A/N: What's this? Yep, another update . . . because I can! And this one's a beast! Someone has a lot to say, shall we see who it is?

Early the next morning, Charlie and Edward are in the kitchen waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. It was a long night for both of them. Despite his worry, Charlie was able to call on his years of training to force his mind to quiet and his body to relax so he could get much-needed sleep. Edward, who was used to forcing his body to stay awake and alert beyond normal limits at the hospital, didn't succumb until total exhaustion overcame him in the early hours of the morning.

Emmett had texted them both saying he would be at the house by eight to fill them in on his plan for the day. When the doorbell rings at exactly eight, Edward answers and leads Emmett into the kitchen.

"Morning, Emmett," Charlie says with a nod. "Coffee?"

"Sure, thank you, Charlie." While Charlie pours, Edward invites Emmett to have a seat at the kitchen island before sitting back down himself and taking a bleary-eyed drink from his own cup.

"Didn't get much sleep, did you, Edward?" Emmett asks.

"I finally dozed off around four or so. How can I sleep when I don't know where Bella is? If she's safe? Warm? Able to sleep herself?" He rakes his hand through his hair in frustration.

"I hear you, man," Emmett replies with a nod. "Let's talk about the day."

Charlie sets a steaming cup of coffee in front of him and joins them at the island. "First things first though Emmett. Did you get that APB issued?" he asks.

"Absolutely. I did that as soon as I got to the station last night. It was out across the wire by nine pm, so all units have been keeping an eye out for her starting last night. I also left word with the chief about how Newton messed that up. It's irrelevant to how we'll run this case from here on out, but I wanted him to know."

"Thank you, Emmett," Charlie says, nodding.

"Also, the chief has given me an extra pair of hands for this case since I'm currently without a partner. Banner assigned Peter Martin. He's already working on the paperwork needed to ping Bella's phone. With some luck, we should be able to try to locate her phone by midday. He'll be by here later to meet you both."

"That's good news," Charlie says.

"So, what, it's just the two of you trying to find her? Talk about a needle in a haystack," Edward says crossly.

"No, it's not like that, son," Charlie replies.

"Charlie's right," Emmet says. "Peter and I are driving the bus on the search, but we've got access to all the manpower we need through the department. Every officer has their eyes peeled for her with the APB. And, as we have leads, we'll get all the help we need to follow them. I promise you, Edward."

"Yeah, sorry to snap at you man. I'm just at the end of my rope," Edward says.

"No worries, Edward. Let me tell you what I'll be doing today. I know you said that your father visited the local coffee shops yesterday, but I'll go back today. He's not a trained detective, there might be clues that he missed. Hopefully, by the time I'm done checking those out, Peter will have something for us on Bella's phone."

"Okay, that's a good plan. Can I do anything to help from here?" Edward asks. "I mean, I'd like to be out there with you, but I can't bring myself to leave, you know, just in case, by some miracle, she calls or something."

"I know what you mean, Edward. There's no need for you to come along. The best thing you can do is stay here; maybe touch base with her friends again if you feel up to it. You'll be staying here with him, right Charlie?"

"Yep. It's no good for either Edward or me to be alone right now."

"Right," Emmett says, standing up. "I'll be back after I check out the shops. I'll let you know if I hear anything from Peter before then. You both keep in touch as well."

"Will do," Charlie replies and he walks Emmett to the door. When he returns to the kitchen, he is met by the sight of Edward seated hunched over, his forehead resting on the cool granite counter.

Pursing his lips in thought, he watches Edward for a moment.

"What if we don't find her?" Edward asks, his voice muffled.

"We'll find her, son. I have absolutely no doubt of that," Charlie says firmly. He crosses the room to Edward and squeezes his shoulder. "Why don't you go take a hot shower? You'll be able to think better, and that can only help the situation."

Edward huffs out a laugh. "Do I smell that bad, Charlie?"

"I was practicing my diplomacy skills, kid, but if you're going to call me out, then, yes. You stink. Go get cleaned up."

