Again, really sorry. I just had no idea how I wanted this chapter to go...

lynettecullen: You really know how to make my day, don't you? (x


Turning the doorknob to the studio a few times to make sure it was locked, Olivia shuddered from the cold. Her thin cardigan was no match for the cool night along with the occasional gust of wind, and as she made her way down the street to her car, she regretted not grabbing a thicker jacket and leaving it in her car. 'Jesus, I never had so many things to do in one day before. I've called so many places, got put on hold for so long that it felt like I wasn't even on the phone anymore. I can see why Jessica would've left this job after so long.'

Reaching into her purse, she searched through it to find her keys, standing beneath the streetlight. A soft 'a-ha' and she was in her car. Once she had started the car, her fingers immediately reached to turn on the heater. Olivia sat there in her car, soaking up the heat, her body warming up. 'After December 3rd, I'm hoping things will slow down for me. It'll definitely give me enough time to go Christmas shopping.' Olivia snorted, eyes rolling. 'Christmas shopping? Who am I buying gifts for, Juliet?' She bit her lip, trying to prevent the smile that was slowly trying to take over. 'Oh for crying out loud, I can't even deny it.'

Shaking her head, she made her way home. 'Okay, we haven't even talked about whether we were getting each other something for Christmas. Uhg, thinking about this is just going to drive me nuts… uh, let's see. I wonder if I got everything done today.' Her brows furrowed, trying to remember the long list of requests Alice had left to her earlier that day. 'For someone who designs clothes, she has a lot of things to do… okay; I finished making all the calls and confirmed everything. I also got the okay on the venue, along with booking the few models she did want. So does that mean I get to pick the rest or do I just call an agency and ask…?'

Turning onto her street, Olivia let out a sigh of relief. The moment she reached her driveway, she got out of her car, shivering after being so warm. She gathered her bag and her duffle bag that held an extra change of clothes, shutting the door with her hip. Making her way to her front door, she rummaged through her bag for the separate key ring that held her house keys along with the keys to her parent's house in Utah. She felt the uneven edges, pulling the keys out.

The moment her door was unlocked, she did a small victory dance which was really just the shake of her hips. It was soon over when she felt the strong grip on upper arm. Her first thought was that it was Jacob, trying to scare her for leaving him behind the other night but the sickly sweet smell of chloroform reached her nose.

The cloth that was now pressed over her mouth and nose was pushed so tightly against her face that she had trouble breathing, causing her lungs to burn. Olivia's eyes grew heavy, whether it was from the lack of oxygen or the chloroform. She dropped her duffle bag and her hand reached up to grab at the arm that held the cloth, trying to dig her nails into their skin. Her plan was no good though, as she felt the sleeves of a thick sweater and realizing her vision was getting hazy.

The pressure on her face was gone though, as the cloth just hovered above her face. She sucked in as much air as her lungs would take but her eyes had begun to already close. She blinked but her eyes felt like they were weighed down by sandbags. Letting out a small groan, she leaned back, eyes shut.

She felt herself being lifted into stiff arms, knowing that whoever was carrying her wasn't heading into her house but in the opposite direction. She was placed onto a cold surface, the sound of a door slamming after. Her attempt at staying awake was failing, and each blink of her eyes became slower and slower until each blink was like shutting her eyes for a nap and waking from a bad dream.

It felt like hours when it was probably only a few minutes until she felt herself being lifted again. She could hear the rush of water and the fear that she thought she would feel at the sound seemed to never show up. Realizing that she was being taken away from the water, she felt her body sag further into the arms that carried her.

The sound of footsteps began to echo as it finally hit her that she was inside somewhere. It smelled like old wood, cigar smoke, and new leather.

"Here." The rough voice of whoever was carrying her was muffled, whether he had something over his mouth or she just wasn't focused.

She felt herself being put down onto a thin blanket, the cold from the floor seeping through the fabric. She curled into a tight ball, hoping that whatever reason she was there for, it'd be for something stupid. Maybe she messed up an order and they wanted her to fix it. She could definitely do that. Heck, she'd throw in a free ounce of their choice if that was what they wanted.

"You idiot," hissed a lower a voice. It sounded tired, angry, and old. "That's not her."

"What're you talking about? It's her."

