"Black coffee, please."

"Cream, sugar, anything?"

"No thanks." The waitress moved on to the next table and I took the opportunity to look around the small diner I was in. There were maybe three other tables besides mine that were occupied; it had made me chuckle when the waitress apologized for the breakfast rush. Guess that's what it was like living in a town as small as Forks, Washington.

"Isabella Swan?"

"Bella." I corrected the new voice automatically before glancing up to see who it was. My mouth almost fell open in shock before I remembered where I was and kept it clamped shut. An unfamiliar man stood in front of me, messy copper hair topping golden eyes set in a perfect face. He flashed a police badge before sitting down across from me.

"Lieutenant Edward Cullen. Forks PD." He extended a hand to me, and after a brief hesitation I shook it. Luckily the waitress chose that time to reappear with my coffee, setting it down in front of me. I took a sip, trying to reorganize my thoughts and bring myself back under control.

"Anything for you today, Edward?" The waitress batted her eyelashes at him. It was almost comical how cliche this was; he must be something of a bigshot around town. Exactly how much of a bigshot you could be in a town this small, I wasn't sure.

"Just coffee. Thanks, Marie." She nodded and zoomed away, coming back a few seconds later with his coffee. I frowned; mine had taken a good ten minutes longer to come out. I watched as he ripped open a packet of half and half and poured it into his coffee, swirling it around before taking a sip. Then he set it down on the table between us and looked up at me, folding his arms across his chest as he studied me. I squirmed uncomfortably, furious at myself for how I was surely coming across. I needed to be confident and unshakeable, not moved by the first man who talked to me. "So." The word lingered between us and I grabbed frantically for it.

"I'll need copies of all of the reports. I was hoping to go to the station later today so I can meet with everyone who's involved in the investigation."

Edward nodded, saying nothing, his gaze still fixed on me. His unusually golden eyes were unreadable.

"Look, I know you probably don't want me here," I burst out. "I'm here to help out. I don't want to get in anyone's way or step on anyone's toes, so your cooperation would be nice." I had rehearsed those exact words on the way here and they came out perfectly. I blushed bright red as I spoke though, ruining the effect.

"You're right. We don't want you here; we can handle things just fine on our own." He spoke in level, even tones. I held back a gasp, instead narrowing my eyes as I leaned forward across the table towards him.

"If you were handling things so well I don't think they would have sent me here, would they?"

There was silence, then a soft chuckle. "Touché. Don't expect to get a very warm welcome though," he warned. "People are extra suspicious right now, and they don't take well to newcomers at the best of times."

"Understandable."

Suddenly his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, glancing at it before standing up abruptly. "Excuse me but I need to go."

"Something about the case?" He didn't answer, but his expression told me everything I needed to know.

"I'm going with you." I grabbed my jacket and stood up.

"You're staying here," he said, just the hint of a growl in his voice.

"Like it or not, I'm a part of the investigation now. I'll find out eventually."

"Fine." He tossed a ten dollar bill down on the table before spinning on his heels and exiting. I hurried to keep up with him, struggling to put my jacket on as we walked. I followed him over to a silver Volvo, pausing as he got in. "I'm off-duty; we don't drive our patrol cars when we're not working. Get in now before I change my mind." I slid into the passenger seat, barely having time to buckle my seatbelt before he was off.

Edward Cullen drove faster than anyone I'd ever met. My hands remained clenched to the sides of my seat for the entire duration of the ride. "Guess it's good you're a cop, huh? So you can drive fast all the time." I tried to lighten the mood but one sideways glance from him quieted me.

We finally made it there in one piece. Instantly Edward was out of the car, making his way towards the group of people clustered together by the woods. I rushed after him, mentally preparing myself for what I was probably about to see.

The crowd parted to let us through, all of them deathly silent. A police officer was straightening up in front of us, his face gray and ashen as he turned to us. "It's bad," was all he said before stepping back to let us by. I heard Edward mutter a curse under his breath and then I was next to him, looking down at the ground.

A badly mangled body lay in front of us. It had been torn apart so badly that I couldn't even tell if the person had been male or female. I felt bile rise up in my throat, forced myself not to be sick. It wouldn't do much for my credibility to be sick my first day on the job.

"Call the coroner." Edward's voice was strangely calm.

"Already done." The other policeman had averted his eyes and was keeping them fixed on the trees off to our left.

The first few reporters had already started appearing, and I saw names as big as Port Angeles and even Seattle. The case must have already been getting some major coverage for all of these news channels to descend on tiny Forks.

"What do you have to say about reports of a serial killer in Forks?" The reporter stuck her mic in my face but when I remained silent she turned to Edward. He shook his head, turning away from the body.

"Nothing to say at this point." His tones were clipped, short.

"This is the third person killed in the span of a month. Hardly an accident, I'd say." The reporter's tone was conversational, as if this was a dinner party rather than the scene of a crime.

"No comment," Edward growled. He escaped to go meet the coroner, both of them talking in hushed tones. I moved closer to the body, morbid fascination not allowing me to look away. I hadn't seen much in my five years of practice, but this seemed different. With the way the body had been torn apart and mutilated, it almost seemed as if the killer wasn't even human.

Review please! I want to know if this story is worth continuing/if my ideas are any good!