Chapter Eleven

Jasper

I stayed out of sight all day but close enough that I could watch Bella, she was my only lead, my only chance to find out what had happened in Volterra. I knew something wasn't right but I couldn't find anything to back that yet except a feeling I should have known if Alice was dead and Bella's story which wasn't borne out by the facts that Darius had dredged up. Was she lying? Or had someone altered things? Neither made any sense but something had happened, both Alice and Edward were gone and Bella had seen them die, or at least she thought she had. The only comfort I had was that she hadn't actually seen their bodies in the flames so there was still hope, however forlorn it might be.

At lunchtime Bella found a quiet spot and sat reading some papers from her bag, was it school work or could they be the notes I'd asked her to make if she had the nightmares again? I knew she had because I had hung around outside to ensure she was safe and heard her low moans and restless sleep. Had Bella noticed anything at all? I could only hope and wait. I heard from Carlisle who wanted to know what I was doing, he thought I was crazy to insist on checking things out for myself after both Bella and Aro had told much the same story.

"Why would either of them lie Jasper? There's no reason, especially Bella. I think you must accept that Alice and Edward are both dead and try to move on. I understand how hard that will be for you son but I'll help all I can, just talk to me"

I had, I'd talked and talked until I was sick of talking but got no where. He couldn't tell me why I hadn't felt her death and as much as he tried to persuade me it was over I wouldn't believe that without checking the facts for myself.

That evening I hunted then went to my post close to the Swan house where I could watch Bella's room and settled down for the night but when the light came on in her room I saw she had opened the window like the night before, or had it remained open all day? I couldn't remember it open earlier so I took the chance it was news and as soon as Charlie went to bed I ran silently across the road and jumped onto the sill to find her waiting for me. She looked relieved when she saw me,

"I was worried you might not come Jasper"

"I'm here, I said I'd be close by. Did you remember something?"

"I did as you suggested and wrote down all I remembered which wasn't much but the man who helped me escape Volterra was human"

"Human? Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I hadn't thought about it before but when he put his hand across my mouth it was warm, he was certainly human or at least not a vampire. I don't know if it helps at all."

"Well it was a human who knew about the vampires and knew his way around Volterra which probably means he was a local. Or at least he'd lived in Volterra at one time. Thank you Bella"

"Have you heard from your friend yet?"

I shook my head just as my cell phone vibrated,

"Just a second Bella I'd better get this just in case"

"Major, I have no idea what you are mixed up in but something very strange is going on. I traced the yellow Porsche, it belongs to a business man who flew to England a couple of hours before Alice's plane landed so it was at the airport, which backs Bella's story so far. The Fiat she said she drove to the airport in wasn't in the hotel parking lot when I checked for the time Bella said she was there however it was in the parking lot about an hour before and I traced its owner, a free-lance detective working in Pisa."

"So how did Bella know about the car? It wasn't there when she was which means she couldn't have seen it."

"Ah well I caught a break there. The Porsche has a tracker device fitted and it certainly made the round trip to Volterra but unless it has special powers it wasn't in Pisa when Bella was there the second time, According to the tracker details it was driven back to Pisa later, about an hour later, coincidence don't you think?"

"So what are you saying? That Bella was in the Porsche on the way to Volterra but not back?"

"Not unless the booking in time at the hotel is wrong and I kinda doubt that. It's all computerized and I found no evidence it had been tampered with but the parking lot camera now that was interesting"

"You mean it had been tampered with?"

"Lets just say the time stamp looked a little suspicious to me but I can't prove it was tampered with, it's just a feeling."

"Bella thinks the man who helped her was a human, his hand was warm but if he was then he knew his way around Volterra and he knew there were vampires involved."

"A human who knows about us living in Volterra? Does he have a death wish? Well it gives me something to look for. There were cameras around for the festival of St Marcus, it's just a case of getting access to them. Anything else?"

"No, not yet but thanks Darius."

"No problem Major, I just wish I could tell you more."

I told Bella what Darius had found out about the car,

"So I was right about the Fiat then?"

"Yes but someone had tried to cover their tracks which makes me wonder why? If someone knew you would be in Volterra and in danger why didn't they stop you, Alice too and if they didn't but saw you then why hide the fact?"

"So I'm not going mad then?"

"I never thought you were Bella. I guess I should be straight with you. When Carlisle and Esme told me that Alice was dead I went to pieces but then when I pulled myself together I started to question things. Why did Alice involve you? Who knew she was going and you were with her? Why didn't she ask me to go along? And most important of all, why didn't I know something terrible had happened? Even Carlisle can't explain that. As her mate I should have felt it when she died, it should have made some impression on me but even now, even after all this time without her, I still don't get the feeling that I'm alone, that my mate is dead and burned. I think Alice is still alive. I don't know where she is or what happened but I don't think she died in Volterra that day."

"But if not then what happened to her? Why didn't she come back with me? Why hasn't she contacted you so you don't worry about her? Why let you think she's dead?"

"Does she know I think she's dead? Does she know what you saw?"

"Oh, I see. What about Edward? Do you think he's dead?"

"I have no idea but I have the feeling that someone is pulling strings in the background, that things aren't necessarily as they appear."

"But who?"

"I have no idea, Aro, Caius, Edward, Alice herself, or maybe someone we don't know but we are being manipulated, you too and I don't like it."

"I don't think Alice would deliberately let you suffer Jasper, I don't think she's involved, she loves you."

"I just hope you are right but the longer it goes without a word from her the more suspicious I become."