Edward sits up and looks at Charlie with a determined expression. "Okay. A shower will help clear out the cobwebs. I won't be long," he says as he stands and leaves the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later Edward returns to the kitchen, unshaven but wearing clean clothes, his hair still damp from his shower. "Anything?" he asks.

"Your mother called," Charlie answers. "I told her there was no new news, but that Detective McCarty was diligently working the case. She said your father had to go to the hospital this morning but to call if you need anything."

"Right. Well, I guess I'll call Bella's friends again."

Charlie and Edward spend the next couple of hours doing all they can think of to find Bella and keep each other's spirits up. Edward calls Bella's friends again. Except for the fact that he can't reach Angela this morning, all the same people he spoke to yesterday answer his calls and share that they have not heard from her. Their level of concern rises but, really, what can they do?

Charlie calls the Forks Police Station to let them know he's going to be out of town for at least a few more days. He also reaches out to his closest friends, filling Billy Black and Harry Clearwater in on what's going on.

They are making some sandwiches around noon when the doorbell rings.

"That must be Emmett," Edward remarks, wiping his hands on a towel as he starts for the hallway.

"Thought he was going to text when he was on his way back," Charlie says.

"Maybe he forgot," Edward says over his shoulder as reaches for the handle and swings the door wide.

For a moment, he's completely speechless, looking into the crystalline blue eyes of the last person he expected to see on his doorstep this sunny Monday.

"Rose?" he says incredulously.

"Edward, I've been so worried my entire flight!" She steps forward and gives him a quick but tight hug. "Has there been any word from Bella?" she asks, stepping back to look up into his eyes. "Christ, you look like hell, not that I blame you."

"Rosalie?" Charlie says coming around Edward. "Well, hell's bells you're a sight for sore eyes. Come here, kid," he says, opening his arms wide and enveloping Rose a huge hug.

They step apart after a moment and Rose swipes at her eyes that are shimmering with tears. "Geez! You know I'm not a crier, Chief, and you've got me blubbering first thing!"

"Yeah, well, nothin' wrong with a few tears," Charlie says pragmatically.

"I can't believe you're here, Rose," Edward says, ushering her into the hallway and closing the door. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"It was sort of a spur of the moment thing," Rose answers. "After we spoke I decided I really wanted to be here. I just knew that something wasn't right and, well, Bella's like my sister. I had to come home."

"I'm really glad that you did," Edward says, pulling Rose in for another hug.

"Are you hungry? We were just making some lunch." Charlie offers.

Breaking their hug, Edward keeps his arm around Rose's shoulders as he walks her toward the kitchen. "I know you've been in Europe; where did you fly out of?" he asks.

"I departed from Milan and have been travelling about fourteen hours."

"You must be exhausted," Edward observes, pulling out a stool at the counter for her. Rose sits gracefully and crosses her legs. Even in casual dress after a day of travel, she is beautiful, and her mere presence makes the mood seem lighter.

"Well, I'm a pretty disciplined traveler. I forced myself to sleep and got some good rest. The food was horrid, however. I'd love one of your famous Dagwood sandwiches, Chief," she replies.

Charlie grins as he grabs a plate and starts making it. "Those model friends of yours know how you eat in real life?"

"Pshh," she huffs in reply. "They're all nut jobs. It's not like a body can actually survive on air and Evian. I eat real food, drink like a fish on occasion, and still curse like a sailor when the mood strikes. They can think what they like."

"Good to know some things never change," Charlie says, a light-heartedness in his tone for the first time in days.

"Can I get you something to drink, Rose? Evian perhaps?" Edward asks with an eyebrow raised.

"Very funny," she replies with an eye roll. "Tap water is fine. The colder, the better."

"Coming up." Edward fills a glass from the water pitcher that Bella keeps in the fridge, then adds several ice cubes before setting it on the counter in front of Rose. Charlie slides the plate with her sandwich over to her at the same time. The sandwich is several layers high with deli meat, cheese and vegetables hanging over the edges of the bread.

"This looks just as good as I remember. Thanks, Charlie," she says. "Now, fill me in on everything that's happened since I talked to you." Rose takes a giant bite out of the sandwich and looks at them expectantly. The momentary lightness that Rose's arrival brought is sucked out of the room in a heartbeat. Edward motions to Charlie to begin.