There was a frustrated sigh, some rustling, then footsteps that were walking toward her. She felt the small push of air as someone squatted before her, their fingers tilting her chin up and away from her body, pushing the hair that fell in her face away.

"They look alike but this isn't her. This one, she's taller, a good couple inches. Here, look at this," and she suddenly felt fingers at the corner of her mouth, pushing up into a failed smile. "Alice doesn't have dimples."

Olivia's brows furrowed. 'Alice?'

"This is why I didn't want you to do this one, Seth."

"Well how would I know? You said to follow her from work, that Alice would be the last to leave! I did everything you told me to do. I waited for her to finish work, I followed her home, everything!"

Whoever it was that was squatting before her was now gone. "I should've just sent people I knew wouldn't mess up for this one. You messed this one up bad, Seth," he said slowly. There was suddenly coughing from the same person, the harsh sound bouncing off the walls. Olivia cringed at the wheezing that came afterward. "You messed this up. Fix it."


After cautiously going through every room of Olivia's house, Bella found herself at the front door. Hands on her hips, she gazed out toward the street. She tried to imagine just what Olivia had done the moment she got home, starting at her car. Her eyes trailed over to the duffle bag that was on the ground, including Olivia's purse. The thought of calling and reporting Olivia missing bothered her to no end. It would just solidify the fact that she wasn't here even though they had already planned to do something tonight.

Letting out a deep breath, she sat down on the cold cement, hands stuffed into her pockets. 'What am I waiting for? To get a call for a dead body?' She frowned, pushing her knees up to lean her forehead against them. 'No, that's not it. Something's just not right.'

Closing her eyes, Bella began to slow down her breathing. The thought of going to the police station at this hour seemed pointless to her. She was a detective. She could find Olivia just like anyone else, if not better.

It could've been seconds, minutes; maybe hours until the sound of slow footsteps reached Bella's ears, causing her to look up. She blinked multiple times, disgruntled and frustrated with herself that she had even drifted off to sleep. Standing, Bella stretched, eyes following the tall form that was making its way toward her. Her eyes zeroed in on the body that was being carried, her brows scrunching in confusion.

Making her way toward the approaching figure, her eyebrows raised as she got a better glimpse of who was being carried. They stood facing each other, Bella's eyes more focused on Olivia, checking for anything out of place. With a sigh, she raised her eyes.

"Here." He extended his arms, offering Olivia. His face was in a small grimace, the frustration evident on his face.

Hesitating slightly, Bella reached her arms out. She felt Olivia's body drop into her arms, causing a small grunt to come from her lips. "So what happened?"

He shrugged. "Fainted, is all. She'll be fine."

Shifting Olivia in her arms, Bella let out a small huff. "How long has she been out?"

With that, he looked down, hand scratching at the back of his head. "Uh, awhile now, I think. I'm not sure."

"And you haven't done anything to help. Or checked if she's okay?" Bella glared at the bent head. "You're her friend, aren't you? Taking care of her and bringing her home? Unless you're the reason she fainted in the first place."

"We know each other."

"Before or after tonight?"

"That isn't really any of your business."

"It is when it comes to her."

Bella's patience was wearing thin as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "So who are you?"

"Don't worry about it."

She scoffed. "Are we really going to have this conversation?"

"We don't have to." With a grin, he turned around and began to make his way back.

"You know I'll find out, right?"

He snorted, turning around. He began to walk backwards, raising his hands, palms up. "There's a fifty-fifty chance you will. I'd like to think that you won't." He turned back around, quickly crossing the street.

Clenching her teeth, Bella spun on her heel as good as anyone could with someone in their arms. She shifted Olivia in her arms, going from bridal to over her shoulder. Opening the door, Bella checked for Juliet, who was still asleep under coffee table. She kicked the door shut, laying Olivia down onto her couch, propping her feet on the armrest. With a breath of relief, Bella stretched her back and rolled her shoulders.

Heading into the kitchen, she tugged the refrigerator open and grabbed a water bottle. Making her way back to the couch, she lifted Olivia's hand, checking her pulse at her wrist. Furrowing her brows, Bella sat down on the floor in front of the couch. 'He said she fainted but… how long has it been? I mean, I know when someone faints, it shouldn't take too long. Should I call the hospital?' She bit her lip, ripping the label on her water bottle.

