NOTE: I do not own or have rights to Twilight or its characters. The material is the sole intellectual property of its creator!
Chapter 21
Jane:
It was difficult to watch the way Rose manhandled Eddie at pool. Difficult yet masterful; whoever taught her to play had created a first class shark. They were on their second game when the flashing blue lights shown through the grimy front window. Shit, I thought as not one, but two police officers walked calmly in the front door.
"Afternoon Embry," the taller more massive officer greeted the man behind the counter cheerfully.
"Good afternoon Officer Black," Embry replied in a more frigid tone.
"Come on Embry," the officer frowned as he spoke, "Your place has been on my beat since I was a rookie, and you opened. It's Billy, remember."
"It's Billy when you come in after hours for a brew," Embry answered the officer plainly, "It's Officer Black when you're here on business … and you are here on business, aren't you?"
"We got an anonymous tip that a group teens was hanging out in your place," the Officer's eyes shifted to Edward, Rose, and the rest of the crew. "I'm disappointed Embry, you know better."
"You're anonymous tip didn't happen to come from Quil did it?" Edward asked from the back of the room. If they had been quicker, they could have escaped out the back before the cops came in the front.
"Cullen!" Officer Black exclaimed as a broad grin spread across his face. "Judge Lancaster is going to be thrilled to see you again. You know she's gonna throw the book at you this time."
"Did Quil happen to mention that he and his buddies made indecent advances on the young lady there," Embry asked nodding towards Rose. "You know what he did to that other girl."
The officer sighed heavily, his effort to keep the identity of the informant a secret was failing miserably. "It's called an anonymous tip for a reason," then he turned to his partner, "let's read them their rights, then we can take the lot down to the station and sort this out. I'll put Edward and his brothers in my car, you transport the young ladies."
I watched the next few moments with an odd sense of regret; while I wasn't really fond of Edward and his brothers, their father was a nice guy and he was going to be devastated when the cops called. Officer Black and his partner put all six of them in handcuffs and led them outside. As I listened to the squad cars pull away I fished my phone from my purse and hit 1 on my speed dial.
"Hey Dad, I think we have a problem."
Aro:
A police station was not where I intended to spend my Saturday afternoon, yet here I was. I prepared to leave the house as soon got off the phone with Jane. As I put on my coat and hat, I told an innocuous lie to my beloved wife; an emergency at the Hospital, I'd said before kissing her cheek. It is the job of a good husband and father to keep his family protect from the ugliness that inhabits the wider world. This is especially true in my case, as my business dealings have not always been, shall we say, above board. I had kept many ugly truths from Sulpicia and I would continue to do so until I took my last breath. My beloved had a tender spot in her heart for Carlisle's children and she did not need to know that they were in trouble once again.
I had certain connections with the local constabulary and I hoped that I had arrived in time. If I could speak to Chief Crowley before the children were brought in and processed I might be able to keep the incident out of official records. Not to mention that I would have the children indebted to me. The single most important lesson that I took away from my old life in Chicago was that having others beholding to you was a powerful and profitable thing.
I strode confidently up the front steps of the precinct building and in through the imposing set of double doors. The officer on duty at the security checkpoint recognized me and waved me through and so, I proceeded straight to the front desk. The young officer posted there was new and he watched my approach with caution. Strange, did I actually look that dangerous?
When I reached his post, he eyed me warily. "Can I help you?" he asked.
"Grazi," I answered offering what I hoped was a smile, "I am here to see Chief Tyler Crowley Please."
"Do you have an appointment?" the officer asked.
My left eyebrow shot up and I looked sternly at him; it was the same look I would have given one of my children for being insolent. "I do not need an appointment," I informed him curtly.
"Chief Crowley is on a conference call with the Mayor," the young man replied undaunted. "You'll have to …"
"Listen to me," I dropped my voice as I interrupted him. This more sinister tone usually got results, "You will go back there and tell Chief Crowley that Aro Veracini is here to see him." When the youth didn't respond to my command I scowled and added in a sharper tone, "Move … now!"
The last bit had the desired effect and I watched with satisfaction as the young officer scurried off like a frightened jack rabbit. He was gone for all of five minutes before he returned looking quite beside himself.
"The Chief will see you," he stammered, "right this way."
"Grazi," I replied quietly. Truly, I do not enjoy becoming unpleasant with people; however, if the need arises I have no qualms about doing so.
The youth led me through a maze of halls before we arrived at Chief Crowley's office. The door was open and the chief stood as I entered.
"Aro, always a pleasure," Tyler greeted me pleasantly and offered me his hand in friendship. I knew the truth of course; he was not at all pleased to see me. He owed me several favors, but to his credit, he was never one to be rude.
"Thank you," I replied politely as I took a seat, "you will forgive me for showing up unannounced and interrupting your meeting with the Mayor."
"Not at all," he dismissed, "It was more of a butt chewing session anyway. What can I do for you?"
Cutting to the chase was Tyler's style. Sometimes I found it annoying as I preferred a more personable way of conducting business. Presently however, with the fate of the young ones still uncertain, getting straight to the point was likely the best course of action.
