Title of Story: Making a Murder: Trick or Treat?
Rating: M
Pairing: Edward x Bella
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Word Count: 8453
Story Summary: Who do you turn to when you think you're losing your mind? Especially after they find the body.
Standard Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement
November 1st, 5:17 a.m.
Forks Police Station, Interrogation Room 3
Present: Isabella Cullen, Officer Mike Newton, and Officer Jasper Whitlock
We'd been at this for hours, and her story hadn't changed. Isabella Cullen was somewhat of an enigma to me. Flicking through her file, I skimmed the contents again, though there wasn't much to see.
Only child to a deceased and well-respected police chief, no arrests, no trouble, not even a parking ticket, and recently married to one Edward Cullen. On the surface, she seemed ordinary. PA to her husband at his architecture firm, and generally, she kept to herself.
Yet, by her own admission, she was laying out a crazy story. The fact they found her standing over the body with blood literally on her hands didn't help. Her own husband hadn't believed her.
I rubbed a hand over my face, wishing I could go back to this morning and stay in bed with Alice.
Forks Police Interrogation Room 1
Present: Edward Cullen, Officer Emmett McCarty, and Officer Jacob Black
I'd always hated Edward. He was a rich kid who had everything handed to him on a silver platter, and the whole town thought he walked on water. Including Bella. The instant he and his fancy parents turned up, she was his. He didn't give any other girl a second glance, and he was relentless when it came to Bella. Everyone kept on about how sweet and romantic it was, as though they were some fairy-tale playing out in front of the school. No other guys stood a chance with her from that moment. Then he married her, as soon as they graduated college.
But now, he was in my world, and it looked like the golden boy had fallen from grace. Not only with the town, but also with the beautiful Bella.
12 hours earlier…
October 31st, 5:47 p.m.
Edward
I had no idea why we were having this Halloween party. The last two months had been the worst of our relationship, and I really didn't think a party was going to do anything except add to the strain.
Ever since our housewarming party, something had changed. Bella's behavior had become erratic, and I didn't think I could take much more of the mood swings and paranoia.
Resigning myself to putting on a front for our friends and family, I opened the front door of our dream home. But the dream was disintegrating in my hands.
Cobwebs, skeletons, and a few giant spiders decorated the living room. There was a small pile of boxes in the corner ready to put away, but no sign of Bella. I left my briefcase and keys by the door and headed for the kitchen. With her back to the door, Bella stood at the sink, swaying slightly as she washed a large glass bowl.
Regardless of everything else going on, my body still yearned for her. The tight yoga pants hugged her firm ass. Her hair was beautiful, piled lazily on her head and a few tendrils tickled her neck. I longed to move them aside and run my tongue up to the tender spot behind her ear. She'd smell like vanilla and toasted marshmallows; the same way she'd smelled since I first saw her in class. God, I couldn't get close enough to her then. I gripped the marble top of the island in front of me to stop myself from scooping her up into my arms. My movement must have caught her attention because she jumped and swung around. Fear and blind panic. Lately, those were the only emotions she showed if I surprised her or caught her unaware. I didn't know what caused it, and as much as it shamed me, I'd given up trying to figure it out.
"Edward! I didn't hear you come in!" she snapped.
I rolled my eyes and went to the fridge. "Obviously," I commented dryly. Grabbing a bottle of water, I noted the trays of party food stashed in the fridge.
"Don't start," she mumbled, going back to the bowl in the sink.
"What have I done now? I haven't been in the house five minutes. I couldn't possibly have upset you already."
"We've been through this before. It's not what you're doing. It's what you've done." She growled, scrubbing harder and sloshing water down the front of the cabinets. Her cheeks were going from a soft pink to a red, due to exertion and anger, I supposed. Good, it was about time; I'd been angry for weeks.
"Come on, then. Explain it to me, Bella. What have I done? What am I doing? Other than trying to get you to put things in perspective?" I kept my tone even.
"Perspective? I can't believe you said that to me! I told you what's going on around here. I told you I'm scared out of my mind every day and have been for two months, and you ignore me at every turn!" She turned her fire directly on me.
I rolled my eyes.
"Jesus, Bella. I know what you told me. A door you thought you'd locked was open. And it was my fucking car that was ruined, by the way. Some of your washing was damaged, 'cause that's never happened to anybody before! And what else? Oh, yes, the mysterious Blu-ray that plays in the morning. But not every morning, just some days!" I was shouting from sheer frustration. I never imagined we'd get to this place, but having the same argument every week, there was only so much I could take.
"Edward, I'm begging you, please try to listen with an open mind. I know it sounds crazy; do you think I don't know that? I just… I don't know what to do anymore. Just try. Please?" She looked up at me with huge eyes, streaming with tears.
I couldn't deny her anything, but I didn't think I could listen to her again. Sighing, I nodded in acquiescence.