Bella felt a small nudge at her thigh, tearing her eyes from the growing pile of ripped up label pieces. She ran her hand over Juliet's head, scratching top of her head.

"Your momma's sleeping, okay? Just give her a bit."

The beagle's two front paws rested on her thigh, her head angled up toward Bella's face, head tilted.

"Don't look at me like you don't understand me. Are you hungry?" Juliet merely placed her head on her paws, closing her eyes once again. "I guess not."

Bella ran her hands along her back, the fur soft but short, unlike Bernie's.

"I leave her a bowl of food before I leave for work every day." The scratchy voice caused Bella to jump slightly, turning her head to look at Olivia's face.

"Were you faking being knocked out just so I could carry you earlier or did you honestly just wake up?"

Slowly sitting up, Olivia crossed her legs beneath her, grinning. "A little bit of both."

Swatting at Olivia's knee, Bella rolled her eyes. "Figures. So, who was that?"

"Who was who?"

"You're kidding, right? The guy that was carrying you."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Bella shifted Juliet into her lap, turning around to face Olivia. "What, should I know something about him?"

Olivia shook her head. "No, not really."

"Okay… so, what's his name?"

"Seth? I think."

"You think."

"That's what I said, wasn't it?"

Bella rubbed her temples, eyes shut. "So, you think his name is Seth. This guy that you apparently don't really know carried you home. How does he even know where you live in the first place? Is there something you wanna tell me?"

"Quit it, nothing was gonna happen." Olivia rolled her eyes, leaning back. "You're jumping to conclusions."

"I'm not jumping to conclusions, I'm just thinking up of possible scenarios. It's what I do."

"Yeah, well stop. Just let me finish telling you everything."

Bella flushed, nodding. "Right, sorry. Go ahead."

"I was coming home from work, right? I still had a few things I wanted to get over with so Alice left me the keys to lock up. So I did. Got out of my car and was making my way to my door then looked through my bag for my keys. Then I felt someone grab me, right? And at first, I just thought it was a friend of mine because he always seems to pop out of nowhere but before I knew it, he was covering my face with a cloth. I kinda blacked out after that but I could hear what was happening." Olivia pushed her hand through her hair, rubbing the back of her neck after. "That's why I said that I think his name is Seth." She shrugged, then snapped her fingers. "Oh! You should keep an eye on Alice."

"What? I thought you were telling me what happened, not what you want me to do."

"That's the thing. While I was there, they were talking about how I wasn't Alice. I mean, I know we look alike and stuff but I'm way taller. Not to mention my hair's a little lighter than hers."

"This Seth guy kidnapped you?"

"Yeah… but he wanted Alice, which is why I'm telling you that you need to keep an eye on her. I like my job, you know. It'd be nice if I got to keep it."

Bella nodded slowly, letting out a deep breath. "Okay. When I go in tomorrow, I'll look up this Seth guy, and I'll let Edward know about Alice."


Bella sat across from Seth, who was leaning back in his chair, the front feet of the chair off the ground.

"We never got to finish our conversation, Seth."

"Look, nothing happened, okay? Is that what you're worried about? That your boo and I had a little fun or something?"

"No, nothing like that. You know, she told me some interesting things last night." Bella leaned back, eyes trained on Seth.

"Oh yeah? Was it dirty?" He barked out a laugh at Bella's discomfort. "You're kidding."

"What?" Bella raised a brow.

"You guys haven't done it yet. What're you waiting for, marriage? Trust me, detective, that shit doesn't seem like it'd work out in your future with this kind of job."

"That's not what we're here for," Bella stated. "Look, you wanna know why you're here? Because we had someone say you're going after for someone, not to mention we got a dead body from just a few weeks ago. I gotta say, you're climbing the ladder for number one suspect. Did you kill Jessica Stanley?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure you already knew that, right? Can I also take a wild guess that your source is Olivia?" Seth grinned. "Alright, well, I'm running a little late so let's make a deal. I tell you something about Jessica Stanley's murder and you let me off easy?" Seth offered, his chin resting in his palm.

"You just said that you didn't know anything-"

"No, no, detective. I said that I didn't kill her. I never said I didn't know anything about it."

