S Meyer, as always owns all the characters in Twilight

I hope I didn't upset anyone too much with the thought of a murderous Edward. Keep reading and all will eventually be revealed. I'm muddyiong the waters some more in thsi chapter. Don't stop reading and keep with it. Take a deep breath!!

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Chapter 21

BPOV

The words were still echoing through my mind when the plane landed. Edward murdered his brother!

There had to be some kind of explanation for it all. Edward was no murderer. It didn't matter what his parents had said, I truly believed that they had made some terrible mistake. After the time I'd spent with Edward I knew there was no way in the world he could murder anyone.

I thought back to the moments when he thought I had died in the frozen pond after crashing the snow ski. A murderer wouldn't have tried to sacrifice himself through guilt. No! Edward was definitely not a killer.

Feeling better about the whole thing, I made my way to the car park. Standing beside my car was Jacob Black.

"Glad to see you back Bella. Do you know Pete had a little bet with me that you wouldn't return? See what a terrible cynical person he is. I, on the other hand, had every faith in you. I knew you would come back." He smiled as he said this. He really had a very attractive smile and I bet there were lots of women out there who would have been grateful to see it directed at them.

It made me vaguely uncomfortable. I really hoped that he wasn't attracted to me. I didn't want his attentions, especially with his attitude to Edward. I knew he was just doing his job, but he did seem to relish the idea that he was going to re-capture Edward.

"Listen Bella, we know about the phone call from Cullen to the school the other evening. Why did he ring you?"

That bloody janitor! I knew at the time he'd been listening, but I'd hoped he'd be too apathetic to do anything about it. I was wrong. Apparently everybody was interested in Edward Cullen and now me, Bella Swan. What should I say?

Thinking quickly I said "He rang to check to see that I was okay after he had released me. He wanted to know that I'd arrived home safely and everything was alright."

"Why would he want to do that?"

"Because he cares? He's not the monster you think he is. He is a caring human being and he felt sorry for kidnapping me. As I said at the press conference, I don't believe he murdered his wife and I think the investigation into her murder should be re-opened."

"You're the only person in the country who thinks that Bella. He's a convicted killer and now a kidnapper. He should be put back in prison before he hurts somebody else. You were fortunate Bella that he didn't hurt you or harm you in any way. He's more than capable of violence. You saw that he carried a gun. Didn't you ever feel that he was capable of using it?"

Deep inside I admitted to myself that when the helicopter had almost landed next to us, in that moment of terror and fear I did feel that Edward could have used the gun that had suddenly appeared in his hand. It had frightened me at the time. The look of determination on his face not to be taken alive would always remain with me.

But he was not capable of murder. I just knew it. Besides, Emmett and Rosalie were also convinced of his innocence, although I couldn't mention that to Jacob. They knew he couldn't kill anyone.

"We know that he's still interested in you and you should be aware that we do expect him to make some kind of move around you. The phone call was a mistake on his part. My superiors are getting tired of my apparent personal interest in this case and I've got a feeling that Pete is trying to get me off your case. He keeps telling me I'm being unprofessional. Come on Bella you're going to have to throw me a crumb or I'm going to be removed and I don't think you would like my replacement."

"When or if I hear anything you'll be the first to know," I said.

"Like the phone call?" he asked with a bitter note in his voice.

"I will tell you Jacob if I hear from Edward again. I don't expect to because he seemed happy to know that I was okay and settled back into my life. I really don't think I'll hear from him ever again."

I felt terrible telling so many lies, but I couldn't let him know what was going on. I wouldn't be telling him anything.

The drive back home was uneventful, apart from the fact Jacob was on my tail the whole way back. His black saloon never moved from about twenty yards behind me. When I drew up to dad's house, he parked up right behind me. He came to open my door.

"Don't forget Bella. I want to know the minute anything else happens."

I nodded as I made way inside the house.

Dad was on the sofa watching TV.

"Hi Bella. Good trip?" he enquired.

"Not really," I replied, but he was by then deep into his football game.

After yet another dull day at school I was watching TV at home on my own. Charlie had once again gone out with Sue to the cinema. He should be back very soon.

There was a knock at the back door.

Carefully I opened the door and standing outside in the shadows was a man in a hat and wearing trench coat.

"Bella Swan?" he asked. My heart leapt. Could this be my link to Edward? Was he going to provide me with the means of getting to him?

"Yes, that's me," I replied. "Come in."

He limped into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"My name is Lou Giodino. I was Edward's cell mate in prison."

"Yes, yes, " I replied, excited now. "Edward told me all about you and he was a little more than upset when he thought you'd died." My mind returned to the devasted kitchen when edward had heard the news of his apparent death.