"The day of the housewarming party, I locked the door going from here to the garage and put the key in the drawer next to the door. I remember locking it because the key caught in the lock, and I was scared it was going to snap. I was going to have you look at it. At about 10:00 p.m., I came in here to refill the drinks and I noticed the door was open. Seth and Embry from your office were in there drooling over the car. Kate, Tanya, and Jess followed me as I went in to ask the guys to move back into the house. That's when you came over to see what was going on and made a dig about how you thought I was supposed to lock up to keep people from messing with your baby. You followed the guys out; I went to get the key, and the girls were behind me. But the key wasn't in the drawer. So, I hunted around for it, and eventually, found it by the front door with our other keys. On my way back, I heard the crash and found nobody in there, but the shelf had been tipped over, and the paint cans had crashed onto your car. I have no idea who did it; the house was full of people, and I couldn't stay in the room protecting the car and go find the key, too." She straightened her shoulders and looked me dead in the eye as she spoke.
I could understand what happened from her point of view, but I didn't get why someone would unlock the door and move the keys just to total my car. Admittedly, I was pissed off and I took it out on Bella, but we did have amazing, angry sex across the hood before slipping back into the party. I nodded at her, a small smile playing across my lips. She instantly saw where my thoughts had gone and shook her head.
"After that night, things started happening around here, Edward. The nightie I bought as a thank you for letting me have the housewarming party. Do you remember it?"
As if, I could forget. She took my hard swallow as acceptance that I remembered the outfit.
After we'd escorted the last guests into cabs, we'd gone upstairs, and Bella had told me she'd bought me a present. Lying in bed, I'd been spellbound when she appeared in a sheer navy baby-doll with tiny satin straps. She'd spun in a circle, showing me the tiny G-string that matched. We'd made love in the thick carpet on the bedroom floor, because I couldn't make it back to bed with her.
"You told me to buy one in every color they had. I put it in the wash the next morning. When I went back to the laundry room later on to get it out, the machine door was open. The nightie and matching underwear were torn, Edward—and not because the delicate fabric got caught on something. The stronger satin strap and the sides of the panties were ripped and frayed, as if they'd been torn." She looked at me, begging me to believe her. But she continued before I had to comment.
"It kept on after that. Little things that were so insignificant I felt stupid even mentioning them. The book I was reading would move from the bedroom to the living room. The photographs I put up in the hallway were swapped around. Then I noticed it was only affecting my home life. In work, everything was where I left it; nothing was going wrong. Until Garrett's appointment. But do you remember he called my cell instead of the work line? Kate had given him my direct number instead because we're friends, and she knew I'd sort it out for her."
I gritted my teeth as I thought of the minefield we'd narrowly missed because of that. But I remembered Bella getting the call at home rather than the office. Her work had been impeccable up until that point, even if she was acting strangely at home.
"I took the call here. Set up the appointment, confirmed the time and place, all of it. Then what happens? Supposedly, I called back and rearranged it all for another day. However, I was with you all evening, and the following day; you asked me to go to the Inn with you to take details for the remodel. We were on site together all day. I sent emails, but I didn't make or receive one call, Edward."
I thought back to that day without the fog of anger clouding my perception. She was right. Whenever we went on site, she'd divert all calls to the office, as cell reception could be spotty when we were driving around. She hadn't made a call that day. So, who called him to rearrange? He'd said Bella had contacted him to change the day of the meeting when he called pissed off that I was a no-show. Thankfully, Bella had called his wife Kate, one of her old friends, and got things smoothed over. He was new to the area and had money to burn on building whatever Kate desired.
"I remember you hadn't made a call all that day." I sighed. "Okay, Bella. I can see what you're saying. That is odd. I don't understand who would've called him, as you're the only woman in the office apart from Jane on the front desk, but she wouldn't have called." And he would have known if she had; years of cigarettes made her sound like Selma from The Simpsons.
Bella blew out a huge breath and looked down for a moment. When she peered back up at me with tear-filled eyes, hope was shining in them for the first time in weeks.
"Um… the, ah, the Blu-ray thing. I know this sounds insane. Well, even more insane than the rest of this stuff. Whenever I tried bringing up these things, we'd end up arguing. So, I started keeping the smaller stuff to myself until it would all boil over. Out of fear, frustration, and anger." She stared at me, and I felt like shit.
Even if I didn't know what was going on, she obviously was upset. That should have been enough to push my own feelings aside to support her. I tugged her arm and brought her body to mine. She stiffened then gripped onto me like a lifeline. That told me everything I needed to know. She needed me desperately. To understand, to help her, and to start being there for her. I kissed the top of her head and held her back just as tight. Needing to finish this I pulled away slightly.
"What happened then, sweetheart?" I smoothed the tears from her cheeks.
