Twilight is not mine. Never will be mine. Ever. *WAAAH!* David, Lizzie and Marie are mine in a literary sense. Ren, too.
I do apologize with the sporadic updates with this one. I struggle with this story and finding the momentum is tough. With that being said, please be patient with me on this one. I do intend to finish it. It'll probably take time. I've planned out the remainder of the story. It's looking to be around thirty chapters, plus an epilogue.
Up next will be the aftermath of the letter and what will happen. This will all make sense once it all comes to a head. I have it all planned out, so yeah. Good times, good times (not really, some angst is coming up). Some fictional (implied) violence to children in this chapter…
Chapter Twenty-One: Lies and Deceit
I was so fucking nervous. My mother, the woman who carried me for nine months, was threatening me, my family and my career. All for five fucking million dollars. Fucking evil bitch.
Detective Sanchez and Seth were meeting with us today, four days after we received the letter, to discuss the letter my mother sent. A squad car picked it up after we called it in, to scan for prints and any other trace evidence. Edward took a picture of it and copied it to our computer. He was livid. And that's putting it mildly. He was ready to contact Renee, using the throw away phone I purchased to tell her that she was not getting her money and that she should rot in the deepest pits of hell for even threatening us.
I stopped him from doing that. I wanted to put my mother away for a long time and his ire would add fuel to the fire.
Alice picked up the children, keeping them at her place while we met with Detective Sanchez and Seth to discuss a plan of action. I was pacing in the family room, nervous, pissed off and ready for all of this shit to be done. Edward was researching bodyguards on his computer.
I personally think that's ludicrous, but he was still determined to check them out.
The doorbell rang and I let out a startled yelp. Edward got up from his spot on the couch, wrapping his arms around me. "It's okay, beautiful girl," he whispered, kissing my forehead. "Your mom probably wouldn't ring the doorbell."
"Ass," I smirked, pinching his side. He smacked my ass lightly and walked to the door, opening it up to find Detective Sanchez and Seth standing on our doorstep. "Come in, please." Seth walked in first, hugging me tightly. He was the attorney who represented me with my divorce from Mike. He was also our go-to for any legal issues since we couldn't use Jasper; he was family and it was a conflict of interest. Detective Sanchez was the lead detective on Mike's stalking of me. We trusted him.
"Would you like something to drink?" Edward asked. "We have coffee, water, pop, orange juice, beer…"
"Tempting, Dr. Masen," Detective Sanchez chuckled. "First, it's nine in the morning and secondly, I'm on the clock."
"Figured I'd ask," Edward said, shrugging his shoulders. "What would you two like?"
"Water, please?" Seth asked.
"I'll have a cup of coffee," Detective Sanchez replied.
"Cream or sugar?" Edward questioned.
"I'm a cop. Hell no…black," Detective Sanchez chuckled. Edward grinned crookedly as he went into the kitchen. I led the two men into my living room, where we sat down. Detective Sanchez took out a plastic bag with my letter, a pad of paper, a pen and a digital recorder. Seth also had out a pad of paper and a pen. "We'll wait until Dr. Masen is back with the drinks before we get started."
I nodded, twisting my wedding band nervously. Edward came back with a mug for Detective Sanchez and bottle of water for Seth. He also handed me a cup of coffee, made to my tastes. I smiled at him, snuggling closer to his side. "Thanks, baby," I whispered.
"Okay, now that we're all here, there are a few things I want to discuss and a few questions that I have to ask," Detective Sanchez said sternly. "I'm going to start with the difficult questions. Your mother alluded to the fact that she had a former student of yours come forward, threatening to molest him sexually."
"It's a load of horseshit," I spat. "I am a dedicated educator and I worked hard all my career. I've heard about teachers touching children, but the mere thought of that sickens me. I do not even know who would even say something like that."
"There was that one girl that you pressed charges about the car," Edward suggested.
"She's sick. Jorie has leukemia," I said, frowning deeply. "It could be anyone. I've been teaching for sixteen years, Edward."
"My guess is that it would be someone fairly recent," Detective Sanchez mused. "You were the dean of Cherry Blossom, right?"
"For four years," I said, wrinkling my nose. "Worst job in the world. I mean, I dealt with the kids who didn't care about school and the parents who were indifferent about their child's education. It could be anyone of those kids who I supposedly 'wronged' when I disciplined them. If I had to guess, that's roughly three hundred kids over four years. You'd have to get a subpoena or warrant to access those records. The school district won't willingly hand them over."
