So the gig is up for James. Let's see what else they've discovered.

The room was silent for a moment as we all processed what Carlisle said.

He turned to Emmett. "Go to the guest house. Demetri is sending a fax through. Don't leave until it comes and then bring it here. Go. Now."

"Fuck, yeah." And Emmett departed quickly.

"She lived with him? But she was living in the hotel…" I trailed off. She told me that anyway, but she always met me downstairs…

Carlisle laughed bitterly. "I think she told you a whole bunch of shit that wasn't true Edward."

I shook my head. "I don't understand. She never mentioned James…or JT other than in passing. Why would he change his name? What has this got to do with me?"

Sebastian spoke up. "James is a possessive, controlling fucker Edward. I know that first hand. I can only imagine what it's like when there are... romantic feelings involved. He no doubt thinks you took Victoria away from him."

"But I didn't know she was involved with him… or anyone… and why now? After all this time?"

Carlisle sat down beside me. "That's what we're going to find out Edward." Then he turned towards Sebastian. "Where's James now?"

"God knows. We had a huge argument last night. I told him he was done. I was done. Things got…heated. I kicked him out and told him he could talk with my lawyers." Sebastian sighed. "It was ugly."

"Did it get physical?"

"Not quite- some shoving, lots of screaming and threats. Some of things he said. Holy shit. I had Alice stay here so I knew she was safe. He was so angry. Irrational even. My lawyers know what's happening. They expect a lawsuit to be filed. I'm actually not sure what to do next."

Carlisle stood up, pacing the room. "Who hired your security team?"

"James."

"Fire them. All of them. We'll get new ones in place today. Emmett has some good contacts."

Carlisle continued thinking and throwing out questions. "Your house staff? Anyone loyal to him?"

"No. I hired them all. James didn't seem to care who looked after the house, or my personal needs."

"You trust them?"

"Without a doubt. None of them like James at all."

"Good, they can stay." "Your passcodes, bank accounts, personal records, musical recordings- does James have access to those?"

"The passcodes yes, and the recordings also have passwords etc, James knows some of them I think. He was involved with setting up the security system. He has access to a few of the business accounts."

Carlisle's voice was firm and decisive. I could feel his thought processes as he mentally ticked down a list of what had to happen and in what order of importance. "Those all need to be changed. The passcodes need to be reset. Your computers need to be locked down. Kill his access to your accounts. Change the security system or upgrade it. ASAP. Somehow, I don't think James is going to go quietly into the night."

Carlisle stopped pacing suddenly. "Sorry Sebastian. Perhaps I'm talking out of turn?"

Sebastian shook his head. "No. Please. I trust you Carlisle. I need some help here."

"Okay, when Emmett gets back we'll get him on the passcodes, passwords and your security system. He'll lock it all down. He's a whiz at that."

I nodded in agreement. He had full control of all my security and I trusted him totally.

"You need new management. You need to issue a statement right away. Distance yourself from him."

Without even thinking I spoke up. "Why don't you step in, temporarily at least, Carlisle?"

Stunned silence greeted my suggestion.

Sebastian's voice was hesitant. "I would be grateful for that…if you could, Carlisle."

"I've only ever managed you, Edward…are you sure about this?" Carlisle stood in front of me.

I nodded. "We're working together right now. You've been handing the bulk of it anyway. And you trust him Sebastian?"

"Without question," Sebastian confirmed.

"Smart man. He'll look after you well. Just like he does for me. If of course, you're interested Carlisle?"

"Yeah…I am."

I nodded. I knew he would be.

I leaned forward. "Sebastian, I heard James threaten you once. He said he owned you. What was he talking about?"

Sebastian stood up and started pacing. He had the same nervous reaction both Carlisle and I had when tense or needing to think. I wondered wryly if habits were catchy.

"I met James a few years ago. I was playing piano at some smaller bars and clubs, hoping for a break and he approached me one night. Said he could help me. That I had a lot of talent etc etc. Told me he was originally from the States but had tons of contacts here. It was exactly what I wanted to hear. He introduced me to a lot of people and seemed to have a game plan…long story short, I signed him on as my manager fairly quickly. Too quickly in retrospect. I should have checked him out more thoroughly. I was thrilled to get a recording contract not long after. It seemed too good to be true."

