I HAVE A COUPLE OF STORIES I WROTE LONG AGO BUT NEVER FINISHED. I DECIDED TO FINISH THEM AND SEE HOW IT GOES.

1.

I was a junior in high school when I first came across a girl named Isabella Stewart. It was a brief encounter, so of course I wouldn't recognize the name Bella Swan years later. To say Isabella Stewart didn't make an impression on me would be lying. I became obsessed with the girl I barely knew.

She was put into my advanced science class as a freshman; the only freshman in Port Angeles' history to score high enough on the placement exam to make it into our unique class. She was there exactly one day. The school moved her since she also scored unbelievably high on her English placement exam and that class was only offered once during the day.

I remember when she walked into my class for that single day. She looked terribly nervous. Her entire body trembled and when she was asked to take a seat next to me she refused to make eye contact. It gave me the opportunity to study her. The clothes she wore were a bit outdated, but they were ironed to perfection. She looked clean but there was a sort of musty smell underneath the childish perfume she was wearing. I specifically noticed her shoes. Usually people would wear new shoes on their first day at a new school. Bella had on old shoes that obviously were a bit too large for her.

During class, she took meticulous notes, many times adding to something the teacher failed to mention. I finally let curiosity get the better of me and leaned over to ask, "Have you taken this class before?"

She jumped a little as if she was unaware someone had been sitting next to her the entire time. Her eyes grew large and she quickly shook her head back and forth.

"You just seem to know the material really well," I added, trying to give her a comforting smile.

"I read a book about it," she said nervously, and looked as if she had been caught stealing something.

"You read a book about molecular symbiosis?" I laughed.

At that moment, Mr. Banner noticed I was distracting what was certain to become his prized pupil so he walked toward our side of the room as he continued his lecture. That was my one and only conversation with this mysterious girl.

After being moved from my class, she only lasted another week at the school. One day, some official looking people walked into the cafeteria and asked to speak to Isabella. She left with them and we never saw her again. It was all the buzz around school. Rumors began to swirl quickly, but since my mother worked for the state as a psychiatrist, Alice and I got the most information.

Isabella was four when her mother left Arizona and began her trek toward Washington State. It took them three years to make it to Port Angeles. Cheryl Stewart was a bit of a con artist. She also married many times without ever taking the time to get a divorce before moving on to a new man. She swindled men for money and never took her responsibility as a parent seriously. Isabella's father was a married man Cheryl had an affair with in Arizona. He died in a car accident so Cheryl sued his estate for a large sum of money. She was finally rewarded and purchased a house close to her brother, Charlie, who was a cop in Forks, Washington. Cheryl settled in Port Angeles but never let her brother or sister-in-law know of her whereabouts or the fact she even had a child. They were clueless to Isabella's existence.

Isabella was never sent to school. And, her mother was notorious for running off for days and sometimes weeks. It didn't seem odd to the girl when at the age of twelve her mother simply stopped showing up at all. Isabella continued to live the life she had become accustomed to. She signed her mother's name to checks and made her weekly trip to the public library to check out books. The librarian was the only person in town who seemed to realize Isabella existed. She was told the girl was home schooled and assumed an over attentive mother was behind all the curious titles Isabella checked out. Nobody knew the child was living alone and doing the best she could to be self-taught.

Inside, Isabella longed for the ability to go to school. When she finally gathered the courage to forge the proper documents and take placement tests, she was fifteen years old. I had some of the best tutors my physician parents could afford and this prodigy had learned everything on her own. It only fascinated me more.

My mother never knew what happened to Isabella. Her only involvement was to evaluate the girl for emotional stability after a couple of hunters found the remains of a woman in the woods who turned out to be Cheryl Stewart. When authorities found out about the poor child living alone right in their midst they wanted to make sure she was not damaged beyond repair. My mother heard Isabella went to live with relatives, but she had no idea with whom or where that happened to be. If she really knew, she made sure not to tell me or Alice.