"I was a little more than upset myself. Warden Boyle is a cruel and heartless man, and even though I wasn't trying to escape he roughed me up really badly so I ended up in the infirmary. My uncle's got a good lawyer and he managed to get me out of there when I was due to leave on parole. He was able to prove that I wasn't trying to escape and the Warden agreed that it was all a big mistake. I'm thinking of suing him for all the damage he caused," He grinned and I could see why Edward had liked him so much.

"Enough chit chat, we've got to get you out of here. Now then, I think you would like to go shopping at the hyper market tomorrow, and while there you might just find a change of clothes in the ladies room on the first floor there. Once you've changed if you go out the back entrance you will find a small, blue Ford with this licence number plate," he paused and handed me a piece of paper with the licence plate number on it. I tucked it carefully into my handbag.

"You will then drive the car to a small airfield on the edge of Seattle. You will abandon the car there and hopefully the authorities will believe that you have left by private aircraft. You will be taken to board the seven o'clock scheduled flight to Mexico City. When you land at the airport Edward will be waiting for you there. Don't tell anybody and I mean anybody. Don't act suspiciously and for goodness sake drive safely. Bella, I just had to come personally and meet you. I wanted to meet the woman who seems to have stolen Edward's heart. It's an honour Miss Swan. My uncle has once more taken care of all the arrangements and I'm just the messenger. "

"I'm glad to meet you too Lou. Thanks to you and your uncle and I sincerely hope we'll meet again one day."

"I'm sure we will." With that he bent over and kissed my hand.

"I'll slip away now. Good luck."

With that he slid back out of the back door.

It was going to happen. It was really going to happen! I was going to be with Edward.

Charlie walked through the front door. Fuck, that was close. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Luckily he hadn't noticed.

"Good film?" I enquired.

"Not as good as a the football match I've just nearly missed," he said putting the TV on and tuning into a football match with about ten minutes left to play. I left him sitting absorbed on the sofa while I went into the kitchen to do some cooking. I was feeling guilty about leaving Charlie and I had been storing up frozen dinners in the freezer, although I hoped that his relationship with Sue would take off and he would marry her. He deserved a good wife and Sue fit that bill perfectly.

I was also wondering how to let Alice know that I was safe and well. I couldn't say anything so I decided to leave her and my dad a note. I would leave them the letter Edward had sent to me via Emmett and a message from me explaining everything. I hoped it might help them understand why I'd gone.

I went back into dad. I sat down beside him and just looked at him. I was going to miss him. I was going to miss Alice and Jasper too.

"Everything okay Bella?"

I sighed deeply and asked him what he wanted to eat for supper. I went wearily back into the kitchen and began to cook him some egg and fries, his old favourite.

"Hey Bella, come and listen to this," Charlie called.

Charlie's football match had finished and he'd put the news on the TV. I heard a reporter speaking.

"News just in. The escaped convict Edward Cullen has been spotted around the Hollywood area. Several of his old friends and acquaintances have received threatening phone calls supposedly from Cullen. He has threatened to kill several of them unless they admit to knowing who killed his wife. He has told them that he knows that he is a victim of a huge conspiracy. He has threatened to kill every member of the conpiracy unless they confess. We go over to Wendy Hill, inside the home of Hollywood star Bette Townsend."

The reporter was standing beside the well known face of Bette Townsend holding a microphone up to her face. She had been in numerous films and movies and had worked on quite a few movies with Edward.

"Miss Townsend, you received one of these phone calls from Edward Cullen didn't you? How do you know it was Cullen and what did he say?"

"I've reported this to the police, but I'm very frightened. Edward said that if I didn't tell the police who shot his wife Tanya then he would come after me and make me. He said he knew that I was involved in the conspiracy to put him behind bars and that I would pay for it. It really frightened me and I've asked for police protection."

"But Miss Townsend, can I ask you once more, how did you know it was Edward Cullen?"

"I worked with him on several movies; I would recognise his voice anywhere. It's very distinctive."

In the TV studio speculation was running rife.

"Reports are coming in that quite a few of Edward Cullen's past acquaintances have received the same threats and intimidation. We have our resident psychiatrist Doctor Hank Benn here with us to discuss the state of Edward Cullen's mind."

"It's obvious that he has suffered some kind of mental breakdown and he has become delusional and psychotic. He needs to pin the blame for his murder of his wife on somebody else or some secret organisation. His mind cannot accept the fact that he is a murderer and a killer. He is a very dangerous man at the moment. He is totally paranoid and out of touch with reality."

"Do you think he is may resort to murder?"

"From what I've heard I would postulate that it is a very strong possibility."

I sat stunned. That couldn't be Edward running around making death threats. Somebody must be pretending to be him. That's what it was. I knew Edward and this wasn't him. He wasn't insane and he wouldn't do this. I knew it and I went to sleep that night firm in my conviction. Edward was innocent of his wife's murder and that wasn't him running around Hollywood making threats.