She sobbed at the endearment, making me feel even lower. Endearments hadn't been used much lately.
"Every morning after we'd have a big fight, I would come downstairs and the TV would be on. Every time, it was the same episode of one of those courtroom dramas. The case was a husband who was cheating on his wife with a family friend. Always the same episode. Always the morning after we'd argued. And Edward, the TV show isn't one we watch or that I've ever owned. I threw it in the trash the first time I found it, but it just keeps coming back. I even threw it in the garbage can outside, but it still ended up back in the Blu-ray. Do you have any idea how insane that made me feel?" She was clutching my shirt at my sides as she spoke.
"Shh, honey." I rubbed her back in big circles, trying to think. "Why that show? That episode? And after we argued." It was a mystery.
8:06 p.m.
Bella
After months of terror, I finally felt relief that Edward seemed to believe something was going on. I needed his eyes open because I'd had enough of living in fear. Tonight, I was going to end this madness once and for all.
I'd chosen my costume carefully. Not only did I want to make Edward crazy with lust, but we could also have a couples costume with very little effort from him. I adjusted the ribbons in my hair and grinned. If nothing else worked tonight, I looked great. I heard footsteps behind me and willed myself not to jump.
"Hmmm, baby. Why weren't you on the cheer squad when we were in school?" Edward moaned as he kissed up my neck and hugged my bare waist.
I giggled for what felt like the first time in forever. "I was way too shy to wear this in high school! And you would have killed any of the guys who looked at me like this."
"I still might." He growled into my shoulder, making me laugh again.
The doorbell interrupted us, and I turned to see my gorgeous husband in his high school football jersey. He had a pair of jeans and sneakers on with it, rather than football pants. He said there was no way he'd fit in those. Luckily, his jersey was still big enough to cover the muscle he'd added in college.
"Go and greet our guests, mister, and don't forget to light the pumpkin lanterns outside before it gets too dark." I patted his shoulder as he left.
As his footsteps grew faint I sped to the bathroom and took out the items I'd stashed there earlier. I held onto the three positive pregnancy tests so tight my knuckles were white. I was playing with fire, but I didn't know how else to stop it. Leaving one test in our en-suite, I tucked another on my dressing table. The third I put in Edward's study. Both rooms would be locked for the party, and the guest lists for this party and our housewarming were the same.
I didn't think Edward realized yet, but whoever was doing this was one of our friends or family. I had my suspicions as to who it was. The TV show episode was my biggest clue. The husband was having an affair with a family friend. Whoever was doing this wanted me to believe that. For as blinkered and angry as Edward had been lately, I refused to believe he'd do that to us. We were each other's first everything, and he took pride in that. It was something he loved to reminisce over, so there was no way he'd mess with it…which led me to believe this woman didn't know him as well as she thought she did.
Locking the doors behind me, I prepared to play hostess to the woman trying to ruin my life.
11:45 p.m.
Edward
The party was in full swing and everyone seemed to be having fun. I couldn't bear to take my eyes off my beautiful wife. She'd hardly stood still for a moment. Refilling drinks, checking the food, circulating our friends. I hadn't missed the way Seth watched her move from underneath his cowboy hat. He'd had a thing for her for years, but she was oblivious to it. Just as she was to any of the guys who followed her around like puppies before we met. She practically had a fan club at school, but she never noticed it. It made her even more beautiful, that she didn't know just how captivating she was. Completely guileless, and it had never gone away. I excused myself from my mother's conversation with Jane and snagged my arm around Bella's waist.
"I'm going to throw Seth out if he tries to look up your skirt once more when you bend over." I breathed the words into her ear.
She squirmed around to face me and rolled her eyes. "Where is Seth? I haven't seen him yet." Completely oblivious.
"He's dressed as one of the guys from the Village People," I muttered, softly tracing her belly button with my finger.
She giggled, kissing my lips. "Let me go. I promised your dad the first slice of pumpkin pie."
I pouted. "Why don't I get the first slice? I'm your husband." I mock grumbled; although, part of me agreed I should get the first piece. Nonetheless, Bella rolled her eyes again, so I guessed that was not a valid argument.
"Because, your dad brought me all the pumpkins earlier, helped me hollow them out, and carved them while I made all the food and pies for the party! So he earned it." She cocked an eyebrow at me. She knew I'd dragged my feet leaving the office, so I didn't have to come home. Immediately repentant, I hugged her close.
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I promise things will be better now," I vowed.
She nodded and patted my arm.
I knew it wasn't the time to discuss it; so reluctantly, I let her go and watched her zigzag through the crowd.
"I always thought she was too good for you." I heard a gruff voice from behind me. Smiling sarcastically, I turned.
"Thanks, Dad! You say such nice things."
"Well, she is. Today she told me a bit about what's been going on around here." He fixed me with a stare. I immediately felt ashamed.