"Well, I have a friend in the Seattle PD, and he's put a detective on the case, Emmett McCarty. He should be by the house in a little while. We don't know what coffee shop Bell's was heading to yesterday morning. We know she didn't take her car and yesterday Edward's father visited all the shops within walking distance to see if anyone had seen her. He didn't turn up anything, but Emmett is doing the same thing today just in case the doc missed something."

"I've called all of Bella's friends and colleagues that I can think of, but no one has seen her," Edward adds.

"What about Angela?" Rose asks. "She's her closest friend here in Seattle, right?"

"When I talked to her yesterday she hadn't seen or heard from Bella. I wasn't able to reach her when I called again today," Edward replies. "Rose, what did Bella talk to you about when she called? You said that she wanted to discuss something with me. What was it?"

"Well, yes, she did want to talk to you. But it didn't have anything to do with wanting to leave you, Edward. I told you on the phone that I'm one hundred percent sure that she hasn't left this house and stayed away from you by choice."

"So what was it? What did she want to talk about?" Edward presses. Just then, the doorbell rings. "That's probably Emmett," he said, hurrying to the front hall.

Charlie has been watching the exchange between Edward and Rose. With his lips pursed and his head tilted slightly he regards her for just a moment before speaking. "Is there something we should know about your conversation with Bella, Rosalie?"

Rose glances at him. Instead of seeing the face of her best friend's dad, the man who was a surrogate father to her for years, Rose sees the guarded expression of a hardened law enforcement officer.

She looks down at the counter, lifting the napkin to wipe her mouth. When she's done, she raises her head, meeting Charlie's eyes directly and taking a deep breath before answering. "I really don't think so. She was struggling with some things, and I helped her get her head on straight. Gave her a verbal kick in the ass, actually. I want to talk with the detective and give him a detailed account of our conversation just in case there's anything that will be helpful to him. But I'm going to ask you to give me a little leeway here, Chief. Some of what we talked about, well, Edward should only hear from Bella. Unless it's a matter of her safety, he won't be hearing those things from me."

Charlie huffed. He rubbed his hand roughly across his face before crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking hard at Rose. "You know what you're asking me, right?"

"I'm asking you to trust me, Chief. If you or Edward need to know, I will tell you."

They can hear Edward leading Emmett down the hallway toward the kitchen. Charlie gives Rose a curt nod just as they entered the room.

"Good news, Charlie," Edward says, walking to the kitchen island. "Emmett said they were able to ping Bella's cell phone."

"Already? That is good news," Charlie replied.

"Yes. We got a hit from the cell tower closest to the coffee shop over on East Union Street," Emmett says.

"That's the one furthest from here," Edward explains excitedly. "Bella and I went there for the first time a few months ago. We don't go there a lot because the others are closer, but we both fell in love with their pastries. We would make the trek occasionally as a treat."

"Peter is already in the area with some uniformed officers. They're searching for the phone and will also question staff at the shop. I had just finished interrogating the staff at the second coffee shop on the list and wanted to come here to tell you personally. Pete will let me know as soon as they turn up anything."

"That sounds really promising," Rose remarks from her seat at the counter.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Rose, let me introduce you," Edward says. "This is the detective on the case, Emmett McCarty. Emmett, this is Bella's best friend, Rosalie Hale," Edward says.

Rose rises gracefully from her seat and steps forward with her hand extended. "I'm glad to meet you, detective," she says as she grasps Emmett's hand, giving it a firm shake.

He clears his throat before replying "My pleasure. I didn't realize a friend of Bella's would be here today."

"It was a surprise," Rose offers.

Emmett releases her hand and rubs the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, but you look really familiar. Is it possible we've met before?"

Charlie tries to stifle a chuckle, and Edward smirks. Rose rolls her eyes at them. "We haven't met before. I'm sure I would remember you if we had," she replies.

"Rosalie's a model," Charlie says. "She showed up on our doorstep just a while ago from Milan."

Emmett's eyebrows shoot up, and he looks at her questioningly. "I'm sure that was quite a surprise."

