Stephenie Meyer is the genius! Not me!
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"Alright," Carlisle said over the pounding of the rain, "Emmett, you go with Edward and Esme."
Emmett smirked as he shuffled over to stand next to Esme and me. "The almighty E's," he said, bouncing on his heels. "We should make shirts or something."
I rolled my eyes.
"I'll go with Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie," Carlisle said, walking over to the other three. Then he nodded at me, I'll call you if we've found anything.
I nodded in response and patted the cell phone in my pocket.
Unless you're in range, of course.
I smirked and watched as the four of them turned their backs and ran down the street.
"Well?" Emmett said, looking down at me, "You're the one that knows the guy's scent," he waved his hand, "lead the way."
I spun on my heel and ran. I could hear their feet padding softly behind me.
Emmett's thoughts were particularly annoying as I followed the man's vague scent.
Esme, Emmett, and Edward... the ultimate E's.
I lead them around a corner.
The excellent E's.
I gave my wet hair a quick shake as it fell into my eyes.
The explosive E's.
I shook my head when I heard Emmett chuckle to himself.
"Hey Edward!" he said, pulling up beside me, "How about the explo-"
"-No," I answered without looking at him.
"Just because it makes us sound riddled with human body functions doesn't mean it can't be our name." I finally turned my head and looked at his face. His lips twitched upwards and he began laughing. "Come on, Edward! You have to admit it was kind of funny!"
"How old are you again?" I asked, smirking at him.
"Young enough to still have my sense of humor fully intact," he nudged me with an elbow.
"Right," I laughed, "if that's what you want to call it."
He scoffed and fell back behind me, but I could still hear him laughing softly.
The man's scent was weak to start out with, and it got only slightly stronger as I followed it. The lack of scent could only mean one thing: Our quarry was out of town. I groaned as I came to this conclusion, but pressed on. Esme heard me and I felt her thoughts prickle through my mind.
What is it Edward? She pulled abreast with me.
"He's not in town," I answered softly.
We can still find where he lives though, right?
I nodded. "I think I can follow his scent that far."
That's good. She smiled a reassuring smile, her eyes were warm and encouraging. Then she dropped back and informed Emmett of the news.
I rounded one last corner and then skidded to a stop.
"Here?" Emmett asked, surveying the area.
It was a run down part of Port Angeles, I'll admit. The doors were falling off the hinges and all the windows were boarded-up. The ground was littered with broken bottles and cigarette butts, and the rain continued to pour. The rain enhanced the dilapidated feeling of the place, collecting in places on the street and shooting off the high roofs of the apartments.
I pulled my collar up around my neck and shrugged out of the shadows. I walked across the street and under one of the only working streetlights on the road. Esme and Emmett followed me closely.
My nose flared and I looked up the building.
"What floor, Edward?" Emmett asked.
"Not sure," I said simply. "Wait here."
I leapt onto the side of the building and began climbing before either of them could answer me vocally. I climbed passed the first row of windows and then the second. I finally stopped going up when I reached the third story. The scent was strongest here. I sidled along easily until I had moved to the right three windows. The man lived here.
I didn't sense anyone inside, but the window was boarded up so I couldn't get in through the window. I didn't want to remove the planks because it might alert the man to the fact that we've found his residence. We'd have to go inside and through the door. To get back down I simply let go and dropped to the ground easily, hardly bending my knees as I landed.
I smiled as I walked back to the party. It was complete again. Carlisle and the others had found their way here as well.
"We have to get in from inside," I said after I'd walked up.
Carlisle nodded and clenched his jaw. I'll go.
"Fine," I answered. Carlisle then voiced his decision aloud. Alice and Esme volunteered to go with him. I watched as the three of them stepped through the doorway and into the apartment building. Emmett and Rosalie were talking next to me.
"I can't believe I'm out here," she pouted. "It's wet."
Emmett draped his thick arms over her shoulders and hunched over her, shielding her from the rain.
"Your own personal umbrella," Emmett smiled down at her.
"Hmm," Rosalie tipped her head up and surveyed Emmett's face. "You'll do," she said with a playful smile.
He dropped his chin and kissed her forehead, his dark locks dripping water into her face all the while.
Jasper shuffled over beside me, his hands thrust deep inside his pockets.
"Look," he said, "I'm sorry about yesterday."
"It's fine," I glanced over at him and when I saw that he was unconvinced at my answer, I smiled. "Really, it's fine."
"Unless it's not." He turned to face me. This could still end badly, you know.
I sighed, "I know." Another smile tugged at my lips, "But I'll withhold my resentment for when that ending actually occurs."
"So we're on speaking terms now?" he asked.
"We're speaking now, are we not?"
He chuckled, "I suppose that's what you'd call this."
Both of us turned to look at the three figures as they exited the building. I already knew by their joyous thoughts that they'd found what they'd wanted.
"His name is Corbin Fauset," Alice said excitedly after she'd rejoined us.
"And what do we know about him?" Jasper prompted.
"He's 24," Esme answered, "and he's been living in this apartment for about a year and a half."
That didn't seem like alot of information. "That's it?" I asked.
"He works at C'est Si Bon, Edward," Alice said softly.
"What?" I stepped towards her. She'd made the reservations for Bella and I when we went there.
"Did you sense him there when you went?"
I shook my head.
"He works there almost all the time," Alice stated, "He must've been there when you were."