Next morning was Saturday and I woke up slightly later than normal on a weekend. I was exhausted. Although I'd slept my dreams were full of dark shadows and threatening clouds. I'd slept but very restlessly.

I heard the doorbell ring and I was surprised when I found Alice and Jasper standing on the doorstep.

"What are you doing here?" I managed to stammer out.

They were the last people I was expecting to appear especially today of all days. How was I going to go shopping on my own? How was I going to get to the hypermarket without them coming too?

"Thanks for the warm welcome," said Alice sarcastically.

"Sorry," I said. "I was just a little surprised – pleased, of course, as well."

They both came in.

"We thought we'd come and cheer you up after all those news reports about Edward Cullen menacing people in Hollywood."

"You do know it's not him don't you?" I asked.

"Well Bella, you know him better than we do, but everyone there seems to think it's him."

"Well they're all wrong," I blurted out.

"Let's talk about something else then," said Alice. she could see the subject was upsetting me.

There came a knock at the door. Standing outside was Jacob Black. Of course it was Jacob Black! Who else would be joining the party? Was I ever going to be able to get to the hypermarket?

Opening the door, I let Jacob in.

"Morning Bella." He sounded disgustingly cheerful.

"What do you want?" I practically snarled at him. "Come to gloat? Come to tell me that Edward is going to be captured any moment?"

"Now then, nothing like that. I just came to see how you were bearing up under the latest news onslaught."

I immediately felt guilty. He was only trying to be nice.

"Sorry Jacob. I was a little surprised that's all, you caught me a little off guard."

"Never mind. How about a cup of coffee?" he said rubbing his hands together. "I'll make it, I'm sure you've all tasted Bella's coffee?"

So we all sat down in a very civilised way and drank coffee together. Outside I was calm and collected, inside I was ready to explode. My mind raced at a hundred miles an hour trying to think how to get away and to get away on time. I had a plane to catch.

The phone rang suddenly. Jumping up I went to answer it. I was shocked when I heard the voice on the other end. I recognised it immediately.

"Bella Swan?" it enquired. Why had they rung me now?

"Mrs Cullen." I stated. "What can I do for you?"

"You've seen the news. You know what Edward is capable of. If you have a decent bone in your body you will give him up to the authorities. If there's the slightest chance that you have any information of where he is or how he can be taken in then it's up to you to do it. He's very dangerous and clearly now slipped completely over into insanity. You must stop him Bella. You must stop him killing again."

Before I could reply I could hear the receiver put down on the other end.

While I was on the phone Jasper had put the TV on. I went through to the kitchen to help Jacob with the coffee. I was just carrying the tray when I heard the presenter on the TV:

"Reports of a fatal shooting in Hollywood is just coming in. The victim is Bette Townsend. Police are reporting that Edward Cullen was seen running from the murder scene. He has been positively identified. The authorities are saying if you see him do not, repeat, do not approach him. He is armed and considered extremely dangerous."

I dropped the tray with a huge crash. I couldn't stop shaking. I was wrong. I was absolutely and completely wrong about Edward. He'd been seen running away from a murder scene. He'd killed his own brother and now, because I had kept quiet, another human being was dead. Bette Townsend was dead directly as a result of me not speaking up.

Jacob, Jasper and Alice all turned to look at me. I began to cry, huge wracking sobs that I couldn't control.

"Bella, what is it Bella?" asked Alice. I couldn't speak. They sat me down on the sofa and Alice handed me a tissue. After a couple of minutes I cleared my throat and began to speak.

I told them all about my relationship with Edward. Alice already knew but both Jasper and Jacob looked shocked. I told them all about my visit with Edward's parents and how they'd covered up his brother's killing and I told them how this last murder was the only way I had been convinced that Edward needed help. I'd finally realised that Edward was mentally ill and that he needed help.

I told them all about the plans in place for me to join Edward in Mexico City and that he would be waiting for me at the airport. In short I told them absolutely everything. Nothing was left out except the names of the other people involved in my journey to join Edward. I didn't mention Lou Giordino and I certainly didn't mention Emmett or Rosalie.

When I was finished I was exhausted. My heart and head were hurting. I felt bruised and battered. But I did feel that I had done the right thing. Edward needed help and I was going to make sure that he received it. He was coming home back to the US where he would get help in a mental hospital.

As I lay down on the sofa while Alice covered me with a blanket I could hear Jacob talking on his phone. I could hear him making arrangements for us to be on that scheduled flight at seven o'clock. Edward's fate was being sealed and I dozed exhaustedly. I knew I was doing the right thing. I knew it.

Well?

Any thoughts?

Don't get depressed all is not lost!