Chapter Thirty Eight

Charlie

I discovered the secret drawer in Bella's desk purely by accident, it hadn't been closed properly and the edge stuck out. Inside was a manilla folder and I was about to slide it back when I recognized Sophie's writing on it. Why would Bella have a folder in Sophie's handwriting in a secret drawer of her desk? Deciding it was none of my business I pushed it back but something was jammed in the runner and as I pulled it out I found a bank statement. Well, I guess maybe Bella wanted some privacy although I doubted anyone would snoop in her room but as I folded it to put it inside the drawer I recognize the name at the head of the statement, S Sparks. Curiosity got the better of me at this point, why would Bella be hiding one of Sophie's old bank statements in her room? Were things even worse than I had imagined?

I pulled the folder out relieved I was alone in the house and opened it up. Inside I recognized the journal I had bought Sophie last Christmas. I hadn't seen it since and thought she had stopped keeping one, maybe she had given it to Bella? When I opened it though I recognized my wife's handwriting. Sophie had been keeping a journal after all, but why was it hidden in Bella's room? This didn't make sense. Sitting back against the bed I began to read and as I did so I felt sick to my stomach.

I have no idea how long I sat there after I finished reading the journal, too stunned and nauseated to do more than drop it to the floor but eventually I picked up the statements almost certain I knew what I would discover here and I wasn't mistaken. My wife, my Sophie, had lied to me all down the line, not only that but she had been stealing from Bella almost from the moment my daughter arrived in Forks.

When I finally pulled myself together all I could think of was that I had put my faith in the wrong person and now I needed a way to put it right if that were even possible. Would I have believed Sophie a liar if I hadn't found this irrefutable proof? It was a question I was unwilling to answer, after all the thought I had been deceived by the woman I loved, who slept in my arms every night and had done for so many years was painful. How much more painful must it therefore be for Bella to see that her father did not trust her, or believe her.

Hearing a car pull up outside I considered getting up and going downstairs to confront my wife but decided I didn't have the strength or inclination to do so, let her find me here among the proofs of her deceit.

"Charlie? Where are you?"

I didn't reply, I couldn't force any words through my restricted throat and after a couple of minutes I heard the kettle click on and then soft footsteps on the stairs. Bracing myself I waited as Sophie checked first our bedroom and then the bathroom before pushing open Bella's door to find me sitting on the floor by my daughter's bed.

Her brow furrowed and she ran to me seeming to think I had fallen or something but then she came to a sudden halt and her eyes narrowed, she had recognized the journal laying by my side.

"Where did you find that?"

I picked it up and held it out to her,

"Go on take it, after all, it is yours, or are you going to deny it?"

She snatched it from me and threw it onto the bed,

"No, I'm not going to deny it, have you been snooping? Or did Bella come back?'

"Why Sophie? Did you hate Bella so much you had to make her life a living hell?"

"Don't be so melodramatic, she attacked me, not the other way around remember."

"You lied, you manipulated and you cheated her. The girl's disabled, how could you do that Sophie? Bella's my daughter. You stole from her and hid the money away."

"I took fair payment for looking after your brat Charlie. I never signed up to be a mom to your daughter, or a care giver, you knew that but still you brought her here and expected me to be OK with it. I just wanted her to go, to leave us alone. Is that so difficult to understand?"

I could hardly believe my ears, there was no contrition in Sophie's tone of voice, she felt no guilt or shame at what she was admitting to.

"You tortured my daughter, a girl who couldn't defend herself and then lied to make me believe she was the guilty party. How could you?"

"I did what was necessary to save my marriage, Charlie. I gave you twelve years of my life, I supported your career, I stood by you, helped you become what you are, don't I deserve something in return? I am not your personal babysitter, I didn't sign up for that and you know it."

"What about the money you stole? Bella's money you've been hiding away all this time."

"Fair payment for all she's put me through, anyway she didn't complain Charlie, did she?"

"How could she? Bella couldn't stick up for herself and when she finally tried you lied to me, you drove her to attack you."

"She tried to kill me, you should be grateful I didn't press charges, I still might."

I stood up shaking with anger at her cold indifference to the harm she had done.

"No, you won't, because if you do I will make sure Bella presses charges against you for theft."

Her face twisted in a cruel smile,

"Now who is going to believe her when they see the bruises on my throat. I made sure to see one of the doctors at the clinic in Port Angeles, not Carlisle of course. I'll just say she gave me the money for looking after her and I kept it all ready to give back to her when she needed it, prove otherwise Charlie."

I shook my head and headed for the door,

"I want you out of my house Sophie and out of my life. You leave Bella alone and no one needs to know what you did. Cause her any more grief and I swear I'll drag your name so far through the crap you'll never get clean again."

"You can't throw me out, this is my home."

"Actually, I can, remember it was in my name and when you and I got married I put it in Bella's name, in trust for her. You were going to get my pension and our savings. Now you'll get fucking nothing."

"Oh no, as your lawful wife I'll take you to the cleaners, you can't prove a single thing against me without this."

She snatched up the journal and ran from the room with me in hot pursuit.

I really think she might have succeeded in causing me all kinds of trouble but at the top of the stairs she tripped, grabbing at thin air to save herself before falling backward to the bottom, landing with a terrible sickening thud on the hall floor below. I ran down and knelt beside her but I'd seen enough dead bodies to know she was beyond any help, her neck was twisted at a strange angle, broken by the impact of her landing.

Before I had time to do anything I heard the front door burst open and Jasper Hale stood there.

"Chief Swan, I heard a bang as I arrived, what happened?"

He looked at my wife's body and then up the stairs,

"She fell. We were arguing and she missed the top step. She's…."

He nodded then picked up the phone and rang the station to report the accident. After this, we waited in silence until blue flashing lights broke the evening gloom and the paramedics, Carlisle Cullen, and Andy my deputy turned up almost simultaneously.

The rest of the evening was a blur of mixed emotions, mainly shock, and horror as I went over my story. I had picked up the journal and thrown it in the cupboard under the stairs, no one needed to see that but when Andy and the other deputies checked upstairs I expected them to come down with the bank statements. When they appeared empty handed I was surprised.

"That rug at the top of the stairs is pretty worn Chief, Sophie must have tripped on the edge, it's all turned up and twisted."

I nodded uncomprehendingly, was it? I'd never noticed. It didn't take long for everyone to agree this had been a tragic accident and would be written up as such and when everyone finally left I found myself in a silent gloomy house then turned as I heard a sound to find Carlisle standing in the kitchen doorway.

"Come on Charlie, you need a drink."

I nodded and followed him into the lounge taking the tumbler of spirits from him as I collapsed exhausted and emotionally drained into my old armchair.