A/N:
You guys, thanks so much for your interest in this story. You have shared such great theories in the reviews and in Facebook threads. I can't tell you how many times I said to myself, "Wow, that would have made a great plot twist!" I love it, and I love all of you! Let's carry on, shall we?
EPOV
Edward taps Charlie's number on his phone and waits while it rings. His fingers drum an impatient rhythm on the kitchen counter as he sends up a silent plea that Charlie isn't out fishing for the day.
After several rings, his father-in-law finally answers the phone.
"Hello," Charlie answers.
"Hi Charlie, it's Edward."
"Gosh, Edward, that hospital finally give you a weekend off?" he teases. "You should be spending it with Bella not gabbing with her old man."
"Right, well that was the plan, but . . ."
"What's happened?" Charlie interrupts, his voice serious. Edward can tell by his tone that Charlie has shifted into cop-mode. Though he's chief of police of a small rural town, that's a reflection of his lifestyle choice, not his skill. He's a gifted law enforcement officer with a keen sixth-sense and the ability to make connections that others would miss. Edward is not surprised that he's caught the hint of trouble in less than a sentence.
"Bella's missing. She went out for coffee around eight this morning. When I woke just before noon, she wasn't back. She didn't leave a note, hasn't contacted me by phone, and when I call her cell, it just goes to voicemail. I've called everyone I can think of, and no one has seen her."
"Have you been in touch with the local police yet?" Charlies asks, all business now.
"I haven't. I didn't think they would do much right now since she's been gone such a short time."
"That's probably true. Though I'll reach out to some of my connections up that way and see if they'll at least put out an APB for her. Say, you had that LoJack installed in her car, right? Definitely call and report it stolen. That will get them to activate the locator–"
"She didn't drive this morning, Charlie," Edward interrupts. "Her car's parked in the garage."
"Well, shit." The muttered curse is uncharacteristic for Charlie, but it reflects Edward's feelings precisely. "Did you call the coffee shop to see if she even made it that far? If she did, we can find the person who waited on her, or talk to the owner at least."
"Right, of course. I should have thought of that. I'll get on that as soon we hang up."
"All right. I'll throw some clothes in a bag and be heading your way in ten minutes. It's about one now; I'll be there by four-thirty at the latest."
"That's an awfully quick drive, Charlie."
"I'm bringing the cruiser. It's easy when you've got flashing lights on top."
Edward chuckles, relieved that Charlie will be here soon; and that he finally spoke to someone who is taking the situation as seriously as he is.
"Okay, well, drive safe."
"Always do." There's a pause before Charlie continues. "Listen, son, we'll find her. Bella doesn't just take off. We both know that. Something's odd here. We'll figure it out, and we'll find her."
Edward swallows down the lump in his throat before replying. "I know. I know we will."
"I'll be making some calls from the road. You let me know if you hear anything."
"Will do."
"All right, son. I'll see you soon."
"Bye, Charlie." Edward ends the call and places his phone back on the kitchen island.
"What did he say?" Carlisle prompts.
"He's on his way here. He agrees there's no way Bella would just disappear like this." Edward can't help but shoot a look at his mother, though he is able to keep his expression just shy of a glare. "He's going to see if he can get the local police to issue an APB for her. Oh! He wants me to check with the coffee shop to see if Bella even made it there this morning. I can't believe I didn't think of that earlier."
"Of course, that would be the logical place to start," Carlisle says, nodding. "Do you know which shop she was going to?"
"She didn't say, but there are only two within easy walking distance. Well, maybe a third one if she really wanted those specialty pastries," Edward murmurs as he is pulling up a directory of shops on his phone.
"Do the staff at these shops know Bella?" Esme asks.
Edward pauses and looks at her, thinking. "Oh, um, at the closest one, yes. I'm certain that most of the staff know both of us by name. The other one, I'm not sure. Probably some of the staff recognize her. But, if she went to the farthest one, it's unlikely. We stopped there for the first time a couple of months ago and don't get there often since it's sort of out of the way."
"Well, call the first place," Carlisle says. "If they haven't seen her, I'll go to the other two and talk to the staff. I'll take a picture so if they don't know her by name, maybe they'll recognize her."
