Welcome to Chapter Thirty-six – Hello, my lovelies…finally a little resolution of the situation, or is it? Approaching the conclusion now…Bella's dilemma will be resolved!

As ever, all things Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. I'm merely messing with her delightful creations. No copyright infringement or offense is intended.

The Cullen Dilemma

Chapter Thirty-six

The rest of the evening flew by in a flurry of discussion. I was concerned that the images could still implicate me in some way.

"We already know that James has kept at least one set," said Alice.

"That he'd use to get to me," said Edward.

"What if he just releases them – sends them to my boss or, worse still, the newspapers?" I wailed.

"He won't have time," said Jasper. "We need to act quickly."

"We need to take this…" Edward gestured at the photos and Alice's phone. "…to the police. Tonight. I don't want to embarrass you, but you understand don't you Bella? Love?"

"Yeah. I just hope it'll be enough."

"It'll be fine," said Alice. "James admits doctoring the images on the recording. If the police act quickly…"

"…and we add in the evidence from the office…" said Edward.

"We've got a very strong case," confirmed Jasper.

"I hope you're both right," I said. I had a very strange feeling about this.

T – C – D

After several phone calls, Edward was able to set up a meeting at his office. When he'd spoken to his boss, he'd gone on to contact the two senior partners who were very supportive. He'd also been given the name of the officer investigating the Hunters and between them they'd decided that the office was the best place to meet.

When we were settled in the boardroom of Foxwood Enterprises, Edward introduced us to everyone.

"I thought young Edward had a lightness in his step and a twinkle in his eye lately," said one of the partners, an elderly man with white hair whose name was Caius Volturi. "I'm delighted to meet you, Isabella."

"Thank you, Sir," I replied.

"Pah! No-one around here calls me sir, Caius will do just fine."

Edward cleared his throat. "If you've finished flirting with my girlfriend, Caius," he said, "we should proceed; it's getting rather late."

There was a rumble of laughter before a woman spoke.

"I'm Detective Constable Jess Stanley and I've been taking the lead in this case. Firstly, I'd like to thank all of you for the information you've provided so far; we've been watching these two for the past three and a half years. I believe you have some new information for us?"

Between them, Edward and Jasper explained everything that had happened. Jess handed over Ali's phone to a uniformed officer who was told to make a clean copy as soon as possible.

Caius took over and talked about the Hunters' account at Foxwood, explaining that it was down to Edward's clever thinking as their Account Manager that their possible illegal activity had come to light.

Then came the part I was most dreading.

"I understand that Mister Hunter has developed some kind of fascination with you, Miss Swan?" she asked.

"Yes." I nodded. "It appears that way."

"And he's blackmailing you?"

"Not directly. He's been using my friend here, Miss Brandon, to try and get to me."

"Because she refused to get involved with him or his company," said Edward. I could see a vein throbbing in his temple; he pulled his hair and rubbed over the spot.

"It's okay, Mister Cullen," said DC Stanley. "I know it's very embarrassing, Miss Swann, but may I see the photos?"

I looked around the room.

"Thanks for now, everyone. Maybe you'd like to grab a tea or a coffee while we take a look at these?"

Everyone stood to file out, leaving me with some shred of dignity.

"Miss Brandon and both Mister Cullens, would you stay please."

"Of course," said Edward as they all sat down again.

"I can see why these images would upset you," she said, scrutinizing them very carefully. "Even if you're not actually in them."

"You believe us?" I asked.

"Of course," she said. "You all have exemplary records, whereas the Hunters…well, let's just say they have previous."

"And there's our tattoos," said Jasper. "Proves it's not my brother and I."

"Ah…about that," said DC Stanley. "I'm afraid they'd be inadmissible as evidence – you could have had them done after the photos, an attempt to cover your tracks if you will."

There was a barrage of expletives as Edward and Jasper took in what Jess had said.

"However, there is hope!"

"I can't see any," I whispered.

"Which is why I'm a detective and you're a teacher," said Jess in a firm voice. "Now listen. James Hunter is clever, but not as clever as he likes to think. So many criminals believe they're untouchable, above the law; the more they get away with, the more arrogant they become. Hunter truly believes he is god-like and that will be his downfall. I want to get these images blown up – I believe there's something on there that will provide all the evidence we need. As soon as we have that, I've a team of officers on standby, ready to search their premises. Until then, thank you, go home and try to rest."

After a few minutes conversation with Caius, we left the building. I felt emotionally drained and I was more than a little nervous about what might happen next.

It was getting late, so Jasper and Alice decided to go back to her place, while Edward suggested he accompany me home.

"Coffee?" I suggested as Edward pulled onto his drive.

"As long as you're not too tired," he replied, placing a kiss on the top of my head.

"I doubt I'm going to get much sleep anyway; I just keep seeing those vile images in my head."

"Bella, everyone who lo… cares for you, would know you'd never do a thing like that."

"I certainly hope so," I said.

Edward pulled me close as we sat on my sofa, drinking our nightcap.

"I am so pissed off," he said. "That fucker, Hunter, thinks he's above the law. I hope to god DC Stanley finds something incriminating on those photos."

I sighed.

"From what she said, I think they're just another piece of a bigger jigsaw of evidence. I so want him to have slipped up, I can't believe that he'd get innocent girls… well, he's beneath contempt and as for that wife of his…"

"She's totally under his control, love, just like those other poor women."

We sat in silence for a while, before Edward spoke up.

"You need to have your mind taken off things," he said.

I nodded.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, a little birdie told me that she has a go-to DVD for when she's down in the dumps," Edward said.

"You'd endure that for me?"

"Uh-huh," he replied. "I'll even let you put your feet on my lap!"