Mom and Dad loved Bella the moment they met her. Mom thought she was polite, intelligent, and she'd made me concentrate more in class. Dad thought she was beautiful, funny, and she brought him dessert. In their eyes and mine, I'd never find anyone better. Since Bella's mom left when she was a baby, she often found it easier talking with my dad. Bella knew exactly how to connect with him. She understood football so she could sit with Dad at my games and discuss plays. She would often bake cakes and bring them for dessert or leave him some cookies at the hospital when he was on a late shift. Dad and Bella really bonded, and she treated him the same as her own father. Although, I believed it grew even stronger when Charlie passed away when we were in college. So, I knew I needed to explain to my dad that I'd apologized to her since they'd spoken.
"I know, Dad. We had a talk when I got home and I apologized for my behavior. I agree something odd is going on around here. I just don't know what to do. Hopefully, we can sit down tomorrow and figure it out."
"Well, I'm glad, Son. But if you think Bella doesn't already have a plan, you don't know her very well at all," he shot back, lumbering in Mom's direction, his ridiculous costume slowing his pace.
November 1st, 12:36 a.m.
Bella
All night I'd second-guessed my decision to leave the tests out. By midnight, our guests were having the time of their lives. Laughter and boisterous chatter could be heard over the music, and the drinks were flowing. Nobody seemed to be acting out of the ordinary, but a few times, I was caught in the kitchen talking to someone, so I had no idea if anyone had moved upstairs. We'd asked guests to use the bathroom just beside the laundry room on the main floor, but we had no way of blocking off the top floor to people to stop them from going upstairs.
Deciding to let the chips fall where they may, I made my way to the laundry room to throw some cloth napkins and a couple soiled tablecloths in the washer, ready for the morning. A sharp swat on my ass caused me to jump up and gasp.
"Sweetheart, what are you doing? Leave that for the morning," Edward crooned from behind me.
I slapped his arm for scaring me.
"I am. I just threw them in as I was passing by. Promise." I smiled.
He grinned and moved into the small room with me, shutting the door behind him. "I have been trying to get you alone all evening, but our house is crawling with people."
"Those people are our friends." I laughed lightly.
"We should get rid of them all. I don't need friends. I just need you," he whispered, maneuvering me so my back pressed against the closed door.
"I think you'd regret it." My voice was high and breathy.
His body loomed over me but no part of it touched me. He planted his hands on the door, either side of my head as he leaned down to speak.
"The only thing I'd ever regret is losing you." His voice was barely a whisper, his nose gliding up and down my neck. "I would do anything for you, Bella. I'm sorry I haven't shown that lately. But I won't let anything or anyone take you away from me." His lips trailed along the underside of my jaw.
I moaned, desperate to touch him, to be touched, but unwilling to break the spell he'd put me under.
"Edward…" I gasped. My throat was like sandpaper.
"You're mine, Bella." My heartbeat pounded so loud I was surprised he couldn't hear it. "You're mine to love. Mine to protect."
After weeks of feeling abandoned, his words touched a dark place inside and lit me up. I could feel the arousal pooling in my underwear, causing me to squirm. Sensing my problem, he growled against my collarbone.
"Say it, Bella. Say you're mine. That I'm yours." It seemed he was feeling the same obsessive, possessive need as me.
"I'm yours, Edward. Only you. And you're mine. I would do anything for you, Edward. Anything to keep us together." My voice trembled as I thought of the trap I'd set. Edward moaned and drew me into a punishing kiss; feeding into my desperation to hold on to the man I loved.
His hands reached under my skirt, pulling the small blue panties down to my feet. Then unbuttoning his jeans, he let them fall to his knees. I grabbed the jersey, pulling it up and over his head to reveal his defined torso. My name in elegant script scrolled over his heart.
Gripping my thighs, he pulled them around his waist and rubbed the head of his cock against my soaked pussy.
"Ungh…" My head pushed back against the door as I wiggled, anxiously trying to get him inside me.
I didn't care we had guests, or someone could hear us, or even that there was possibly some psycho in the house. All I cared about was reconnecting with my husband. I needed him as I needed my next breath.
"I can't wait, Bella. I need you." Music to my soul.
"Yes Edward, don't make me wait. Now," I whimpered.
He thrust inside of me, causing the door to rattle. I groaned in relief, which quickly turned to hot anticipation.
He squeezed my thighs with his hands so I'd lock my legs behind him. Then he slapped both palms against the door beside my head and used his hips to grind me into the door. My head and shoulders were the leverage to push back into him and help prop up my weight. His biceps bulged with the pressure he put on his arms, and his abs crunched as he flexed his abdomen in waves. He'd never looked so hot. His green eyes looked black as he watched me writhe on his cock. Bending his knees, he changed the angle, causing me to moan long and low. The sound almost drowned out by the clatter of the door shaking against its frame. His movements sped in response, and I gripped his arms, back, anything to get closer to him.
