Chapter Seven

Bella

Waiting until the guests arrived and were seated for dinner I crept up to the attic once more and opened the trunk. This time I only took out the little box and the papers I hadn't read. These looked official, legal even, and I wondered what they had to do with the little girl who had gone missing and what connection there was between my parents and her. Deciding it was too risky to stay up here and draw attention to the trunk I closed it quietly and took my haul to my bedroom hiding the box in my school bag which was bulging with text books anyway.

I checked the dates on the documents putting them in chronological order before I started to read, the first was a birth certificate, my birth certificate Annabel Harris The next was a letter that had obviously come with the certificate because it referred to it specifically. It was from a lawyer in Phoenix, the place the little girl in the cuttings had disappeared from! There was a receipt attached for $24,000 for the birth certificate and other documents provided for me. Now I wasn't a legal expert but even to me that sounded mighty steep for a legal document. Putting it to one side I picked up the next, another letter from the same lawyer with another receipt attached, this time it had been paid to my father in respect of child care costs. Who was paying, what were they paying for? Was this anything to do with me and if it was why was someone paying my parents for childcare? None of it made sense, were they somehow related to my father? Did he know this family? Was the missing child a relative? I'd never heard the name Swan before but if they were black sheep or something maybe I wouldn't have. I scribbled down the name and address of the lawyer and went through the remaining paperwork, it was all monies paid to my father in regard to child care costs. There were several years worth of these then they stopped, after the last was another letter from the lawyer to my father,

"Our client wishes you to know that he will no longer be paying any monies in respect of the child. You are now in a position to support her having been helped with your career. There will be no more communication with this office and the case is now closed."

So whoever was paying my parents for a child's upkeep had also helped my father with his business. What did it have to do with me? Or the baby who was kidnapped?

Rushing upstairs I put the papers back in the trunk and returned to look at the box. It wasn't very big and whatever was inside didn't weigh very much but I opened it as if it contained a bomb. When I took the lid off I saw a twist of tissue paper and opening it out I discovered a silver bracelet with the name Isabella on it. The bracelet was of the expanding type that was given to babies but could open out to fit a growing child's wrist. So my parents had clippings and photographs of the Swan family and their daughters bracelet but why? I wondered briefly if Isabella and I were the same person but if so why had my parents taken in a missing child and passed it off as their own? None of it made sense, who was the person paying them? The kidnapper being blackmailed? Not from the tone of the lawyers message. Was it the kidnapper paying for me to be kept safe and well? If so why? What had caused someone to steal a small child from its parents?

I decided to try an experiment so the next morning before I left for school I sat eating breakfast with my mother.

"Mum, we've got a new girl at school."

"Really?"

She didn't sound the least interested but I'd expected that, I hoped to get more reaction to my next statement.

"Her name is Isabella. She's moved here from Phoenix."

My mother stiffened and looked at me, eyes searing into my brain.

"Isabella? That's an old-fashioned name."

"Yes I thought that, she asked people to call her Bella."

The name the little girl was called by her father Charlie Swan.

"Bella?"

"Yes, Bella Swan."

My mothers teacup rattled as she put it back on the saucer and she got up quickly.

"I have to phone your father, I forgot to tell him about a call that came in after he left for the office. Off to school with you. Now."

I walked down the drive and towards the school just in case she was watching then turned and ran back hugging the wall as I went round the back to listen at the open kitchen window.

"Honey I just had a strange conversation with Annabel. She told me that a new girl started at her school."

"I know that isn't unusual but the girl's name was. Isabella Swan from Phoenix."

My father's voice was so loud I could almost hear it from out here,

"I have no idea."

"How could she? Do you think we should contact Simmons?"

That was the name of the lawyer on the paperwork in the trunk!

"Well it just seems very odd to me that she should suddenly mention that name."

"Yes I rang Lynne, she's on the board of governors for the school but she never heard of this Isabella so where did Annabel get the name?"

"The trunk? God I forgot about that but it's locked."

"You did what? Didn't you check you locked it?"

"Oh God, now what do we do?"

"Do what? You can't be serious?"

"I know what we did was illegal but we never hurt the little bitch and it was your idea in the first place."

"Yes, I know a family made us look better and the money was good. What if he finds out though?"

"I guess you're right. When she gets home I'll lock her in her room until you get back but please don't send that animal round before. I refuse to open the door to him. What will he do?"

There was a long silence as she listened to my father,

"Is that really necessary? Couldn't we just send her abroad or something?"

"I know she could still talk to someone but without the paperwork who would believe her? We have all the proper documents they'll think she's crazy."

"DNA? You really think the Swans might believe her enough for that?"

"I guess we have no choice then but I don't like it."

"I know she isn't our blood but she's lived here with us all these years."

"No I'm not getting soft and I don't want to go to prison or die. Do you think he might go to that extreme if he found out?"

"Well I guess if it's a choice between us and her she'll have to go."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, so I was the child who'd been kidnapped, I didn't belong here and my real parents were still alive somewhere. I had to get away because it sounded like my future might be very short and violent if I was still here by nightfall. I needed the paperwork to prove some of my story but was it safe to go back in the house? I waited and then heard the garage door open and my "mothers" car start up. As soon as she'd driven off I went back inside and threw my things into my bag throwing the school books and papers out on the bed but keeping the little box. The trunk was still unlocked so I grabbed the papers and photos stuffing them in too then emptied my savings box which held very little so going down to my "fathers" study I opened the bottom drawer. I knew he kept some money in here because he'd sent me to fetch some once for a man who was visiting. I was lucky because there was $500 dollars in notes so I put them in my pocket then left as quickly as I could. I was worried they might try to trace me and needed to make it as difficult as possible so I walked a few miles before hitching a ride with a trucker headed north.

"Where you headed Miss?"

"Forks Washington."

"That's a hell of a way."

"I know but I'm trying to find my dad."

He shrugged,

"I'll take you as far as I can but you be careful hitching rides. There are some very strange people around."

I nodded,

"I know. I'll get a greyhound bus if you can get me close to one."

"You on the run?"

"I guess so but not from the law."

"Fair enough."

He took me to the greyhound depot about fifty miles from my "home" and I thanked him before going into the depot. I was in luck because there was a bus leaving within the hour headed north west and I bought a ticket for Portland. I hated the thought of being trapped on a bus for hours with nowhere to go if I was traced but I couldn't see any alternative. While I waited I rang directory assistance to find a phone number for Charlie Swan in Forks Washington but it was unlisted so I had no choice but to wait until I got there. I was a nervous wreck by the time the bus left and my stomach was rolling so badly I thought I might be sick so I leaned back and closed my eyes wondering what had led to my kidnap in the first place.