My least favorite POV…. but we need to check-in. Enjoy!
CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR
JACOB'S POV:
I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling and counting the visible cracks to pass the time. Time was such a weird concept—and lately, it felt like it was barely moving. If it wasn't for the calendar on the wall, I wouldn't even know what day it was anymore. Everyday was starting to blend together.
"You've got a visitor," I heard from my right. I looked over to see that it was the nicer guard of few I've come into contact with. At least he won't drag me like a hardened criminal from my cell to the visitor's room.
With a sigh, I got out of bed, and glanced at the calendar that I used to keep track of my time spent here. There were 27 X's to signify time already served. Though staring at all those X's should feel like I accomplished something, my sentence was for 90 days, so I still had a long way to go. As I was herded down the hallway, I couldn't help but reminisce over how I ended up here.
Despite my instincts telling me not to, I took the private investigator to Bella's house. He told me that since we had a key, we were in the clear, and I stupidly believed him. After all, he does this sort of thing for a living. I didn't think he would steer me wrong. However, the second we entered Bella's house, I knew I made the wrong decision. James was a nosey fucker. He was going through everything he could get his hands on, and taking pictures. It was making me uncomfortable. I kept looking at my watch, hoping that he would hurry up so we could get out of here.
Unfortunately for us, we were disturbed by a police officer—one of Charlie's old deputies that I had met over the years. I tried to recall his name. I think it was Diego? Not wanting to seem suspicious, I went for overly friendly.
"Hey, Diego, right? I'm Jacob Black. I think we met down at the station one time when I went to meet Charlie for lunch."
Diego gave me a long look as he tried to recall what I was saying. I wasn't sure if he did in fact remember, but he referred to me by my last name showing he still was acting professionally. "Mr. Black. I received a call about an intrusion here in the house. Seems that Ms. Swan is out of state, and there shouldn't be any visitors besides the woman looking after the place in her absence."
"Yes, I am aware that Bella is in Chicago. But I'm allowed to be here. I have a key, after all," I told him, holding up said key to prove the point.
"So, it seems. And who is this?" he asked, as he spotted James pilfering through Bella's photo albums. If anyone was going to ruin this for us, it would be him. Couldn't he have stopped snooping when the cop showed up?
"This is my pal James Hunter."
"What is your business here gentlemen?" he asked us, his hand resting on his gun.
Since James was caught looking through the photos, I decided to use that as an excuse. "I wanted to do something nice for Bella, and I was looking for pictures of us since our friendship spans decades. I figured with Bella being out of town, it would be the perfect time to swoop in, and borrow the pictures so I can scan them for my present, and then return them without her knowing. James here is a photographer, and was helping me choose the best ones." James just nodded his head, showing the officer he agreed with what I said.
"While that sounds reasonable, we take complaints seriously. I'm sorry to say the surprise is ruined as we have to contact Ms. Swan to verify if you are in fact welcome here," Diego told us.
"But why do you need to do that? As I said, I have a key. That proves that I'm allowed to be here," I tried to reason with the officer. If Bella found out I was in her house, she would flip out. This was not looking good.
"Maybe you are allowed, Mr. Black. But not Mr. Hunter. If you two will just wait here in the living room while I check back in at the station," said Diego, before he stepped back outside to radio into dispatch.
With the coast clear, I turned to James and said, "What the fuck are we going to do? If they get ahold of Bella, they'll quickly learn we aren't supposed to be here."
"That'll be your problem buddy," said James as he made his way out of the living room, and headed towards the kitchen.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, following him to see what he was up to.
"I'm bailing man. I can't go to jail for trespassing. This isn't my first offense. The punishment will be harsher this time. You are on your own," he told me as he opened up the door that led to the backyard.
"You can't leave now. That will just look even more suspicious with the cop," I exclaimed, but James was already down the steps and jogging through the backyard. It looked like he intended to hop the fence, and head out on foot.
I was startled when I heard a "FREEZE" come from behind me. Diego was back, and he had his gun in his hand, hoping to scare James into staying put. However, it had the opposite effect. James booked it—running as fast as he could towards the back fence.