Suddenly, he pulled me from the door and I was dropped onto the freezing cold worktop. My cheerleader skirt offered no coverage. I didn't have chance to gasp. He spread my legs wider and gripped my ankles, hooking my feet up on the edge of the countertop either side of my ass. With one hand on my lower back, he resumed thrusting, each slide of his body hitting my clit as he leaned over me.
His eyes met mine briefly before he traced his tongue around my lips. The slow flick on my lips contrasted erotically with the hard thrusting of his hips.
"Ed-ward, yes…" I sobbed, gripping his hair, forcing him into a sloppy kiss. The friction built up fast, and as Edward traced my nipple through the small top, I exploded, one leg slipping down from its position. Edward pulled my ass closer to the edge and curled over the top of me, burying his face in my cleavage.
"Nhuck, rella." Edward's moans muffled against my breasts.
"Mmh, Edward. Make me yours," I whispered, knowing my words would push him over the edge.
He stiffened and nipped my cleavage as he growled my name. "Oh, Bella."
I smoothed his hair tenderly, waiting for him to come back to me. After a few moments, he languidly lifted his head.
"I love you, Bella. So much."
"I love you, too."
12:57 a.m.
Bella
We slipped from the laundry room unnoticed, and melted back into the party. I giggled lightly as I saw Carlisle trying to navigate around the furniture in his puffy costume. No idea what possessed him to come as a big orange pumpkin.
I was on my way to the front door when I noticed Edward wave me over. The guests were gradually leaving, exchanging hugs and promises to catch up again soon. A few stragglers loitered in the kitchen and living room, so I made my way around, straightening up without trying to make it too obvious to the people left. As I moved some glasswear from a small table near the stairs, I heard several thumps above.
I stilled, instantly knowing my trap had done its job. I felt eyes on me and looked up to see Carlisle across the room watching me carefully. I'd confessed everything to him earlier today, and he'd warned me not to be reckless. He moved to get up from the sofa, but I raised a hand to keep him back. I pointed upstairs and nodded reassuringly. His lips set in a thin line, and I knew he was unhappy with me, but I needed to do this alone. The person had targeted me, terrorized me, tormented me for weeks, and I needed to confront them on my own. I slipped up the stairs as quietly as possible, hoping not to announce my presence.
Our bedroom door was wide open, revealing the bottom of our huge white bed and the soft chaise positioned at the foot of it. However, my clothes littered the furniture, and items were being flung into the air. As I crept around the doorframe, I saw long, blonde hair and a white, skintight, short dress. A nurse's costume.
The realization of who it was confirmed my guess. Tanya Denali. Family friend to the Cullens. She had always wanted Edward, but he'd never given her a second glance.
"It's over, Tanya. Put down my stuff and get the hell out of my house," I barked at her. Instead of being met with surprise or anger as I expected, she stopped, slowly straightened, and looked at me with a smug smile.
"Oh Bella, I don't think I'll be the one leaving this house," she stated haughtily. "If anyone is going to be leaving, it will be you."
"I'm not in the mood for your ridiculous games. You need to get out before I call Edward up here to remove you," I threatened.
"Aww poor, stupid, Bella. I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet. Edward's been having an affair with me for months. He's been waiting for the right moment to get rid of you before he moves me in here with him." Her words stabbed at my heart, but the weeks of her constant manipulation had steeled me against her attempt.
"You're delusional if you think I'd believe that for a second. Edward loves me and he would never do anything to hurt me." I forced my tone to come across as bored. Her eyes flashed with anger. "And I think this little tantrum you're having is because you found something when you were snooping. You know that we're stronger than ever and it kills you." I sneered triumphantly at her. It felt amazing to be able to fight back for once.
A kaleidoscope of emotions danced across her face. Anger, frustration, sorrow, and pain. Her eyes became blank before she started laughing hysterically.
I backed up, ready to call for Edward to help me get her out. There was something off in Tanya. She paced the room, laughing in a way too manic to be considered normal. I took another step toward the door, but she was on me in a flash. Gripping one of my pigtails, she leaned in close.
"Oh, no Bella, don't leave yet," she whispered against my cheek.
I raised my arms, ready to push her off, when a 3-inch blade sprung up in front of my face.
I trembled, realizing the position I'd put my baby and me in.
Tanya was completely deranged.
"Tanya, just calm down a second..." I started, but she shrieked.