He stopped pacing for a moment and looked over at us.

"I was young and stupid. And pretty wet behind the ears. I found out that James had bribed people... to help me. Record execs, disc jockeys etc. He had paid people off to help me climb the ladder faster. And he told me how he made certain the paper trail led directly back to me, not him. He's been holding that over me. I've only been successful for a few years, he keeps reminding me of that fact and how he could break me as easily. Destroy my reputation."

Carlisle snorted. "Sebastian, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but he is not the first manager to bribe someone to help them along. It happens a lot. He has nothing on you. The people he bribed would not that want the information to come out anymore than you do. And if it meant keeping themselves out of the media and making sure his mouth was shut they would be willing to point the finger at whomever they really dealt with, I'm sure."

Sebastian stood still for a minute. "Guess I'm stupider than I thought aren't I?"

Carlisle walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not stupid. You trusted someone. He betrayed you Sebastian. Not the other way around. It sounds as though James was looking for an insurance policy to hold you to him."

I stood up. "Put your trust in Carlisle, Sebastian. He won't let you down. I guarantee it. Whatever happens, he'll have your back. So will I, if that helps at all."

Sebastian's voice was relieved. "It does, Edward. It does."

*()*

Carlisle and I were sitting alone in the studio while Emmett and Sebastian were working on the list Carlisle had prepared. Not only had I loaned out my manager but my security as well it seemed. Sebastian only had two security personnel and both had been let go; their passes and privileges revoked. Emmett was now working on all the computer related items, locking down everything in case James gained access.

I sat back, shell-shocked, as Carlisle went over everything Demetri had uncovered. Now that he had a name he was able to access a ton of information. James had known Victoria – for a long time. Demetri had even got hold of some old phone records which indicated Victoria had stayed in touch with James after we were married, right up until a few weeks before she left me in Italy. Past records indicated they had lived together off and on for a few years. Carlisle went through the records of Joe Turner and followed them through to the creation of James Colder and his career since then. One number kept showing up on the current cell phone record James was using and Demetri traced it to a Jane Volt, a small time actress here in Toronto. "Perhaps our pretend Victoria," mused Carlisle. There were so many lies built within all the information it was hard to piece it all together. Demetri had indeed been busy digging.

"Why Carlisle? I still don't understand why he changed his name. Why he pretended not to know me. And if all this torment has been him, why? What's the point? Victoria is dead. Why would he want to make me think otherwise? If he was so pissed about her marrying me why not just tell me and beat the fuck out of me or something? What is he getting from all this? It's just so…fucking complex." I shook my head wearily. It had been a long day already and I was going on very little sleep. I reached in my pocket for my pain meds, thinking if I took a couple it would stave off the headache I could feel coming on. Carlisle's hand stopped me as I was about to put them in my mouth.

"What are those?"

I looked at him confused. "My pain meds. I feel a headache coming on."

"Where did you get them Edward?"

"From the bottle in my pocket Carlisle. And before you can ask, this bottle was in the bathroom like it usually is. Why?"

"This bottle Edward? There's more than one?"

"I have another one on my bedside table. The headaches are so bad lately I have been carrying one with me all the time."

"These aren't your pain meds Edward."

I stared down at the pills in my hands. They were blurry but I could make out they were whitish in color. They looked like my regular pills.

Carlisle took them from me and I could see he was studying them closely.

"Edward, how long have you been taking these? This bottle I mean?"

"I was running low a few days after we got here. I called Dr Newton and he ordered a new prescription I could get here. Emmett picked it up for me."

"Have you noticed anything different?"

"The headaches are constant it seems. But I thought it was all the stress. I've been trying to stay ahead of them and when I feel one coming one I take a couple of these."

"Do you have any of the others left?"

"Yeah. They're in the bottle on my bedside table."