"Well, you can automatically eliminate all of the girls. In the letter, Renee did say it was a boy," Seth said, pointing to the letter.
"I'd rather not ask for school records," Detective Sanchez said. "Bella is right. This boy could be anyone, not just one of the students from when she was the dean."
"Do you believe my wife?" Edward asked, his tone steely.
"Yes, Dr. Masen. I know of your family's integrity, but I needed to ask," Detective Sanchez said apologetically.
"What are we going to do about this?" I pressed, pointing to the letter. "I do not want to give the fucking money to her, but I don't want to have my name slandered because she is throwing a hissy fit. I'm not a child molester and I'm certainly not a murderer."
"I know, Mrs. Masen. You shot Mike out of self-defense," Detective Sanchez said, frowning slightly.
"Jose and I were talking prior to coming over here, and here's a proposed idea," Seth popped in. "Don't acquiesce to her demands. If she follows through with her threat, we can add slander to her charges and the mystery student will be made known."
"By my integrity as an educator will be questioned," I hissed. "Yes, I'm on FMLA now, but I'm going back in July, taking a new position as the head of curriculum and instruction."
"It would be in your best interest to contact your administrators, inform them of this threat," Detective Sanchez said. "I will go with you, to solidify the fact that it's untrue."
I wrinkled my nose, pissed off at their suggestion. I just know that they would investigate me because they do not take any type of accusation of this matter lightly.
"I don't think you understand, Detective. If this comes out, Bella could possibly lose her job, regardless of us coming forward or not. This is serious and I don't want my wife's career to be trifled with. She's a brilliant educator and administrator, working extraordinarily hard to get where she is today. I do not want the lies of one disenchanted boy and the sick, twisted mind of Renee to derail Bella's career. Do not underestimate the power of the internet, social media and television. The school district could realize and understand the accusations are untrue, but what happens if she applies for another position in another district? They could do media search and these lies pop up, discrediting my wife. No, I do not want that to happen. I refuse to pay Renee, but those slanderous words cannot come out."
"I guess we're at an impasse," Detective Sanchez sighed, scrubbing his hand over his face. "It would probably behoove you to mention this to your administration. I will go with you, but if you don't pay Renee, those accusations will come out."
I shot up and walked to the window, my arms crossed. Deep in my soul, I hated my mother. She was taking this vendetta too far. Edward walked behind me, wrapping his arms around me. "We'll figure this out, beautiful girl."
"I want it over," I hissed, tears leaking out of my eyes. "What if she comes after you? After Jasper? After our family? She could ruin us all!"
"Bella, we'll deal with it. For now, you need to contact Dr. Sancken and Dr. Eddy, inform them of the threat from Renee," Edward said, leaning his forehead against mine. I sighed, nodding at his suggestion. We decided to drive over to the district office now to discuss it with the superintendent and assistant superintendent. Seth acted my attorney and Detective Sanchez was brilliant when we met with Dr. Sancken and Dr. Eddy. They were both leery of the accusations made in the letter and seem hesitant to believe me. I was ready to resign, right there, but Edward told me to let them to go through their investigation. He was right, because if I resigned, it was as good as an admission of guilt. The investigation would be completed by Dr. Eddy and he'd contact me about any findings he discovered.
After the meeting with Dr. Sancken and Dr. Eddy, we went our separate ways. Detective Sanchez said he'd be in contact with us if he found out who the student was that was making these untrue accusations or if he found Renee. Seth apologized for the whole thing and said he'd try and find as many ways to make Renee pay for what she was doing to me and to my family. Edward drove us back to the house. I was just staring out of the car window, not focused on anything.
"Bella, we're home," Edward murmured, running his finger down my cheek.
"Hmmm," I replied noncommittally. His finger hooked on my chin and he turned my face to his. His eyes were filled with worry. "I'm fine, Edward. I swear."
"No, you're not. This is weighing on you. All of this is. This year has honestly sucked," Edward said flatly. "First, it starts with Kate in Seattle, then reappearance of your mother and now this attack on your character by your mother. What else can be thrown at us?"
"It hasn't been all bad," I said, turning my gaze to Edward's collar. "You got the chief job and we went on vacation to Disney World."
"That was not vacation. That was hell. The next time we go, it'll be in the summer and when they're much, much older," Edward sighed. "Come on, let's go inside. I texted Alice before we got in the car. She's going to drop off the kids in a little bit. I think we need some family snuggle time, because after today, I'm just wrecked. I can't even fathom what you're feeling, beautiful girl."