"Yes, I can go with you, dear," Esme says.
Before Carlisle can say anything, Edward responds. "Actually, Mom, can you stay here? I can't leave, but I'll go crazy waiting for Charlie here alone."
Esme looks at him, surprised.
"I'm still upset that you suggested Bella may have left, but I just can't hang out here alone," he explains.
"Of course, darling," Esme says with a smile. "Whatever you need, I'm here for you."
"Thanks."
Edward pulls up the number for the closest coffee shop and calls. It rings several times before it's answered.
"Rise and Grind, this is Bree."
"Hi, Bree. This is Edward Cullen."
"Hey Edward!" she greets him enthusiastically. "Calling in an order to go?"
"Ah, no. Listen, I was wondering, was Bella in this morning?"
"Bella? I didn't see her. What time would she have stopped by?"
"Between 8 and 9."
"If she was here, I didn't wait on her. Let me check with Riley, he was also working the morning shift. Hang on." The line goes silent for a minute and then she's back. "Edward? Riley didn't see her this morning either."
"Oh, okay. Thanks for checking."
"Sure, no problem. Is everything okay? I mean, well, obviously not if you're looking for Bella, but…" she drifts off, her sentence unfinished.
"Well, not really. Bella went out this morning for coffee and hasn't returned. We're worried something may have happened."
"Oh, my gosh. Well, she didn't stop here, but we'll keep an eye out for her."
"Thanks, Bree, I appreciate it."
"Absolutely. Good luck."
"Bye." Edward ends the call and looks up at his parents, shaking his head.
"Okay, on to the next step," Carlisle says, starting to browse through photos on his phone. "Edward, I don't know as I have a good, recent photo of Bella. Can you send me one?"
"Yeah, of course," Edward opens the picture gallery on his phone and quickly finds a photo he snapped of Bella just a couple of weeks ago. They had been out back enjoying a few quiet moments in the late afternoon. He had been sitting in a lounge chair while Bella walked over to admire some newly flowering plants on the edge of the patio. He had called to her and snapped a picture just as she turned to face him. She was looking over her shoulder, and a few strands of hair had blown across her face. Caught by surprise, Bella wasn't smiling, but Edward thought the picture was beautiful, maybe even a tad sultry. It had become one of his favorites.
He sent that one to his father's phone, along with another recent one, taken from a different angle, with her smiling.
"There are a couple recent ones."
"Thank you, son. Now, what are the names and addresses of the other two shops?"
"I'm texting them to you now," Edward replies as he quickly taps some info on his phone.
Carlisle checks his phone. "Got them." Grasping Edward's arm, he tugs him to get him to stand. Once they are eye-to-eye, Carlisle puts his hands on Edward's shoulders and looks at him seriously. "We will find her, Edward. Don't doubt that."
Edward regards his father for a moment, so intensely grateful for his unwavering support. When he finally nods his head, Carlisle pulls him in for a tight hug.
Stepping back, Carlisle picks up his keys from the counter and walks toward the door. "I'll let you know the moment I learn anything. Let me know if you hear anything on this end," he says.
"Okay. Thanks, Dad," Edward replies. Carlisle turns and leaves.
A little over an hour later Carlisle returns, reporting that no one at the other two coffee shops recalled waiting on Bella that morning, or even recognized her from the pictures.
"So, what do you think, she never even made it to a shop this morning?" Edward asks; worry etching his face more every moment.
"I don't know, son. I suppose that's a possibility. Or she went to a different shop entirely." Carlisle replies.
Edward slumps onto the stool at the island, his fingers drumming harshly on the countertop.
"I don't know what to do! This sitting around waiting is maddening. I can't wait for Charlie to get here," he says, reaching for his coffee cup.
Esme leans over the counter, placing her hand on top of his just as he grasps the cup. "Maybe we should switch to some herbal tea, darling. The caffeine isn't going to help your nerves. We need to be alert and thinking clearly, not nervous and jumpy, all right?"
Edward meets her gaze. He thinks he sees remorse there, and takes that as an apology for her earlier remarks about Bella. He realizes that this small gesture is part of her nature, doing what she's always done, looking out for him and his best interests. His expression softens, and he gives her a small smile.
