Chapter Twelve
Alice
When Rose came back she wanted to talk to me and I knew there was going to be trouble but I was prepared when she hauled me out into the trees again and turned on me angrily,
"Alice what are you doing?"
"Doing? Nothing why?"
"I had a phone call from Jasper a little while ago"
"Jazz, really? What did he say?"
"He wants me to keep an eye on you. Alice he knows."
"Knows what exactly Rose?"
"He knows you are responsible in some way. This is getting out of hand, you told me your friends James and Victoria would get rid of Bella and that would be it. What went wrong?"
"Nothing, it went off as planned I just changed the plan slightly."
"Why? Once Bella's body was found in the ballet studio that should have been it. A mystery murder of a runaway as far as the humans were concerned and murder by James as far as the family knew, what have you done Alice?"
"I had my own agenda Rose, that's all. I played my part and you played yours. You suggested the baseball game and you did an admirable job of pretending to lead James away from Bella, it all went like clockwork with no one having the slightest suspicion it was anything more than it appeared. You got what you wanted and I got what I wanted so we're both happy, problems solved, end of story."
"But why did Jazz have to get involved? Surely you saw that Alice?"
"Of course I did, he and Bella will both be dead very soon so stop worrying."
"Bella's still alive? Why? Where? Why isn't she dead already and why do you want Jasper dead? You never said anything about him getting hurt."
"Don't sound so shocked Rose. Why is that any more terrible than you happy to see a human girl killed for just existing. I only agreed with you because it served my purpose, fitted in with my own plans and made my job so much easier."
"So tell me Alice what were your plans? I want to know."
"You don't need to know Rose and if you know what's good for you you'll keep your mouth shut, Emmett would be horrified if he knew what you'd help to achieve. He was very fond of Bella."
"Don't you dare tell him Alice, you do and I'll tell Carlisle exactly what you just told me."
"Do you really think he'll believe you Rose?"
I put on my best innocent expression and I could see her fuming but she knew I was right, she had to keep her mouth shut or suffer as much as me, well more actually. Poor Rose really thought I'd gone to all this trouble for her, I had no idea why she should think that, it was stupid. I had my own agenda, she was just a convenient excuse.
When she'd gone I sat thinking about her words, so Jazz had worked it out so far but I bet he had no idea who had Bella or what the plan was for her and him or why he suddenly felt things for Bella, things he hadn't when he first met her. If only he had taken more notice of my friends, listened to the things I told him when we first met but then how could he? This had been a long time in the planning and execution, I had been extremely patient and soon I would get my reward. It was time to make one more phone call but it would be fairly short and I doubted it would be dangerous, my dear Jazz wasn't really up to speed with modern technology. I text a time and location and waited for half an hour before dialling the number and waiting,
"Yes?"
"Its time, he's almost there."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I don't care as long as you dispose of him. Keep her, kill her, she's yours."
"Don't worry, you will never hear from either of them again. Maybe I'll change her and then kill him or kill her first and make him watch. Its been a pleasure working with you."
"Just be careful, you know how dangerous he is."
"Of course, how could I forget."
I took the sim card out of my phone and destroyed it, I wouldn't be ringing again and I didn't want any physical proof of a connection between us. Then going slowly into the lounge I dropped the bombshell,
"I think its time I left Carlisle."
" Leave? Where will you go Alice? What about Jasper? Surely you wont go until we know what's happened to him or to Bella?"
"Face up to it they're not coming back are they Carlisle? No, I think I'll travel for a while, maybe go to Europe."
"Europe? Would you like one of us to go with you? It might do Edward good to get away from here too."
God no I thought, he's the last person I want with me!
"No, I think a clean break would be best. I need space Carlisle, it's all just too much for me."
I saw Rose watching me over her book as Emmett put his controller down and came over,
"Alice? Please don't go. I'm sure Jazz will come back, stay with us."
I shook my head putting on my best brave but hurt look and drooping my head I went upstairs slowly to pack. I had a flight booked the next morning to Austria where I had a payment to make then I was off to Italy and my new life, in all I'd done rather well for myself and my boss.
Carlisle
I had seen the looks that passed between Rose and Alice and they gave me a bad feeling, there was something going on here that I was not aware of and I didn't think it would be something that would delight me. I had felt that Alice was drawing away from us over the past year but for her to leave without knowing what happened to Jazz and Bella, her mate and her best friend, gave me a nasty suspicion so when Alice went upstairs I asked Rose to take a walk with me. She would have liked to refuse but that would have made the others take notice so instead she took my proffered arm and we went out of the house, across the drive and into the trees leading down to the river. We walked in silence for sometime and I could feel the tension building up in her. Sometimes the best way to get answers was not to ask the questions but wait for guilt to speak in answer to the unspoken words. She stopped abruptly and looked at me,
"You know don't you Carlisle?"
"I know somehow you and Alice know more about the terrible things that have happened to this family recently than the rest of us. What I don't know is what and why?"
"I thought I knew Carlisle but I didn't. I am guilty of wanting Bella out of our lives and I'll admit I was prepared to go to any lengths for that."
"Including kidnap?"
"Yes. I'm not proud of that but yes. She frightened me, I don't want to become a freak, some kind of side show exhibit, the vampire girl. I want to live quietly with Emmett but he was so fascinated by her I felt I was losing him too."
"So you did what? Asked Alice to help you get rid of Bella or did she offer to help you? Was Jasper a part of this Rose?"
"I asked Alice what she saw in the future. I wanted to know we were going to be safe but she told me if we didn't act then Bella would expose us. She said she had a way of getting rid of Bella and I went along with her but it turns out it wasn't like that at all. Alice had her own agenda and I'm scared Emmett will find out what I did and leave me. I don't know what happened with Jasper. I'm scared he's going to get killed along with Bella but I don't know what to do to put it right Carlisle."
"So both Bella and he are still alive at the moment?"
"I think so, but I have no idea where they are."