"Do you realize how long I tried to get his attention?" Her eyes were scary wide. "How hard I tried to get him to want me? But no. He moved here and all he saw was you! Perfect little miss Bella. I threw myself at him over and over and he pushed me away." She smirked. "I was at his bachelor party, you know. Yep. I went into the bar, disguised as a stripper. I was sure I could get him to fuck me when he was drunk, but he got up and walked out when I came in." She didn't let up her grip on my hair and the knife remained clenched in her fist between us. I reeled at the thought of her approaching Edward in disguise, but I had to push it down to focus on getting out of the room safely.
"Tanya, I understand you're hurt, but he's not the one for you. You have to move on. You can't let it take over your life," I tried to reason.
"You stupid bitch! There is no moving on from him. There is no life without him! The things I've done! But nobody compared to you." She sneered. "But I can kill two birds with one stone. Literally." She cackled. "Miss perfect can be forgiven a lot…but not murdering a lifelong family friend." She pushed me onto the chaise.
"M-murder? W-what?" I stuttered, as she stood in front of me, blocking my way out.
"I can't live without him. Surely, you can understand that, Bella? But this way, you don't get him or his baby either. You don't get to keep your kids in prison." She cooed, as if talking to a child.
Then, in a flash, she grabbed my hand, pushing the knife into it and closed her hands over the top of mine. Before I could pull away, she plunged the knife into her stomach repeatedly.
"HELP! Someone help me! Bella, no!" She screamed at the top of her voice. She sank to the floor, a satisfied smile on her face. The knife dropped to the thick carpet with a soft thump as I heard the pounding of footsteps in the hallway.
November 1st, 8:39 a.m.
Interrogation Room 1
Present: Edward Cullen and Officer Emmett McCarty
"Mr. Cullen, Ms. Denali is recovering from the surgery. We had a chance to speak to her, and she's given us some new information that would give your wife motive to confront her. Do you have any idea what that might be?" I took a sip of stale, cold coffee, staring at Edward.
We'd been going over everything for hours, and he was giving a story that matched Bella's about the drama of the last few weeks. Although, he did admit he didn't believe her story until yesterday.
He looked like a broken man, his face pale, and his eyes lifeless.
He shook his head. "No… I have no idea what she would say that would make Bella do that. Officer McCarty, Bella wouldn't hurt anyone." He looked me straight in the eyes as he spoke—not typically the body language of a liar.
"Have you ever had a romantic relationship with Tanya Denali?"
"No," he answered resolutely.
"Have you ever had a sexual relationship with Tanya Denali?"
"No," he responded, then sighed. "Has she ever come onto me? Yes. Have I ever encouraged or given in to her advances? Absolutely not. I love my wife, and I've never had any interest in Tanya." He was vehemently denying any association with her, but I wanted to dig a little further.
"How many times has Ms. Denali attempted to begin a relationship with you? Sexual or otherwise," I questioned.
He blew out a long breath, thinking for a moment.
"She's hinted at it on almost every occasion where we've attended the same events. Our families are friends and have been since before we were born. When I was sixteen, we were at their house on Christmas Eve and she tried to corner me under the mistletoe. I shrugged her off. She asked me out and I said no. When I met Bella, her advances became more aggressive, but we were older, so I put it down to the fact she'd gained a bit more confidence. She was never too overt, but she made her feelings clear, and I refused her each time, but she'd laugh. I felt she thought we were playing a game of cat and mouse. To be honest, I thought it was less to do with me as a person and more the thrill of the chase for her." He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.
"Did you ever tell your wife about this 'cat and mouse' game?" I knew I sounded like a dick, but I needed to push him a bit to see if he was hiding anything.
"No. It was just the way Tanya behaved, so I never considered saying anything. It didn't matter what Tanya did. There was nothing for Bella to worry about, and so it felt a bit pointless mentioning it. Most of the time I'd forgotten about Tanya before she even finished speaking," he admitted.
I was inclined to believe Edward's take on things. I'd seen a bit of tape from his wife's interview, and her story was a doozy. Some of the things she mentioned would be easy to prove with a little legwork and a warrant.
But I was only sure of one thing: one of three people was lying; I just had to figure out which one.
November 1st, 9:26 a.m.
Interrogation Room 3
Present: Isabella Cullen, Officer Jacob Black, and Officer Jasper Whitlock
"Bella, it seems Ms. Denali has survived the surgery." I let my words linger as I closed the door behind me. I wanted to see her reaction. A flicker of relief passed over her face before it settled on hope.
"Did you speak to her? I mean, did she confess?" she asked, sounding hopeful.
"We did speak to her ma'am, and I have a few more questions I need to go through with you."
She nodded eagerly.
"Were you aware that your husband had been having an affair with Ms. Denali?" Our best guess for motive had always been jealousy, but having confirmation from the victim, made it more clear-cut.
Her expression changed, but not in the way that I expected. I thought it would show pain, anger, guilt, or fear, but instead, she looked deflated and hopeless.