Diego rushed past me, bellowing, "Don't even think of leaving, Black," before he too, started running through the backyard.
As I watched the chase, my knees started to get shaky. I helped myself to a chair at the kitchen table, and then laid my head down on the wooden surface. This was bad—really bad. And I had a feeling that Laurent wasn't going to be able to get me out of it. Times like these made me wish I still had Sam in my corner. He would help me navigate the legal woes I was about to embark on—if only he wasn't representing the other party. I had a feeling that if Laurent had a choice between saving me and saving his pawn, he'd help James out.
I don't know how much time had passed, but Diego returned with a disgruntled James in handcuffs. I was impressed the small-town cop was able to track him down, and catch him. My guess is that Diego had knowledge of the area, while James was an outsider. I'm sure that worked to his advantage. Diego took the both of us down to the station, where James and I were separated. I found myself in an interrogation room with Chief Mark Amato, Charlie's replacement.
"Mr. Black. It appears that we have a discrepancy in stories here. You claim that you were allowed to be in Ms. Swan's house, while Ms. Swan told us that your friendship has dissolved since you were taking legal action against her."
I'm sure that there were more pressing points I should have responded to in his declaration, but I was more focused on Bella stating our friendship was dissolved. "She's still my friend—we're just not seeing eye to eye right now," I stated sullenly. The expression on Chief Amato's face didn't change, so I don't think I gained anything by telling him that.
"Well, based on what Ms. Swan told us, the only person allowed in the house was a Ms. Angela Chenney. All others were considered to be trespassing, which we agree with."
"But how is it trespassing when I have a key?" I questioned him.
"A key that you knew you shouldn't be using while you were trying to take custody of Ms. Swan's son. You knew you shouldn't be there, and you went anyways," the Chief emphasized. You could feel the disappointment oozing off of him. "I've asked Ms. Swan what she wanted to do, and she has told us that she wishes to press charges."
My breath caught hearing that Bella really was going to throw me to the wolves here. I understood that our friendship was a little rocky right now—but she seriously was going to have me face charges? Shaking my head, I said, "While I can see maybe I shouldn't have been there, I still don't see how it could be classified as trespassing. That seems a little extreme," I rationalized. I was trying to save my ass here now that I realized I truly was in trouble.
"The common law definition of trespassing is to enter someone's land or property without their permission. By locking the door, they have denied permission to everyone except those to whom they have given a key. Yes, you had a key which just means that there is no longer a physical restriction. However, as you did not have permission to enter, the legal restriction is still in force."
"Well, I didn't realize that I was trespassing. I still thought I had permission to be there. Doesn't that work in my favor?" I asked him.
"Only in if you will be charged with trespassing in the first degree, or second degree."
"What's the difference?" I questioned. There were levels of trespassing? Maybe I should have my lawyer here. When do I get that phone call?
"If you're charged with first degree, you'll be facing up a year in prison, as well as a quite a hefty fine. If you can prove it was second degree, the most time served would be 90 days and about a $1000 fine." I cursed under my breath, realizing I was in serious trouble here. I think the Chief could see that he had rattled me, so he offered me an olive branch. "What also may work in your favor is if you are willing to shed some light on your partner in crime. Being that he is not from around here, we know next to nothing about James Hunter, and as you can imagine, he is not eager to share information with us. He's talking us around in circles, and my men are getting nowhere. He does have a rap sheet which tells quite a colorful story, so we believe he's the true perpetrator. If you were able to provide us with what he was doing in Ms. Swan's house, I would certainly pass that information along to the judge that you helped us get the real criminal," Chief Amato offered.
I weighed my options here. If I called Laurent, he certainly wouldn't want me to give them the nitty gritty details on James. He needed James to get his information for cases. So, he would probably misadvise me, and screw me over. Could I trust Chief Amato? On those cop tv shows, the officers would falsely lure the convict into giving information that would only further incriminate them. Or renege on deals later after they got what they wanted. I've known Mark Amato for a long time. He served under Charlie, and I don't think he would do me wrong. But I wanted a guarantee before I opened my mouth. "Can I get that deal in writing? Information for a lesser sentence?"
