Chapter Eleven
Charlie
Bella and I were both depressed when she left and I understood she would have preferred to stay, Renee had been a good mother when Bella was young but as she'd got older it was as if she was getting younger and it wasn't fair to expect Bella to be the adult but hopefully that would soon be solved by Bella moving to Forks and the more I thought about what had happened and what I knew the more eager I became for her to be under my care. I stopped off on my way back from the airport to ring my ex, a call I was suddenly eager to make.
"Charlie what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm just letting you know Bella's plane has taken off and I wanted to talk to you about your suggestion."
"What suggestion?"
"About Bella moving up here with me."
"Oh"
I closed my eyes and prayed she hadn't suddenly changed her mind. I wasn't sure I could cope knowing vampires roamed the earth and my daughter had no one to protect her.
"I spoke to her about it just like you suggested."
"And what did she say?"
I had to be careful here, Renee was very sensitive and any clue that Bella was happy to leave her mother would ruin everything.
"She was happy you've found some one who makes you happy and she understands you want to spend some time alone with him, an extended honeymoon she called it"
I just hoped I would be forgiven my lies.
"I see, well that was very mature of her. What about you? Is there anyone in your life I should know about?"
Meaning was there a woman willing to take her place in Bella's affections.
"Nope, just me"
"Well I'll speak to Bella when she gets in, Phil offered to pick her up and I thought it would be nice for he and her to get a little closer. He likes Bella and she likes him."
It was a challenge but I let the gauntlet lie where it had been tossed.
"Yes, so she told me."
That stopped her in her tracks and I couldn't help a smile of triumph.
"So when is the big day?"
"November 20th so it will fit in nicely with Bella coming to you for Thanksgiving. It just means she'll be staying, not coming back to Florida."
"That soon? Why didn't you tell me before? I have things to do and I'm sure Bella wasn't expecting it to be so soon."
"Well I'm so sorry I didn't check with my ex husband first. As for Bella she'll understand. Anyway I'll tell her as soon as she gets home and she'd better start packing I guess. I take it you'll pay for her excess baggage? Or are you coming down to collect it?"
I could cheerfully have swung for the bitch,
"I'll pay don't worry. Tell Bella to bring everything with her."
"Good, I knew you would understand Charlie. Well I have to go now, wedding gown fitting. Bye"
Renee was unbelievable but it did solve my worries of Bella being unprotected although I still didn't know what I could do about killing vampires. Had Hollywood got it right with a stake through the heart or was that just crap? I needed to find out but I had no idea how.
For a week everything was very quiet and I began to think the vampires, if it were them, had changed course making it someone else's problem. That was a terrible thing to be glad of but I really had no idea what to do. I guess I should have known it was too good to be true, Forks peaceful and Bella due in on the 22nd to live here. The day it all changed I went into work with a headache and a bad mood which wasn't helped by the sight of Stuart Nelson's wife sitting in the interview room, a black eye blooming nicely. With a sigh I sat down beside her handing her my mug of coffee,
"Stuart hit you again?"
"He didn't mean it Chief Swan."
"He never does Ann but one day he's going to hit you just too hard and then you'll wake up in hospital. Are you ready to swear out a complaint against him this time?"
She shook her head her hands shaking so much she was spilling the coffee so I took it from her and put it on the table.
"I can't, I love him"
"Ann I know you do but this has to stop. I'll speak to him, keep him here overnight but without your cooperation I can't..."
"I know Chief. Thank you"
Her son came in then to collect her looking embarrassed too,
"Andy you need to get your mother out of there before your father really hurts her"
"I keep trying Chief Swan"
I nodded and watched sadly as they went out the door, his arm around her thin shoulders protectively but it wouldn't be enough, it never was and that only made my mood even darker.
Half an hour later Debs put her head round my door,
"Fresh coffee Chief?"
"You are a life saver, yes please."
"You have visitors."
"Oh who?"
"Billy Black and Harry Clearwater."
I was taken aback, they'd never called on me here before.
"OK send them back and bring coffee for all of us Debs please"
She nodded and disappeared only to be back a minute later with my two visitors and by the time they'd seated themselves she was there with the coffee and a smile.
Once she left closing the door quietly behind her I turned to my visitors,
"Well this is a surprise, what can I do for you? I take it this is official business?"
"In a manner of speaking. We are in a difficult position Chief so please bear with us"
"OK Harry take your time. Is it Jake or one of the other boys?"
"No, it concerns well...some of our young men were out tracking Charlie and they came across some that concerned them."
"Tracks? What kind of tracks?"
"You know the hikers who called in at the Newton stores a week ago?"
"Yeah I spoke to them myself why?"
"Our young men came across their trail at the summit and found they had been shadowed by someone"
"Sorry? Someone else was following the same trail? Well that's not really a police matter Harry."
"It is if the second party is hunting the first."
My head was thumping again and none of this made sense, then I got the sick feeling in my stomach, was this connected with the vampires? Had they reached my side of the mountain so soon? I played it cagey,
"You're gonna have to join the dots for me Harry because I don't see it."
"Over the years there have been several hiking and hunting parties attacked and killed. We think this might be the same kind of thing."
So they thought it was vampires, I decided to see how far they would go with me,
"Those were animal attacks every time, not humans. Anyway what human could rip bodies apart like that? Now if you told me you'd seen wolf tracks or even bear maybe I'd be concerned but a man? Following four others? What's he gonna do? If he tried anything he'd be overwhelmed, even with a gun he'd be hard pressed to take four on."
Billy looked at Harry imploringly but Harry shook his head as if answering an unasked question.
"Charlie we're in a difficult position here, your father made it …..."
"My father? What the hell does he have to do with anything? I think you'd better start again Harry and this time lets stop messing around shall we?"
"We can't talk here. When do you finish Chief?"
"Around six why?"
"We'll meet you at your place and perhaps we'll be able to tell you more then."
Billy looked at his friend and received a curt nod,
"In the meantime there was something else"
"OK what?"
"Your daughter Bella, I understand she's gone back to Florida"
"Yeah but she'll be here for Thanksgiving and you're welcome to visit then if you like."
"This is awkward Chief but Sam said he saw her in the forest with a guy..."
"Look if he's trying to get Bella in trouble I'll save you some breath. I know where she was and I know who she was with so you tell Sam not to worry about it"
"I doubt very much that's true Chief. Bella would do well to stay away from the Cullens and their guests,"
"The Cullens again? I suppose they're tied up with the mysterious tracker too? Its about time you gave it a rest Billy. I checked them out when they moved here and there's nothing, not a single black mark or question against any of them. I think it's time you gave up on this. Now if that's all I have some work to do"
They left but they weren't happy with my reply and I sighed, I liked Billy and Harry but they were paranoid about the Cullens. My concern was the tracker the Quileutes had caught a whiff of. I wasn't sure I wanted to go home at the end of my shift but at least I wouldn't be alone...that's when I missed Bella the most after one of her visits.