"I can't believe she's still trying that tactic..." She sighed. "Officer Whitlock, my husband is not having an affair with that woman. She tried everything in her power to make me believe it, but it's not true," she said with conviction.
I read my notes, and looked back to Bella. "We've spoken to your husband, and he admitted that Ms. Denali approached him regularly for years. He called it, 'a game of cat and mouse'." I purposely left out he also said he had rebuffed her at every turn. I wanted to see how much she trusted her husband.
She took a deep breath. "I'm not surprised by that. From the things she said last night about his bachelor party, I'm not shocked to learn she'd attempted to do that. But did he ever give in to her? No. If he had, she wouldn't have had to go to all this trouble." She gave a tiny, wry smile. "Tanya may have scared me and terrorized me in my own home, and tried to take my husband, but I don't want her dead, and I certainly wouldn't attack her," she said in a firm voice.
After a minute's pause, I flipped through my notes from my interview with Ms. Denali. She'd been resting in her room after surgery on her stomach. She was lucky her wounds didn't do more damage. As a victim, she was very detailed in her description of what happened. That wasn't always the case. There was a reason it was called "blind panic." She also had a diary giving us dates and times she'd met Mr. Cullen at various restaurants and hotels. I flicked to that page.
"Ms. Denali was able to give some dates in the last few weeks that she met up with your husband. If I give you a list, do you think you could go through it and we could have a chat about them?"
I pulled out three copies of the information one of the deputies had typed up for me. Handing one to her, I kept one and slid the third to Black who sat silently next to me.
He'd wanted to be the one to tell Bella about the affair, but I'd seen the happiness in his eyes when he looked at her and the eagerness to tell her. He admitted to knowing Bella when they were in school. I hadn't even wanted him as part of the investigation, but our numbers of qualified officers were limited, so it was unavoidable.
We watched Bella as she scanned the list with a furrowed brow.
"Anything jump out at you?" I asked. Personally, I didn't think she was the murdering kind. She'd been levelheaded and forthcoming since we'd arrived on the scene. She was scared, but not freaked out.
"No. These are all times he had meetings with clients. Most of them I arranged, so unless these people were canceling without rearranging with me, there's no way he was meeting her." She spoke quietly, almost to herself, so I stayed silent. "How did she know?"
"How did she know what, Bella?" I leaned forward on the table.
"Okay, I know you don't believe me, but just follow along for a minute. Pretend you believe that Tanya has been doing everything I said." She paused, waiting for me to comply. I nodded, allowing her to continue. "All of the stuff she found out and did was based around the house, right? Even the messed up appointment with Garrett was due to a phone call I got at home. So, I assume she took the spare house key at the housewarming party and made a copy. All of the weird stuff started after that night. And if that's the case, how did she get all this appointment information?" She mused.
Tracing her finger down the list again, she stopped abruptly on the bottom third of the page. Her eyes flew to mine.
"Diary," she blurted. "My diary. It has to be. I keep a small paper diary in my purse with the appointments in. But she doesn't know my code because she messed up!" She smiled at me. Twisting the paper around and leaning toward me over the table, she pointed to an entry from last week.
October 23, 1:00 p.m. Gainsborough Hotel
"If you can get my diary from my purse, I can show you what I mean," she explained.
I nodded to Black, who stepped out of the room.
Bella stayed silent, reading the list again, while we waited for him to return.
Several minutes later, he reappeared with a black leather book in an evidence bag. After removing it and flicking to the correct date, he placed it on the desk between us. The hotel name and time noted in lopsided handwriting followed by a name: Aro Volturi. In the corner by the date was a small green B.
"As Edward's PA, I normally stay in the office. However, for some meetings, he'll take me along to make notes—especially, for bigger projects, as he can use his time discussing ideas and requirements without worrying about collecting the information on paper. That's when I put a little 'B' in the corner. The office calendar shows full details of the meeting, and who is attending, but in mine, I just write the highlights so I know where we both need to be when I'm outside the office. The B reminds me that I'm due to attend a meeting with him. I remember this meeting because it never happened! I'd booked the three of us lunch at the hotel, as it has an Art Deco style that Mr. Volturi was looking for in his building. We were hoping the surroundings would help with the discussion on what he was looking for. Edward was meeting me at the hotel, while I picked up some dry cleaning on the way there. The morning of the meeting, Mr. Volturi called me to cancel as he had a family emergency. And if you look at the next day..." She flipped the page in the diary. "Edward and I were flying to Denver for a conference. We didn't tell anyone, just changed our flight, and we left a day earlier to make it a little romantic getaway." She paused, a small smile on her lips. "Check the flight log for the flight to Denver on the 23rd. We were on the flight at the time he supposedly met with Tanya."
I played everything she'd said through my head, adding in the information from the start of the interview. I could see the dots connect, but I needed more than that to go on.
"We're going to look into it now, Bella. Sit tight." I motioned for Black to follow me out of the room.