My life continued to move forward. I graduated from high school a year after Alice and we both ended up in law school after attending our parent's alma mater in Chicago, Illinois. Alice rarely practiced after marrying Jasper Whitlock, a biographer. Her interests were more in line with fashion but she kept her license up to date.

I decided to work my ass off as a public defender. I wanted to build a legacy of public service before heading into politics. The state's attorney general was grooming me to someday, in the distant future, run for governor. It wasn't time for me to settle down yet, I needed a front-page case to propel me into the minds of the constituents before any talk of marriage would come up. Plus, I was exhausted from all the cases I willingly took on.

I showed up to work early one drizzly Washington morning to find a huge file folder on my desk. It said, 'The State of Washington vs. Bella Swan.' The sheer size of the file had me concerned. I opened it immediately to see it was a capital murder case. As I browsed through the text, I vaguely remembered hearing about a big case on the Indian Reservation. My boss, Aro, stuck his head into the room and said, "This is it, kid. This is the one we've been waiting for."

"Why the change of venue?" I asked, as I continued skimming the notes.

"It was the only thing her lawyer was able to do right. The press is ready to gas her right now. If you can pull this off, you will be up there with O.J. Simpson's lawyers."

As a public defender, I knew it wasn't only the innocent who deserved aggressive representation. Everyone deserved to be proven guilty and defended properly. "Did she do it?" I asked casually.

"She says 'no'," Aro replied.

I came to the crime scene photos and couldn't keep myself from exclaiming aloud. "Holy shit."

Aro chuckled and added, "He must have done something to someone to deserve that. The victim is Jacob Black. He was a pretty big deal politically. A big hitter in Washington for Native American rights."

"Yeah, I heard of him," I said, but didn't admit it was only slightly and nothing concrete.

"His live-in girlfriend is accused of the murder. She's been sitting in the reservation jail until last week. Her lawyer managed to get a change of venue and then retired." Aro laughed and then added, "I think all the death threats encouraged him to retire."

My first reaction was to assume this woman must be a professional weightlifter to manage what I was looking at in the pictures. The scene was brutal and very savage. I picked up the phone to call the previous lawyer until Aro pointed out it was only 6:00 am. I decided to work through the documents instead and settled on the woman's statement.

She had been home the entire week of the slaying, never leaving once. By her description of their relationship they were a perfect couple. I could tell she obviously loved him by the way she gushed about all his virtues. But I had also practiced law long enough to know there are always things left unsaid about every relationship.

The murder was committed in the garage which was separated from the house by fifty feet. His body was found four days after the killing, inside his pickup truck, by a childhood friend. Bella stated she thought he was out of town and hadn't gone into the garage to see his vehicle was still there. I immediately wondered about the smell and looked at the date to see if it was summer or winter. It happened in August, three years prior.

I glanced at the police report to see no weapon was found capable of gutting the man from neck to pelvis, or any clothing of Bella's containing Jacob's blood. In fact, all the evidence against Bella was strictly circumstantial.

I jumped up from my desk and headed straight to Aro's office. My mind was already spinning with legal moves I was going to make. I would immediately move for a bail hearing. Then I would file a summary judgment of not guilty. The state had to have more than this to keep her behind bars. Just as I reached Aro's door, I saw something in the file that made my stomach drop. I stopped in my tracks and lost all thoughts of getting any motions filed. The prosecutor was Laurent Boris. He was ruthless in his approach and had most sitting judges terrified of him.

Aro saw me standing outside his office with a disappointed expression and called out to me. "So, you found out who you're up against."

I nodded and swallowed deeply before saying, "This is going to be a bitch of a case. I was thinking of calling for a bail hearing."

"Check the judicial rotation first and try to get Judge Hale. She's the best we can hope for in this situation."

The thought of Judge Hale being my best hope left me hopeless. Rosalie Hale was a man hater. She was too pretty for her own good and the black robe she wore just drove men crazier with wonder about what her body must look like. She wasn't one to be impressed by Laurent's antics, but she could easily tire of him and give in like other justices did.