"Bella's like a sister to me," she says. "We spoke on the phone Saturday morning, and there's no way she just up and walked away from her life on Sunday. I had to be here to do whatever I can to help."

"I see," he replies. "Do you and Bella talk often?"

"Not as often as either of us would like, but we try to touch base with each other pretty regularly."

"So, were you surprised to hear from her on Saturday?" Emmett asked.

"In as much as I wasn't expecting her to call at that moment, yes it was a bit of surprise. However, I wasn't surprised to hear from her in general. I ended a job in Milan last month and decided to stay on for a mini break. Bella and I played phone tag a couple of times during my assignment there but didn't connect. The timing was such that I was not surprised she would be calling me again."

"What did you two discuss? Did Bella seem distressed at all? Upset?" Emmett presses.

Rosalie smiles at him. "Detective, I'm happy to give you all the details of our conversation. I'll share it with you word-for-word to the best of my memory, there's no need to interrogate me."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Hale –"

"Rosalie, please," she interjects.

"I'm sorry, Rosalie. But at this point, you're the last known person to have spoken with Bella other than Edward. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad to have the chance to talk with you. And please call me Emmett."

"Why don't you two go talk in Edward's office? Rose has already told us about her conversation with Bella. Edward, you can try again to reach Angela while I clean up these dishes," Charlie suggests. Rose shoots him a grateful look.

"Okay," Edward replies. "My study is right through that door in the hallway," he says, pointing the way.

Rosalie and Emmett agree; Emmett giving her an 'after you' gesture.

They enter the cozy room, Emmett closing the door quietly behind them. Rose sits in one of the comfortable wingchairs in front of Edward's desk so Emmett sits in the matching one a few feet away.

He opens his ever-present notebook before pinning Rose with his ice-blue gaze. "So why does Charlie want us to have this conversation in private?"

Rose huffs. "Clearly, you're good at your job," she replies.

"I've been doing this for a while."

"Right. Well, I told him I wanted to talk with you privately. There are things Bella and I discussed that Edward should only hear about from her. I'll tell you everything in case any of it is important to finding her. But, for now, I asked Charlie to trust me. I assured him that I would tell him and Edward specifics if it does relate to Bella's disappearance."

"I see. How about you just start from the beginning then? Bella called you on Saturday, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right. But before we get into that, I need to tell you that Bella loves Edward. To distraction, really. The kind of love they have for each other, well, I can only hope to have something like that one day."

"From what I've observed of Edward, he clearly is devoted to Bella."

"They're devoted to one another. But Bella made a mistake."

"A mistake? What kind of mistake?"

"Well, she was misled into believing something that wasn't true. It was a pretty elaborate ruse, actually, designed specifically to dupe her and to get her to take the bait."

"Oka-ay. You have to be less cryptic, Rosalie."

"Right, of course. I just don't want you to get the wrong impression of Bella. She made a bad decision and no matter what, it's going to create pretty big hurdles that she and Edward will have to work to get beyond, but it's not who she is, that's all."

"Okay. I get what you're saying. So, what did she talk to you about during your call?"

"She called pretty early; it was eight in the morning here in Seattle time."

"And you were in Milan. What time was it there?"

"Just about five in the afternoon."

"Was she upset?"

"Yes, she was when we started talking. By the end of the call, less so. We had talked through things, and she knew how she was going to deal with them. She had a plan."

"A plan?"

"I guess I should get down to the meat of the matter."

"Please."

"Bella slept with someone else. On Friday night."

Emmett quickly schools his expression, but Rose catches the brief look of surprise that crosses his face. He scribbles on his notepad before responding. "Doesn't really sound like someone who is madly in love with her husband."

"She was duped."

"Excuse me? How do you get duped into screwing someone else?"

"Have you met Esme? Edward's mother?"

"Yes. She and her husband were here when I first met Edward and Charlie. She was perfectly polite."

"I'm sure, she's rarely anything other than 'perfectly polite.' But Bella never had the type of relationship with Esme she had always hoped to have with her mother-in-law. It was fine. Esme was welcoming enough to Bella, but never terribly warm. I suppose you could characterize her behavior toward Bella as perfectly polite."