Bella nodded and sagged in her seat.
November 1st, 11:14 a.m.
Forks Police Station Lobby
Edward
My foot bounced as I waited for Bella. My dad put his hand on my knee to still it. We were all eager to see her, get her out of this place. Nobody more than me. The guilt was killing me every moment I couldn't apologize to her.
A door swung open to our left and a tall officer with blond hair and another male officer, who looked familiar, led Bella out. My attention was diverted immediately when I saw my beautiful wife. She looked exhausted. She'd been crying too, but she was still so beautiful. I hovered for an instant, wanting to go to her, but shame held me in place. After a couple seconds, she ran toward me and jumped into my arms. I held on tight, breathing her in. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I buried my face in her hair. The cheeky pigtails long gone, but her tiny costume remained, covered by my hoodie.
"I-I'm so sorry, Bella. You've gone through hell because of me, and I didn't even help you. I'm so sorry, please don't leave me." I sobbed quietly.
She cried softly, repeatedly murmuring how much she loved me.
After minutes, or maybe hours, I felt a warm hand on my back and saw my parents watching us with tears in their eyes. They pulled us into their arms, and we all clung to each other sobbing.
A throat being cleared brought us back to the room, and the blond officer approached.
"I thought you'd like to know Ms. Denali has been placed under arrest in the hospital. As well, we were granted a warrant to search her property. There were several items that tied her to the disturbances in your home over the last few weeks, including your clothing, missing items you mentioned, and several copies of the Blu-ray you kept finding."
I hugged Bella closer to me, closing my eyes, kissing her hair. My poor girl.
The blond officer continued. "I would suggest you all file restraining orders for now. I have the information here, and you can do it at the desk before you leave. Although, I think, it's unlikely she'll be released. From what Officer McCarty said after making the arrest, she'll probably be held on the psych ward until trial, if she can even stand."
"Thank you." I took the papers with a shaking hand and nodded.
My parents gently tugged us both toward the desk to get this ordeal over with for good. We were all ready to move on.
364 days later...
I watched from the doorway as Bella danced around the kitchen with Masen on her hip. He giggled and squealed as she dipped him and sang along with the radio. Unable to be apart from them a moment longer, I crept up behind her and pulled her hips back to meet mine.
"Looks like you two are having fun." I kissed up her neck.
"Yes, we are, Daddy. We're making dinner, and Masen's been helping me measure. Haven't you, baby?" she exclaimed, smiling at us.
Even at four months old, he was as captivated by her as I was. We both looked at her adoringly, then I caught my son under his arms and lifted him up high.
"Well, aren't you a clever boy?" I bounced him, then brought him in for a cuddle.
We'd both taken today off, unable to deal with anything else and needing to be close to each other. This time last year, our lives were almost ruined. It had taken me months to get over my part in it all. But Bella forgave me instantly; what had let her down most was my lack of belief in her. I swore to myself I would never let her feel that way, ever again. Although, I felt, my dad took a bit of convincing. He was Team Bella from the start. Her pregnancy also helped us heal, as we had our little miracle to focus on and prepare for. We'd decided to keep our dream house, but we'd renovated the entire top floor and added a top of the line security system. We had cameras all over the house and outside around any point of entry. I'd put in a thousand cameras if they helped us to sleep easy at night.
After giving Masen his bath and putting him to bed, we settled down with a glass of wine. We'd had enough scares to last a lifetime, so we'd put a comedy on the TV. As Bella was warming some leftover cookies from her baking time with Masen, the doorbell rang. I hesitated a minute. We'd left our porch light off to announce that we weren't accepting trick or treaters and our family and friends knew we were spending the day alone as a family.
I turned on the LCD front door monitor screen just as the telephone rang. A large pumpkin was placed in the middle of the porch. A piece of paper trapped beneath it, flapping in the autumnal wind. As I considered what to do, Bella came rushing toward me.
"Edward, it's Tanya. She escaped earlier tonig—" My ears were ringing, unable to hear anymore, as I grabbed Bella in my arms and started rushing toward the stairs to get Masen.
Bella pulled me to a stop abruptly and put her palms on either side of my face.
"Edward! Shh, listen, honey. She escaped, but they found her. Edward, she's dead! She was killed by a truck about half a mile from here. She was in a hospital gown, running barefoot, down the dark highway. The guy said she just ran across in front of him."
I pulled my wife upstairs with me and put her in Masen's room, begging her to stay put. Then I ran to our bedroom and called the police.
Deputy Rosalie Hale
After a year, I thought this case was over, but there seemed to be no timeline on crazy. I hefted the pumpkin out of the way and grabbed the note before it could fly off into the wind. Placing it in an evidence bag, I flipped it over and handed it to Officer Whitlock.
He read the words: "Trick or Treat."