"That's the bottle Dr. Banner saw. I didn't know you had another one," Carlisle's voice was low.

"Someone switched your meds Edward. I don't know what they are exactly but I'm willing to bet these wouldn't help you at all. They probably have been messing you up even more, giving you worse headaches. Someone, James I suspect, wanted you in pain."

"But how would he…?"

Carlisle laughed darkly. "Easily. He had access to everything here. All the doors use pass cards. Most days we were here in the studio. He could slip into the guest house, change out your pills with something that looked similar so you wouldn't know and no one would be the wiser."

I thought about it for a moment. "I thought I was getting immune to these. I was going to talk to Dr. Newman about it when we got home. Yesterday I used the ones Dr. Banner left. They worked. It seemed to confirm what I was thinking. I didn't want to take too many of them though, they're so strong and they make me rather groggy."

Carlisle's hand slammed down on the table between us. "That fucker! He has been messing with you from the get go. I didn't fucking see it."

He stood up and started walking around the room, muttering angrily. Grabbing his phone I heard him talking to Emmett asking him to confirm James' pass card was used to gain entry to the guest house. When Emmett confirmed his theory he picked up the nearest object and threw it at the wall. i jumped as the object shattered and listened to the pieces hit the floor in an explosion of anger.

He stormed out of the studio, slamming the door behind him. I sat back dumbfounded. Never had I seen Carlisle in a fit of rage like that. Unsure if I should follow or not, I sat waiting for a few minutes. I used the time to text Esme checking on Bella. Her brief reply was that she was fine and still sleeping for the most part. And her fever was subsiding. After listening to her response I felt some relief knowing Bella wasn't getting any worse. But now I was worried about Carlisle. I waited a little longer then decided I needed to go find him. Just as I made my decision I heard footsteps approaching and could tell from the firm step it was Carlisle. He entered the room far more quietly than he had exited it and sat down beside me. Neither of us said anything for a minute.

Unable to take the silence anymore I spoke. "You…uh…done there Hulk Hogan? Anything else you want to throw or slam around?"

He chuckled lowly. "Yeah. Sorry."

I leaned forward. "Seriously Carlisle. Are you alright? What the fuck was that about?"

He drew in a deep breath. "That was me being angry at myself."

I shook my head. "Angry at yourself? Why?"

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a bottle of pills which he quietly sat on the table. "These are your pain meds from the bedside table Edward. Your new bottle has definitely been tampered with. They look very similar. I spoke with Dr Banner and sent him a picture of these. They are nitroglycerin; totally ineffective for you. They would have made the headaches worse." He paused. "I didn't see it Edward. I knew James was an ass, but I never saw what was lurking under the surface. I didn't see how dangerous he was. I had no idea what he was capable of."

I was shocked at his admission.

"None of us did Carlisle. Not even Sebastian. How could you possibly know?"

"But don't you see Edward? It's my job to protect you. I failed you with Victoria and now I've failed you again."

I leaned forward and grabbed his arm.

"NO." My voice rose in desperation. "No, Carlisle you didn't. You tried to warn me again and again about her. I wouldn't listen. I was too fucking pig headed. But when I needed you, you were there. You fucking saved my life. None of us had a clue about James. Why would we? There was nothing to connect him to me or to my past. And that's what this is, my past. Now we just have to figure out the why. I need you again Carlisle."

He nodded, but remained uncharacteristically silent.

"I don't hold you responsible. At all. NONE of this is your doing or your fault. I don't want you blaming yourself. I need your cool headed thinking."

"He could have been poisoning you Edward," Carlisle stated quietly.

"Yeah, he could've. But he didn't. Do you think he wants me dead? Or just suffering?"

"Suffering."

"Okay then." I was amazed at how calm I sounded. "Let's figure out why and stop this shit. We need to find him."

Carlisle stood up. "You're right. Let's go talk to Sebastian."