Emmett gives her a nod, acknowledging how she turned his assessment of Esme back on him. "Okay, so Esme is not the warm and cuddly type. I don't see how that leads to Bella fooling around on her husband."

"Of course. Something as ridiculous as that never would. However, Bella found out late Friday night, or early Saturday morning that Esme wasn't merely aloof toward her. Apparently, she hated Bella. Or at least the fact that she was married to Edward. Esme set up an elaborate ruse to convince Bella that Edward had cheated on her first. She even got Bella's best friend here in Seattle, Angela Weber, to help with the plan."

"So, Edward cheated on Bella, too? Wow, he really doesn't seem the type," Emmett mutters as he furiously writes notes.

"No!" Rose exclaims. "Edward's no more the type than Bella is."

Emmett looks at her dubiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Hear me out," Rose continues.

"I'm all ears."

"A couple of weeks ago, Bella saw a video of what she thought was Edward screwing another woman in his office at the hospital. As it turns out, it wasn't Edward, but it was very convincing. The guy looked enough like him and here's the real kicker; there was audio. The audio actually was Edward's real voice. I guess he's pretty vocal in the bedroom."

"But the video wasn't really him? How's that?"

"According to Bella, Esme enlisted Angela's help. The Cullens are old money, and they are friends with the Webers from way back. It seems that Angela had set her sights on Edward and Esme convinced her that it was possible for her to have him . . . if she helped with the plan. Angela visited Bella here at home quite regularly. During one of those visits, she planted a bug in Bella and Edward's bedroom. So Esme got authentic audio of Edward having sex with Bella. The guy in the video is the same guy that Bella slept with. Some asshole who goes by the initial J. He memorized what Edward said and just mouthed the words. They edited out Bella's voice completely."

"Wait, the guy in the video was the same one Bella spent the night with? How come she didn't realize that? And how did she get the video anyway?"

"It was quite the elaborate scam, Detective. I'm just getting started."

"Okay. Carry on then."

"The video footage was not high quality. The lighting was dim and the man never faced directly toward the camera. Add to that the fact that makeup was used to mimic Edward's rather distinctive jawline, and it was convincing. Combined with the audio is was downright damning.

"Your question about how Bella came to view the video is another good one. It also goes back to our dear friend, Angela. Bella said that Ang shared suspicions she had that Edward was fooling around with a staffer at the hospital. Then she set Edward up to look like he was lying to Bella. He called home to say he had to stay late due to an emergency surgery and mentioned that Angela would be assisting. Shortly after they hung up, Angela called Bella – I'm guessing just before she went to the operating room – and told Bella that she was home and didn't know anything about an emergency. From there, Bella admitted that she easily agreed to have Angela's boyfriend put a camera in Edward's office to see what they could find out. I presume that J and the other woman then snuck into the office when Edward was off duty and proceeded to make the video. Angela is the one who gave Bella the video. She then encouraged Bella that the best response was revenge sex."

"Revenge sex? You mean Bella never thought to just confront Edward about the video?"

"Believe me, I read her the riot act over that one, but no. Deep down there's a part of Bella that is still the shy, insecure girl she was when she met Edward in college. Bella's mom left when she was just a kid, and for a long time, she believed she was unlovable. There's a piece of her that still can't quite believe Edward picked her. Esme knew about Bella's mom and designed this whole thing to play on her insecurities. Angela didn't help when she discouraged talking to Edward and lobbied Bella to just give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Hence, the revenge sex."

"Bingo."

Emmett shakes his head as he continues to jot notes as quickly as he can. After a moment, he raises his head, blue eyes intense on Rose as he continues to question her. "So, this J fella. Who is he? How did Bella meet him?"

"I have no idea who he really is. Bella said she met him through Angela, but I wouldn't be surprised if Esme brought him into this. Esme told her that he was an actor from L. A."

"Why wouldn't she have met him through Angela?"