I've had a few heated discussions with her in my time, especially when I made the mistake of asking her on a date. She verbally castrated me and demanded to know why I ever thought she would spend a moment in my presence outside of a courtroom. I tried to retaliate with a line about a 'pity date' but she was much too beautiful to fall for that crap. I must admit it did spur my political ambitions that much more. I hoped to someday be the Governor and would refuse to give her the time of day. With my luck, she would be married to the President of the United States by that time.

I went back to my office and began coming up with a strategic plan. As I worked through the file, details about Bella's history began to sound familiar. When I read she was originally Isabella Stewart and her name had been changed by her uncle, my mouth went dry. I was going to defend the young woman I had been so obsessed with but never really knew.

My mind was reeling with everything I needed to do. I needed to go to Forks and meet with Bella's former lawyer. I wanted to see the places that were mentioned in the file so I could visualize the crime for myself. I needed to talk to her aunt and uncle and assure them I would do all I could to free their niece. I knew I had an ace up my sleeve but I wasn't too sure Alice would agree to be co-counsel. I had to find a way to convince her. Finally, I needed to head to the jail and meet my client for the second time.

2

I arranged to have Bella moved to a conference room before my arrival at the Seattle jail. A guard stood outside the door and nodded at me as I approached. I couldn't remember a time my heart beat so blatantly before meeting a client and it put me off my game a bit. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

I couldn't breathe for a moment and felt my face redden. I didn't look directly at her and wondered if she would recognize me. I sat down and pulled her file from my briefcase before finally looking at her. She smiled softly and looked amazingly the same as I had remembered.

"Hello, Miss Swan," I said softly.

"Hello," she replied.

"I'm your legal counsel, Edward Cullen."

She extended her hand to shake mine and I noticed how cold her slender fingers were. Neither one of us spoke as we awkwardly shook hands. I cleared my throat and then began rambling about how I didn't know much about the case and I planned a visit to her past lawyer to get caught up. She only nodded in response.

I stared into her eyes and finally asked, "So, you lived in Port Angeles?"

"Yes, from seven to fifteen," she admitted

"I'm from there, too," I said stiffly, "Although, I'm older than you."

I waited for any sign of recognition but she only nodded and said, "I really didn't know anyone there."

"And, it's been many years," I said, with a bit of disappointment that she didn't remember me.

Her expression changed and she looked a little confused by my reaction. I wanted her to feel confident in my abilities and not wondering if her counsel was deficient in some way. I pulled out a notebook and began taking notes.

"Tell me about the day Jacob's body was found," I said without looking at her.

"Um," she hesitated. "I heard Leah scream…."

"Who is Leah?" I interrupted.

"Leah Clearwater. She is a friend of Jake's. I mean, she was."

"What was Leah doing in your garage?"

Bella's eyes grew wide and she shook her head adamantly. "No, it isn't my garage. It is Jake's…I mean, it was."

"But you lived together, right?"

Her head dropped and she only nodded. I felt there was something really off in the way she described things so I pushed a little more. "Did Leah help herself into the garage often?" She only shrugged so I asked, "Why was Leah in the garage that day?"

"She was looking for Jake," Bella answered, while still looking at her hands.

"How do you know she was looking for Jake?"

Tears began to fill her eyes and she spoke in almost a mumble. "She came to the door first and we had an argument."

I felt like we were finally getting somewhere but I was growing impatient with her unwillingness to just spit things out. I remained quiet so she finally continued. "I told her Jake wasn't home, but she said he was. I didn't know where Jake was most of the time but he hadn't been home all week so I assumed he was out of town. I told her I hadn't seen him and she called me a stupid bitch and then left. The next thing I knew she was screaming."

I put my pen down and sat back to fold my arms. "Why wouldn't you know where he was most of the time? I assumed you two were a couple."