"Let me talk to the district attorney, but I believe I can do that for you. I will get right back to you. In the meantime, you are owed a call. You can make that now while you wait," Chief Amato said before leaving the room.
I stared at the phone he placed in front of me for a long time. Who could I call? In normal circumstances, I would have called Bella, but considering I was here because of her, that was a no-go. My wife was AWOL—I had no idea where she took off to. Sam probably wouldn't take my call due to conflict of interest. Calling my father wouldn't help—it's not like he could get here, being in his wheelchair and all. But he needed to know that I wouldn't be coming home tonight, and potentially for the next couple of nights. Taking the cowards way out, I phoned the garage, and figured I'd pass the message along to whatever poor soul answered the phone.
"La Push Garage, Jared speaking. How might I assist you?"
"Hey Jared. It's Jake."
"Jake. What's up man? Where have you been? I thought you were supposed to work today? Paul was pissed you were a no-show," he told me.
I was supposed to work today? Guess that must have slipped my mind. Shaking my head, I responded, "Yeah, well, I'm kinda in jail, so work wasn't going to happen today."
"Jail? Jake, what the hell? Are you okay? What did you do? Do you need me to call Sam? Wait, why are you calling here? Shouldn't you be calling him?"
"Jared, pause with the questions if you want an answer. Now, Sam can't represent me anymore as he's Bella's client and she is the reason I am here," I started to explain.
"Bella did this? That doesn't sound like her. Seriously Jake, what did you do to upset her so much?" Jared asked, though you could hear the worry in his voice.
"What I did isn't important right now. I'm working this out on my end. I just need someone to let my Dad know—and perhaps look after him. I don't know how long I'm gonna be locked up for, and you know he'll be needing assistance."
"No worries man. I'll stop by on my way home from work to give him the low-down. But he's going to want details Jake. I just hope he doesn't shoot the messenger."
"If he presses, just tell him that I pushed Bella too far with this custody case. That's all he needs to know for now, because I don't even fully understand all the charges myself."
"Should you really be doing this alone, Jake? I know you can't use Sam, but I'm sure he might be able to recommend someone else. Regardless of what's going on between you two, he's still your friend," Jared pressed.
"If it gets to be too much, I'll take a state appointed lawyer, but I think I'll be alright," I told him, hoping that would appease his worries.
"Do you want me to tell anyone else? Do you need anything?"
"My dad's most important, but I guess you can tell the guys in the shop as you all are going to be shorthanded for a while."
"Don't worry about the shop. We managed while you were away on your honeymoon. I'm sure we can manage again. What about Jess? Does she know?"
"Have you seen her?" I countered, wondering if maybe she hadn't gotten as far away as I had thought.
"Uh, actually. No. I just figured, she's your wife. She'd probably want to know," Jared explained. "Kim would kill me if I didn't share something big like this with her, if I were in your shoes."
"Yeah, well, I have no idea where she is right now, and she hasn't been taking my calls for the last week, so I doubt any of you would be able to get through to her. You could try, but don't get your hopes up. I'm sure she'd tell you I had it coming, and leave me here to rot," I bemoaned.
"You're not going to rot Jake. I'll try Jess. You never know. In the meantime, don't let the cops get you too upset. Your anger will be your downfall. I'm not saying you have to kiss their asses, but at least show them you're willing to work with them."
"Thanks man. I'll do what I can. And thanks for helping with Dad."
"No problem Jake. I'm sure between the guys and our girls, we should be able to figure out a schedule to help him out."
"I appreciate it Jared. I've got to go now. I'm not sure what phone privileges look like, but I'll try to reach out as soon as I can to check in, and update you on what's my verdict."
"Alright. Stay strong man."
"Bye Jared." I hung up the phone, and leaned back in my chair, waiting for Chief Amato to come back.
It didn't take too long, but the Chief came back in the interrogation room, followed by a woman that I hadn't met before. She was a tiny thing—barely five feet tall. She looked more like a child, but her professional wear and briefcase spoke to her true age. She had a scowl on her face, leaving me to believe that things were not looking good for me.