"Thanks, Mom. You're right, that would be a good idea."
Her face lights up, and she smiles back at him. Picking up his mug, she places it in the sink and begins to brew him some herbal tea.
Before the tea is ready, the doorbell rings. Edward jumps up and rushes to get it. Flinging the door open, his heart sinks. Rationally he knew it wasn't likely that Bella was standing on their front porch, ringing the bell. But in the few seconds it took him to get to the door, he'd come up with a number of scenarios where that would make perfect sense. However, the uniformed police officer standing there makes all of those possibilities disappear like smoke.
"Good afternoon. I'm Officer Mike Newton, Seattle PD. I'm looking for Dr. Edward Cullen."
"I'm Dr. Edward Cullen."
"Dr. Cullen, I understand there are some concerns about your wife, um…" he glances at the notebook in his hand, "Isabella. I'm here to see how we can be of assistance."
"Thank goodness. We didn't think anyone would pursue the situation since it's so new and Bella's an adult."
"Well, here I am, sent directly to your door by none other than Seattle Police Chief Banner." Edward thinks he hears a note of annoyance in his tone, but lets it slide so they can get to the pressing business of finding Bella.
"I see. Well, we're very glad that you came. Come in, come in." Edward motions him in and leads him to the kitchen.
"Mom, Dad, this is Officer Newton from the Seattle Police Department. Officer Newton, these are my parents, Dr. Carlisle Cullen and Esme Cullen."
"Officer, we are so grateful that you are here," Esme says, shaking his hand. "May I offer you a cup of coffee? Or I'm just brewing some herbal tea?"
"No, but thank you, ma'am," Newton replies.
Carlisle reaches out to shake his hand. "Thank you for coming, officer." Newton shakes his hand, barely making eye contact, then pulls out a pen and begins to scribble in his notebook.
"Two 'Dr. Cullens,' this could get confusing," he mumbles as he writes.
Edward rolls his eyes in impatience. "You can call me Edward if that makes things easier."
Newton looks at him in relief. "Actually, that would be easier. Thanks, Ed."
"Ed-ward. Not Ed" Edward says firmly, giving Newton a harsh look.
"Oh, sorry, Edward," Newton says quickly. "So, tell me what the problem is?"
"My wife, Bella, left this morning around eight to go to a coffee shop but she hasn't returned," Edward explains. "She didn't drive this morning, and her cell phone goes directly to voicemail. Bella wouldn't simply be gone for this long without getting in contact with someone. I've heard nothing from her. I've contacted all her friends that I can think of and no one has heard anything. We're very worried that something bad has happened."
"I see," says Newton as he writes in his notebook. When he's done, he looks up at Edward. "When did you first become concerned that she hadn't returned?"
"I worked a double shift yesterday, so I was sleeping in this morning. She woke me about eight to say she was going out and that she would wake me up when she got home. I woke up on my own around noon and realized she hadn't returned."
"Okay," Newton says, still taking notes. "So, since she didn't take her car this morning, you believe she walked, is that right?"
"Well, she didn't sprout wings and fly!" Edward responds, clearly annoyed. Newton looks up at him and narrows his eyes.
"Edward, dear, sarcasm won't help the situation," Esme admonishes him gently.
"That's okay, Mrs. Cullen" Newton replies. "I understand it's a trying situation."
"Since she apparently walked this morning, does your wife have any health issues that may have presented a problem?"
"No, she's extremely healthy and fit," Edward replies.
"Do you know exactly where she was planning to go this morning?"
Carlisle steps forward and answers. "She didn't tell Edward which coffee shop she planned to visit. We've called the closest one, where they are regular customers. They didn't see Bella this morning. I also went to two other shops that Edward said were possible destinations, but the staff didn't remember seeing her. I even showed them pictures, but they didn't recognize her."
"Okay. And when did you and Mrs. Cullen get involved?" Newton asks.
"Edward called us to ask if we'd heard from Bella," Esme answers. "When he explained what was going on, we came right over to help in any way we could. I'd guess that we arrived around 12:45 or so."