"Because she wasn't ever Bella's friend. When Esme found out that Angela was moving to Seattle, she helped her get a job in Edward's unit at the hospital. Then she brought her on board to help get Bella out of Edward's life. Angela pretended to be Bella's friend to advance Esme's plan with the enticement that she could also get close to Edward and be in the perfect position to step in after Esme got rid of Bella."

"'Got rid of'? You think Esme is behind Bella's disappearance?"

Rose cocks her head to one side, then the other, gazing at the ceiling as she ponders the question for a moment. When she turns back to Emmett, she offers a small shrug.

"I guess I don't know. Esme didn't directly threaten physical harm to Bella, but that's why I'm talking to you."

"But Esme did issue a different threat? When?"

"Well, let me tell you the rest of the sordid tale. Once Angela got Bella agreeing to the idea of revenge sex, she put her in contact with J. Supposedly he was a friend hers, and she vouched that he was a good guy, yadda, yadda. Anyway, after that, Angela suggested that the encounter be recorded. She told Bella that it was only fair for Edward to get a taste of his own medicine. The plan was to arrange for Edward to see the video somehow so that he would hurt like Bella did when she saw what she thought was Edward with another woman."

"So, there's a video of the entire night? Who has it?"

"I'm guessing Esme. After . . . well after . . . Bella showered, and J was supposed to be putting the video onto a thumb drive for her to take with her. But, when she came out of the bathroom, Esme was sitting there with J."

Emmett's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Yep," Rose responds. "At that point, Esme told Bella everything. How she was never going to be good enough for Edward and that Esme wanted her out of his life. That she had gotten Angela to befriend her and enlisted her help in the plan to have Bella end up in bed with another guy. Then Esme issued her ultimatum. She told Bella that she had to leave Edward, by the end of the weekend. Esme didn't care what Bella said to him, but she wanted her out of his life. Esme was going to provide Bella with a stipend to live on and provide a lawyer to represent Bella in the divorce, but Bella was never to contact Edward again."

"But—"

Rose held up her finger as she continued. "Esme said that if Bella didn't willingly leave Edward – breaking things off as gently as she could – Esme would make sure he saw the tape. That would be a huge blow to Edward on its own, but she also threatened that it would find its way onto the internet, social media, etc. Of course, that would destroy Bella, embarrass both Edward's family and her own, and further ruin any chance to repair things with Edward. It was a pretty nasty threat."

Emmett lets out a low whistle as he slumps back in his chair. "That's some crazy shit."

Rose nods.

"So, Bella thinks Edward cheated based on a fake video. Her 'friend' Angela not only encourages her to have revenge sex, but to have it with a particular friend of hers, then to record it all. As it turns out, this is exactly what Mommy Dearest was orchestrating in an attempt to get Bella out of Edward's life. Is that right?"

"Basically, yes."

"Bella didn't see through any of it?"

"Listen, I know, all right? I went up one side of her, and down the other, with all the ways she was colossally stupid in this. But at the same time, Esme's planned this for years. Years, detective. It was all aimed at playing on Bella's deepest insecurities, and it hit its mark."

"Right, right. Okay. Is there any chance that Bella did choose to leave? If she was really spooked by Esme's threat, she could have opted to walk out of Edward's life."

"I know that seems like a reasonable possibility, detective, but you have to trust me that it's not what happened. By the end of my conversation with Bella on Saturday afternoon, she had decided to come clean with Edward. She was going to tell him what she did, but also everything that his mother had done to make it happen. She was not just going to give up on Edward and their life together. She had decided to fight for it. From someone who's been Bella's best friend forever, I'm confident that nothing would have swayed her from that course of action."

"Well, I appreciate your confidence in that belief, but I hope you understand that I need to consider all possibilities here, and Bella choosing to simply leave is definitely one."

"I understand. But you won't stop looking for her, will you?"

"Of course not. Hey, did Bella say anything more about the bug that Angela was supposed to have planted? Is it still here?"

"Holy shit! She didn't. I bet that didn't even cross her mind with everything she's been dealing with."

"Okay, I'll have to get the house swept for bugs. If we find anything, it would lend credence to Bella's story. It might also give us further leads. I won't be able to do that without letting Edward and Charlie know what we are doing and why."