"Mr. Black, I presume?" she asked, helping herself to the chair across from me.
"That's me."
"I am District Attorney, Jane Dolore. Chief Mark has explained that you are looking to make a deal with us. Is that correct?" she questioned me.
"Yes, that is correct. I didn't realize that my actions counted as trespassing. Otherwise, I never would have agreed to Mr. Hunter's plan. I have no ties to him, no loyalty. I am willing to help you. I will give you the information you need to convict him if my sentence is lessened to second degree." I stared at Ms. Dolore in hopes of seeing if my declaration caused a reaction, but she was a formidable opponent. Her face gave nothing away. She must be a hell of a poker player.
"You understand that even with second degree, you still will be facing some jail time?" Jane questioned.
"I..I am aware," I whispered back. It doesn't matter how tough you are—prison is a scary concept. But it sounds like I didn't have a choice. I would be seeing the inside of a jail cell regardless of what the outcome was today.
"Then it is within my power to offer you this plea deal. You will plead guilty to trespassing in the second degree. You will be sentenced to the required 90 days in jail. While that may sound daunting, it is better than the year you would have gotten with first degree. And, there is always the chance that you can get out early due to good behavior, or over-crowding. Do you accept?"
90 days? Trapped in a tiny cell? God, what has my life come to, I thought to myself. But what other choice did I have? Three months was definitely better than losing an entire year. Begrudgingly, I nodded.
"Very well. All that we discussed is highlighted here in this document. Read it over, sign it, then get to talking. Chief Amato will record the conversation so it can be used as evidence. My work here is done." With that, Jane got up, and made her exit. For a tiny little thing, she certainly was a tough lady.
"She takes some getting used to. That was her actually on a good day, so be thankful for that. You don't want to see her when she's angry," Chief Amato said, sitting back down in his chair.
After the document was signed, the Chief pulled out a recording device, and set it down between us. And then I told him everything. About how I went to Seattle and hired Laurent. How he wanted to fabricate stories to take down Bella. How I wasn't onboard with that line of offense and only wanted to use the truth. How Laurent said we needed James to find that truth. I explained how James first went to Chicago to find dirt on the Cullens, and now he was in Forks looking for stuff on Bella. I told Chief Marks about James' snooping and that he asked for me to let him into Bella's house. I explained that I wasn't comfortable doing so, but that it seemed like the better alternative to James breaking and entering. I thought my being there would help control the situation more, but really it just made me an accessory. I pointed out that James was going through all of Bella's personal documents and photos, and taking pictures of things that he planned to submit to Laurent to use against her. I told him about what James confessed back at the house after the officer showed up, and why he chose to run instead. Finally, I was all out of things to share. I could only hope that it was enough.
Chief Mark stopped the recording device, and gave me a hard look. "Be glad you had this plea deal Mr. Black, because you could have been charged with a whole bunch of other things based on what you told me."
"Worse than trespassing in the first degree?" I asked, wanting to know what bullet I just dodged.
"He'll be charged with that. But we also will be perusing burglary. And intrusion."
"But he didn't do any breaking and entering? Isn't that the same thing?" I asked him, confused. "And what's intrusion?"
"A person commits burglary by entering a building or structure without permission in order to commit a crime inside. Traditionally, "breaking and entering" was part of the crime; it meant forcing entry into a building during a burglary. Today, in most states, no "breaking" or force is required, and any entry into a building can constitute burglary if certain requirements are met. You following me so far?" Chief Amato asked me. I nodded to show that I understood what he was explaining. With a nod, he continued, "In this case, we would be going for residential burglary. Mr. Hunter entered Ms. Swan's home with the intent to go through all of her things, and photographed her personal items. Bella's privacy was violated. Based on the type of documents you told us about, he invaded her financial records, her health records, among other things. That is the intrusion part. Hopefully the photos are still on the camera, or we can get our tech department to find them again if he deleted them so we can prove this."
"What kind of time is he looking at?" I asked, trying to see if I still got the best deal.