"Oh for fuck's sake," she muttered. "Okay but I swear, if something happens to Alice, I'm coming after you, got it?"

Seth nodded, his fingers making a small 'x' over his chest. "Cross my heart, detective."

"Go ahead, Seth." Bella crossed her legs, hands resting in her lap.

"Jessica Stanley worked for Alice, right? You found her body and everything but the problem is that she was in water. Her body expanded twice its normal size and she could pop at any fuckin' second," Seth snapped his fingers, "just like that. It's stopping you, isn't it? From getting the evidence you want? I also heard your medical examiner's takin' a few days off and you don't want any of his assistants to work this case. So that's clearly slowing you down in the evidence department but my dear, dear detective, what's the point of gathering evidence when I can just tell you who killed Jessica Stanley?"

"Don't joke around, Seth," Bella growled. "If what you're telling me is a lie, your ass is mine."

Seth chuckled. "I promise you, what I'm telling you is nothing but the truth. I admit that I do shady things and I don't hang out with the right crowd and maybe I'm a little stupid, but that doesn't mean I don't know who does what and what goes down." Seth's gaze focused on Bella, who sat perfectly still. "Jessica Stanley was killed by a pair. Not one person, two. One who does the dirty work and the other to clean up the tracks left behind. And you know what? Jasper Whitlock is one damn good murderer, but not as good as Edward Cullen who can cover anything up."

"What makes you think I'll believe that, Seth? I work with Edward and I've known him since the police academy. I also know Jasper, who seems to be a nice guy." Bella leaned forward, her hands on the table. "I don't like being lied to, Seth. I know you're smart enough to know that if I find out that you did lie, things aren't gonna work in your favor."

"You've seen those cop shows, haven't you, detective? When it's a good murder and it's got you on the edge of your seat? Then suddenly, when they reveal the killer, you shit bricks because it's always someone you never expect." Seth smirked, leaning back in his chair, propping his feet on the table.

Bella smacked at his feet, glaring. "Get your feet off the table. This is an interrogation room, not some place you can kick back and light up."

With a small chuckle, Seth dropped his feet to the ground. "Well? A deal's a deal, detective."

"Yeah, well I'm not buying what you're selling."

"What, you don't think I'm being honest?"

"Edward's my partner. You're gonna have to do a lot better than just telling me that Edward was part of Jessica Stanley's murder. It's his word against yours, and it's not looking good for you."

"His word? He's not even here."

Bella shrugged. "Oh well."

"Look, you can choose to believe me or you can choose not to, that's completely up to you. I know what I'm telling you is the truth and we had a deal."

"I'm not in the mood for a goose chase, Seth, so just spill out whatever it was you were really gonna say."

"I told you, I'm not lying. Your boy was part of the murder. You wanna know why you can't figure out this damn murder? Because he's playing you all like a bunch of puppets. He can cover up his tracks damn good and I'm pretty sure him and Jasper were smart enough so that none of their DNA can be found. You're wasting your time on me when you should be going after them."

Clenching her jaw, Bella abruptly stood. "I don't like when people accuse my partner for something that isn't true."

"Oh for crying out loud! You're in fuckin' denial! But you know what? You go on ahead and do what you want but when you finally figure out it was them, send me a fuckin' fruit basket." Seth stood also, making his way out.

Bella cringed as the door slammed, dropping herself back into her chair. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her temples. 'If I keep rubbing my temples, I'm going to have permanent imprints of my freakin' fingers there or something sooner or later.'

Dropping her hands into her lap, she leaned back, keeping her eyes closed. 'What if Seth was telling the truth? That Edward and Jasper really were the ones involved with the Jessica Stanley case? I don't think I'd be able to handle that… but how does Seth even know Edward? Well, it won't hurt to ask, right?' Bella groaned. 'Of course it would, it'd be coming out of nowhere for me to ask him. How could I possibly even find out if it's the truth? If Edward really did do it, he'd never admit to it… I already know Edward and who he is and what kind of person but not Jasper. I'll do checks on him today, when Edward leaves.'

Eyes open, Bella blew out a breath. 'So much for weeding out suspects.' She stood up and slowly made her way out of the interrogation room.