"Resignation," I muttered. "Defeat." Edward frowned and awkwardly hugged me in my beastly car. With a huff, we separated and went into our house, snuggling on the couch in the family room. Edward was holding me extra close, obviously upset about the turn of events because of my mother's infatuation with money and revenge.
Revenge… "She must be working with Mike Sr. Why else would she want me to admit that I murdered my ex-husband?" I said.
"While you were in the meeting with your bosses and Detective Sanchez, Seth filled me in. They got a newer detective to do some research of Michael Newton, Senior. He's no longer living at home and has, presumably, fallen off the grid. When the detective contacted Newton's wife, she said that he grew more secretive prior to his departure. However, the detective doesn't think she's telling the whole truth. He feels that she's covering for her husband."
"Maybe she is, or maybe he was being secretive. I don't know. I just want this all to stop. I don't know how much more of this we can take. I'm terrified that all of this is going to tear us apart, ruin our relationships with our family and cause damage to our children," I sniffled, putting my head on Edward's chest.
"Baby, we are going to be fine. Yes, this is stressful, but I know for certain that nothing Renee or anyone can do will make me leave you," Edward said, kissing my forehead. "Secondly, our family will stand by you; stand by us, no matter what. We know the truth and Renee's slanderous lies will not be the downfall. Finally, we will protect our children, the best we can. We love them and you are an amazing mother."
I nodded, feeling slightly mollified at Edward's fervent promise. We had fifteen minutes of quiet before Alice and the kids came bounding into the house, squealing like banshees. I plastered on a smile and spent the rest of the afternoon playing with my children with my husband.
xx TNC xx
A day after meeting with Detective Sanchez and Seth, I got a text on the throw-away phone with an address. The number was blocked but we had the police try and track it. It proved to be fruitless as the number was also another throw-away phone. They couldn't track it since it had a jamming signal on it, unable to pinpoint where the call was coming from. At one point, it was coming from down the street. Then, seconds later, it was near Connecticut.
We ignored the text and went about our lives. The day we were supposed to do the drop with the money slid past us and nothing happened. There was no ranting text, no new letter, no explosion of the media with claims that I sexually molested some middle-school aged boy. Perhaps, Renee was bluffing?
The day following the money drop, I could hear a lot of activity in my house. I got up, pulled on some clothes and brushed my teeth before heading downstairs. I pulled my hair back and was shocked at what I saw in my kitchen. It was filled with my family, several police officers and a handful of laptops. "What's going on?" I asked, my eyes wide.
"Renee leaked the story," Edward snarled. "Jasper called me because it was featured on the morning news. Blogs, Facebook posts, and websites are all investigating these claims."
My heart fell to my feet. Edward ran over to me, wrapping me in his arms. I clutched at his sweatshirt, trying to keep an anxiety attack at bay. Why would my mother want to do this to me? "Do you know who is saying these lies?" I choked out.
"The family that's saying it are Rebecca and Peter Schwartz. They have three children, one of which is in eighth grade at Cherry Blossom. He's a foster kid. He's making the claims," Detective Sanchez explained from his spot at the kitchen table.
"Schwartz," I muttered. "Robert Harten! He was the kid that said I hit him after the fight in the cafeteria. The one where I had my jaw smashed and hairline fractures in my ribs."
"Oh, when Merritt 'fired' you?" Alice sneered.
I nodded. "Yeah. He was one of my frequent fliers. Always in trouble. Spent more time in the ASDA room and out of school than in it. However, his offenses were never enough to warrant expulsion."
"Well, the board expelled him after that fight. He was placed in an alternative school," Alice said.
"What school?" asked Detective Sanchez.
"Guardian Angel. I had Robert in music and had to meet with his teachers at Guardian Angel to pass along his grade and current work," Alice explained.
"Check the employee list for Guardian Angel. See if there were any recent hires," Jasper barked.
Fingers were flying on the keyboards and a younger policeman smiled. "Got it! Shortly after Robert was placed at Guardian Angel, a woman, Renee Spellman, was hired."
"Spellman?" Detective Sanchez questioned.
"One of her married names," I said flatly. "She's gone through more husbands than Elizabeth Taylor."
"What was she hired to do?" Detective Sanchez pressed.
"Janitorial," the policeman replied.