Newton finishes his scribbling and snaps his notebook closed with a sharp flick of his wrist.
"So, let me recap. Your wife said she was going for coffee this morning, nearly seven hours ago. She hasn't returned or contacted you. You also can't reach her. Staff at her most likely destinations haven't seen her. She's healthy, and you have no reason to believe that she's fallen ill. Is that correct?"
"That would be the gist of it, Officer," Carlisle replies.
"Ed, sorry, Ed-ward," Newton says, "Has everything been all right between you and your wife of late?"
"What?" Edward asks in a menacing tone, giving Newton a hard glare.
"As a trained law enforcement officer, I have to tell you, that in cases such as this, often it's really a domestic matter at heart. Either things aren't going well in the home, and the person we're seeking has left of their own accord in order to change their situation . . . "
"You're suggesting Bella just left? What the hell is wrong with people today?" Edward interrupts harshly, taking a step toward the police officer. Carlisle moves next to Edward, putting his hand on his arm, preventing him from moving further.
"Or," Newton continues, staring at Edward, "Or, things really are not going well in the home, and the presumed 'missing' person has actually had some nefarious encounter, most likely at the hands of their partner."
"You arrogant, presumptuous prick!" Edward exclaims. "I love my wife. Our relationship is just fine. She didn't choose to leave and I sure as hell haven't done anything to her!"
"Officer Newton," Esme says, her tone aimed at appeasement. "I can assure you that Edward and Isabella have a healthy relationship. It's not one that she would want to abandon. And Edward most certainly wouldn't do anything to her. He adores her and goes out of his way to make sure she's happy."
"Well, the statistics simply are what they are. I don't make them up," Newton says matter-of-factly.
"Officer, you said that the Chief sent you here this afternoon. We can assure you that Bella has gone missing. Is there anything you can do at this point to help us find her?" Carlisle asks.
"Well, it's easy enough to put out an all-points bulletin. Then officers can keep an eye out for her at least. That's about all we can do at this point."
"That would be most appreciated. What do you need from us in order to do that?" Carlisle continues.
"A general description and a picture, if you can provide one," Newton replies.
"Yes, of course." Carlisle glances at Edward who is nearly shaking in anger as he continues to stare at Newton. "Let's you and I go out on the porch. I'll give you a description of Bella, and you can tell me where I should send her photo from my phone."
"Very well. Here's my card," Newton says, placing it on the island in the kitchen. "Call me if anything changes. I'll check in periodically as well."
"Thank you," Esme says. Edward says nothing, just staring at him until he turns and Carlisle ushers him out to the porch.
"What an asshole!" Edward exclaims when they are gone.
"Language, dear," Esme admonishes him. "You shouldn't get so upset, Edward. He was only stating statistics, not saying that it was necessarily true about Isabella."
"Bullshit! Bella's missing and I'll fucking curse if I want to, Mother. And he sure as hell was implying that Bella left. Or worse, that I've done something to harm her!"
"I agree, that is utterly absurd. But he's just doing his job."
"If he's an example of Seattle's finest at work, we're in trouble! God, I can't wait for Charlie to get here."
Carlisle returns after giving Newton a description of Bella and forwarding her picture to the police station. As they wait for Charlie's arrival, Edward tries to keep his rising panic under control. Sitting on the couch, he uses his cell phone to call Angela and some other people again, just to see if they have heard anything new, but they all say no.
He nearly jumps out of his skin when the house phone rings from its cradle on the wall of the kitchen, but then he simply stares at it for a moment.
"Would you like me to answer that, son?" Carlisle asks after the second ring.
Edward shakes his head and walks quickly toward the phone. "No, I will. We just rarely get calls on the house phone unless it's from the hospital. I'm sure that's who it is, and if they ask me to come in, I just might lose my last thread of control."
A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing!
A lot of people have helped me in this process as prereaders, betas and cheerleaders (often all three at once). You all have my sincere gratitude: Owlsarebirdstoo, Ana Rodfranco, SunflowerFran, Tiffany L Cullen. Oh, and Beegurl13 made me this awesome banner. You can see it on my Facebook page, Amy Gold (Amethyst Gold).
Standard Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I don't own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.
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