"You might just be my hero." I told him.

"Don't move – I know where this one is," he said.

Edward got up from the sofa and walked over to the shelf housing my DVD collection; he quickly found the disc and took it over to the DVD player.

The familiar theme began and Edward got comfortable in the opposite corner of the settee, pulling my feet over his knees and tossing one of my crochet throws over us.

"Edward," I said.

"Yes, Bella?"

"Thanks!"

"No problem, lovely lady. I like taking care of you."

Edward pulled my hand up to his lips and kissed the knuckles.

I'd never met another human being like Edward Cullen, he was about as special as a person could be. I confess I kept sneaking glances his way when I thought he wasn't looking.

The fifth or sixth time I did it, I noticed the corners of his mouth turning up.

"Not so subtle, Isabella," he whispered.

I moved my leg in a faux kick, but it was all in fun. He began to stroke my leg of the blanket.

I woke up just as Elizabeth Bennet was storming out of her father's study having refused Mister Collins' proposal of marriage. I briefly thought that if I was going to miss part of the story, that was the part to miss – it was excruciatingly painful to watch.

I looked at Edward; his head was back, his eyes were closed and he was snoring gently. I smiled to myself as I noticed his five o'clock shadow – a little facial scruff really suited him, made him look sexier somehow.

I giggled at my own thoughts.

"I'm not asleep," said a deep, tired voice. "I'm just resting my eyes."

"Of course you are," I replied. "I just need to change position, okay."

Edward yawned and held out his arm.

I manoeuvred round and cuddled in under his arm.

"Much better," he said, pulling the cover around us again.

Needless to say, Mister Collins had barely left the Bennett household with Charlotte Lucas before Edward was snoring again.

I did manage to watch right until the end before I fell into an exhausted sleep.

T – C – D

I felt distinctly uncomfortable, I was too hot and my ears were ringing.

"Bella, wake up!"

I wriggled a little and grumbled quite a lot.

"Bella, sweetheart; you'll want to hear this, I promise."

"Edward?" I muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Wake up, Bella; we fell asleep last night and there have been some developments."

That got my attention. I sat up quickly, then had to wait for a moment until the room stopped spinning.

"Headrush," I explained.

"Shall I make a drink?" he asked.

"Not just now; tell me about these developments please."

"Well, that was DC Stanley on the phone, she said they'd found what they were looking for and would have enough to arrest the Hunters."

"Thank God," I replied.

"Yes." Edward nodded enthusiastically. "She's also asked if we could go in to the Police Station as soon as possible."

I threw off the blanket and stood up.

"What are we waiting for?" I cried. "Let's get this whole thing sorted out."

I was heading towards the door, before I realised that Edward was laughing.

"It's not funny," I said. "Come on, we need to get there as soon as possible."

"We do, but Bella, I'm pretty sure there's time for a quick freshen up first."

I glanced in my hall mirror, only to see hair-stack hair, sleepy eyes and a line on my cheek where I'd leaned on a crease in Edward's shirt.

"Arggh!" I shrieked. "Go away; you can't see me like this!"

"Too late," said Edward, still smirking. "I happen to think you're beautiful anyway."

I was lost for words, so I simply scowled at him, which caused Edward to laugh again.

"Go on," he said. "Have a shower. I'll pop home and do the same and meet you back here in…is half an hour long enough?"

I nodded.

"Edward!" I called out as he was almost out of the door.

"Yes, love?" He stuck his head back inside.

"Don't shave!"

I swear Edward was blushing as he pulled the door closed behind him.

T – C – D

"Thanks for coming in," said DC Stanley as she settled into her chair. "I'd like you both to make statements, obviously, but I thought you might like to see this."

She picked up a remote control from her desk, called out to a colleague to dim the lights and pointed at a large screen.

Thankfully, there was no focus on faces but the images we'd handed over the previous evening had been blown up so that small sections filled the screen.

"See this?" she asked, her laser pointer highlighting a small discoloured patch on the thigh of the male in the picture.

"I thought you said that tattoos aren't permissible evidence," I blurted out.

"They're not, Miss Swann, but this…" She paused for dramatic effect. "This is James Hunter's birthmark."

I gasped.

"And so it this!"

She clicked onto a second image.

"Holy shit!"

Edward swore. "The fucker posed for those himself. Sick bastard!"

"Quite, Mister Cullen, but that's not all. Look at this."

Another click brought up another part of the images, a close up of some hair.

"I'm afraid Mr and Mrs Hunter forgot the first rule of identity fraud…"

"I don't get it," I said.

"Look closely, Miss Swann; what do you see?

"A small patch of hair?"

"Yes, now what do you notice about that hair?"

"Well, it's…oh, god, no…no, I can't look any more."

Jess Stanley clicked off the side.

"Quite! James Hunter didn't quite match his wife's collar and cuffs. He missed a few stray pubic hairs, very careless of him."

"Careless enough to put him away?" asked Edward, squeezing my hand in his.

"Enough to prove his intent to blackmail, which gives us cause to seize all his assets and investigate in depth, so yes, I'm pretty sure we've got him."

I was overwhelmed with a sense of relief.

After being taken into different offices to make our statements, we were declared free to go. We were just being shown out when we heard an almighty ruckus.

James and Victoria Hunter were being led, handcuffed, into two separate interview rooms. Victoria looked pale and haunted, but James was in a blind rage, cursing and swearing at anyone and anything.

I cringed and stepped behind Edward, trying to avoid him seeing me, but I was too late.

He stopped protesting and looked straight at me.

"You'll never escape me, Isabella Swann, never. You're mine now and I will find you."

I heard a scream and everything went black.