Napoleon was about to invade Russia when a perfectly manicured hand slammed the book closed. Startled, Jasper looked up and saw Alice sitting across from him. For the first time in months, she was wearing makeup and an outfit that didn't look like it had been slept in. Most shocking of all, she was smiling. It warmed his heart to see her happy. He thanked who or whatever had brought the old Alice back. He'd feared that beautiful grin of hers had disappeared forever along with Bella.

"Jasper," Alice exclaimed, vibrating with energy. "I've been trying to call you all weekend!"

Ms. Book, the aptly named school librarian, scowled and hushed her.

Alice gave Ms. Book a venomous look and lowered her voice. "You'll never guess what happened!"

Jasper tucked the book into his backpack. The research for his next reenactment would have to wait. Alice had his full attention. He'd seen the diplomatic smile she offered to teachers and her parents. This grin was different, more sincere. He hadn't seen her that happy since the day her older brother, Emmett, announced he'd gotten engaged. Jasper found himself mirroring her facial expression. Something big was happening. He was glad to be part of whatever that big thing was.

"You'll never guess what I saw at the mall!" Alice exclaimed.

Jasper's smile vanished. The mall? Seriously? He was expecting something life-changing not a sale at one of Alice's favorite stores.

"I didn't believe my eyes at first, but it's true." Alice continued, unaware of Jasper's growing annoyance "She was there!"

"Who was there," Jasper asked, praying it wasn't another actor from those stupid vampire movies.

"It was Bella!" Alice shouted, drawing the ire of Ms. Book. "She was in the La Push mall!" She's alive!"

Jasper rubbed his temples. This wasn't the first time one of the Cullen twins claimed to have seen Bella. During one of many hospital stays, Edward saw a brown-haired woman pass his room. He jumped out of bed and chased her down the hall. The woman turned out to be a janitor and Edward needed stitches to repair the damage caused by ripping out his IV. Edward didn't regret it one bit. He'd done it before and would do it again if there was even a remote possibility Bella had come back to him.

"How do you know it was her?" Jasper asked. "Did you talk to her?"

"No, but I have proof that it was her!" Alice produced a wrinkled photo from her purse. "I bribed the guards to let me take a look at the security footage from that day!"

Jasper was surprised to recognize the interior of the La Push mall. Alice always said outlet malls were where fashion went to die. What was she doing there?

Alice pointed to a pixelated figure at the edge of the crowd. "That's her!"

Jasper squinted. All he could make out was brown hair and a slim build. Those two physical traits described Bella and half of their class.

"I don't know," Jasper said. "Didn't Bella have longer hair?"

"Her kidnappers could have given her a haircut,"

Jasper took a closer look. "What's she holding? Is that a motorcycle helmet?"

"She had to get to the mall somehow!"

Jasper couldn't help but laugh. Bella had broken her arm riding a bicycle. Letting her anywhere near a motorcycle was asking for trouble.

"This isn't funny," Alice said, close to tears. "It's her, it has to be!"

Jasper took a deep breath. "I have a reenactment in La Push this weekend. I'll ask around. Maybe someone has seen her."

Asking a few questions wouldn't hurt. It was the least he could do after all the pain he'd inflicted on poor, innocent Alice.

Alice reached into her purse and placed another white envelope on the table. It was even more stuffed than the one from Edward.

"You'll need this," Alice said. "While people may not be willing to talk to you, I've found most people open right up to my good friend Benjamin."

"I don't need it," Jasper said, pushing the money back toward Alice. "I still have most of the money Edward gave me."

By most, Jasper meant all. He hadn't spent a single cent of Edward's money. He was planning on giving it back to him the following day. Agreeing to investigate Bella's disappearance had been a mistake. Edward would be better off hiring a real private investigator instead of a seventeen-year-old who could barely keep track of his Geometry homework.

"Either take it now or you'll find it in your locker later," Alice said.

Alice had bought Jasper a new computer last Christmas. While it pained him to do so, Jasper refused to accept it. $2,000 was way past the $30 limit they agreed to. He couldn't believe his eyes when he came home from work and found the computer set up on his desk. Alice had even managed to log him into Facebook and his school email account. If she could do that, slipping an envelope into his locker would be no problem.

Jasper relented and accepted the envelope. He needed to have a talk with Mr. and Mrs. Cullen about their children's spending habits.

"What did the principle say when you talked to her," Alice asked. "Has anyone tried to request her school records?"

Jasper sighed and hoped he wasn't about to add unnecessary fuel to the fire that was Alice's paranoia. " Do you remember that data hack last semester?"

Alice smirked. "How could I forget? They had to give us two full days"Your record wasn't the only one tapered with. Bella's entire file was destroyed. There's no longer any digital record that she ever set foot in Fork's High."

"Maybe the kidnappers did it," Alice leaned forward. "Maybe they created a new identity for her!" Alice jumped up and started pacing. "What about Bella's foster parents? Do they have any enemies? Someone angry enough to take Bella?"

"I'm headed there after school," Jasper said. "You can come with me if you'd like."

"Count me in," Alice said. "We'll have to make it quick though. Edward has a doctor's appointment at 4:30."

Jasper nodded solemnly. Edward's appointment wasn't a run of the mill check-up. After months of painful treatments, the day had finally come to review his latest scans and determine a surgical plan. The anxiety made Edward snippy during the day and restless at night. Everyone was praying that the doctor would have good news. Jasper feared any more treatments would send his best friend over the edge.

