put that son of a bitch behind bars where he belongs”
“Ahhh…”
Seeing the hesitation I cut her off “Just think about it Bells, you don’t have to do it right this minute or tomorrow, but soon. Right now the only protection you have is a security system and a restraining order. You of all people know how many women with restraining orders get buried every year. They aren’t worth the paper they are printed on, but that’s all you have. And in my heart I know that the only reason James does not harass you more than he does is because of frozen DNA samples. That will only last for so long. Ten years, that’s the statute of limitations on rape in the state of Washington. Once that time has passed, there is nothing or no one going to stop him from coming after you.”
I got nothing so I used a different tactic “If that isn’t enough of a reason, do it for all the Karen’s because lord only knows how many others there have been.”
All I got was a blank stare until Edward squeezed her hand and then she rapidly blinked making the tears fall down her cheeks. “You just promise me you’ll think about it”
I still got nothing except a nod – I was going to have to live with that.
There wasn’t much more to say, Bella hugged me good-bye telling me she would see me next weekend and then added with a laugh “Three weeks in a row dad, people are going to start talking”
She was right, when we came for the baby shower that would make the third week I actually saw her. It was something to look forward to. Edward walked with me down to the end of the driveway where we shook hands “Thank you for letting me sit in”
“You don’t have to thank me and you’re welcomed here anytime”
“Could you do me a favor Edward, and try to get her to call Hawk”
“I…” he sighed “…I don’t know if she’s ready for that yet. She’s going to have to come to own decision about calling him.”
It wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear, or even the one I was expecting. It seemed simple enough to me, Edward tells her to do something and Bella jumps to fulfill it. I suppose I have more to learn about all this…alternative stuff.
There was however one thing I could ask for “You keep our girl safe, I don’t care how, just do it”
“That I can assure you of.” He said with a smirk
“Ok, I’m trusting my daughter with you, don’t make me regret it”
With pursed lips he once again shook my hand telling me not to worry and I started on my way back to Jake and Leah’s house totally at peace with the goings on at 402 Cyprus Street.