"I think we need to make a stop at the Schwartz home. I want to know why, if this boy was threatened, he didn't come to the police," Detective Sanchez snarled. "Palmer! Get the van ready. I want Dr. and Mrs. Masen in the car while I interview Robert and see if I can break through his lie."
"What if he's telling the truth, Detective?" asked Palmer.
"Palmer, these accusations are bold-faced lies," Detective Sanchez said icily. "Why would the family go to the media first as opposed to the police if they weren't true?"
Palmer sighed and nodded. He left the house and everyone worked to set up this meeting with the Schwartz's and Robert. Detective Sanchez said that he was going to contact the family, to discuss their claims. After a short phone call, the meeting was set up for two in the afternoon. Edward and I took a shower together while the police packed up their gear. I lost it completely, sobbing into my husband's chest. He took care of me as I crumbled, upset, pissed off and afraid of what my mother did to me and my family.
After our shower, we got dressed and met up with Detective Sanchez in our living room. He pointed out the window. Outside of our home, there were media trucks hovering. I gasped. "The police van is already in your garage," Detective Sanchez explained. "You'll get inside of it and we'll drive to the Schwartz's."
"Does it say 'police' on it?" Edward asked, arching a brow.
"No. It's a nondescript black van," he replied. I nodded and we went into the back of the van while Detective Sanchez got in the front. They backed out and maneuvered through the media, trying to get a glimpse inside of the vehicle. I was pressed to Edward, shaking uncontrollably.
My husband took out his cell phone and contacted Jasper, who had left before we had taken our shower with Alice. They were going to stay with the children, who were with Carlisle and Esme. "Jas, I need you to do a favor. I need you or Seth to write a statement regarding this situation and be prepared to share it with the media. They are camped out on our front lawn."
I could hear Jasper's response. "I assume you want me to make a statement about the lies that the Schwartz's made about Bella, right?"
"Bingo. We're heading over to the house now," Edward said, kissing my lips gently. They said their goodbyes and a half hour later, we parked down the street from the Schwartz's home. Palmer put a wire on Detective Sanchez before he left the car to get into a waiting squad car. Palmer moved to the back of the van, checking the feed from Detective Sanchez's wire. It was clear. Palmer began recording immediately.
"You think I'm guilty," I said flatly.
"I don't know what to think. Jose said that you weren't guilty and he showed me the letter from your mother," Palmer said. "Why would a kid want to implicate you?"
"I was the dean of a middle school. I sent that kid to punishment so many times over the course of three years. He hated me," I said, snuggling back into Edward's arms.
"Well, we'll have to see if this kid is telling the truth or lying through his teeth," Palmer said impassively. "Sanchez is at the door."
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Schwartz. My name is Detective Jose Sanchez and this is my partner, Detective Ramona Bettson. I spoke with you earlier on the phone?"
"Yes, of course. Please come in," said a deep woman's voice. "Let me get my husband and Robert. Why don't you have a seat in the family room?"
"Thank you," Detective Sanchez replied. We listened to them move through the house and sit down. Some voices were heard in the distance and they got louder.
"Detectives, this is my husband Peter and my foster son, Robert," Rebecca said. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"No, thank you," Detective Sanchez responded. "Now, I would like to ask you a few questions. We saw the news reports and the blog posts. My captain said that this was a big deal. Why didn't you come to the police first?"
"In retrospect, we should have," Peter sighed. "It's just that I was so incensed that Mrs. Masen would do that. I wanted the world to know that she had irreparably ruined my son."
"Be that as it may, you should have contacted us first. Now, when did this abuse begin?"
"In sixth grade," Peter spat. "She touched him on the shoulder, Robert said."
"That's hardly sexual misconduct, Mr. Schwartz," Detective Bettson muttered.
"She touched him. No one should touch Robert but his family," Peter growled. "He said…"
"Can we hear the story from Robert?" Detective Sanchez intervened. "Alone?"
"No. I want to be near him," Rebecca sniffled.
"Mrs. Schwartz, Robert is making some serious claims against Mrs. Masen. We need to know the whole story from him since he's the one who experienced it. We're not asking you to leave the house, but just leave the room," Detective Bettson encouraged.
There was some grumbling but the sound of creaking couches and rustling clothes indicated that Robert's foster parents left. "Now, Robert," Detective Sanchez began.
"Robbie," he corrected.
"Robbie, how long have you lived with the Schwartz's?" Detective Sanchez asked.