She winced and then moved in closer to speak in a hushed voice. "It was complicated. Jake wanted us to marry but he needed the tribe to accept me. He needed everything to be perfect so he wouldn't lose his place politically. I'm Caucasian and he….."

I knew exactly what she was talking about because my life was going in the same direction. I would never be able to marry someone of a different party or without the proper family connections. My political ambitions made my choices limited; much like it did for Jake. It sounded so awful sitting in front of a person it was affecting directly.

"What was his relationship with Leah?" I asked.

"Um…I guess they were friends."

"Just friends?" I pressed.

"I'm not sure, maybe they were related."

I didn't know if she was purposefully being ignorant or she didn't understand my innuendo. "I meant, were they intimate with each other?"

Bella looked away and mumbled, "I doubt it."

I spoke up loudly to let her know I wasn't going to just pass over information. "And what makes you doubt it?"

She sighed in frustration and answered angrily. "I don't know. They were friends; he hung out with her little brother. They knew each other since birth."

I looked directly into her eyes and said, "Why didn't she like you?"

"Because I'm not a Quileute," she answered honestly. "I told you, it was all complicated."

I decided to get back to the question at hand and asked her to continue with the story. She swallowed and her eyes moved away from mine. "Like I said, I heard Leah screaming so I came outside. She came running out of the garage area and then fell to the ground and began vomiting. I wasn't sure if I should go out to her or not. I mean, she doesn't like me and I wasn't sure if she needed help or not. I just stood there until she yelled for me to call the police. Then I approached her."

"Why didn't you call the police without being told?" I asked.

"I was going to," she pointed out angrily. "I didn't have a phone and I needed to use hers."

"You didn't have a phone?" It was shocking to me in this day and age, especially for a place as remote as La Push. If Jake was never home why wouldn't he make sure Bella had access to a phone?

"No, I don't have any need for a phone." She didn't look embarrassed by the fact something as mundane as a phone was not in her possession.

I waited for her to add more but she simply stared at me. I shook my head and leaned in close to her and asked, "Did you kill Jacob Black?"

She actually gasped before leaning in herself and replying, "No, I didn't."

"Did you hire someone to kill him?"

Her face took on a look of total confusion, as if she never considered the possibility it was a hired hit. She shook her head and spoke softly. "I have no place to go because Jake is dead. I have no money and no friends. I have a bed because I am in jail. If I hadn't been arrested I would be homeless."

"What about your aunt and uncle?" I pressed.

"They would never let me live with them. They gave me to Jake."

I thought I heard her wrong. She was an adult woman and well over 18 when she moved in with Jake. It had to be her decision, not something forced upon her. "How did they 'give' you to Jake?"

She ran her fingers through her hair before answering. I noted the hesitation and began to doubt her story before she even shared it. "Um…Jake's father was very sick. Jake needed someone to care for him. I moved in with the Blacks to take care of Billy. I was kind of his nurse."

"Were you paid?"

"No, well, I mean, they gave me a place to live and let me eat their food," she said in explanation. She finally looked over at the door before asking, "Can I go back to my cell?"

My pride was wounded a bit. I was hoping to save her life and she wanted away from me as quickly as possible and willing to go back to a jail cell to accomplish it. I wouldn't let her just leave. I had spent too many hours invested in her over the years. I had thought about her constantly and was certain she became a neurosurgeon or a physicist. Now I had her sitting in front of me…needing me, so I wouldn't let her simply leave.

"Bella, I'm trying to look at this from every angle. I know it makes you uncomfortable, but this is nothing compared to what the prosecutor will put you though."

She blinked back tears and finally nodded for me to continue. I decided to press the issue of her aunt and uncle. "What was it like living with your mom's brother?"

She sighed and her tears fell from her eyes. I felt my throat tighten and anger building in me. She was in the very next town the entire time and I never knew what hell she was living. "I was an inconvenience, a reminder of his crazy sister. I wasn't normal and they had to put up with me."

