Chapter Two

Edward

I was first off the plane, eager to have Bella in my arms again and to know she was safe. While I had every faith in Alice and Jasper's ability to look after my Bella I felt it was my responsibility and I would take her away, far away until the others found and killed James and his mate Victoria. I had to keep Bella safe, if anything happened to her as a result of coming into our world I would never forgive myself. Carlisle and Emmett hurried to catch up with me and I looked around hoping to hear her shout my name in relief but I couldn't see her anywhere, then I spotted Alice but she appeared to be alone and from the look on her face I knew something terrible had happened. I rushed over to her, grabbing her none too gently by the arm.

"Where's Bella? Is she with Jasper? What's happened Alice? Tell me."

Carlisle took my arm and pulled it free of Alice,

"Edward you're making a scene. Lets sit down and Alice can tell us what's happened."

He guided me to some seats away from the crush of people and Alice sat beside me.

"I'm not sure what happened Edward. I had a vision of Bella and James in a ballet studio, one Bella recognised when I drew it, she used to go there when she was a little girl. Renee rang and Bella spoke to her, not long before we left for the airport. She went to get something to eat with Jasper..."

"Why him?"

Carlisle looked at me slightly shocked at my tone,

"Edward, Jasper was looking after Bella the same as the rest of us."

Alice shot him a look of gratitude before continuing,

"She asked him to go with her and I thought she wanted his help to keep calm but he came back alone. He told me she gave him the slip in the rest rooms. There were two exits and she took the other one."

"Maybe she got confused Alice, did you think of that? She's scared and upset, she might have gone out the wrong door by mistake."

"Then why didn't she come back to me, or find Jazz? No Edward she had a reason for giving us the slip."

"Really? What exactly? And where is she Alice? You must be able to see her."

Alice shook her head,

"I can't Edward, she's just disappeared from my sight."

"Well then try this one Alice, where's Jazz?"

"He's gone to her mothers to try to locate the ballet studio."

"Has he contacted you yet?"

"No, but he hasn't been gone that long Edward."

I didn't like the hesitation in her voice as she replied to me.

We piled into a cab and headed for Renee's address hoping to find Jasper, Renee, and Bella there safe but as the cab driver let us out in the next street we could tell something had happened. There were blue flashing lights everywhere and police with dogs searching the hedges and gardens. Carlisle motioned for us to back away out of sight while he went to speak to one of the police officers. They stood heads close together for a few minutes then Carlisle nodded and walked off with him.

"Where the hell is he going?"

"He'll be back soon Edward just wait."

I glared at Alice, what did she know about anything, I was terrified for Bella.

Emmett looked up,

"I'm going to see if I can find the dance studio, I'll meet you back here soon. I smell trouble."

Alice

As he ran off I looked up too, there was an orange glow in the sky, something was ablaze. Edward wanted to follow him but I held him back,

"Wait for Carlisle."

"Why hasn't Jasper called in Alice? Does he know where she is? Did he take her?"

"Edward please. Why would Jasper hurt Bella? We were looking after her for you."

"Yeah, and I was stupid enough to trust him, and you."

"Edward that's uncalled for. We looked after her, she ran away from us we didn't just lose her."

"So why would she run away unless you frightened her?

"Frightened her? Us? Edward she was terrified of James not us. And don't you dare blame Jazz for this, he's been brilliant with her."

"Yeah I'll bet. If he's been so good at looking after her just where the hell is he Alice? Are you sure he hasn't taken off with her? I don't trust him."

"We all know that Edward so if you distrust him so much why did you agree to let us take care of her?"

"Because I thought, stupidly as it turns out, that you could keep him on a leash."

Carlisle

I introduced myself to the police officer as a doctor and he looked relieved asking me to accompany him to see a lady who had been the victim of a break in. Bella's mother sat on the couch white-faced and shaking a police woman holding a mug of coffee for her.

"Ma'am, this is a doctor. Maybe you can tell him what happened to you."

She looked at me and managed a wan smile before starting to cry again,

"I came in from the car and when I got inside I knew someone had been here. It felt strange as if someone were lurking in the dark. My TV remote was in my chair along with the remote for the DVD player and I always leave them on the table. I saw the kitchen window had been forced so I ran back outside and called 911."

"Have you looked at the DVD? Perhaps there's a message on there."

She shook her head so the police officer turned it on and we all watched. It was an old film taken of Bella when she was a little girl and as Renee saw it she started to cry once more.

"I'd only had that transferred onto DVD recently, its my daughter Bella."

"What was your daughter doing?"

She looked at me wiping her eyes,

"Doing? Oh she was at a ballet recital. She'd tripped over and was upset, I found her hiding in a store cupboard. She told me she hated ballet and she hated me, she was going to run away if I forced her to go any more. What does it mean? My daughter doesn't even live with me now. She's with her father in Forks Washington. He's the Chief of Police."

The Police officer looked at me before bending down to address her again,

"I'm very sorry, we've already spoken to your ex husband, Chief Swan. He rang us because your daughter left his place three days ago headed back here and he hasn't heard anything from her since."

"Here why?"

"There was some kind of problem with her boyfriend. They had a terrible row and she wanted to come home to you. I take it you haven't heard from her?"

Renee shook her head,

"No, not a word. Unless she's left a message on my phone, I haven't been here for a few days, my husband has been away at a training camp. He plays baseball, minor league and I was staying with a friend."

"Would you mind if we listened to your messages?"

She shook her head and he went over to switch on her answer machine as I took her hand in mine and checked her pulse, her heart was rapid but she was scared and emotional. Did the DVD have anything to do with James and his luring Bella away?

"Mum, just to let you know I've left Forks. I had a falling out with Edward and dad. I'll see you soon I guess or I'll ring you so please don't worry. Bye, Oh I tried your cell phone but it wasn't switched on as usual."

The police officer looked at her,

"Your cell phone?"

"I lost the power cord so the battery is flat. It's in the drawer."

She pointed to a dresser and he pulled the drawer open, it was full of wires, paper, pens, batteries, and all sorts of rubbish and in the middle was a cell phone which he took out and switched on. He nodded,

"Yeah its dead all right."

I'm sure he had noticed the difference in the messages Bella had left Renee and the one she had told Charlie. According to him she was headed back to Phoenix but she hadn't told her mother that in so many words, leaving it ambiguous. Had James got the idea for the ballet studio after breaking in and looking at the DVD?

"Ma'am are you sure you didn't leave the DVD in the machine when you left the house? It seems strange that a burglar should want to watch DVDs."

Renee looked confused as she blew her nose before answering him,

"I don't think so but I guess I might have."

Another police officer came in then and spoke quietly to the first who looked up sharply,

"The ballet studio on the film, is it close by?"

"Yes just a few streets away, why?

"Its been torched and I wonder if the two might be connected."

Renee's face drained of any remaining colour and she sat back crying even louder.

"It will be some hours before we can search the remains of the building Mrs Dwyer but in the meantime we'll leave a police woman with you."

What he was saying in effect was that he thought perhaps Bella's body would be discovered in the debris! I excused myself leaving Renee with the police and hoping he was wrong in this case.