"Four years," he answered sullenly. "My real mom got arrested for being a whore and my step-dad didn't want to keep me."
"Were you in another foster home before the Schwartz's?" Detective Sanchez pressed.
"One other one, but that family kind of sucked," Robbie grumped. "The Schwartz's are nice. I have my own room and everything."
"That's great, Robbie," Detective Sanchez replied. "Now, I have some questions about your accusations against Mrs. Masen…"
"She's a fucking bitch. I hate her," Robbie snapped.
"Why?" Detective Bettson asked.
"You know why! She touched me," Robbie growled.
"I need you to tell me when and how," Detective Sanchez said quietly.
"It started in seventh grade," Robbie said.
"Didn't Dad say that it started in sixth grade?" Edward asked in the van. I nodded. Hole number one in his lie.
"Sanchez, Edward noticed that dad said that the abuse started in sixth grade. Not seventh," Palmer said to Detective Sanchez via his wire. We heard a click. "That means he heard me and understood what I said. It'll look like he scratched his ear to Robbie."
"What did Mrs. Masen do to you, Robbie? Be as descriptive as you can," Detective Bettson said quietly.
"In her office, she'd close and lock the door. Then, she'd touch my face, saying that I must have had a hard life. At first, I liked it. Rebecca is nice, but she's not really affectionate. I thought Mrs. Masen cared about me." Robbie sighed and he continued. "The touching didn't stop there, she moved her hands down my chest and she massaged my neck."
"Did she ever touch your penis, Robbie?" Detective Sanchez asked.
"Yeah. She made me get hard and rubbed my dick with her hands. She was moaning when she did it, saying that it was better than with her husband," Robbie said. He sounded cocky.
"When did that happen?" Detective Bettson asked.
"November of this year," Robbie answered. "Uh, November seventeenth."
"The seventeenth was after I was placed on medical leave and I was in Seattle with Edward for a meeting with a specialist for my daughter, Marie," I explained.
"Plus, it was a Sunday," Edward hissed.
"Another hole, Sanchez. The date he gave you was a Sunday and the Masens weren't even in the state. They were in Seattle seeing a specialist for their daughter," Palmer said quietly. Another click.
"Okay, Robbie. I have some more questions. At your new school, did you meet one of the janitorial staff? Renee Spellman?"
"Yeah. She gave me cigarettes," Robbie said. "We talked about why I was at Guardian Angel. I told her all about Mrs. Masen. She said that she knew Mrs. Masen when she was younger."
"What did Renee say about Mrs. Masen?" Detective Sanchez questioned.
"That she was a bitch and that she needed to be punished for putting me in the school. I was a good boy," Robbie explained.
"Did Renee suggest going to the press about your sexual abuse?" Detective Bettson asked, her voice sounding hard and impatient.
"Maybe," Robbie said, his voice wavering.
"A few more questions, Robbie and then we'll be done. Your foster dad said that the abuse started in sixth grade. You said seventh grade. When did it start? Be honest," Detective Sanchez said sternly.
"Seventh grade?" Robbie replied, sounding worried.
"Are you sure? You sound confused. If you lie about this, you could get into big trouble. Making a false accusation is a crime. You're hurting another person if you continue your lie," Detective Sanchez said quietly. "Now, sixth or seventh grade?"
"Seventh grade," he answered.
"Now, I just checked my calendar on my phone and I have a concern about the date you gave me when Mrs. Masen gave you a hand job," Detective Sanchez said.
"She molested me. I didn't enjoy it!" Robbie snapped.
"Right. Anyhow, I have a question for you about the date. Why were you in school on Sunday?"
"I wasn't on school on Sunday. I hate school. Why would I be on school on Sunday?" Robbie growled.
"Well, that's the date you gave me. Also, it was kind of hard for Mrs. Masen to be there, too. She wasn't even in the state. She was in Seattle," Detective Sanchez explained, sounding pissed off. "You're lying, Robbie. I can help you if you just tell me the truth. I don't want to arrest you."
There was a span of a few moments of silence. "It was Renee. While I was smoking with her, she told me that Mrs. Masen ruined her life and that together we could ruin hers. She promised me money if I went through the accusations. She called me yesterday, saying that I needed to tell my foster parents and that we needed to go to the press."
"Do you have Renee's phone number?" Detective Sanchez asked. "We need to talk to her."
"It's on my phone. Let me go get it," Robbie said. Heavy steps indicated that he left the room.
"Do you think they're going to arrest Robbie?" I asked Palmer.