Jasper and Alice headed for Bella's former foster home after school. According to Bella, Mr. and Mrs. Mattis. Mr. Mattis ranked somewhere in the middle in terms of foster parents. Mr. Mattis worked at a car dealership and Mrs. Mattis stayed home to watch over their rotating crew of foster children. They rarely showed up to school events and didn't seem to care that Bella spent more time with the Cullens than at home. Based on their shiny new SUV and Bella's worn-out textbooks, Jasper figured they didn't foster kids out of the goodness of their hearts. He wondered how long it had taken them to realize Bella was missing.

Alice didn't hesitate a single second before pounding on the door. A worn-out Mrs. Mattis answered the door with a toddler glued to her leg opened the door. She was dirty sweatpants and an old Fork's High Cheerleading t-shirt. Her husband wasn't the only one who peaked in high school.

"We don't want any magazines, candy, or whatever your school is selling." She snapped.

"We're not selling anything ma'am," Jasper said. "We're here to ask you about Bella Dwyer."

"She hasn't come home from school yet," Mrs. Mattis said with her arms crossed. "You'll have to come back later."

"Bella hasn't come to school in over a year," Alice snapped. "That's why we're here."

"You're from child protective services, aren't you." Mrs. Mattis narrowed her eyes ".I told your partner last week, Bella is seventeen not seven. I can't force her to go to school."

"We're not from CPS," Jasper said. "We're Bella's friends. We haven't seen her in a while and want to make sure she's alright."

"When was the last time you saw her," Alice asked. "We haven't seen her since last December."

Mrs. Mattis scuffed. "It took you an entire year to go looking for her? Some friends you are."

"You don't know what we've been through in the last year." Alice's jaw tensed. "Jasper's mom lost her job right before she had a baby. Jasper had been working himself to death keeping his family afloat. To make matters worse, the baby will probably need heart surgery. That won't be cheap."

How did Alice know that? No one outside his family knew about the hole in Tessa's heart. Jasper hadn't even told Edward yet. Why worry everyone when there was a chance the hole would heal on its own?

"My twin brother has a brother has a brain tumor." Alice continued. "He may not live to see high school graduation. I may not make it to graduation either. I'm one missed homework assignment away from being forced to repeat junior year."

Jasper was shocked. Alice had always been at the top of their class. He knew her grades had suffered, but he didn't know the situation was so dire. Why hadn't she said something? He would have gladly helped her study. He would have even done her homework if she was feeling overwhelmed. All she had to do was ask.

Mrs. Mattis glanced at Alice's hot pink nails. "You have time to do your nails. How busy could you possibly be?"

Alice took a step forward with a murderous look in her eyes. Jasper jumped in before the situation could escalate any further.

"Would you mind if we took a look at Bella's room." He asked with a hand on Alice's tense shoulder. "Maybe Bella left a note or a clue to where she went."

"Do you have a warrant?" Mrs. Mattis asked.

"No, but-"

"Then you're not coming inside. I suggest you leave before my husband wakes up. He doesn't take kindly to trespassers."

"The envelope," Alice whispered into Jasper's ear.

With $400 in hand, Mrs. Mattis led Jasper and Alice to the basement bedroom that had once been Bella's. The room contained a desk, a dresser, and a twin bed. Bella's books stood in alphabetical order on the desk. Her shoes were lined up in two straight rows in front of the closet. Jasper ran his hand across the dresser. There wasn't a speck of dust to be found.

"Bella is fine." Mrs. Mattis said. "As you can see, there's not a thing out of place."

That was the problem. Bella, or "Hurricane Bella as Edward called her, wouldn't have lasted five minutes in a room like that. She left projects half done and liked her things out where she could see them.

"She hasn't been here in months, has she?" Alice said, looking at the perfectly made bed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mrs. Mattis said. "Bella was here this morning before school."

"Really?" Jasper picked up Bella's backpack. "You're telling me she left all her school supplies behind.

Mrs. Mattis, who refused to set foot in the bedroom, shrugged. "She can be a bit forgetful at times."

Jasper sighed and gave her four more crisp hundred dollar bills. "How long has it really been?"

Mrs. Mattis stuffed the money into the pocket of her sweatpants. "It was sometime around Halloween or maybe Thanksgiving. She wasn't around for Christmas. I would have remembered that."

"When did you report her missing?" Alice asked.

Mrs. Mattis looked down at the floor. "We needed the money. The checks would have stopped coming if anyone found out she wasn't living here anymore."

The edges of Jasper's vision turned black. "Most people who go missing are dead after the first 48 hours. Bella has been gone for over a year!" How could you sacrifice her life for a few hundred dollars a month!"

"Bella isn't used to living in a home with rules and consequences. Sometimes she runs away when things don't go her way. ." Mrs. Mattis said. "She usually goes to stay with her boyfriend. You should talk to him, maybe he's seen her."

"She's dating my brother," Alice said. "He hasn't seen her in a year. He's worried out of his mind!"

"I don't know what else to tell you," Mrs. Mattis said. "If Bella wanted to come home she would have done so by now.."

Alice sniffed. "She was my best friend. She wouldn't have left without saying goodbye."

"Maybe you weren't as close as you thought."

"Come on Alice, let's go home," Jasper said quietly. "We'll head to the hospital. Maybe they still have the security from the night she disappeared."

Jasper and Alice didn't say a single word the entire way home. How was it possible no one knew Bella was missing? What if something horrible had happed? Any evidence would be long gone. Mrs. Mattis was right. They were horrible friends. If they ever found Bella they'd have a lot of explaining to do. Jasper wouldn't blame her if she never spoke to them again.