"Have six miscreant youths been brought into your precinct? Three boys and three girls; all from a bar called The Hog's Leg."
"I think I remember hearing some chatter about them," his reply was guarded, "they're in route now. Why?"
"I know these young ones," I began. Now the game would ensue, and hopefully, if I played my cards correctly, I could call in a favor or two and have this mess forgotten. "The boys are the sons of Carlisle Cullen, a colleague and personal friend of mine and the girls are the daughters of my architect, Esme Platt."
"The young woman who gave that presentation at your last party" he asked with more than a little surprise in his voice. "She seemed like a classy lady, a shame her daughters decided to run with Edward and his brothers."
"Well that's the thing you see; I want to stage a sort of intervention for these young ones."
"Edward's headed for more than an intervention." Tyler chuckled dryly, "Judge Lancaster promised the next time he ended up in her courtroom, he was bound for jail. She's not the kind of judge you mess with Aro, she means business."
"Of course, I understand," I soothed, "But I don't want to see Edward throw his life away; it would simply devastate Carlisle. And now he's gone and gotten three innocent girls into trouble as well."
"What do you want me to do Aro, they broke the law." Tyler seemed tired suddenly; perhaps he was thinking of the heart break such a situation would cause him if he were in Carlisle's place.
"Give them to me." I insisted in the same sinister tone I used on the front desk clerk. "Keep this little indiscretion off the record, and let me handle this my way."
"I've released Edward into his father's custody before and …"
"I am not his father," I interrupted. "Carlisle is my dearest friend, but he is far too soft. I do not have this problem. When I am done with Edward and his brother, they will be model citizens. As for the young ladies, a sobering reality check is never out of season."
We continued to discuss the situation for about thirty minutes and by the time I left Tyler's office everything was arranged. Now I waited for the arrival of the young ones. The experience they would be given as they arrived at the police station would appear realistic, but they would not actually be 'booked'. None of this would appear on any official records and neither Carlisle nor Esme would ever know about the matter. More importantly, however, these young ones would now be indebted to me and that would give me a certain amount of leverage. To insure this, I'd taken the liberty of quickly drawing up some impromptu papers for the young ones to sign. It would all be very official.
"Dr. Veracini." A female officer called my name and I turned away from the window I'd been absently staring out of to see what she wanted, "They're ready for you sir."
I followed her through the maze of halls to a large conference room; I'd wanted all six of them together and this was the only space that would accommodate such a crowd. I opened the door and all eyes in the room instantly fell on me. I was welcomed by a chorus of voices uttering my name and it took me several moments to call the group to order. Edward and his brothers looked both surprised and apprehensive at my arrival. The girls on the other hand seemed frightened by the entire course of events leading up to this point, and my entering the room brought them a measure of relief.
"Please, sit," I instructed them as I took my place at the head of the table. The girls obeyed me without hesitation, the boys on the other hand continued to glare at me and stand defiantly in the corner. To one group I appeared to be a savior and to the other I was a devil not to be trusted. I wondered if the dynamic would shift once I'd made my proposal.
"Gentlemen," I addressed them directly, "would you join us at the table please." After a few more tense moments they complied.
I offered the assembled group my most charismatic smile as I surveyed them. This was an unfortunate yet fortuitous situation; unfortunate for the young ones that they had been arrested, yet fortuitous for me as I could now exert more control over their volatile interactions.
"Excuse me, Dr. Veracini," Alice spoke shyly, "Where's our Mom … did she send you."
"A very good question my dear," I cooed as I focused my smile in her direction. "And to answer it; no, your mother did not send me. Likewise," I turned to the boys, "neither did your father.
"Your parents do not know where you are at this moment or how much trouble you could potentially be in. This is a very serious situation," here I paused and glared at Edward, "It is more serious for some of you than for others."
"So the cops called you instead of our folks," Edward sneered, "I find that hard to believe."
"Edward, Edward, Edward," I repeated his name in a disappointed sigh as I shook my head. "How I came to know of your collective indiscretion is unimportant. I am here and I am willing to offer the lot of you a way out of the unpleasant mess that you've gotten yourselves into."
"How do you plan to do that?" Edward replied, still maintaining his hostile air.
"A better question," Jasper took up, "is how much is it going to cost us?"
A startled moan came from my immediate left and I turned to find Isabella seated there and looking terribly pale. It would seem that she and her delightful mother reacted in a similar way to extreme stress. I tried to afford her some measure of reassurance with my smile.
"We aren't rich Dr. Veracini," Isabella finally managed, "we can't afford to pay you."
I reached over and took one of Isabella's hands between mine, "Relax il mio bambino," I soothed, "there is no need for such distress." She was trembling and I could feel her pulse racing through the clammy skin of her hand; this made me more than a little concerned about her. "You need to calm down," I insisted in a more professional tone. "Rosalie, would you please get your sister some water," I inclined my head in the direction of the water cooler in the far corner.