"There will be repercussions but we have to find out what the captain says," Palmer replied. He was typing on a computer, sending an email to the captain. "We'll see what he says."
"Here," Robbie said. "I tried calling her back this morning, to tell her that we went to the press, but the phone number didn't work. I don't know if you have some magic police thing that you could do."
"We'll try, Robbie," Detective Bettson said. "Now, you realize that you are in trouble, right?"
"Yeah," Robbie said dejectedly. "Am I going to be arrested?"
"Sanchez, Cap emailed me and said you have to bring him in. Charges are slander, defamation of character, obstruction, underage smoking and misconduct. The DA is willing to work out a plea deal if the family public recants their accusations," Palmer explained.
"Detective Bettson, I need you to get Robbie's parents," Detective Sanchez sighed. A few moments later, Rebecca and Peter walked in. "Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz, Robbie has something to tell you."
There were a few sniffles. "I lied," he whispered.
"About what, Robbie?" Peter asked.
"About everything. Mrs. Masen never…did that to me," Robbie cried.
There was a pause and then a loud roar. Palmer pulled the headphones away from his ears, grimacing as the sound filled the van. "You good for nothing punk! You lied? For what? Attention? You embarrassed us and you made us publicly claim that a teacher touched you."
"I'm sorry," Robbie sobbed.
"You're sorry? You're sorry?!" Peter screamed. "Detectives, take this boy out of my house."
"Are you relinquishing your guardianship?" Detective Bettson asked, her voice quivering.
"I don't know yet, but maybe time in jail will wake this punk up," Peter said coldly.
"There is a way for the DA to reduce the charges. You publicly recant the accusations," Detective Sanchez said. There was no verbal reply. "I'll make the arrangements. Please meet at the police station by five to make your statement."
"Robert Harten, you're under arrest for…" The feed cut off and we fell back.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Masen. I wanted to believe him because he's just a kid, but damn, he was so manipulative," Palmer breathed.
"He was the same way in school. He always placed blame on everyone but himself. I'm surprised he admitted to Detective Sanchez that he lied to his parents so quickly," I mused.
"Guilt. He probably felt guilt over what he did," Edward suggested.
"Unlikely. My guess is that when he tried to call Renee and didn't get the phone to work, he must have known something was up and that he probably wasn't going to get his money," Palmer said. The phone rang in the van. "Palmer."
"Take Dr. and Mrs. Masen back to their home. We've got to prepare for a press conference," Detective Sanchez said.
"Got it," Palmer replied. "Are they coming?"
"It would be in their best interests, yes," Detective Sanchez replied. "See you in a bit."
Palmer hung up and drove us back to the house. The media circus was still parked in front of our home. "Vultures," Palmer hissed. "If I could, I'd arrest them for being a public nuisance and blocking traffic, but they're following all of the laws." He pulled into the garage, closing the door with the opener I had stashed in my purse. "I would suggest changing and looking professional."
Edward and I nodded, hopping out of the van and going up to our room. I put on one of my pant suits and a pair of heels. My hair was swept up in a chignon with simple makeup. Edward put on a navy suit with a white shirt and a purple tie. He looked at me, cupping my face. "I'm sorry that we have to go through this, beautiful girl."
"At least we'll get some vindication with the Schwartz's recantation of the story," I said, wrapping my arms around Edward's body.
"Are you going to press charges against Robert?" Edward asked, leaning his cheek against my head.
"I don't know. My immediate thought is yes," I replied.
"Go with your gut. That kid, working with Renee, could ruin your career," Edward snarled. He cupped my face and crashed his lips against mine. "Don't let either one win," he growled against my mouth. I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Palmer's waiting. I need to text Jasper about meeting us at the police station."
"Shouldn't Seth make the statement since he represents us?" I asked.
"I'll text him, too," Edward replied, releasing me to spray some cologne on his wrists. We finished changing and went down to the kitchen. We ate a quick snack before going back into the van. Palmer nodded and he got back into the driver's seat, backing the van out and driving to the police station. We noticed that the media were gone from our front lawn, thankfully. Seemingly, they were all at the police station, setting up for a press conference on the steps of the building. Palmer drove the van to the back and led us into the building through the back entrance. Inside, we were greeted by Jasper and Seth, dressed in their custom-made suits. Peter and Rebecca were dressed sedately in some dress clothes, looking very upset and nervous. When Rebecca saw me, she tugged on Peter's arm. He turned and they approached me. Jasper and Seth blocked them.