"Normal?" I pressed.

"I didn't know how to interact with people. I had….odd quirks and habits." She suddenly broke into loud sobs and let her head drop onto the table.

I reached out and touched her head softly before saying, "I'll let you go back to your cell. We'll talk more later, okay?"

Her hand moved onto mine and she patted it before sitting up and wiping her tears. I couldn't take my eyes off her. I was still just as enthralled as I had been years ago. There was something vulnerable about her countenance, but also something so alluring.

I didn't head back to my office. I drove right to my parent's home to find my mother. It wouldn't be a conflict of interest to assess Bella, since she had done an assessment on her several years ago. My mother would never give away confidential information, but if she was working for the defense I would be informed of everything. I was disappointed to find her gone, so I headed to Alice's house. She was surprised to see me in the middle of the afternoon.

"Come see the new rug I purchased," she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me into her home.

I entered and then pulled back to get her attention. "Alice, I'm here on a very important matter."

She looked at me for a moment and then said, "Oh God, you haven't proposed to Tanya, have you?"

"No," I said quickly. I knew my family only tolerated Tanya, hell even I only tolerated her. The truth was, she was good for my image. She was more ambitious than me, but also willing to introduce me to the right connections.

Alice waited and I could tell she was becoming agitated so I nodded for us to sit. She sat only on the edge of the sofa so I quickly got to the point. "Alice, I need you to join a case as co-counsel. This is…."

"Oh my God," she yelled, and fell back onto the sofa holding her chest. "You scared me to death. I thought mom or dad was sick, or Jasper cheated on me." I laughed until she added, "Like hell I'll join a case."

"Allie, I need you. This is big, really big."

She shook her head and stood to leave the room. I grabbed onto her tiny arm and said softly, "I can't win this without you. And this one matters, Allie. Not to my career but my... sanity."

She rolled her eyes, but sat back down to hear what was so vital to my mental wellbeing. I wasn't sure where to start so I started in the middle. "Have you heard of a case from La Push? Jacob Black, a Native American activist?"

"His girlfriend killed him, right?" she said unknowingly.

I nodded and looked down at my hands as I added more. "She didn't do it. She's…." I couldn't get the words to leave my mouth.

Alice bent over to look at my eyes, giving me just enough courage to say, "Bella Swan." She continued to stare so I finally gave her the information to connect the dots. "Bella Swan is Isabella Stewart."

3

I wasn't sure what I expected Alice's reaction to be. We had talked vaguely about Isabella around the dinner table, but nothing about my obsession with the girl. Alice placed her hand over her mouth and stood to face away from me. I waited for her to say or do something. She finally turned around slowly and said, "Edward, you can't take this case."

I felt she didn't believe in me. That I was somehow unqualified to represent someone in such a high-profile case. I felt my jaw tighten in anger so she softened her own stare and whispered, "Edward, Lauren lived on the same street."

I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. Lauren was my sister's best friend. She knew. My sister knew how I would stand across from Isabella's house trying to get a glimpse of the strange girl, and how I stood there long after she moved trying to feel some sort of connection. I wanted to believe she would feel my concern and know I was thinking about her.

I swallowed and then acknowledged her statement with, "That is why I need you on this case with me. I can't do it alone, and I can't do it with anyone else. I don't trust anyone as much as I trust you."

She finally sat back down and gave me a look of pity. I stopped the discussion I felt was coming by handing her the case file. She took it from my hands and began making her way through it. When she got to the pictures she looked up at me with pure horror.

"Bella is too small to be able to do that much damage," I pointed out.

She nodded and then began speculating. "Why aren't we hearing this on Court TV? I mean, they are crucifying her and acting like it is a slam dunk."

"It's political," I informed her. "Jacob Black was a big deal and she…"

"Shit," Alice said, putting together how easy it would be to exploit someone with Bella's background.