*()*

We found Sebastian and Emmett in the office of the main house. Alice was with them, her hands on Sebastian's shoulders protectively as she stood behind him. When we walked in, she came over and hugged me tightly. I was taken back for a moment then I hugged her back. I was still not used to the freely given affection of Bella's friends, but I found that I liked it. She turned and hugged Carlisle quickly as well then returned to her post behind Sebastian. I saw the movement of his hand lifting up to clasp hers. Instantly I longed for Bella wanting to be able to hold her as well.

"How's it going?" Carlisle's question interrupted my thoughts.

"Almost done," Emmett sighed. "James had all sorts of hidden shit in here. Tracking stuff, extra passcodes etc, but I think I have them all. Even when he was off the grounds, he knew what was happening here, who was coming and going. Scary shit. The security company will be here soon to upgrade the entire system so anything else he has won't work anymore. A brand new set of pass cards will be issued. He or anyone else with an old card won't be able to gain access to the grounds."

He sat back with a sigh. "I've got the music stuff all locked down tight – no outside access will get in. And Sam and Seth will be here soon to meet Sebastian. Luckily they're between gigs right now so they can step in if Sebastian is good with them."

"If you recommend them, I'm sure I'll be fine," murmured Sebastian.

"They're stand up guys. I've worked with them in the past. Edward's used them on occasion as well."

I nodded. "Real professionals. And surprisingly funny."

Emmett laughed. "Yeah, that they are."

Carlisle spoke up.

"Can you take a break Em? I want to fill you in on everything else. You as well Sebastian."

"I'm going to go and make some sandwiches and coffee. When you're done, come to the kitchen," Alice announced and left the room.

The three of us sat down and Carlisle filled them in on everything. I could feel Emmett beside me getting angrier by the minute, his body getting tenser with every new discovery Carlisle revealed. When he was done telling them all we knew Emmett exploded. Expletives and threats poured out of his mouth as he jumped up and started pacing the room in long angry strides. Listening to his ideas of what he would do to James once we found him was partially amusing and somewhat horrifying. Finally I stood up, once I knew he had gotten some of the anger out of his system.

"Emmett," I yelled.

He stopped mid stride.

"Much as I agree about wanting to see him strung up by the balls and covered in honey inside a grizzly bear's cage I think we need to focus on finding him first," I stated wryly.

"Yeah, okay," he huffed and came back to sit down.

"Listen, Edward," he began quietly.

I held up my hand. "No Em. Don't say it. You don't need to. No one in this room had any fucking idea. No one missed anything. Nobody is to blame. Understand me?"

He nodded and leaned over clapping me heartily on the back. Which almost sent me flying to the floor.

"Fuck Em…" I growled.

"Sorry girly man… forgot my own brute strength."

"If I can interrupt your moment…"Carlisle said dryly, "Sebastian do you have any idea where James would go? I doubt we'll find him sitting at home."

Sebastian shook his head. "Other than his condo I have no idea. He never discussed his personal life and what he did outside of working for me. I tried his cell earlier, but it went straight to voice mail."

"Maybe Demetri will have something for us. Meanwhile, we need to prepare a statement and try to figure out his next move. I'm quite sure he's not done yet."

A thought occurred to me.

"Is Bella safe? Esme? What if he's after them?" I stood up in sudden terror. "They're alone at the apartment."

"Edward. Relax," Carlisle's voice was calm. "I already called Esme. She won't answer the door unless it's one of us."

Emmett spoke up. "I already thought of that. Bella's name and address are unlisted. He doesn't know where she lives. And Rose is there as well and she's a black belt. If he walked in he wouldn't be standing for long," he laughed. I could hear the pride in his voice. "She is probably safer there right now than she is here. There are still too many 'if's' right now with all the security stuff. I'm monitoring them."

I sighed in relief and sat back down. "I want to get back to her as soon as I can."

"Soon Edward. Let's go get a sandwich and I'll get this statement done. Then we'll call Demetri for an update. As soon as things are settled here I'll take you back. And as soon as she is feeling better and we're secure, you're bringing her here. In fact all the girls should be here. Just to be safe. Until we figure this out."

I nodded. He was right.

Safety in numbers.

Oh my. James is a total bastard.

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