"Residential burglary is a class B felony, punishable by ten years imprisonment, and a $10,000 fine. And that's before we start adding in the intrusion, and privacy violations. With his previous record, Mr. Hunter will be going away for a long while," Chief Amato rattled off.
Ten years? And I could have potentially been charged as an accomplice! Thank god I made that deal. I know that I feel strongly about this custody case, but it certainly wasn't worth throwing away ten years of my life for it. Maybe I needed to reexamine my priorities.
After I settled things with Chief Amato, I was booked, and sent to the Olympic Corrections Center (OCC), which was about three hours away. I guess I was naïve, and thought I would be serving my time here in Forks. Apparently, those cells are more for holding prisoners until they can get to actual facilities. After I arrived at OCC, I was given a cell with a bunk bed. The guard told me that as of right now, I didn't have a roommate, but that would quickly change. I quickly took the top bunk, then went to meet my case manager who gave me a rundown of what I could expect while serving my time. I found it interesting that sentenced inmates are required to work if they are medically able. Work assignments ranged from food service to laundry, or those with skills could be assigned as a plumber, or groundskeeper. We didn't earn a lot, but what we did earn could be used in the prison commissary. Due to my background with cars, they put me in the maintenance shop. So essentially, I was doing what I do every day, but for significantly less money. Meals weren't horrible. They reminded me of the frozen dinners that I ate back when I was a bachelor. Though I did find them to be kind of small, I at least got fed three times a day, so I couldn't complain. And so, my life as a prisoner began, doing the same thing day in and day out.
I was brought out of my recollection when the guard I was following stopped walking. Looking around, I saw that we had made it to the visitor's room. The guard uncuffed my hands once we made it to our destination. Apparently, all prisoners need to be handcuffed while in transport. Makes little sense to me, but I wasn't going to ruffle any feathers while I was here.
"You have thirty minutes, Black. You can initiate contact with the person at the beginning and the end of the visit. Handshake, hug, kiss, etc. But that is the only contact you may have during the visit. If you do not follow this rule, the guards supervising the visit may end the visit early. Do you understand?" the guard asked.
"Yes, I get it."
"Alright, you may go in now. Please keep your voice down as to not disrupt the other prisoners and their visitors. And, behave," was the guard's parting words, as he hit the code to open the door to the visiting room.
I stepped in, rubbing at my wrists to ease the sore the handcuffs had inflicted. I looked around at the room, hoping to see a familiar face. I didn't have to look long before I saw the weathered face of my father sitting at the table.
"Dad," I called, as I hurried over to the table he was situated at. He pushed back from the table, rolling to meet me half way. I quickly leaned down and gave him a deep hug. But before I could truly enjoy it, I heard, "That's enough" come from somewhere in the room. Looking behind me, I saw that it came from the guard that was leaning against the wall observing things. I quickly stood back up, and helped push my dad back to the table, and sat across from him.
"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" I asked him, wondering if everything was alright. While I didn't have access to the phone on a daily basis, I did try to call home at least twice a week to check in with him, and make sure he was being taken care of. He certainly hadn't mentioned a visit when I last talked to him three days ago.
"I had to see that they were treating you okay here. I was worried about you Jacob," he told me. I could hear how admitting that made his voice quiver with the emotions he was battling.
"Dad, I told you that it's really not that bad here. I eat, work, and sleep. I get some down time every day. Its really not as bad as they make it out to be in movies and stuff," I tried to reassure him.
"What about the other prisoners? I'm sure they're not all angels. Do you feel safe here? How's your roommate?" Dad pressed. You could see the concern etched on his face.
"I know which prisoners to stay away from Dad. I'm not looking for trouble. I pretty much stick to myself. If I do talk with anyone, it's with the other guys on my work detail. They're the ones I spend the most time with. I'm being safe. My roommate is a bit of an oddball. I leave him be, and he leaves me be. We're just co-existing, which is fine by me. I'm hoping that if I continue to keep my head down, I will be out of here in no time."
"I hope so Jacob. It's not the same without you at home. But everyone has stepped up, and are helping out."
"How did you get up here? Who drove you?" I asked again, remembering he hadn't answered me.
"Sam drove me up. He was concerned about you as well."