"Please don't approach my client," Seth said coldly.
"We just want to apologize," Rebecca sniffled.
"You will. On the steps," Jasper replied. "We are currently building a case against you. It would be in your best interest to back away before you say something that incriminate you more."
Rebecca opened her mouth but Peter led her away from us. He whispered in her ear. Rebecca nodded and gave me a sad grin. The captain walked out and spoke with the Schwartz's. From what I could hear, they were also being charged with slander and defamation of character due to their going immediately to the press as opposed to the police. If they had been able to complete an investigation, this all wouldn't be happening.
"What's this suit you're building against them?" I asked Seth.
"It's a civil suit, asking for restitution for the damage their claims caused you," Seth explained. "My guess is that the school district is not going to let this go. They're probably going to look into your history as a teacher and possibly find some way to fire you."
"Fabulous," I grumbled. "Perhaps I should resign…"
"Don't, beautiful girl," Edward chided. "If they fire you, we can sue the district for unlawful termination and that's something they will not want to fight. We'd take the district for everything." I frowned. "If that happens, though."
"Dr. and Mrs. Masen, we're ready on the steps for you," said Detective Bettson.
We walked out and the cameras flashed brightly. Jasper and Seth flanked us, looking very lawyerly. Rebecca and Peter Schwartz were standing on the opposite side of the steps, flanked by Detective Sanchez and another police officer.
"Ready, Captain?" asked one of the reporters.
"Whenever you are," the captain responded brusquely. All of the lights flickered on and the reporter gave a silent countdown. With a point, the captain smiled curtly. "Good evening. My name is Captain Samuel Myles. Earlier today, news broke about a teacher who molested a student. Upon further investigation, those claims, were unfounded. The child's foster parents, Rebecca and Peter Schwartz, who spoke to the press initially, have a few words to say."
Captain Myles backed away and glowered at the Schwartzes. They walked toward the podium, holding a piece of paper that was quaking. Peter began speaking, "This morning, we contacted all of the local major news stations about a situation that we believed, at the time, to be true. Our son came to us last night, explaining in great detail, of a trusted adult molesting him at school. We were so angry that we flew off the handle and wanted to make that teacher pay. Without thinking, we contacted the news media to do just that. After that report came out, the police contacted us to investigate the teacher and our claims made against her.
"As the detectives met with my son, they found holes in my son's story and questioned him on it. My son lied to us and to the police because he had a personal vendetta against this teacher, Mrs. Isabella Masen. At his new school, he was approached by another adult who planted the ideas of sexual molestation into my son's head and encouraged him to lie. He was promise money, but when he tried to call the adult at the school, the number was disconnected.
"My statement here is twofold. The first thing we want to do is publically apologize and recant our accusations made against to Mrs. Masen. She never, ever, under any circumstance touched my son. It was a story dreamt up by a bigger predator; the woman who encouraged him to come forward with the accusations. We fully recant our statements earlier and beg for forgiveness from Mrs. Masen and her family." Peter took a breath and shifted his trembling paper. "The second thing is that if you know of Renee Spellman, also known as Renee Higginbotham, Renee Swan or Renee Dwyer, please contact the Sherryville Police Department at the below phone number. Thank you."
Peter stepped back and was rushed into the police building, promptly handcuffed and escorted to the interview room with his wife. Captain Myles stepped forward. "Ladies and gentlemen, we do not take these accusations lightly. Our children should feel safe in our schools. Mrs. Masen and the dedicated staff of her building do just that. It's a shame that her good name was tarnished as a result of the lies of the son of Rebecca and Peter Schwartz and the encouragement of Renee Spellman. Now, with the request from the Sherryville Police Department, give the Masens their privacy. Jasper Whitlock, the family's attorney, has a brief statement to be made."
Jasper stood forward, looking out to the crowd of reporters. "It brings me great joy to know that my sister-in-law was exonerated of the accusations of child molestation. However, it frightens me that the media would so easily jump on this story without looking up the facts. Isabella Masen is a veteran teacher of sixteen years, working at the same building for most of her career. She started as a teacher and was promoted to dean after the birth of her own children. Why would a woman who loves her job that much want to ruin it by doing what that boy accused her of? There are monsters out there who prey on children. Bella isn't one of them. We have nothing further to say, other than that we are grateful with the efforts of the Sherryville Police Department who worked quickly to exonerate Bella. Thank you." He nodded and walked to my side, squeezing my hand.