It would not do for young Isabella to pass out, so I took the cup of water from Rosalie and poured some of it onto my handkerchief. I used the moist cloth to wipe the skin of Isabella's face and neck while insisting that she drink the rest of the liquid. When she calmed down and her color returned, I felt quite relieved. The last thing I needed was to rush one of Esme's daughters to the Emergency Room and then have to explain the mishap to her and Carlisle.
"Caro," I began, still holding Isabella's hand. I looked deeply into her eyes as if she were the only one in the room, "You need not concern yourself with money." Now I allowed the focus of my gaze to widen and encompass Alice and Rosalie, "You have been to my home; do I strike you as a man in need?"
A chorus of no's rose up from the girls which I quieted with one raised hand, "Enough," I whispered. I afforded Isabella another reassuring smile and patted the back of her hand lightly before releasing it. "I am here to help you, not to fill my pockets with money stolen from children."
"But there is a catch," Edward grumped, "what's in it for you?"
I glared harshly at Edward; it would not do for him to further upset young Isabella. However, perhaps he was right … perhaps it was time to get down to business. I gave Isabella one last concerned glance before opening the manila folder on the table in front of me.
"Yes Edward, you are correct," I sighed, "I am a generous man, but I am also a business man. I consider the six of you as miei cari, my dear ones, and I wish to help you … but my assistance will not be free.
"I have here a contract," I turned to Isabella and handed her the stack of papers, "Would you kindly take one and pass the rest on." She nodded and did as I requested.
When everyone had a copy, I continued. "You may read it if you wish, but in summary, it basically states that I will insure that you will be released from here today, that this incident will not appear on your records, and your parents will not be informed about any of this … for all intense and purposes, this day never happened."
"And in return," Rosalie inquired.
I smiled approvingly at the eldest of Esme's daughters; Rosalie's beauty masked her shrewdness. "In return, the six of you will work diligently at getting along with one another." Then I turned my attention to Edward, "no more nefarious activities," I said while holding his gaze. "And you will make yourselves available to me. Simple, yes?"
"Available to you … what's that mean?" It was Alice who asked the question and her expression was one of shock.
I considered the statement I'd just made and could see where it would cause some distress for the girls. A grown man, old enough to be their father, asking that they be available to me; in retrospect, I had to admit that it made me sounded suspiciously like a child molester.
"Piccolo," I addressed Alice directly, "I assure you I am not a pervert. Though I can understand your apprehension given the vagueness of 'make yourselves available to me'." I paused and looked each of the girls directly in the eyes before continuing, "Let me assure you I would never ask any of you to do anything that would violate the laws of man or the laws of God. I am a father with a daughter after all."
My assurance seemed to set them at ease once again. I was glad of this; trust was a delicate thing that, once broken, was difficult to mend.
"What about breach of contract," Jasper asked. "What happens if we don't comply with the agreed terms?"
"Have you considered a career in law, my boy?" I asked in an effort to lighten the mood, but my attempt at levity failed.
"What do you want me to say," I finally sighed. "Do you want me to threaten you … is that it? Maybe tell you that, if you break our little agreement, I'll send Nick the Knuckle around to break your knee caps … is that what you want?" The room remained silent. Of course, in spite of actually having such dark connections, I would never threaten these young ones in that manner. "Will I tell your parents, perhaps? No, that would implicate me. But what I can and will do is make your lives quite miserable … there, is that satisfying to you?"
"What if you breach the contract?" It was Rosalie again. I was really starting to admire this one.
"I won't," I assured her.
"How do we know that," Alice insisted. "We don't really know you that well after all."
"Alright ladies," I was beginning to enjoy the emergence of their more confidant nature, "You may name the consequences to befall me, should I fail to uphold my end of the bargain."
"Fifty thousand dollars," Rosalie insisted flatly, "for each of us, should you break your end of the deal."
"Fifty thousand … a piece," I stammered, "That's a lot of money caro, might I ask why you've chosen a three hundred thousand dollar fine as my punishment?"
"When Mom punishes us for misbehaving, she hits us where it hurts," Rosalie replied. "Privileges are important to teenaged girls so she confiscated our cell phones, grounds us, suspends our allowance. You're a rich doctor with a fancy house; I'm guessing a hit to the wallet would hurt you."
I had to work very hard to suppress the smile that struggled to make its way to my lips. Mio Dio, this girl would make one hell of a business partner! "Very well, I accept your terms … if they are agreeable to Edward and his brothers."
"Fifty thousand a piece," Edward rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I could work with that. Agreed."
"Then it is settled," I concluded. "I will ensure that all of you have copies of everything you've singed here today as well as an addendum reflecting the terms should the contract be breached by either party. Expect it by Friday."
AN: Don't you just love Aro! I found the perfect inspirational music to listen to when writing him: Ebla by E.S. Posthumus.
BTW, did any of you notice that we've lost someone? When everyone arrived at the mall, Alec was with Edward and his brothers. Then he got a prank phone call … and then he seemed to just disappear. Oops! With such a large cast, I knew it would happen eventually. But don't feel bad if you missed it, I've been gone from this story for two years and didn't notice until I re-read it.