Chapter Twelve
Charlie
It was raining as I drove to work but then that was nothing unusual here in Forks, some people hated it, said it depressed them but I didn't mind it. Fishing was good when it rained and at least the side walks and roads were cleaned by it. As I drove in I looked around, Forks wasn't such a bad place to live, there was little crime, aside from the murder of the hikers and we never did find the culprits, they just vanished. I expected to hear of more murders in adjoining states but there was nothing. Tyler's parents had been devastated and moved to Port Angeles a few months after they buried him but she was often at the grave and he phoned in for news every week regular as clockwork. I just wished I could give him some news but every week was the same, nothing to report.
In my office was a stack of paperwork I'd been putting off for far too long so with a sigh I started on the first as Debs brought me in a mug of coffee and a slice of home made pie.
"Chief you should look after yourself better. Are you eating?"
"Yeah"
I waved the slice of pie under her nose and she snorted loudly and went back to the desk mumbling as she went. I was lucky, they all looked out for me. Most of the staff had been here for years and knew the story of my wife and daughter. I'd even found Eddy scouring the internet looking for possible leads on Bella which was good of him but I'd already done it and there was nothing, no signs, no clues, just a vast black hole in my life. When I rang the hospital they told me Renee had received two visitors from one of the reservations. I had no idea who they were but it was good she hadn't been forgotten altogether. I dimly remembered Renee telling me she had friends in California who worked on a reservation or something so maybe they were the ones who'd visited. Anyway this wouldn't get the paperwork done so I pushed the thoughts away and studied the report in front of me.
Bella.
In Port Angeles I had a longer wait for a bus to Forks so I used a little of my money to rent a motel room over night and ate in the attached diner. Looking round I wondered if anyone here lived in Forks and knew my dad. The meal was good although nerves spoiled my appetite and even though I had a shower to relax me I still had trouble sleeping. Tomorrow hopefully I would meet my father but what would he make of me? Would he be pleased to see me or suspicious I was just a girl who'd heard the story and decided to chance my luck. After all I had no proof I was who I said. My birth certificate had disappeared and all my other paperwork was in the name Magda had given me, except for the letter Renee had written and Magda gave me just before I left, all I could do was hope he recognised her writing after all these years.
This made me even more nervous and I was up, showered, and dressed, by five the following morning and then I had to wait for the bus. There weren't many passengers so I gazed around me, did these people live in Forks or work there? Did they know Chief Swan? Had any of them heard the story of his runaway wife and missing baby daughter. There was no way of knowing of course but it occupied my mind for a while. The younger passengers probably didn't know the story but the two grey haired ladies sitting together might. When the bus pulled up in town I got down and stood looking round me nervously. I asked the guy in the ticket booth directions for the police headquarters and he pointed me in the right direction. It was raining again so I was relieved I didn't have far to walk but as I approached the forbidding looking building my steps got slower and slower until I had almost stopped. Only a pedestrian swerving round me brought me to my senses and I ran up the steps into the reception area where it was warm and dry. Behind the desk sat a woman who looked up and smiled at me as the door swung shut.
"Can I help you?"
I swallowed hard then forced myself to speak,
"Yes, I'd like to speak to Chief Swan if that's possible."
She smiled again
"Can I ask the reason?"
"Its personal."
"I see and you are?"
I thought it best to give my alias at least to start with,
"Maria Black"
"Well if you'll just take a seat Miss Black I'll see if he's available."
"Thank you"
I sat on the edge of one of the plastic seats and looked around but there was little to see and I noticed my hands were shaking. I wanted to see my father so why was I so scared?
When the receptionist came back she smiled,
"If you don't mind waiting a few minutes Chief Swan will see you."
"Thank you"
I sat back down gazing out of the window at the people walking by, they all looked perfectly normal to me, not a monster among them and then I heard a man's voice and turned round to get the first glimpse of my father,
"Miss Black please come this way"
He was tall and dark haired with a moustache but the thing that struck me most were his eyes. It was like looking into my own and I followed him as he turned away down a short corridor and in through a door marked Chief Swan.
Charlie
I wondered what business this young woman could have with the Chief of Police but Debs had told me she asked for me by name and I had nothing else to do but paperwork and that could wait. I'd halved the pile already and my brain was turning to mush!
"So, you wanted to speak to me"
I sat back watching her and got the strangest feeling I should know this girl although as far as I was aware I'd never seen her before.
"Yes but I'm not quite sure how to start."
"The beginning is a good place."
"I visited your ex wife a few days ago"
I sat up a little at that
"Oh? Can I ask why?"
"I wanted to meet her, I was looking for the answer to a very important question."
"A question? And I'm guessing she couldn't tell you so you decided to try me?"
"Not exactly, you see I'd never met my parents."
"I'm sorry? You were adopted?"
"Well fostered I guess but unofficially and I wanted to know about my real parents."
"So why ask Renee? Did she know them?"
A thought was coalescing in my brain but wasn't quite ready to reveal itself yet.
"Yes she did. You see Renee is my mother."
It hit me like a tornado, could this young girl be my Bella?
"And who was your father? Did she tell you?"
Of course this could be a child Renee had after we broke up,
"No not exactly, she refused but she did give me a clue. That's why I'm here. My real name is Isabella Swan, I was bought up by Renee's friend on a reservation in California"
I leaned forward, my heart in my mouth,
"Isabella? Bella?"
"Yes, I really wanted to meet you even though Renee told me coming back to Forks was dangerous for me"
"Did she tell you why it was dangerous?"
She nodded looking embarrassed,
"She told me it was an evil place where monsters live. Monsters who had marked me out for themselves."
It was her, who else would know what reason Renee had given for leaving?