I'd blocked out all other thoughts that night. I'd promised Bella that it was only her, and I followed through with this statement as thoroughly as possible. I would have recognized the man's thoughts if only I'd filtered through the thoughts of the people present. I didn't know his scent well enough then and I didn't catch it. I knew it well enough now though. I growled at my own stupidity.
"We were lucky that the guy kept everything," Alice chirped, pulling me out of my self-loathing. "There were piles and piles of expired pizza coupons mixed with his social security card and birth certificate."
"It was disgusting," Esme said, wrinkling her nose at the memory.
Alice giggled beside her, "She didn't handle the mess of very well."
"I think she wanted to clean the entire room," Carlisle chuckled.
"That would definitely give us away," I mumbled. Forget about the missing planks on the windows alerting him to our presence here, a spotless room may do the trick. Although I doubt he'd even think to consider that his room was cleaned by a clan of vampires.
"Well," Rosalie said, "I say we head home now."
"Agreed," I said.
We took two separate cars; my volvo and Rosalie's red convertible. I drove my Volvo with Alice and Jasper, the rest rode with Rosalie. In a matter of seconds, I managed to start the car, turn on the headlights, and flip on the windshield wipers. The whole process would have been invisible to the human eye. Right when I shifted the car into drive, Rosalie's candy-red car pulled up beside me.
Race? Her thoughts echoed through my head.
I accepted her dare by flashing a wide, challenging smile. I watched as Emmett looked at Rosalie and then me, trying to figure out what was occurring between us. When Rosalie revved the engine he let out a whoop as he realized what was happening and then turned to me with a thumb-down.
I could hear Esme trying to reason with Rosalie, trying to get her to drop the whole race idea. I turned forward and tapped my fingers on the steering wheel, feigning impatience. Finally, I heard the countdown begin in Rosalie's mind.
Ready... Set...
I glanced over one last time to see Rosalie hunched over the steering wheel, a smile was tugging at the corner of her lips.
Go!
I pressed on the accelerator as hard as I could with out breaking through the floor of the car. Both car's tires squealed under them as they tried to get traction on the wet road. But eventually, they caught and we were sent bulleting down the street.
Alice had climbed up to ride shotgun and began her career as my driving coach.
"Watch out for that puddle!" she said, shooting her arm across my face to point to some object to my left.
I raised an eyebrow, and moved her arm away from my face with a finger. "I saw the puddle, Alice. Thanks."
She dropped her hand back into her lap and resolved not to point out potential hazards to me again. But seconds later, she was pointing out plastic bags and cardboard boxes in the middle of the road that I could clearly see.
"Jasper?" I asked, looking back at him in the rear-view mirror. "Would you mind?" I nodded my head in Alice's direction.
"Of course not." With a smile, he scooped Alice up and set her beside him, "I was getting lonely back here anyways."
I chuckled and continued, unassisted, down the road. I knew my volvo could never really beat Rosalie's super-car. She'd made considerable improvements to the innards of my car, but she'd have done much more to her own.
Suddenly, the living room of our house dropped around me. I was engulfed in the vision Alice was experiencing. I could push it away though, at least enough so that I could be vaguely aware of the road.
Bella and I stood at the bottom of the staircase, I was leaning on the railing and looking right at Bella. Bella- another reason to get home quickly. She seemed to struggle with the words she wanted to say. She opened her mouth, but closed it with a click. I watched the vision-me mirror the expression I was sure I had on my face now. I had furrowed my brow in frustration. I was regretting once again my inability to read her thoughts.
"What is it Bella?" I asked her.
Her face flushed and she looked at her shoes.
"Say it quickly if it's any easier for you," the vision-me smiled, "I can still understand you."
She lifted her face and I saw that there were tears threatening to brim over. I watched as I scooped her in my arms in an attempt to fight her tears back. I creased my brow as I saw that she began to cry harder. What was wrong with her? I couldn't help. Or could I?
I listened in shock as Bella confessed her motives in a flurry of words and explanations. She wanted money? She said that she wanted to use it for college, but why should she cry about that? I knew that asking for money was something that she strictly didn't do, but she shouldn't stress so much about it.
"I need $20,000, Edward," she sniffled.
"Fine, fine," I said, smoothing the hair out of her face.
My easy response sent her into another hysterical fit. I watched as I struggled to comfort her, but all of my efforts were in vain- she continued to cry.
Slowly, the scene faded and I found myself sitting in the driver's seat again. I'd let myself become so taken by the vision as it progressed, that I'd forgotten that I was driving. Jasper had a hand on the steering wheel, but my foot still pressed down on the gas.
"Is it done?" He asked me quietly.
"Yes," I answered stiffly. He probably felt the waves of confusion that rippled off me, because he touched my shoulder and I found that I was gradually calming. "Yes," I repeated, "it's done."
He leaned back, and I could hear him and Alice conversing softly behind me. She was explaining the vision to Jasper.
It was a little further down the road when I was struck with an idea. I laughed loudly at the fact that it took me so long to think of it.
"Edward?" Alice asked, slightly puzzled.
"We could just give her the money!" I laughed again.
I heard a quick intake of air in the back and then; "That's it!" I glanced in the rear-view mirror in time to see Alice nearly jump to her feet in excitement, "We could just shove it into her hands!"
"That way she doesn't have to explain anything to us," I smiled.