"I need you to go to Forks and talk to the aunt and uncle," I said, giving her assignments without hearing she was willing to help me. "There is something odd there. They are not supportive of her."

Alice nodded and went back to the file. I let her read some more and then stood. "I'm going to find mom, I want her to do an assessment of Bella."

Alice glanced up and said, "Yeah, good idea."

I left without her saying another word; she was too engrossed in the file. I drove to the hospital and made my way to my mother's office. She was standing in the waiting room talking with someone so I nodded toward her and took a seat to wait. When she finished, she smiled and motioned for me to join her in her office.

"What are you doing here?" she said as she kissed my cheek.

"I'm here to hire you," I teased. She laughed and I waited for her to sit before changing to a serious tone. "Do you remember Isabella Stewart?"

Her eyes widened and then narrowed with concern. Damn it. Alice certainly shared my obsession with my mother. She finally nodded so I ignored her reaction.

"I need you to do a forensic examination on her mental state." Her mouth opened but nothing came out so I added more. "She is my client. She's being charged with murder."

"Where is she?" my mother asked softly.

"She is in the city jail, awaiting trial. She's been incarcerated for over three years. Her name is Bella Swan now."

My mother picked up a pen and began writing furiously as she said, "I'll see her as soon as possible."

I stood to leave but she quickly stuck out her hand. "Edward, I want to talk to you about this."

I shook my head back and forth and reminded her I was counsel and anything she said could be brought into the equation when she testified. Laurent was ruthless and he would go after any angle he could find. "I'll only provide you with written reports," she said, understanding how precarious everything was going to be with this case.

"Thanks, mom," I said, as heartfelt as I could manage.

By the time I got back to my office the press was beginning to call. The news was traveling fast and I had to make it to La Push before everything broke into the open. I told Aro I was going to be out of the office for a few days and packed a quick bag before making the drive.

I spent the night in Port Angeles. I was tempted to go by the house Bella had lived in alone, but it had been bulldozed years ago. I didn't stop in Forks, since I knew Alice could get more information from the Swans than I could. It was mid-morning when I pulled into the parking lot of Sam's Bar and Grill.

The place was dark but there were several people scattered around the room. I sat at the bar and ordered a coke. When the large man set it in front of me I asked, "You Sam?"

He only nodded but remained in front of me. I glanced around and then asked, "What's your take on the Jacob Black murder?"

He hesitated for just a moment and then said with a shrug, "He's dead. That's my take."

"Do you think the girl did it?"

He shrugged again but didn't say anything. I decided to let the conversation drop and picked up my soda to take a drink. Sam walked away but soon made his way back to the bar and began watching me closely. I finished my drink so Sam set another one in front of me. I looked up at him and he stared for a moment before saying, "Are you an investigator or a cop?"

I chuckled and then stuck out my hand. "I'm Edward Cullen. I'm Bella's lawyer."

He shook my hand and then looked around the room to see if anyone was watching before saying, "You won't be welcomed around here."

I nodded in agreement and then said, "Everyone is entitled to a defense."

"Jake was the golden boy. People want retribution," he added.

"People?" I asked, noticing he didn't seem to be counting himself as one of the people.

He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Look, I know you have to dig around a bit, but people I know and love might get caught in the crossfire. I'll treat you fair, but I won't help you out."

It was more than I expected so I tossed some money on the bar and thanked him for his time. I drove out to Jacob's house and pulled into the driveway. The house was on one side of the dirt driveway and the garage was on the other side. I got out and walked around the house. It was small and very nondescript.

I finally made my way to the garage and looked back at the house. It wasn't so far that loud screaming couldn't be heard. I walked inside and saw it was mostly empty. Tools were hanging over the walls and a large work bench was in the front of where a vehicle would go. I saw a door on the side and opened it to reveal the back of the property.

I walked back out the front and a car pulled in behind mine. A young woman got out. She was pretty but looked very pissed. "Who the hell are you?" she asked bluntly.