Rosalie takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opens them, she gives Emmett a resigned nod.

"Do you think, presuming I'm correct and Bella didn't just decide to leave, do you think Esme had anything to do with her disappearance?"

Emmett takes a deep breath before replying. "Well, if what you say is true, Esme is really disturbed. Disturbed people do some pretty disturbing shit. There's a sex tape somewhere, and that raises alarm bells for me because of other things we're seeing escalate around the Seattle area. I'd like to talk to Angela, see if we can find this J fella. And Esme of course. I'll need to speak with her as well. Again, Charlie and Edward will want to know why."

Rose closes her eyes, her face scrunching up, almost as if she's in pain. "I understand. I'm going to have to crush Edward's heart. How soon do I have to tell him?" she asks resignedly.

When there's no reply, she opens her eyes to look at Emmett. He's regarding her as he rubs his chin in thought. Though not cold, his gaze is calculating; the detective in him weighing all he knows and trying to make connections. Finally, he answers her.

"I don't think it needs to be today. I'm going to trust you, Rosalie, and your instinct that Bella wouldn't just leave. There's paperwork involved in getting the house swept for bugs and I'll need to bring my boss into the loop before we start bringing people in for questioning based on hearsay.

"This Esme thing is, well, it's pretty fucked up honestly. I need to do a little digging, see what I can find. There are also specific things I'll have my partner on this case look into. If I find anything to corroborate what you've told me, it's going to change the focus of this entire case. No, not today. But soon, Rosalie. Very soon."

"That's more than fair. I don't want to keep it from them either, not if it has anything to do with Bella's disappearance."

Just then, Emmett's phone rings. "McCarty," he says by way of greeting. "Yeah? Great. Okay, I'll be right there." He disconnects the call and meets Rose's curious gaze.

"That was my partner," he says, standing and walking toward the door. "They have a lead from the coffee shop."

"Oh, thank God!" Rose whispers, following him from the room.

"Edward! Charlie!" Emmett calls down the hallway.

"In here," Edward replies from the living room where he and Charlie had situated themselves. Emmett pauses in the entryway, turning sideways so Rose can slip past him. He turns to look at Edward who has risen from his chair. Emmett's excited eyes meet Edward's strained ones.

"We may have something at the coffee shop," he says.

"Did they find Bella's phone?" Charlie asks.

"No. But one of the baristas remembers Bella being there Sunday morning. Fortunately, they have security cameras, and Pete says that Bella was recorded entering and leaving. He's bringing the video to the station. I need you to follow me there so you can tell me if you recognize anyone else on the footage."

"Of course," Edward eagerly agrees. "Finally, I get to do something other than make phone calls."

"You know I'm coming along, right McCarty?" Charlie asks.

"I wouldn't expect anything less, Chief," Emmett replies.

"Shit. Rose, I hate to ask, but do you mind holding down the fort here?" Edward asks. "Just in case . . . "

"Of course, Edward," she answers.

"Make yourself at home, settle into the guest bedroom, ransack the fridge . . . or the bar. Whatever you need," Edward says as he slips on his shoes.

"Edward, don't worry about a thing. I've got it. Call me when you learn something," she assures him.

"Thank you," Edward says hurriedly as he follows Emmett toward the front door.

Charlie throws an arm around her shoulders and gives her a fatherly kiss on her temple. "Thanks, Rose. We'll be in touch soon," he says, before disappearing down the hallway.

The front door swings closed as Rose takes a deep breath and whispers a desperate prayer for the safe return of her best friend.

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.

If you are so inclined, check out the Pay It Forward Facebook group. Pay It Forward will be featuring fics in four different categories on their new blog. Number one will be a Rookie . . . a new, first-time writer showcasing their first fic on our blog. Number two will be an Encore . . . a new fic from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three will be a Classix . . . one from the vault, a time-tested oldie. And four, is an Overlooked fic that needs some love. If you are a Rookie and need help, contact Fran on the PIF page. And if you have an Encore, contact her to get your new fic showcased. Also, anyone interested in writing a summary on one of their favs, feel free to send it in for the Classix section.