"He's the one who helped put me in here. So, I think you are mistaking concern for guilt, Dad," I scoffed.
"No Jacob. You put yourself here. There is no one to blame but you. This is not Bella's fault, or Sam's fault, or the police's fault. Actions have consequences, as you are quickly learning. You need to figure out if you are happy with the way your life is turning out. There is still time to turn things around," he lectured me.
"I know that I went too far Dad. When you have nothing but time to analyze and look at things, its clear to see that I should never have pushed Bella as far as I did. While I still don't think introducing Cullen into Tony's life was a good decision, I see that its not up to me, regardless of how much I think it should be. I think that because I have been with Tony since day one, I can't help but see him as my son. Cullen coming around made me a tad bit territorial."
"It was more than just a tad bit," my Dad amended.
Ignoring his jab, I continued. "Unfortunately, this whole thing has just proved that my attachment to them is stronger on my side. In their minds, I will always be only the Uncle and best friend. And as much as I want them to be my family, they are not."
"It shouldn't have taken you this long to see that Jacob. If you still had hopes or yearnings to make a family with Bella, you never should have married Jessica. It's not fair to that poor girl."
Worried that if I clenched my hands into fists, the guards would react to my anger, I quickly grabbed the back of my neck to try and calm myself down. "I am aware Dad. And it's not like my feelings towards Jess were fake. I do love her. I just never gave my full heart to her, which wasn't right."
"What is happening with her? Have you tracked her down? Are you going to put the effort into mending and fixing your relationship?" Billy asked me.
"It took some time, but I guess she listened to my messages, and understands that I'm in jail. She picked up the next time I called her, and explained that she's staying at her cousin's place in Tacoma. She's going to stay there for a bit, but is willing to sit down with me after my time is served and talk things out. I told her I didn't want to give up on us. She said I gave up on us the second I put Bella and Tony first. I can only hope that she is willing to see that I have reformed, and give me a second chance."
"Only time will tell. But I have to say, I'm proud of you Jacob. I was worried I was going to come here and see an indignant person who still feels like he's in the right," Billy admitted.
"I'm not perfect Dad, by any means. But I can admit when I've lost. No use shooting a dead horse. I doubt Bella would even want to be my friend at this point. It might be better to just cut my losses. She doesn't need me anymore know that she's reunited with her Cullens. Removing myself from her life just may be what my marriage needs in the long run."
"I don't think cutting yourself out entirely is the answer either Jacob. You all just need some time. Who knows what the future will hold? Reconciliation could be possible down the line. Just not now. Let's just take things one day at a time. Focus on finishing up your sentence, and getting your life back. Maybe you could write to Jessica? Start the courting process all over again—show her that she's worth fighting for."
I'm not exactly the best when it comes to putting my feelings down into words, but my Dad had a valid point. "That's not a bad idea. I will look into that. I might need your help to get the address from her contact book at home. Do you think you could do that for me?"
"I will get it to you. No worries."
"Wrap it up, Black. Time for goodbyes," I heard from the approaching guard. I looked at the clock, surprised that thirty minutes already passed by. I didn't realize I was so starved for company. The disappointment must have shown on my face, for my father was quick to reassure me.
"I can come again, Jake. It really wasn't that hard of a drive. And I'm sure any of the boys would like to pop in for a hello too."
"I couldn't ask that of you Dad," I told him. I couldn't be selfish here.
"You're not asking, I'm offering. And I want to do this. As a parent, I need to see for myself that you are doing okay."
"Just don't overwhelm yourself Dad. You've got to take care of yourself."
"Sure, sure," Billy said. I smiled at my familiar response. It was perfect coming from his mouth. Afterall, it was something I learned from him.
"And tell Sam thanks," I offered. My dad simply nodded to acknowledge what I said.
I gave him another hug, but quickly retreated before the guard had to intervene again. With one last look at my Dad, I turned around and heading out of the room, back to my cell, and back to my countdown. I know the saying is that 'a leopard never changes it's spots' but I truly feel like going to prison changed me. And I just needed more X's to show up on my calendar for me to get back out into the world, and make a difference.