"I have permission to be here," I announced, "Do you?"

She sneered at me and yelled, "Permission from who?"

I didn't want to play games with her so I finally announced who I was and watched anger spread across her face. She turned to storm off so I yelled after her. "Who are you?" She didn't answer so I took a chance and yelled, "Leah?"

She turned with a stunned expression so I knew I had it right. I walked over to her and said, "I need to question you and your brother. I can get a court order, but it would be easier if you just agreed to being interviewed."

I completely expected her to demand a court order but she crossed her arms and said, "What do you want to know?"

I pulled out my small notebook and a pen before asking my questions. She waited patiently. "What made you come by the night you found Jacob's body?"

"I wanted to talk to him."

"How did you know he was in town?" I pushed.

"He stopped by Sam's place when he got back in town and said he would be home for a couple of weeks."

"Did you try to call him?" I asked, already knowing the answer from the cell records.

"Yes, but he never answered. That was why I stopped by."

"And you spoke with Bella?" I asked, and watched for a reaction.

"Bella never knew Jake's schedule. I didn't expect to find out from her, but she answered the door and said Jake was out of town."

"Did she try to stop you from entering the garage?"

"Try to stop me?" she repeated with a chuckle. "No, she didn't try to stop me."

I looked her right in the eyes and asked, "Did Jake love Bella?"

She shrugged and surprised me by saying, "I guess."

I took a couple of minutes to think and then asked, "Why did you need to talk to Jake?"

I could tell she was finally rattled but she tried to cover it by looking away and saying, "He mentored my little brother and Seth hadn't seen him in a while."

"Was there something going on with Seth?" I pushed.

"No," she answered angrily. "He was a kid and Jake hadn't been around. I just wanted him to check in or something."

"I'm sure Seth understood Jake was a busy man."

She was losing her patience with me and I could tell she was not comfortable talking about her brother. "Look, there aren't a lot of men on the rez with Jake's stature and clout. I wanted Seth to learn all he could from Jake. Of course, we knew he was busy. We took whatever we could get."

"We? Did Jake mentor you, too?"

She shook her head angrily and then turned and got into her car to drive away. I didn't say anything, because I wanted more information before questioning Seth. I got into my car just as my cell phone rang. I saw it was Alice so I turned off the engine and answered the phone.

"Hey," she said quickly, "I just got off the phone with the Swan's. They are not willing to talk. We'll have to subpoena them for a deposition."

"I'm in La Push now. I'll see what I can find out from the old lawyer. See where Judge Hale is in the rotation and try to get on her docket."

"For what?" Alice asked.

"I want a bail hearing."

Alice was quiet for a second and then said, "Edward, you think you can get her bail?"

"No, but she deserves bail. The evidence against her is nonexistent and she has no record. We're going to fight hard for bail."

"Okay. Oh, mom is meeting with Bella tomorrow."

A smile broke across my face but I only said, "Good."

We hung up and then I started my car and drove to Forks. I went to the office of Earl Knecht. I knew by looking at the man he was smart to change the venue. He looked exhausted and beaten already, and he didn't even try the case.

I sat across from him and said, "Bella is innocent."

He smiled and gave a slight nod before saying, "Around here that won't mean much."

"Why is everyone so quick to accuse her?"

"Because everyone loves Charlie, and if he thinks she did it, that is all the evidence local people need."

I was stunned and quickly asked, "Why does her own uncle think she did it?"

"He looked at his niece and all he saw was his sister. He knows nothing about the girl, but feels she is just an extension of Cheryl."

This was information I could work with. I could easily get Charlie to admit his feelings toward his sister and Bella on the stand. I would make it as dramatic as possible so nothing he or Renee said would be taken seriously.

"I'm confused by the relationship with Jake. Did he love her?"

The large man behind the desk chuckled and then leaned over to say softly. "He didn't give a rat's ass about her. She was his property, and nothing more."

In that moment, I was so happy Jacob Black was dead.