Captain Myles reiterated the Schwartz's plea to find Renee, the woman who preyed on their foster son. With a terse smile he ended the press conference and guided me and my family back inside of the police building. Inside, Captain Myles turned to me. "If they had come to the police first, this could have been avoided. I know that this whole thing was orchestrated by your mother to try and extort money from you and your family. We're working with the entire state to try and find her. She's got several warrants out for her arrest in addition to what she's dealing with your situation. If you see her, call us immediately. Detective Sanchez has a description of the black truck and the phone number from Robert."
"Thank you, Captain," I said wearily. "We'll do that." He smiled at me genuinely. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get home and spend time with my babies. Today has been a trying day…"
"Understandable, Mrs. Masen," Captain Myles said, shaking my hand. He turned to Edward, shaking his hand as well. "We'll be in touch soon."
Jasper guided us out the back way, leading us to his Lexus. "I'm going to drive you to my place in case the vultures decide to follow me," he said. "Seth has the same car and could possibly be a decoy, but you never know."
Thankfully, nobody followed us. We arrived at Alice and Jasper's, eating dinner with them. Once we were done, we loaded up ourselves and our children into the borrowed Range Rover, driving back to our home. The kids were chattering in the backseat, happy to have us all together. I wanted to be happy with them, but I was just shattered from the emotional turmoil of today.
However, when we pulled into the driveway, we saw the black Lexus of Dr. Eddy in our driveway.
What now?
"Edward, take the kids inside," I said.
"I want to be there with you," Edward growled lowly.
"Just get them inside and settled in the playroom," I sighed, rubbing my temples because of the headache I had from the bullshit from today. We got out of the car and I greeted Dr. Eddy. "Why don't you come inside?"
He followed me into the kitchen and seemed to look guilty. "Bella…"
"Please wait until my husband comes down," I said curtly, pulling out a bottle of whisky and pouring myself a fairly hefty serving. I downed it in one gulp. Edward came down as I was pouring myself another drink. He pulled the bottle from my hand and gave me a stern look. "If you're here to fire me, just fucking do it. I'm done."
Dr. Eddy was shocked at my language, but he seemed to understand. "I'm not here to fire you, Bella. I am here to put you on administrative leave until we can finish our investigation."
"So you can find some bullshit charges against me and fire me then?" I spat.
"Bella, stop," Edward said. "Dr. Eddy, was tonight really necessary? You probably saw what we just had to deal with on the television and now you're here…"
"The timing is less than ideal, I know. Bella, I like you. A lot. You're a devoted educator and find administrator. However, regardless of the accusations being true or false, we need to investigate. Yes, these accusations were orchestrated by your mom, but a child still said that you molested them."
"I didn't," I screamed, throwing the crystal glass into the sink. "FUCK! I didn't!" I started panicking and tears were flowing down my cheeks. "Why don't you believe me? Why is she doing this to me?"
"Bella, you have to breathe," Edward said, wrapping his arms around me. I clutched at his suit, feeling woozy. "Dr. Eddy, please see yourself out. Our attorneys will be in contact with you on Monday. Please do not contact us if we do not have our representation present."
"Don't be like that, Dr. Masen," Dr. Eddy frowned.
"No. You are being like that by investigating my wife based off the untrue accusations of a punk-ass brat under the influence of her mother. Get. The. Fuck. Out." Edward kissed my forehead. I didn't hear Dr. Eddy leave. "Bella, I'm going to have to deal with…"
I nodded against his chest and watched as he stalked over to one of my bosses. He laid a heavy arm on his shoulders, pushing him out of the kitchen. As I watched him leave, my breathing grew shallower. Everything was imploding around me. I gripped the counter, trying to keep myself upright. However, my vision blackened and I felt myself lose control. I don't what happened next, but everything dimmed and blackness surrounded me…
A/N: Seriously, who thinks Renee is a bitch? I hate her in this fic. Now, no pics with this one. It really didn't lend itself to pictures, obviously. I just want you all to realize, Bella NEVER touched Robbie. It was all cooked up by Renee. Bella is a dedicated, caring educator and the thought of that is sickening to her. (Not to mention me. Ewww…disgusting). Please leave me some loving, because I need some positive feedback.
You can find me on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation or on twitter: tufano79. I also have a blog and a tumblr…links for those are on my profile. Thanks!
Up next will be some fluffier times, bonding with the kids and some more drama with Renee.